Chapter 1

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Ocean Shore walked into the school building through the main entrance and looked around. It looked just like any other grain in the mill high school, with the only exception being the horse statue in front of the building. She made an effort to look bored and grumpy, mostly to keep the other students from bothering with her. She was early, as she was supposed to meet the principal before the first period, but still a number of students filled the hallways already. Maybe some people from early club meetings or whatever dedicated students would pass their time before school.

She kept a slouch in her step as she walked to where she believed would be the main office. Her backpack hung over one shoulder and was worn-out, as were her trainers. The only thing that looked new was the blouse she wore under her faded, second-hand wind jacket, but even that one had seen better days already. She glanced around and saw all the generic stuff she'd seen in other high schools before, the same old lockers, classrooms and what not. Her eyes stayed with a poster that announced a musical showcase, someone had written "Battle of the Bands" across the initial description with black marker. She noticed the date was two weeks past already, so she shrugged and walked on.

Eventually, a teacher noticed her wandering around and called her over
"I don't think I've seen you before. What are you doing here?"
Geez, she thought, passive-aggressive much?
"I just transferred here, Sir. I'm supposed to meet with Principal Celest"
She sounded bored and didn't even bother looking up at the authority figure in front of her
"I see. You need to go to the end of this hallway, then turn right and you'll find the Principal's office."
"Thanks."

She turned away and walked off, but the teacher wasn't done with her yet
"And our principal's name is Celestia. She might appreciate you remember her name correctly."
Blue rolled her eyes and held back a snort
"Thank you, Sir."
Any snarky comment she had, she held back. Better not pick a fight on the first day, she thought to herself, knowing my luck, I'll get to that soon enough anyways.

She reached the office in time. The other students kept staring at her, but she didn't care. She'd been through this too often by now to get bothered any more. Trying to be polite, she knocked before she walked in and even looked at the receptionist
"Oh, you must be Ocean Shore. Miss Celestia and Miss Luna are expecting you, go right in."
She nodded and headed for the door the woman was pointing at and knocked again. A voice called her in a second later, so she took a deep breath and opened the door. Let's just get this over with.

She stepped into the office and turned around to make sure the door was closed properly. That delay gave her some time to glance around the office. Everything was kept in bright colours and the morning sun streamed in through a large window behind the desk. She saw a few photographs and some diplomas on the walls. Behind the desk sat a woman in a smart pantsuit, maybe past her thirties, with alabaster skin and long hair of green, pink and blue colours. Beside her, she saw another woman, shorter and younger, with blue skin and dark blue hair, almost like herself. Only that Ocean had streaks of green in her far shorter hair where the woman had broad silvery strands. The blue woman just fixed her with a piercing gaze, but the white woman flashed a friendly, open smile

"Welcome to Canterlot High, Miss Shore. Please, have a seat. We have some things to talk through before your classes commence."
She nodded and sat down on the indicated chair in front of the desk, her backpack landed next to her. She had to admit, the woman really made an effort to show a sunny attitude. The smile even reached her eyes as she continued
"I am Principal Celestia, and this is Vice-Principal Luna. We both hope we can make your transfer to CHS as smoothly as possible."
She just nodded and let the principal talk for now. Her eyes wandered over the desk but fixed on the large folder that was spread out on it. Her shoulders slumped and she sighed. Great, so they already read my file. Guess now they try to threaten me into submission, like always.

The principal had noticed what her newest student was looking at and her smile turned from friendly into a knowing smile
"I am aware that you come to us from less than optimal circumstances, Ocean Shore. However, I want to stress that we intend to give you a fresh start with us. Here at Canterlot High, we do believe in second chances."
Blue raised her brow and held back a grin. Yeah, right. That's why you study my file before talking to me and team up on me. Bullshit.

To her surprise, the blue-skinned Vice-Principal bowed forward and leaned with her hands on the desk so she could meet the girl's gaze
"What my sister says is true, Miss Shore. I know you might not expect it, but we really wish for your transfer to our school to become a positive turnout for you."
This time she looked up, fighting hard to keep her expression neutral, especially when she took in the sincere expressions from both principals. They can't be serious. No principal ever gives a shit about a student like me. Maybe they're just trying to reverse-psychology me or something.

As if she had read her mind, Vice-Principal Luna tapped her hand on the large file
"We know that you had some very bad experiences. Some might think you to be a lost cause."
She tensed up, but the vice-principal just closed the file
"However, we want to make our own decisions before we throw you down a pigeonhole."

Principal Celestia nodded and just smiled again
"There are some restrictions set on you, but if we see a positive progress, I will see to mitigate some of them away from you. Now, first things first, you will have to report in the office every morning once you arrive. You know why."
She frowned but nodded as the teacher went on
"Second, since we don't have a school counsellor, you will meet with either Luna or me, twice a week for the time being. We will see what works best in that regard."
This time, she let out a sigh. Guess I had that one coming. Well, at least it's at school and not some jerk in town.
The principal's smile faded into a stern expression for a moment and Blue knew what was coming next
"Finally, although I do not expect it from you, I must stress that acts like these," she tapped at the file, "will not be tolerated at our school."

Principal Celestia looked expectantly at the girl but all she got was another wordless nod. With that, her sunny smile returned
"Well, that would be it for now. Do you have any questions?"
"No, I got the message."
Both women's eyes widened a little from surprise. People usually didn't expect a deep voice like hers from such a small girl. It didn't help that her accent made everything she said sound harder than she meant it either. However, they both quickly recovered and Principal Celestia smiled again
"Excellent! Now, I think a tour over campus is in order next. Shall we?"

Ocean Shore blinked surprised as the Principal got up with her and waited for her to pick up the backpack again
"You're giving me the tour?"
"Indeed. Did you expect something else?"
"Kinda. Usually, they sent out some teacher's pet and stuff."
Principal Celestia chuckled and opened the door for her
"You will find that our school is different than the ones you have visited before, Miss Shore. In time, you will understand."
Ocean Shore just shrugged and said nothing as she followed the woman.

After she had endured what had to be the longest campus tour ever, Ocean Shore was almost relieved when she finally arrived at the classroom. The principal talked to the teacher while she got a chance to glance over what had to be her new class. So far, it seemed very generic except a few guys were throwing almost frightened looks at her direction. Geez, what's their problem? Never seen a student transfer in or what?

It was rather late in the school year, but she had been at all her classes before she got out of that place and could move to this city. And since she couldn't afford a high class private school like Crystal Prep Academy with their meagre budget, she ended up in Canterlot High instead. Not that she would have been accepted in Crystal Prep anyways, not with a reputation like hers.

"Class, may I have your attention for a moment? Thank you."
Principal Celestia motioned for her to stand between her and the homeroom teacher whose name she had already forgotten
"This is Ocean Shore. She transferred here today and will be our newest wondercolt."
All eyes on her, Blue shot a glance across the classroom to be polite, but she kept her posture slumped and went with the most bored sounding "Hi" she could manage.
"Now, I expect all of you to help Miss Shore feel welcome with us and in town. As I know, Miss Shore has just moved this weekend, so it would be nice if some of you showed her around after school. Don't you think?"

That last question was directed at her. Even if it was the Principal, she could not fake enough enthusiasm to make any answer sound sincere, so she didn't even try
"Whatever."

The principal glanced at her, slightly irritated but nonetheless smiling
"Alright. Now, there is an empty seat next to Rarity, how about you sit down for now so Miss Cheerilee can begin with today's lessons."

With a nod, she slumped over to the seat in the middle of the classroom. A girl with pale white skin, an enormous mass of indigo hair and designer clothes, Rarity probably, smiled that same set-up cheery smile that the principal had before. What's wrong with these people? Why are they all grinning like idiots?

"Welcome, Darling."
The girl glanced over her tattered clothes, frantically searching for something redeeming she could related to
"Oh, I love that blouse you're wearing, Darling. You simply have to tell me where you got it!"
For the first time, Ocean looked up and met the fashionista with an icy glare
"From a thrift store. I think it was called something like 'None of your Business', Darling."
For the last word, she had let go of her usual harsh accent and imitated the white girl's uppity drawl. While the fashionista took the hint and had the decency to blush, the girl behind her didn't take it too kindly

"Hey, now come on. She only tried to be nice, no need to get all feisty 'bout nothing."
Blue turned around and glared at the girl who talked with a thick southern drawl. Her first instinct was to chew the girl out, but the look in green eyes under her cowboy hat didn't give her any sign of animosity. It didn't seem like she was looking for a fight, she just stated her honest opinion at the matter. Fair enough, Blue thought and turned back towards the teacher without another word.

Classes went on and completely passed Ocean Shore. It was nothing but the usual stuff, English, History and Algebra. With the exception of maybe the last one, more than enough to induce a deep sleep in almost everyone, especially on a Monday morning. Ocean endured it with the same stoic patience that helped her get through her last classes. She forced herself to listen and take notes when the others did, but that was more of a desire to blend into the background than of a real will to learn. She had gotten by with Cs and Ds, she wasn't really aiming for more.

Her fourth period was a free period, so she left the classroom after almost everyone else. Her teacher threw her another one of those creepy smiles, to which she didn't react. The principal probably showed my file around anyway, no use pretending and hoping they won't find out. In fact, she had already seen a few girls tap furiously on their smart phones between classes, followed by whispers to each other and glances towards her. She sighed and shook her head. She wasn't doing any social media, she never saw the use of it, but it was impossible to stay invisible on the internet these days, especially as a high school student.

Distracted by these thoughts, she didn't notice the girls who had been waiting for her outside the classroom until she almost ran into them. Fashion girl and cowgirl had gathered some more friends: A hyperactive pink girl with cotton candy hair, a short girl with rainbow hair who just seemed to scream out 'Hey, look at me, I'm doing sports!', a grumpy looking girl with red and yellow hair who tried to sell her 'bad girl' look with a fake leather jacket and behind them, a tall girl with pale yellow skin and pale pink hair who tried to hide behind the others.

Wow, talked about a mixed bag, she thought before the pink on pink menace waved like an idiot, even though she was standing two feet away from them
"Ocean Shore! Over here!"
She rolled her eyes as the hyper girl reached out and pulled her closer, or at least tried to. She ducked away from the arm and glared
"What do you want?"
Her words came out as harsh as she intended to, but the girls didn't seem to care. Fashion girl stepped forward with that smile, again
"I'm sorry, Darling. Pinkie Pie is very thrilled to get to know you better, as you can tell. I might have slipped to my friends that you are new around, and we agreed we would like to make your first day a pleasant one."

"Yeah, the last newcomers we had were total jerks, so we thought we'd better check on you right away, just in case."
The rainbow girl stated almost proudly and Blue crossed her arms in front of her chest. Well that was blunt. The daft girl stayed oblivious on how three of her companions facepalmed until cowgirl smacked her on the back of her head
"Ow! What was that for?"
"What Rainbow Dash was trying to say is that we want to make sure you have a nice welcome before anyone might run into stupid suspicions about you."
"Yeah. That was totally what I said!"
"Sure you did, Dash."

She watched the exchange between the girls and just turned away and left
"Wait!"
She looked back and stared at the amber hand wannabe-bad girl had wrapped around her wrist, before she jerked her arm free.
"I know that came out a little wacky, but we all know it can't be easy transferring so late in the semester. So, if there's anything you need, we just want you to know we'd be glad to help."
Again, there was that sickening smile. Geez, what's wrong with all those people? Are they on joker venom or something?

She fixed the girl with a glare before she turned around to leave, again
"Yeah, that's not going to happen."
"But why not?"
She stopped before she almost bumped into Pinkie who was suddenly standing right in front of her. How did she get past me so fast?
"Wouldn't you like to make friends on your first day at CHS?"
She rolled her eyes
"Yeah, I could totally do that. It's just, you know, I won't."
With that, she pushed past her once more, bumping her elbow against the pink girl just in case she didn't get the message.

This time, the girls let her be, although she could hear them talking about her as she left
"She doesn't seem very interested in making friends."
"But why?"
"Don't take it too hard, Pinkie Pie. You can't be friends with everybody. At least we tried."
"Maybe she will reconsider, once she has gotten more accustomed here."

She snorted and slipped her earplugs in. As she drowned out the rest of their conversation with loud music, she saw a few other students staring at her as if she'd just grown devil horns. Whatever. There's going to be rumours before the end of the week anyway. Maybe this will get them to leave me alone at least.

She headed towards the library and found a dark corner where she could spend the rest of her free period.

Finally, the school day was over. Ocean Shore stuffed her things into her backpack and followed the stream of students towards the main entrance. All things considered, the day hadn't been as bad as she feared. The teachers mostly ignored her and except the six girls from earlier, nobody else bothered her. She passed a locker and found cowgirl storing away her books, but unfortunately, the girl saw her as well and had the gull to smile at her again. Some people just don't get the message, do they?

"Miss Shore, follow me please."
She turned around and saw the Vice-Principal standing next to her. She hadn't even heard her walk up to her and she didn't like being ordered around either
"Why?"
The woman had already taken a few steps back into the school building but now turned around to glare at the student who dared to question her authority
"Because you have yet to get a locker assigned to you. Also, there is some paperwork in the main office considering you. I'd rather take care of it now than wait until tomorrow."
She rolled her eyes with a grumpy "Fine!" but she followed the administrator back to the office.

Once out of the view of the other students, the woman's demeanour changed drastically. Instead of glaring, she looked back at the girl with an almost concerned expression
"How did your first day fare you, Miss Shore?"
Why do you even care? she thought, even though her answer was just another "Fine", which didn't seem to satisfy the vice-principal
"Did you make some friends already, Miss Shore?"
What is this, elementary school?
"I don't think that's any of your business."
"If you were a regular student, I would agree. But given your particular circumstances, I'm afraid you will have to endure me getting involved more than just that."
Blue locked her eyes on the floor in front of her, but still she heard how the woman's voice softened up further as they approached and entered the office

"There is also the matter of your first counselling session, Miss Shore. You are aware that these are mandatory if you want to avoid further restrictions."
She sighed and nodded
"Yeah, I know. Why didn't you just say so?"
"I was not sure if you would like the student body to know about your arrangements, Miss Shore."
At that, she only had a bitter laugh
"Yeah right, like they won't find out soon enough anyway. And for crying out loud, stop calling me 'Miss Shore'. Only judges and parole officers call me that."
The teacher had a little smirk at Ocean's sudden agitation and inclined her head in a nod

"Very well, Ocean. I think this is as good of a time to start as any. Why don't you tell me about yourself?"
Oh boy, she thought and rolled her eyes, here we go.
"You read my file."
"Nevertheless, I'd like to hear what you have to say."
"Ugh, fine."
She slumped down on the chair the vice-principal pointed at with a more than annoyed expression and started talking.

The next day started almost like the first one. She got to school with her ear buds blaring loud tunes and a grumpy expression that prevented anyone from approaching her as she made her way to the office to check in. Homeroom was boring as all hell, but this time she had managed to get a seat in the back, most importantly away from fashion girl and cowgirl. That Rarity girl gave her a strange look when she noticed that she was wearing the same clothes as the day before, of course fashion girl was wearing an entirely different outfit. She looked like she was about to approach her, but a glare from Ocean as well as a shake of the head from cowgirl stopped her in time.

The only thing that had changed were the whispers that now followed her through the hallways as she went to the next classroom. Yesterday, everyone had been too surprised but now they had the time to gossip and most likely check on what the internet had to say about her. Nobody directly talked to her but from some of the looks she got, she could tell they had found the more nasty facts of her life anyways.

"She must have been in more than five high schools in the last two years alone. Who moves that much?"
"Maybe her parents need to travel a lot for their jobs."
"Then how do you explain the last two and a half months she went completely missing all of a sudden?"
She closed her eyes tightly and sighed when she heard that. Two and a half months. Ten fricking weeks that destroyed her life.

She didn't try to stop the rumours, it was useless anyways, so she just ignored them. And the other students. And her teachers. If she got involved, it would only mean trouble again sooner or later. And knowing my luck, sooner it is. As long as they keep it in school this time.

"Hi Ocean Shore!"
"GAH!"
She jumped backwards with a startled scream as the pink menace suddenly materialized next to her and yelled into her ear
"The hell is wrong with you?"
Pink completely ignored her, or maybe she didn't even notice anything in the first place
"Rarity said you'd be more willing to be our friend once you're accustomed, so I said 'Silly Rarity, it's not even close to Halloween, why would she wear a costume?' but then Sunset Shimmer said Rarity didn't mean costume and she said..."

Blue covered the girl's mouth with her hand because it seemed the babbling would go on forever
"Is there any sense in anything you say?"
The pink girl nodded and with a sigh, Blue pulled away her hand
"Look, whatever it is, just..."
"It's been a day so I wanted to check if you're ready to be friends now!"
Blue stared at the girl wide eyed, to perplex to say anything for a few moments before she snapped back into grumpy mood
"Are you on drugs or something?"
"Nope! But I did have an extra large triple caramel chocolate cupcake with extra sprinkles for breakfast, so I might be a little more giddy than usual."
"Ya think?"

By now, all the yelling had them surrounded by a small crowd of students, most of them chuckling as they watched. Given the pink’s antics, that seemed almost normal
“Listen, just leave me the hell alone!”

Pink girl finally seemed to get the message and backed away a little, but from behind, the next annoyance had just been waiting for her cue
“Hey! Don’t yell at my friend!”
She turned around and rolled her eyes. Oh great, there’s the whole band again.
She glared at rainbow girl who just glared back. She looked like she was the fittest of the bunch, but also the smallest and the one with the shortest fuse

“Mind your own damn business, short stack.”
Rainbow blinked confused for a moment, since Ocean actually was maybe two inches smaller than she was and nowhere as intimidated as she had hoped
“Hey, who you’re calling short stack, short stack.”
“Wow. Calling me the same name I just used a second ago. Did you put on those shoes all by yourself this morning or did you need help?”

She couldn’t help but smirk when rainbow girl’s blue face almost turned purple from rage
“Did you just call me dumb?”
Fuck avoiding trouble. That girl begs for it.
“Want me to write it down so one of your buddies can read it out for you?”
“Why you little…”
Blue leaned back a little and narrowed her weight, bracing for impact as rainbow hair lunged towards her with her hands balled to fists. Before she made it two steps forward, cowgirl and shy girl grabbed hold of her arms and held her back
“Whoa now, Dash. Keep it together, partner.”
Wannabe-Badgirl stepped in between and helped push the raging girl backwards
“Chill, Rainbow. It’s not worth it.”

Pink didn’t seem to get what was happening, so fashion girl put a hand on her shoulder and gently guided her after the others, but not without turning around and throwing a frown at Ocean
“That was simply uncalled for, Darling. A lady should never fall back to such petty insults.”
“Do I look like I give a fuck?”
Whatever answer she had, the bell rang and quickly scattered the little crowd they had gathered. She stared after the six girls and then shrugged. Whatever.

She turned around and headed to her next class, ignoring the stares she got from the other students, and most of all ignoring the fact that some of them even backed away from her as she walked down the hallway. For a brief moment, she closed her eyes tightly and gritted her teeth. Whatever!

The moment passed, and she slumped behind her desk in the back of the classroom.

The last class of the day was lab class, the only one she’d been looking forward to in the few moments she admitted to herself. Chemistry, Science and maybe Math were the only classes she enjoyed no matter which school she visited. During her last classes, she didn’t get lab class so she only learned about stuff in theory, which made her appreciate the chance to get some hands-on experience now even more.

No matter how much she enjoyed it, she didn’t let it show. With the same bored expression she had all day, she put on a lab coat and picked the last free bench in the back. The other students from her class already had their lab partners from the beginning of the semester, so she’d have to work all by herself, but she didn’t care about that.

Wannabe-Badgirl walked in with the others and headed towards her bench. The amber girl looked surprised to see her at the bench in the back, but then she smiled and walked up towards her
“Looks like we’re partners today.”
Ocean didn’t say anything and just stared back with her bored expression
“I don’t think I actually introduced myself yet. I’m Sunset Shimmer.”
Nothing but stares
“I don’t know what the others told you about me yet, but…”
She sighed and rolled her eyes. Fine, I’ll bite.
“Don’t you have a lab partner already?”
Sunset shook her head with a wry smile
“I was working by myself until two weeks ago. And after that, I tagged along with one of the other teams.”
“Huh.”

The teacher walked in and started the lesson with barely any introduction. Ocean listened but quickly trailed off and glanced at the amber girl next to her. Sunset seemed as bored as she was and doodled in her notebook as the teacher droned on. She didn’t notice the sideway glances Ocean shot at her, neither did she react on any of the stares the other students threw back towards them. Some of them had that sickening smile Ocean couldn’t stand anymore, but some looked like they had seen a ghost or something.

Finally, they could start to work. The experiment wasn’t too complex, just mix together a few chemicals, titrate the solution and calculate the concentration.

Ocean scribbled a few numbers on her notepad and Sunset peeked over her shoulder
“What you’re doing?”
“What does it look like?”
They glared at each other and Ocean rolled her eyes
“I’m calculating how much of the substance we need to weigh in.”
“Okay. Then I’ll get the equipment we need.”
"Okay.”

Despite what happened in the hallway earlier, she had no problems working with the girl. They didn’t need to talk much and had their titration running long before any of the other groups. The teacher checked on them and nodded in approval. Soon, they sat in front of their aperture and waited for the solution to dribble down.

Ocean watched the other girl from the corner of her eyes. She was surprised on how well they got along working with barely any communication. When her usual entourage was gone, Sunset didn’t have that fake smile as well.

Maybe it was because she actually enjoyed this class, maybe it was some sort of guilt, but Ocean took a breath and turned towards her partner
“Look, about earlier.”
“Huh?”
Sunset Shimmer turned her head towards her, but instead of angry she seemed only surprised
“What about it?”
“Aren’t you mad or something?”
“Why would I be? Pinkie Pie has no sense for personal space, it’s irritating if you’re not used to it. And Rainbow Dash has a short fuse so she ticks off about just anything.”
Ocean barked out a laugh
“And here I thought you girls were so close.”
“We are. They are my best friends, but that doesn’t mean any of us is flawless.”

Ocean leaned forward and wrote down the first numbers on her notepad
“You don’t really match up all that much, do you?”
“Not at first glance, but that’s actually a good thing I’ve learned.”
“Huh?”
Sunset Shimmer sat up straight, far more interested now than she had been all class long
“You see, I think it’s some sort of balance. When Rainbow Dash gets too reckless, there’s Fluttershy to calm her down again, and when Fluttershy is scared of something, you can count on Rarity or Pinkie Pie to encourage her or cheer her up.”

Blue rolled her eyes but her lips twitched into a smile
“You’ve really given that a lot of thought, haven’t you?”
“Well, I’m still learning about friendship after all.”
Sunset Shimmer smiled genuinely which amused her even more
“I didn’t know they had ‘Friendship’ as an elective. Would’ve taken that over EC any day, that’s for sure.”
“I can get behind that.”
They laughed a little too loud and when the others turned around to stare at her, her grin instantly turned sour.

Sunset Shimmer seemed to have noticed as well as she looked away quickly and mumbled
“You could think they’re just expecting something terrible to happen any second.”
“Well, fuck them.”

She had said that loud enough for everyone to hear and now glared at anyone who still stared at her. Including Sunset Shimmer
“What?”
“Nothing. That was a little harsh, don’t you think?”
“So what?”
Sunset Shimmer looked at her with an unreadable expression as Blue elaborated
“People are idiots. They just see the obvious and never look past it. You look like a bad girl, so you obviously have to be one.”
Sunset’s expression didn’t change. The girl was still staring at her while she tried her hardest not to react on that sudden outburst. Wow, where did that come from? I must be more stressed out about this new school that I thought.
And to be honest, she wasn’t very stressed out about school at all. Those people were what got her nervous. Always smiling when they talked, but behind her back, she noticed the mumbles and the stares.

Sunset Shimmer pulled her out of her thoughts by completely ignoring her outburst
“But, you know, there’s some truth in every rumour.”
“So what? They don’t even want to know the truth. If they’re not willing to hear both sides of the story, they can just fuck off.”
This time, Sunset blushed
“Now that’s really harsh.”
“Where I come from, you either toughen up or go under.”
Geez, now I sound like someone from a 90s gangster movie.

The experiment was almost finished, so she focused on that for the moment, but the girl next to her still seemed lost in thoughts
“You know, it took a while but most people are willing to give me a second chance by now.”
Huh?What?
She turned her head and looked at Sunset’s guilty expression
“I bet they told you all about what happened already…”
“No.”
“Huh?”
“I didn’t talk to anybody and nobody said anything to me.”
"But, you talked about rumours and looking like a bad girl, so I thought…”
“Listen.”
She turned around to face the girl fully and tried her best not to look as furious as she felt
“I don’t know what kind of shit people posted about me on the net. Most of it might be true for all I care. So go ahead.”
She glared at the girl who only stared back confused
“Go ahead with what?”

She rolled her eyes
“You can drop the act. Stop faking sympathy. I don’t care.”
“Faking? What makes you think that?”
"Oh please. I've seen this spiel enough by now. You fake some smiles, try to get on my good side so I will open up to you. Then there's a favour here and there and before you know it, you're trying to pull me into some shit and throw me in front of the bus."
Sunset Shimmer stared with wide-open eyes for a few moments, barely able to stutter out a response
"Y-you really think I would do that?"
"People are shit, no exceptions. Not you, not me, not any of your oh so precious friends. Life doesn't work that way."
Sunset shook her head in what seemed to be disbelief
"What happen to turn you so bitter?"
"People like you happened."

Blue turned around and started stuffing her things into her bag. She couldn't stand how that Sunset-girl was staring at her like that, as if she really cared. Not caring about the class or the teacher, she jumped up on her feet, ready to run just out. However, an amber hand on her elbow stopped her in time
"People here are different. They gave me a second chance. We will give you another chance, too."
"Shut up!"
She jerked her arm free
"Don't you think I've heard that before? Why should I believe you? Why should I trust any of you? Last time I trusted someone, I was... just shut up!"

By now, everyone was staring at her and the teacher felt the need to intervene
"Miss Shore, please stop shouting and sit down again. Class is still in session.”
“See if I care!”
She snapped at the teacher and just stormed out in rage. Those were definitely angry tears that dared to leak out her eyes. They had to be! They mustn’t be anything else!
“Wait!”
Damn it! She didn’t stop when she heard the voice and just kept running towards the exit. Why did that have to happen? Why so soon? It’s only the second day and I’m in trouble again.

She kept running but her teacher eventually caught up on her and stopped her with a hand on her shoulder. With a defeated sigh, she turned around but kept her eyes on the ground.
“Are you alright, Miss Shore?”
She tried her luck with the silent treatment, but he kept nagging on
“Is there any reason you just ran off like that?”

When he didn’t get any answer, she heard a sigh
“Principal Celestia told us about your home-life situation. She expects me to report this sort of behaviour.”
“Of course she does.”
She only mumbled, but he heard it anyways
“I assure you, it’s only so you won’t get even more restrictions from elsewhere. The teacher body in general and Principal Celestia in particular have no intention to give up on you, or any student.”
“Bullshit.”

The teacher sighed and took a step back
“I get why you might think that. I recommend you talk to Sunset Shimmer, if anyone she might be able to change your mind.”
“Why? Cause she’s wearing a fake leather jacket and tries to act like a though girl?”
She swallowed down some bitter taste in her mouth, but her teacher only chuckled
“There might be more to that than you think. But it’s not for me to tell you that. Ask Sunset Shimmer, or maybe Principal Celestia. For now, we still have a good half hour of class ahead of us.”

Blue looked up, surprised to see her teacher wink before he turned around
“Next time you need to use the bathroom during class, please ask ahead of time, not when it’s almost too late.”
She didn’t see it, but she could hear his grin and it left her only more confused. Is he seriously giving me an excuse for running out like that? Why? It would be easy to report me and most likely he’d never have to deal with me again. So what does he have to gain from this?

She barely even realized that she followed the teacher back to the lab. The others were staring at her for a moment, but when the teacher cleared his throat, they turned back to their experiments.

She kept her head low and marched back to her spot. Sunset Shimmer had completed the experiment by now and written down the results. Without a word, Sunset pushed over the notebook so she could copy the numbers.

They didn’t talk for the rest of the class. When everyone else left, she stayed behind. The teacher waited for something to happen, but when Blue didn’t say anything, he told her she had to leave so he could lock the lab.

Sunset Shimmer was waiting outside the room. She threw an angry look at the amber girl, at least she tried but there was that smile again. She couldn’t take it right now, so she just walked on.

As she passed her locker, a strange thought came to her mind. Maybe I should check if Vice-Principal Luna is still in. She had spent most of the last afternoon talking with the vice-principal. Or rather, she had talked and the woman had listened.

She shook her head angrily at the thought. Outside the school, most of the other students were gone already. A few seniors waited at the parking lot, but the bus stop was abandoned. She probably just had missed the bus.

Whatever. She put in her earbuds and turned the volume to max. The next bus would arrive in an hour, walking home would take just as long. She walked.

The rest of the week was dull. Some people had told stories about her blow-up in lab class and there were rumours she had beaten up someone before she ran away, but these were dismissed quickly again. Still, that some of them seemed so willing to believe that she would turn violent any moment had one nice side effect. They left her alone.

She had run into Sunset Shimmer a couple of times again and the girl always smiled at her, but so far, Blue didn't give much about it. Getting closer to her meant giving the pink menace a free pass to nag her, last thing she wanted. The hyperactive girl was already following her around. She tried to hide, but it was like in one of those stupid cartoons where some part of her always ended up in plain sight anyway.

During PE, she had another run into Rainbow Dull or whatever and the girl had tried to settle their score during a dodgeball match. Blue had not given her any satisfaction, she just stood still and let the first ball in her direction hit her. She ended up sitting next to the tall shy girl for the rest of the class, but that one didn't even dare to look at her, which was just fine for Ocean anyway.

It was Friday and she had avoided her second session with the principals so far. She knew she had to do it, otherwise they would send someone from the office after her. So when her last class was finished and everyone funnelled out of the building, she headed to the office instead. She was surprised to see that she wasn't the only one.

Sunset Shimmer was already waiting in front of the door and scribbling something into an oversized dairy. The amber girl looked up and smiled when she noticed Ocean, but she just rolled her eyes and leaned against the wall with a bored expression.

Finally, the door opened and Vice-Principal Luna poked her head out
"Ah, excellent, both of you. Miss Shimmer, you will be coming with me. Ocean, head inside where Principal Celestia is waiting for you."
Sunset Shimmer sent an encouraging smile her way before she hurried after the vice-principal. Ocean Shore just rolled her eyes and walked in.

The principal was typing something on a laptop and motioned for her to sit, so Ocean just slumped on the same chair she had on her first day. Like then, she tried to look annoyed and bored.

Principal Celestia then suddenly closed her laptop and pushed it aside so she could focus all her attention on the girl in front of her
"I'm sorry, just something that needed taking care of. Now, Miss Shore, I must say I am happy you came to me on your own. I was beginning to worry."
Blue just snorted but said nothing, looking away as if bored

"So, why don't you tell me about your week, Miss Shore?"
The principal waited for another three minutes but when she didn't get an answer, her smile started to grow stressed
"I must remind you, Miss Shore, that these sessions are mandatory for you. So I expect your cooperation."
"Have you ever even done this before?"
“Yes indeed. I have been a guidance counsellor for many years, before I became the principal of Canterlot High.”
“Figures.”

The principal was about to say something, but Ocean was faster
“Why do you think I’m here?”
“Well, I certainly hope you’re here to improve your attitude and to get integrated into a proper schooling environment
again.”
“I’m here because I have to. Nothing more.”
“I see.”

Celestia’s smile grew a little more forced and picked up something from a drawer in her desk
“Then I believe you wish to return to your former lifestyle?”
She dropped Ocean’s file on the desk and the teenager frowned
“Are you really that eager to go back there?”
“Did you ever wonder why I was there in the first place?”

Celestia stopped smiling
“I don’t have to wonder. Your former actions are well documented.”
“If that's what you think, why take a chance with me anyways?”
“Because, this,” she tapped the file “this also proves that you are at least willing to try. Otherwise you wouldn't be sitting in my office on your own impulse.”

Ocean didn’t reply and the principal smiled again
“So, are you willing to put more effort into this?”
“Whatever. But I’m not doing this for you.”
“That, Miss Shore, would be silly. You’re doing this for yourself, first and foremost. I am merely here to assist you.”

Ocean faced the principal and her maybe not so fake smile for a whole minute without saying anything, the she sighed and nodded
"Sounds fair. Please don't call me Miss Shore. Only judges and parole officers call me like that."

Celestia inclined her head in a nod
"Very well. What name do you prefer, then?"
"Just call me Blue."

Chapter 2

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Blue’s second week started with her being late for Homeroom, meaning that her preferred seat in the back was gone and she had to sit next to fashionista girl again, who came with a brand new outfit and a sickening smile. That smile froze when she noticed Blue was wearing the same clothes as last week. But maybe it was also because she noticed something else
“Darling, you look exhausted. You must have had an eventful weekend.”
“Fuck off.”
Blue was too tired to come up with a snarky comeback and just slumped in her chair. Apple-something turned around to throw a concerned look at her as well, but the teacher called them back to attention. Miss Cheerilee was already displeased that Blue was late, so chatting during class was not a good idea right now.

Blue dozed off as Miss Cheerilee droned on about something. She must have fallen asleep, because she noticed Rarity shaking her shoulder and whispering her name, but it was too late. The teacher was already towering above her with a grumpy frown and the rest of class was snickering at her
“First you’re late and then sleeping in class. Not a good start, Miss Shore.”
Blue said nothing and kept her eyes on the desk
“Is there anything you’d like to say for yourself?”
How about ‘Mind your own damned business?’ she thought, but what she pressed out between her teeth was “Nothing, Miss.”
“I see. I want to talk with you after class.”
Blue rolled her eyes but she nodded while class snickered some more. She saw a motion in the corner of her eyes and glared at Rarity before she could touch her again. The fashion girl carefully pulled her hand back.

When everyone else funnelled out, Blue stayed on her seat and waited for the inevitable. Just get over with it. Chew me out, threatened me and act all high and mighty. I bet you've just been waiting for a chance like this.

Miss Cheerilee stood right in front of Blue's desk, again towering over the girl in her seat. Blue waited for a scolding, but what she heard was a concerned tone from the teacher
"Do you get enough sleep at home, Ocean Shore?"
Blue blinked but didn't care enough to look at Miss Cheerilee
"I know you just moved last week. Did you get settled in your new home yet?"
"More or less."

Blue didn't give a clear answer. Any answer would only lead to more questions and questions would lead to getting involved. She didn't need that.
"How long did you work last night?"
Wait, what? Blue finally looked up at Miss Cheerilee
"I saw you at the bar last night. It's impressive you found a job that quickly, but I've got some concern if that place is right for a high school student."
"You apparently were there as well, so it can't be that bad, right?"
“That’s different, as you very well know yourself.”

Blue kept looking at Cheerilee and tried to find what the teacher was really after. Maybe she wants to find a reason to kick me out without pulling the school in as well. Or maybe she wants something from me and tries to blackmail me with this.
Blue didn’t find that cold glint people had in their eyes when they wanted to use her. In its place, she saw concern, simple as that.
Or maybe… maybe she’s not faking it?

It was a risk. Blue was used to taking risks and getting into trouble, she would do it if the gain gratified the cost. But here, she didn’t know how big the risk was or if there was anything to gain at all. Any clear thought in her mind told her that this was a bad deal and that she couldn’t take it. Only one instinct told her to open up and take a chance.

Blue sighed deeply and rested her head in her hands, so she wouldn’t have to look at the teacher any more and more importantly, so that Miss Cheerilee couldn’t read her either
“I live nearby and walked around. Heard someone groaning when he was unloading a truck, so I asked if he needed help. He did. When the truck was empty, he asked if I’d help him get the stuff to the storage room. I asked how much he’d pay.”
Miss Cheerilee groaned and shook her head
“You are aware that’s not how you get a proper job, Ocean Shore.”
“He paid me right away, so I didn’t ask further questions.”
“Of course you didn’t.”

The teacher sighed and shook her head
“Then why did I see you inside the bar with an apron?”
“One of the servers called in sick. The guy asked if I could fill in on short notice, so I ended up cleaning tables and doing dishes.”
“How long?”
“Until they closed.”
“Which means?”
Blue closed her eyes
“After midnight.”
“On a Sunday night, with school coming up. I see where this is going.”
Blue frowned
“It’s not like I had much of a choice if I wanted to get paid.”

“Do you need the money that much?”
“Who doesn’t?”
Miss Cheerilee sighed and pulled a chair over so she could sit rather than look down on Blue
“Ocean, there is nothing wrong in getting a job besides school. But if your working hours clash with your classes, you should ask yourself if that’s the right job.”

“It was just one fucking time. Aren’t you blowing this out of proportions?”
Cheerilee looked at her with that concerned smile again
“It’s not just that. Your ‘boss’ practically forced you into late hours, way past anything that would be allowed for a teenager by any means.”
“He asked if it was okay and I said yes as long as he pays right.”
“And what did he pay you?”
Blue rolled her eyes and told her, but Cheerilee just shook her head
“That’s far too little for a whole night, even if you’re just a fill-in. Ocean, he is clearly abusing the fact that you’re broke.”
Blue glared at the teacher and her anger made her more agitated
“That’s none of your fucking business.”

Cheerilee took the outburst in stride and Blue got the feeling the teacher had maybe just wanted to lure her out of hiding, because suddenly her voice wasn’t as stern anymore
“You seem very concerned about money. How are these things at home for you, Ocean? Do you get along?”
“Yes. Barely.”

Blue bit her tongue at her slip-off
“And that means?”
“We’re fine. Stop bugging me.”
Cheerilee shook her head
“Not until you tell me what’s wrong. I know your situation is anything but normal, but there are better ways to get out of this than jumping at any buck you can get.”
“Like what?”
“You could apply for a proper job, with clear working hours and an adequate wage.”

Blue snorted in frustration
“Yeah, because there are so many people who hire lost causes like me. And don’t tell me that’s not true, you read my file.”
Cheerilee didn’t say anything for a while and the bell to next class rang. Blue stood up to leave, but the teacher motioned for her to stay
“Ocean, I want to make you an offer. You don’t have to agree, but I think it would be good if you did.”
Blue just stared at her and waited
“Today after classes, we go to the bar and talk to the owner. Both of us. We’ll explain your situation to him and ask if he would be willing to employ you properly, under certain conditions.”
“Such as?”
“No late-night work, especially not on school nights. And not more than legally allowed for someone of your age.”

Blue nodded, but something didn’t make sense
“And what do you get out of it?”
Cheerilee smiled impishly
“I no longer have to worry about my student arriving at school exhausted and falling asleep on my classes. That sounds like a fair deal for me, don’t you think?”

Blue just stared, floored
“Why?”
“Why what, Ocean?”
“You could just give me detention or something. Or you could report me to the principal and have me thrown out. I’d be out of your class and you no longer had to bother with me ever again. So why?”

Blue expected the teacher to get angry, or maybe feel offended. But Cheerilee just had a sad smile and reached out to put a hand on Blue’s shoulder
“Ocean, not everyone is out there to get you. I hope in time, you can see that. But for now, I’d like you to think about my offer.”
Blue said nothing at that and Cheerilee kept her hand in place, just watching the girl in front of her. After a while, she nodded and returned to her desk
“Let me write you an excuse for your next class before you go. And if you ever want to talk about it, you know where to find me.”
Blue took the slip of paper and left without a word.

She arrived at the classroom in the middle of class, but the teacher just nodded and left it at that. Blue saw that Rarity had saved her a seat next to her. Reluctantly, she made her way over and sat down
“Is everything alright, Darling?”
Rarity tried to be as quiet as possible, but from behind her, Blue saw that the tall shy girl was leaning closer to listen in
“Yeah. Thanks.”

Rarity and the shy girl, Mumbleshy or something, both smiled at her, but focused back on the teacher quickly. Blue just sat there, feeling numb mostly.
Not everyone is out there to get you.

Chapter 3

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Blue still ended up in detention anyways later that week. It turned out that not every teacher was as lenient about arriving late as Miss Cheerilee.
However, instead of sitting in a classroom and staring at a wall, she was dragged into a storage room to do ‘something productive’. So there she was now, on a Friday afternoon, and working through boxes of costumes and stuff for stages from theatre class.

Not that she minded much, though. She wasn’t shy about some physical work and Vice-Principal Luna let her pick her own pace with it. The teacher was looking through stuff and decided what to keep. Blue’s job was to get everything into a storage room. Ways better than boring detention, if it wasn’t for one crucial detail

“Miss Luna? Shouldn’t we put markers on what’s in the boxes? Otherwise we’ll be going through all of them again next time.”
Sunset Shimmer was around as well, for whatever reason. But, instead of just doing what she was told, Sunset seemed overeager to prove herself and be extra helpful.
“That is a good idea, Sunset. Ocean, would you please help Miss Shimmer mark each box before you put them away?”
Blue gritted her teeth but nodded anyway. Why can’t she just do that herself, since it was her bright idea?

Sunset rummaged through some of the boxes next to Miss Luna instead of helping
“These are some costumes from the last class project, maybe it would be better if we stored them somewhere close. You know, if the next class needs some inspiration or something? I think it might be best if we…”
It seemed like that Sunset girl wouldn’t stop rambling and Blue had reached her boiling point, so she dropped the box she had just picked up with a loud smash which finally made her shut up. Sunset stared at her with wide-open eyes when she noticed that Blue was hissing at her
“Or maybe you could do your share and carry some of those boxes to the storage like you’re supposed to. Or is that kind of work beneath you, teacher’s pet?”

Sunset flinched back at the barely-hidden venom in Blue’s voice, but she finally picked up the box Blue had dropped and walked off. Vice-Principal Luna had noticed, of course, and threw a look at her that Blue couldn’t decipher. It didn’t seem as angry as she expected, though. There was some anger mixed in, hidden behind a layer of concern, but Blue couldn’t guess what it meant. Probably she’s just worried that I might overwork her priced pupil Sunset ‘look at me I’m so great’ Shimmer she thought bitterly. Nevertheless, she hauled up two other boxes and carried them over to the storage room.

The room was still mostly empty, only maybe a dozen boxes she had brought earlier. Blue noticed satisfied that Sunset had taken her own advice and began writing on each box with a black marker. Blue dumped her boxes next to the nerd and started stacking up the other ones at the wall. Since she wasn’t as tall and the boxes were rather big, she grunted when she boosted the forth one on top of her stack. At that, Wannabe-Badgirl Shimmer looked up and tried her luck

“Do you need some help?”
Blue just rolled her eyes and boosted another one on top
“I’ve got it.”
She heard footsteps behind her and she could practically hear that sickening smile on Sunset’s face when she didn’t leave her be
“Some of those are heavy, it would be much easier if we worked together.”
Blue gritted her teeth and just pressed out
“I said I got it. Just shut the fuck up.”

She didn’t need to turn around to notice that Sunset took a step away from her, finally getting the message. What made her turn around anyway was the second step towards her again after only a moment of hesitation, and the determined expression on Sunset’s face
“Okay, I’ve had enough. You’ve been acting like this since detention started. Just tell me what your problem is.”
Blue slammed her fist against the nearest wall and Sunset flinched back again. She didn’t like people talking back to her like that, especially not people like Sunset Shimmer
“Mind your own fucking business. Why don’t you go and lick the principal’s boots some more?”

Sunset just crossed her arms before her chest and glared back at her
“That would work on Fluttershy or Rarity. But not me. You act though, but I think you’re more bark than bite.”
“Fuck you, you little cunt. I’ve taken down bigger bitches for less.”
“Oh really?”
Sunset just laughed and took a step closer, not the least bit intimidated, which made Blue furious
“In case you didn’t know, I’ve been the biggest bitch. I know all the tricks. You might have Rainbow loose her cool and do something stupid with that, but not me.”

Blue glared at her and took a menacing step towards her, but Sunset didn’t move, she didn’t even stop her arrogant smirk
“You don’t want to start a fight with me.”
Blue just balled her hands to fists and hissed between her teeth
“Don’t tempt me, bitch. I don’t bluff when I say I’ve taken down bigger bitches than you.”
Sunset rolled her eyes
“Maybe. And maybe you’d even take me down. But you don’t want to fight, not really. You just want to act though and strong, so that nobody ever dares to get too close to you.”
“Shut up.”

Sunset grinned and just went on instead
“And it works really well, unless you meet someone like me. Someone who’s doing the same trick. That little act you play for everyone? They call in ‘pulling a Shimmer’ here at CHS.”
“Shut. Up.”
“Face it, Ocean Shore. You can’t intimidate me and you can’t trick me. We’re the same kind of people.”
“SHUT UP!”

With that, Blue lunged forward, quicker than Sunset could react, and threw the taller girl against the wall. Sunset Shimmer gasped from the impact and fell down on her butt. Before she could get back up, Blue was above her and this time, Sunset was scared. Blue held her by the collar of her fake leather jacket and screamed at her from close up
“SHUT UP! Stop acting like you know me. You know shit! And I’m nothing like you! You little bootlicking know-it-all. You’re just an ass-kisser for the teachers and you don’t know shit what it’s like when everyone just treats you like trash so that bitches like you can have an easy life!”

Sunset stared up at Blue wide-eyed and scared, but as Blue kept screaming, something else filled her eyes, and it was pure and burning rage. With a loud yell, she swept at Blue’s legs and had the smaller girl fall over. Since she was still gripping on Sunset’s jacket, both girls ended up rolling over the floor a couple of times. They hit another wall and Blue had to let go from the impact. Sunset lost no time and this time, she was the one pinning down Blue as she screamed

“I have an easy life, huh? You think I don’t know what it feels like to be an outcast? Everyone in this bucking school hated me! For weeks, they ganged up on me and bullied me, worse than I had ever treated them! Only my friends, only my friends gave me a second chance. I thought things had changed after the Battle of the Bands, after we fought back the Sirens, but there’s still people who hate me. They didn’t even try to get to know me, the new me. Just like you! You don’t know me or my friends, but you treat us like enemies. You won’t anymore! I won’t…”

“THAT’S ENOUGH! BOTH OF YOU!”
Sunset gasped for air from her enraged rant and Blue groaned when she saw Vice-Principal Luna standing in the door and glaring at them.
“Sunset, get off of her. Now.”

Blue sat up as soon as Sunset complied, but they didn’t stop glaring at each other, Sunset with that raging fire in her eyes and Blue with a cold, menacing hatred.
Vice-Principal Luna stepped in between them, so she could look at both of them. Neither girl made a move, and the woman nodded in grim approval
“I guess this was inevitable. At least you’re smart enough to not start a real fight.”

She focused on Sunset first, whose fire burned out as fast as it had started
“Old habits die hard, don’t they Miss Shimmer?”
Sunset closed her eyes, ashamed if Blue had to guess, and took a deep breath. When she opened them again, Blue gasped as the fiery girl seemed close to crying
“Vice-Principal Luna, I’m so sorry. I didn’t… I didn’t mean to… I’m not…”
The teacher took a step towards her and put a hand on Sunset’s shoulder
“I know. Trust me, I am aware that change is not easy. And believe me when I say that one little slip-up doesn’t make you a demon again.”

Blue didn’t really get was this was about, but Sunset Shimmer just stared up at the teacher like a frightened little girl. Vice-Principal Luna had that strange smile for her and squeezed her shoulder before she let Sunset go
“I think that’s enough for today. You can go home now, Sunset Shimmer. “
Sunset nodded and quickly got back on her feet. Once she had made it to the door, Luna’s voice stopped her from leaving
“Just one more thing.”

The vice-principal glared at Sunset first and then focused on Blue who was still sitting on the ground
“The biggest bitch at CHS, that’s me. And if I hear about you two pulling a stunt like this again, you’ll have to deal with me. Have I made myself clear?”
Sunset nodded immediately even as Luna kept glaring at Blue, who held her gaze defiantly for a minute before she rolled her eyes and nodded as well
“Marvellous. Now off you go, Miss Shimmer.”

Sunset rushed out and Blue finally got up from the floor, getting ready to leave as well
“I don’t recall telling you to leave yet, Ocean Shore.”
“What? Why does she get to go and I have to stay?”
Luna fixed her with another glare
“Because Sunset Shimmer is helping as a volunteer. She has already served her punishment for her earlier misdeeds and she redeemed herself by now. Maybe your classmates will tell you more about it.”
Blue just rolled her eyes
“I have better things to do than talking with some fucking idiots.”
“Oh, like more Friday afternoon detention? I can certainly arrange that for you, Ocean Shore.”
At that, Blue just looked at the floor and mumbled
“As if I'd need your help for that.”
“Then perhaps, you'd rather accept my help to avoid further problems.”

Luna's expression stayed neutral when Blue went back to glaring at her
“Yeah, right. Because you give a shit if I'm in detention or not.”
The vice-principal frowned and replied
“Don't you think there is a reason why I am overseeing your detention? Or why my sister and I personally have counselling sessions with you?”
Blue shook her head angrily
“You do that because you have to, just like me. Doesn't mean you want to do any of this shit.”
Luna just sighed, tired
“Language, Miss Shore.”

Blue bit her tongue told hold back a return that would probably only give her more detention. Vice-Principal Luna stared at her for a little while longer, but just had another sigh for her
“I suppose this is as far as we might get tonight. You may go home now, Ocean. Enjoy what's left of your weekend.”
Blue just stomped out without another word.

Since it was late already, she didn't even bother checking for a bus and just headed around the school building to reach the street leading into town, which meant she had to pass the parking lot. She didn't really expect anyone to still be out there, so she was surprised when she heard some voices

“I just don't know what I'm doing wrong. I never meant to be like this again, I swear!”
“Of course not, Darling. We know that.”
“Anyone who knows you can see how much you changed, Sunset.”

Blue rolled her eyes and as she made it around the corner and, of course, saw Sunset and her usual gang. The wannabe-badgirl stood in the middle of them, still distressed by the almost-fight they just had. Mumble-Shy or whatever and Fashion Queen were fussing over her while Daft Dash and Apple Farm Girl watched with mixed feelings. Rainbow seemed angry and tried not to let it take over

“You two just rubbed off the wrong way. But still, charging at you like that? Seriously not cool.”
“Like you never burnt a fuse in your life, Dash.”
“What, now you're defending her?”
“I'm not! And I don't think what she did was right. Be, if we're honest, we all know Sunset knows how to touch a sore spot when she sees it, no offence...” “None taken... are we really back to this?” “... and you and I know that sometimes, people just overreact.”
“So what are you saying, Applejack? That I should just let her treat me and everyone like this?”
“I'm not saying that. But maybe you should let things cool off for a little while. You’re both not the best when your temper shows.”
“Or maybe, you can just ask her what she thinks! She's right there!”

So far, Blue had tried her best to ignore what she heard, but that last call-out from Pink Menace had her look towards the group that was gathered around a truck and a mini-van. Of course, Pink-on-Pink was pointing at her with her mindless grin. Rarity and the tall girl closed in on Sunset Shimmer who was back to all insecure, while Farm Girl and Rainbow Girl glared at Blue, but not as intense as she might have expected. They seemed more annoyed than downright angry at her and Blue knew she didn't have to expect another fight.

Blue just glared and said nothing. Before they could try to talk to her, she put in her earplugs and turned on the music full volume. She headed toward the street and didn't look back. She was still angry but it burnt out while she was marching through town towards home. When she arrived home, and nobody was waiting for her as usual, she sat down on the bed in her dark room. What she had heard from Miss Luna and later the girls in the parking lot, just blurred together and it was annoyingly confusing in her head. Frustrated, she just pulled the blanket over her head and tried to sleep it off.

Blue groaned when she rolled out of bed far too early for a Saturday. If her sister had been at home sometime during the night, she hadn’t noticed. Her sister was going heavy on the night shifts these days. And the weekend shifts. All the shifts.

Blue took a quick shower to wake up, which was easy since the hot water ran out after a couple of minutes anyway, and headed out. She had put on her ‘working attire’, which meant her pair of jeans that looked the least used and a neutral shirt. She knew that the bar down the street would get a truckload of deliveries today, so she saw her chance to earn a few bucks extra.

Although it was Saturday, there was already heavy traffic on the busy street. Blue spotted the truck she’d seen the week before and rounded the bar to get into the back alley. The guy who owned the place (Blue had never bothered to learn his name) was already standing there and watched the truck pull in. Blue gave him a grin, but his mood turned sour when he saw her

“What are you doing here?”
Blue didn’t let burst of anger show and tried to reply somewhat calm
“I thought maybe you’d want some help with the truck again.”
“I don’t. Now leave.”
Blue frowned and let all of her friendly attitude just drop
“You didn’t have any problems with my help last week.”
“That was last week. Not today.”
“Come on, what’s the big deal? I can help in the kitchen after as well if you like.”

“Kid, listen.”
Blue’s frown turned into a glare, but she listened anyway
“It’s not that you didn’t do a decent job last week. But this bar is all I have, I can’t afford getting in trouble with the cops or anything.”
Wait, what?
The guy must have guessed what she thought and just went on
“Somebody from CPS showed up, said his name was Bitter Leaves. He told me a lot of things about you. Things you didn’t mention when I asked.”

Blue gritted her teeth together when she heard that name
“Whatever he told you, it’s not true.”
“Look, kid, I don’t think you’re planning to rob me or anything he said, but if there’s cops involved, I’m staying out of this. When CPS shows up, it means you’re trouble. I can’t afford trouble.”
It took all the willpower Blue had to not fall into a raging fit right here and there. She would have loved nothing more than to smack the guy’s pity expression from his face. Instead, she just flipped him the bird and stormed off. She didn’t really care much which direction, she just ran until her anger burnt out. She was almost back at the school when was finally calm enough to notice her surroundings.

She was still angry, though. Not so much at the guy as she was at Bitter Leaves, but there was nothing she could do against that jerk. For better, or rather for worse, she was stuck with him for now.

Blue checked her pockets and just gritted her teeth again. She left her phone at home, her wallet, and even her outdated walkman. Perfect.

And just as she turned around to get back home, she heard the rumbling of thunder. There had been dark clouds on the sky the whole day, but to Blue it felt like someone had just turned on a shower and it started pouring. Despite her second-hand jacket, she was soaked within a minute. Yep. Just perfect.

While she was running through the rain, she noticed a coffee shop that was already open. She looked at the sky and sighed, as it didn’t look like it would stop anytime soon. I don’t have any money with me. Maybe I can at least dry up a little before they throw me out.

She slipped inside and was hit by the scent of baked goods. This wasn’t some chain it seemed, those guys were making their own stuff in their own bakery. The place was packed even on a Saturday morning, so Blue had some hope that she might duck in unnoticed for a while. As she aimed for one of the tables in the back, she realized a lot of students from CHS seemed to hang around her. A few noticed her and threw some weird looks in her direction. A lot more immediately huddled up and started whispering. Blue couldn’t give less of a fuck.

She slumped on a chair with the back to the room. She didn’t have a phone to make herself look busy, so she just sat hunched down and hoped that nobody would bother with her until…
“Hi Ocean Shore!”
“GAH!”
Pink Menace was back and spontaneously materialized next to her as usual. She had the same goofy smile as always and was completely oblivious to any glares Blue threw at her

“Why? How? How did you even find me here?”
“Silly dilly, I always work here on Saturdays! But I never expected you to be here!”
Blue looked her over and noticed that Pink on Pink was wearing some kind of waitress attire
“Anyway, what can I get you? You need something hot to warm you up, ‘cause you’re soaked. Maybe some hot chocolate? Hot tea? What do you like better, tea or coffee? I’m more of a coffee type myself but sometimes, I like…”

Blue gritted her teeth and tried to block her out, but Pink just kept on babbling and babbling
“…and then one time, I tried to mix cocoa into the espresso machine ‘cause I thought it would taste so much better but boy was I wrong! So instead, I…”
“For fuck’s sake, can’t you just SHUT UP YOU MORON!”
Blue screamed out all her rage and disappointment of the whole day, maybe the whole week even, and Pink on Pink just happened to be the most obvious victim.

Everybody was staring at her. The whole shop was just silent. Even the woman behind the counter completely ignored her costumer and stared at her. Even Pink stared with her mouth gaping open for a few moments.

Blue expected her to start crying or something. Maybe she would get angry even. But no, Pink Menace just bounced right back into a goofy smile
“Anyway, what can I get you? You still haven’t told me.”
Blue glanced around and people around them started talking again, as if they were thawing up. Even the woman at the counter went back to her costumers, even if she kept sending glares at Blue at any given chance.

Blue just slumped back into the seat, still angry and now even more disappointed than before. Pink kept on standing there with that freakish smile
“Buzz off!”
“But I didn’t take your order yet!”
“I haven’t decided. Come back later.”
“That’s okay, I’ll wait!”

Pink just kept standing next to her seat and waited patiently. She drummed her fingers on her notepad. She kept fidgeting and even bounced on her heels. It was just too much for Blue to take
“Listen up, I’m counting to three and then I want you gone! One, two…”
“HEY GUYS!”

Blue gritted her teeth and winced when Pink completely ignored her and yelled from a close distance again. She was also waving like an idiot and when Blue turned around, she knew the universe was out to get her today. Of course, the gang walked in, sans Wannabe-Badgirl Sunset Shimmer. Which meant, Rainbow Daft had no reason to hold back this time
“What are you doing here? This is our hangout!”
“Easy, Dash. It’s not like we own the place.”
Apple Farm was trying to be the voice of reason, but the anger in her eyes told a completely different story. The other two didn’t have much to contribute it seemed, so Blue kept her guard up towards Rainbow, who seemed the most likely to do something stupid.

Or at least say something that would get her anger flaring up again
“First you start a fight with Sunset, then you sneak up on us and just leave without a word, and now you’re harassing Pinkie Pie? Not cool.”
“I’m not harassing her. I didn’t even know she works here. If anyone is being harassed here, it’s me!”
Blue was so focused on Rainbow that she didn’t even notice how everybody in the coffee shop was watching her right now. Of course, everyone knew Rainbow Dash and the Rainbooms who had saved the Fall Formal and later all of CHS during the battle with the sirens. They were more or less heroes at CHS and nobody would dare to say anything against them. But right now, there was this new girl who looked like she was going to punch Rainbow Dash, with her hands balled to fists and her chair scattered on the floor when she got up to butt heads with the athlete.

“Stop saying mean things about my friends! What did she even do to you?”
“She’s getting on my nerve, that’s what!”
Pinkie Pie just stood her, slowly sinking in that Blue wasn’t being very nice
“But, I just wanted to take your order…”
The whole coffee shop was now glaring at her, the new girl who not only dared to speak up against the Rainbooms, but who also had the audacity to harass Pinkie Pie, the friendliest student in the entire school.

To her credit, Blue didn’t blow a fuse. She did, however, storm out of the coffee shop. She made sure to bump her shoulder hard against Rainbow Daft and glare at everyone, so they got out of her way. Nobody said anything and a minute later, she was back in the pouring rain, but she didn’t care anymore. She had enough of this fucking city already with nothing but psychos at school, fake teachers and not even a job for the weekend.

Life just sucked hard. As Blue stomped home, wet to the bones, she didn’t think it could get any worse than this.

Chapter 4 part 1

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Blue's third week in Canterlot High started just like the last had ended, with weird looks and mumbling behind her back and classmates who kept their distance from her. Obviously, word had gotten out that she had butted her head with Sunset Shimmer during detention. However, both girls arrived at school in one piece, so rumours about a fight died away quickly. Still, some students seemed to look down on Blue, now that she had openly yelled at the 'Rainbooms' and therefore the saviours of Canterlot High. Blue just snorted and rolled her eyes. Something had happened at the Battle of the Bands, but how they seriously expected her to believe weird shit about a school band saving the town was beyond her.

At least, as a positive side effect, they kept their distance from Blue, even the Rainboom gang. Well, most of them. She still had to fend off Pink Menace at least once a day, but apparently, that was normal and nobody seemed to care. So she sat in the back of her classes, barely said anything, took her notes and handed in her homework. Typical high school stuff and boring as all hell.

On Thursday, just after lunch, something happened. A girl from her classes, Trixie, approached her with some of her entourage. How did she know her name was Trixie? Because she kept telling everybody who didn't want to know with her habit of talking about herself in third person. She probably thought it was dramatic, Blue just found it plain annoying

"The great and powerful Trixie knows, fiendish villain."
Blue just stared at her for a moment before she walked on, only to get blocked by the others again
"Didn't you hear? Trixie knows everything!"
"Whoop-de-doo for you. Now move!"

Trixie backed away a little, more surprised about Blue's lack of reaction than anything else
"Trixie knows what happened in summer!"
Blue rolled her eyes and shoved one of the girls out of the way so she could get going
"I doubt that." was all she mumbled under her breath.

Trixie didn't take getting ignored too well, so she called out loud enough for everyone in the hallway to turn their heads towards her
"Trixie knows where you have been during fall, Ocean Shore."

Blue froze in mid-step and turned around. This time, she didn't need to shove anyone to get them moving, when they say her expression of rage they quickly abandoned their boisterous leader. Trixie backed away against the wall of lockers, but she at least didn't look away
"How?"
Trixie tried to smirk, but at Blue's obvious rage, it turned into a grimace instead
"The great and powerful Trixie found a chat room and had some interesting conversations with your former classmates..."

Blue slammed her fist against the locker, right next to Trixie's head. The girl flinched and tried to back away more
"Listen, Trixie, cause I'll only say this once. Whatever they told you is complete and utter BULLSHIT. If you believe any word of this, then you're an idiot."

Blue glared at her to make sure the message got through, then turned around and stomped away, with everyone staring at her. She didn't make it very far before Trixie pulled off one last mean trick. She called after her, loud enough to be heard all across the hallway
"If it's only a lie, then why did you spend the last ten weeks in juvenile hall?"

Blue stopped again. Her hands balled to fists and her vision turned red. That bitch. That little, annoying, fucking bitch. It took all her willpower to not turn around and slam Trixie's head against the nearest locker. She clenched her fingers so hard that her knuckles turned white and gritted her teeth together in a weak attempt to keep her anger in check.

People around her noticed, of course. There had been gasps of surprise as soon as Trixie had let the bomb drop. Now that Blue didn't deny immediately, the whispers began, worse than before. Fingers pointed at her and some backed further away from her.

Forcing herself not to run, Blue continued her way down the hallway. She didn't say anything, but that just made Trixie bold enough to keep shouting after her
"The truth hurts, doesn't it? Trixie knows everything and by the end of the day, Trixie will make sure everyone at school knows as well! Trixie won't stop until..."
"Yeah yeah, put a sock in it Trixie. Nobody is going to..."

Blue heard the raspy voice who started to argue with the little bitch, but she was too angry to care and soon out of hearing reach. She stomped towards her next class but news spread like a wildfire so everyone kept whispering all around her and already rumours popped up on what she had done that got her in juvie. She gritted her teeth together to the point that it hurt. No way she could take this for the rest of the day, not without burning a fuse. She walked past the main office and followed a sudden gut instinct. She barged into the room without knocking and the secretary stared at her. Before she could say anything, Blue pressed out through her teeth
"Is Vice-Principal Luna in?"

Miss Inkwell kept staring at her, but the woman could see the signs of distress on the girl in front of her and she could hear that Blue was close to tears. Angry tears, but tears nonetheless. She glanced at her computer and nodded
"Go right in, Ocean Shore."
Blue nodded and headed towards the door. Miss Inkwell picked up her phone and mumbled something, probably a warning to the Vice-Principal, so Blue forced herself to knock. She didn't have to wait long before Luna called her inside and told her to lock the door behind her.

When Blue left the office again, Miss Inkwell was already gone. Vice-Principal Luna had offered her a lift home, but she declined. By now, the school was empty after all. Blue wouldn't want to see anyone right now anyway.

Talking with the vice-principal had helped. Luna couldn't change anything about it, but at least Blue could let off some steam in a somewhat safe way. Vice-Principal Luna encouraged her to do so more often in the future. She even wrote her an excuse for her afternoon classes. Despite everything, Blue was glad she had followed her guts.

She reached her locker without seeing anyone, but then her luck for the day ran out. In front of her locker, she saw three bulky seniors waiting for her. Probably from the football team, if she was going by their jackets. They glared at her with what they believed to be open threat, only to see it didn't work on Blue at all. She completely ignored them and opened her locker to get some books. They didn't move and just watched her from close. When she turned around to leave, they had formed a wall between her and the exit.

Blue stood directly in front of who had to be the leader, because he was the tallest and angriest of the bunch. In fact, Blue had to tilt her head upwards to see his face, he was easily 2 feet taller than her. Again, Blue didn't give them any satisfaction and just stared back with her bored glance
"We don't need waste like you at our school."
"Though luck, meatface. I'm here and I'll stay."
"That's what you think."

He took a step closer until his bulky biceps nearly pushed against Blue's head. Blue didn't flinch or pull away even when he was so close now that he could smell him. At least he's using deodorant.
His angry face hovered above her
"We let Sunset Shimmer go too far and turn our school into a hellhole. By the time we realized what had happened, she had dirt on all of us and we couldn't do anything anymore. We won't let you get that far, though."

He grabbed her and dug his fingers into her shoulder, so hard that it hurt, even though Blue didn't move a muscle
"We won't let you get anywhere at all."
Blue grinned, which seemed to shock the other two but only annoyed the bulky one
"Is this the part where I am supposed to be intimidated? You think your little show makes me run away and never come back?"
Blue just laughed when he gripped her shoulder even harder and one of his goons decided to speak up
"Come on Score, this is a waste of time. Let her have it."

The bulky one, Score, looked away from her for a moment and turned his head towards his friends. Blue had just been waiting for that. While he was distracted, she made her move. Her right fist slammed into his upper body, just below his ribcage and as hard as she could. Being smaller than him meant she had the perfect angle as well.

Score's eyes opened wide in surprise. Then his face got pale from one second to the next and his grip on Blue's shoulder loosened up. Blue grinned and took a step backwards, just as Score dropped on his knees first and then fell over completely. He barely moved once he collapsed on the floor and he had some trouble breathing it seemed as all he did was wheeze like he had just run a marathon.

Score's goons watched their leader go down from a single blow. By a girl half his weight and almost half his size. Like their leader, they didn't move or say anything, too perplexed by what they had seen.

Blue didn't show she was surprised. She just grinned at both of them and walked towards the exit, casually taking a big step to avoid the senior on the floor.

By the time she had reached the door, the goons started moving and helped Score up. Blue walked slowly towards the bus stop. Her body was on tension in case she had to run for it, waiting for them to come after her. They didn't. When she was sure nobody was following or watching her, she flexed the fingers of her right hand with a pained grimace. Ouch. Also, her shoulder hurt like hell from when Score had grabbed her and she could barely move her arm.

The last bus arrived and Blue got in. As the bus drove past the school, she saw the three at the parking lot, Score leaning on one of his goons. Their eyes met through the window and Blue shot her best glare at him. Hopefully, her message got through.

The next morning, Blue turned up deliberately late. The hallways already emptied when she made her way to the main office to report in. As she had hoped, Miss Inkwell just nodded and waved her out so she could still make it to class in time. No chance for the principals to call her in.

In Homeroom, she took her usual seat in the back and waited. Miss Cheerilee was late, so there was a lot of talking in the classroom. Blue saw that almost everybody glanced back at her before they pulled their heads together again.

Farm girl, Applejack, Blue corrected herself, was one of the few who didn't take part in any gossip. Fashion girl was in the middle of the loudest discussion, but if her expression was anything to go by, she didn't agree with the others that much.

At some point, Applejack just got up and walked towards Blue's desk, leaning on it with both her hands
"I keep hearing a lot of stuff about yesterday. Care to share what really happened?"

Blue rolled her eyes. Of course, now everyone was watching her. Applejack had done this intentionally. She didn't look angry at all, probably she was just sick and tired of all the rumours, just like Blue was as well
"Depends on what you heard. Maybe you already know the truth."
"I doubt that. As far as I've seen, Trixie's not hurt at all which already proves half the stuff I heard is wrong. I doubt the rest is much better."

Blue groaned and rolled her eyes again. She leaned back on her chair so it would look like she was at ease, but inside she got ready for a running start

"What do you think has happened?"
"Clearly you and Trixie talked, which means chances are high she said something stupid."
Blue nodded and so did most of the others
"She said something she hoped would make you angry, which means she tried but failed and that got her annoyed."
Another nod and more whispers through the classroom
"And then Rainbow Dash tells me she started some rumour that you've been in juvie before you came here."

That was the moment when everyone froze up and leaned closer, some excited for Blue's reaction, others more fearful.

Blue sighed deeply and tilted her head back so she looked at the ceiling, but her eyes were closed. She had to make a choice now. She decided to stick with the truth.
"That's about the only true thing she said."
"Say what now?"

Blue just shrugged. The cat was out of the bag, even if she denied it now that wouldn't stop any rumours. She had to deal with this, so she might as well. Vice-Principal Luna had probably already told the principal and now that everyone was watching her, there was no chance that this would stay a secret much longer. Besides, there was something she was far more interested in

"Anything else?"
Applejack just shook her head, still unsure on how to deal with this revelation. Blue shrugged again, but inwardly she sighed. Seems like Score hadn't gone public with what happened after school. Not yet, at least.

Miss Cheerilee arrived a minute later and took in the unusual silence in class. She also noticed that every other second, someone was glancing back towards her newest student, most of them angry. Cheerilee knew about Blue's recent past from her file of course and quickly realized what had happened. She took a deep breath and greeted her class as usual, before she addressed the elephant in the room

"Ocean Shore, could you please take this note to the main office? I forgot that Principal Celestia needed this as soon as possible."
It was a hard lie. Blue knew, Cheerilee knew that Blue knew and most of the others knew. Still Blue got up, took the slip of paper from her teacher and left the classroom. Just before the door closed, she heard Cheerilee's stern voice
"Okay, let's talk about a few things..."

Principal Celestia was already waiting for her. Blue handed over the empty note and then took a seat like she was told to. Principal Celestia said nothing for a while and just looked at her, until Blue finally had enough and started asking questions herself

"Do you know a senior named Score?"
The principal nodded and raised her brow
"He's a member of the football team and a resident at the detention hall as I'm aware. Why do you mention him?"
Blue closed her eyes
"I've knocked him out after classes yesterday. He was waiting at my locker with some other football goons. They ganged up on me and I punched him in the guts."

Principal Celestia raised her eyebrows. She didn’t get obviously angry, but she also didn’t wash off what Blue told her right away.
"Do you know the names of the others?"
"No."
Principal Celestia stayed calm. She just turned to her computer and started clicking and typing a few words
"In front of your locker, you say?"
"Yes."

Blue didn't ask if she was in trouble now. She knew she was. The only question that remained was, how deep?

Principal Celestia watched the screen and then frowned. For a few minutes, she said nothing, then turned back to the student
"How is your shoulder?"
"I'll live."

As Blue had hoped, Principal Celestia looked at the footage of the security cameras in the hallways. Which meant she was willing to give her the benefit of a doubt, and in this case it paid of
"Did he threaten you?"
Blue chuckled dryly
"As if that would ever work."
"Please answer my questions, Miss Shore."
"He tried, but nothing concrete. Something about Sunset Shimmer and that he wouldn't let me get that far."

The principal nodded and glanced back at the screen
"Where did you learn to knock somebody out like that?"
"It was a lucky punch."
"Then why punch in the first place?"
"Because, that's how it works. You hit the big guy and then the others are too scared to bother you. Better end it before it even started."

Principal Celestia pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed
"As much of a logic I can see behind your reasoning, I can't just let this go by, Ocean Shore. Hitting a student is unacceptable. It wasn't out of self-defence either. Adding this to the fact that your past transgression seem to be public knowledge by now, I'm afraid you didn't help yourself with this course of action."

"So you're going to kick me out I guess."
Principal Celestia seemed shocked by the neutral tone in which Blue stated this
"Of course not! A single punch is no reason for expulsion, even with your background. But I want to make sure it won't get that far again, Miss Shore."

"So what now? I get more detention?"
Principal Celestia shook her head, apparently deep in thought
"Vice-Principal Luna suggested something else for you, and I begin to see where she's going at. I'll let her tell you about it. For now..."

She was interrupted by a beep from the phone. Principal Celestia blinked once before she picked up the speaker
"Miss Inkwell?"
"Mister Score and his parents wish to speak to you, they say it's very urgent."
"Indeed. Please send them in."

Blue got up, ready to leave, but Principal Celestia just pointed to a seat near the wall. Just then, Score and two adults walked in. The football player froze when he saw Blue sitting there already and growled
"Ratting out on me? You're gonna get it for that."
"Mister Score!"
Principal Celestia was now standing and glaring at the senior student
"I won't accept you threatening your fellow students and especially not in my office. And if I find you acting out on any of those threats, you'll have another thing coming at you."

Score tried to glare at Blue again, but his mother slapped the back of his head and pushed him down into a seat, placing herself between her son and Blue. Score's father just glanced annoyed at both of them
"Can anyone tell me what this is all about? I just got home from night shift and hear someone beat up my son in school last night."
Principal Celestia raised a brow again and fixed her eyes on Score
"Perhaps it would be best if you told us all what happened yesterday after school, Mister Score."

Score looked away and told some ridiculous story that he had run into Ocean Shore on his way out and that the girl had attacked him for no reason. When he didn't fight back, she had also kicked him while he was on the floor. Luckily, his teammates found him and got him home after that.

Blue didn't react but inwardly she was fuming. Piece of shit! That little liar and he even brought his parents to back up his nonsense. Crap.

Principal Celestia listened quietly until Score was finished
"Is that all that happened, Mister Score?"
"Yeah. You can ask Hardline and Touchdown if you want."
"Oh, believe me, I will. But first, I have some more questions for you."

She fixed the student with a piercing stare
"Where did you run into Ocean Shore?"
"Um, by the doors. Yeah."
"And you were alone with Ocean Shore the whole time?"
"Yeah."
"And where exactly did she hit you?"
"All over, Ma'am."

Principal Celestia rested her chin on her folded hands
"Interesting, Mister Score. Because I don't see any visible bruises."
"Um..."
"Miss Shore is also a lot smaller than you are. Didn't you fight back, if only to stop her?"
"I don't hit girls!"
"But apparently, you're not above lying a lady in the face, Mister Score."

Now, Score’s mother joined in, with a glance towards Blue
"Principal Celestia, clearly you don't trust a criminal like her over my son?"
"I trust in the evidence given to me."

She spun the computer monitor around for them and Blue watched yesterday’s events in fast forward. There was no sound, but the timestamp showed that Score and his goons had been waiting at her locker for half an hour at least.
"This hallway is nowhere near the doors, Mister Score."
"I remember now, I was going to my locker when I ran into her. I mixed things up."

"Obviously you mixed up more than just that. Your locker is near the gym, like all football players’, and not even remotely close to Miss Shore's locker."
"Um..."
"I don't see her hitting you all over either. Neither was it just you and her. And I can see your 'I don’t hit girls'-rule doesn't seem to apply either."

She reset the video to the point where Score forcefully grabbed Blue's shoulder
"Miss Shore, would you please show us your shoulder?"
Blue sighed and pulled back her shirt a little, enough to show the bruises she had gotten the other day. Her whole shoulder had an angry violet colour instead of her usual blue skin.

Score's parents didn't look too long and instead glared at their son, but Principal Celestia spoke up before they could
"I don't know if you think I am a fool or if you simply didn't think at all, Mister Score, but trust me, I don't take lies too kindly. And under no circumstances will I accept violence like this. You will meet with Vice-Principal Luna after classes today to discuss your punishment. Also, the coach will learn of this."

"But she punched me in the gut!"
"Quiet, son."
His father pushed him back into his seat as he had jumped up to point at Blue
"Don't dig yourself any deeper into this. Everyone can see this was self-defence and you don't look like you would have stopped at any moment."
He looked back at the screen with Score's angry face on the paused video.
"Principal Celestia, I have to apologize in the name of my son. I'll make sure nothing like that will happen again."

Score's mother nodded and glanced to Blue again, this time repentant
"I hope we can solve this without any further problems?"
Blue knew what she meant. She could go to the police with this probably, but what would that give her except more trouble? So she just shrugged
"Whatever."

Principal Celestia saw the family off and closed the door again, before she turned back to Blue
"Thank you for not escalating this matter any further."
"Yeah, whatever."

The principal sighed
"We'll talk about the other matter later, Ocean Shore. For now, I advise you not go looking for any more fights. Before you return to your classes, I want you to visit the school nurse to have your shoulder looked at."
"Okay."

Blue walked to the door, but Principal Celestia put her hand on her good shoulder before she left
"Personally, I think being honest and open with your past this is an admirable way to handle it. But it's not the easiest way. If you need any help along this path, let me know."
Blue just nodded. She didn't know how to reply to this.

She hurried to the nurse office before the bell rang.

The nurse kept her in for the next period to check her shoulder and put on some ointment. She also gave her an excuse for PE, which meant she was one of the first at the cafeteria this day. She took her lunch and headed for a secluded table in the back, ignoring the stares from the other students.

Nobody sat even close to her until she was almost finished, but again her luck ran out short. Six girls made a beeline to her table and sat down despite Blue rolling her eyes.
Of course it's them. Who else?

Rainbow Dash leaned forward to get a better look at Blue, with Applejack right next to her
"You know why the coach had a fit during PE and threw Score out of the team?"
"And where have you been during PE, as a matter. You just vanished during Homeroom."
Blue just rolled her eyes again
"If I tell you, will you stop bugging me?"
"Depends on your answers, I suppose."
"Ugh. Fine."

Blue turned to Applejack first
"I wasn't at PE because I had an excuse from the nurse. And I had an excuse from the nurse because Score nearly broke my shoulder yesterday."
"He did what?"
"When did that happen?"
"Are you alright?"
Blue sighed and slammed her head on the table. This is gonna take a while.

"He tried to scare me off. And when it didn't work, he tried something else."
"He attacked you?"
"He tried. Idiot and his goons tried to mess with me, in front of a security cam."
Rainbow exchanged a glance with Applejack and nodded
"Yeah, that would get him kicked out of the team."

Sunset Shimmer was the only one who didn't look as convinced yet
"I know Score, and I know he wouldn't have just stopped. So what else happened?"

Blue took a deep breath through her nose. If she had learned anything during her time at CHS, then it was that Sunset Shimmer would only stop nagging her if she got her answers
“I happened. I sucker-punched him before he could do anything weird and he went out cold.”

“Yeah, right. You knocked out Score?”
Rainbow Dash glanced at the others, but Applejack nodded which meant she believed Blue. That seemed to be enough for Rainbow as well
“But, that guy is like brick wall. He's like twice your size."
Blue looked at her empty tray and the others saw something dangerously close to a blush on the short girl
"Look, I just wanted him to let go off me. I didn't want to knock him out. Must have hit the solar plexus or something, cause he went down like a sack of potatoes."

Rarity and Fluttershy threw frowns across the table, but not at Blue. Instead, it was Rainbow Dash and Applejack they glared at as they both started laughing. Sunset Shimmer didn't laugh but she had a smirk on her face
“I would pay to see that.”
“You can ask the principal, maybe she lets you copy the tape.”
There was more laughing from Rainbow Dash, but Rarity chimed in with a huff
“I bet you’re very proud of yourself, Miss Shore. Myself, I can’t but condone such violence in school.”
Blue just rolled her eyes
“Gee, you’re right Rarity. I should have totally let them beat me up instead. That would have been much better.”

Rarity turned away with another huff, but surprising help came from Pink Menace
“No it wouldn’t! Then you might be really hurt right now. So only Score got a little hurt instead.”
Sunset Shimmer and Rainbow Dash nodded along
“Pre-emptive strike before the situation could escalate.”
“Guy’s just lucky I wasn’t around, I would have kicked his butt hard.”

Applejack cleared her throat
“Which brings me to wonder why he would try something like that in the first place. I don't suppose it would have something to do with the stuff Trixie's been going on about?"
"You got that right. Something about this school doesn't need 'trash like me' and 'not letting things go too far' like with Sunset Shimmer."
Blue just rolled her eyes and laughed, but the other girls when silent. Sunset Shimmer looked downright distraught
"You mean, it's all my fault?"

Rarity and Pinkie Pie who sat next to her both placed a hand on Sunset's shoulder
"Now, now, Darling. You know it is not like that."
"Yeah, Score is just an old grumpy-pants. He just picked on Ocean because she's new, not because of you."
"But he picked her because he was afraid she might turn out like me, don't you get it? After all I've done, I guess I can't blame him. I just wish..."

"What in hell are you babbling about?"
Applejack looked back at Blue while Rarity tried to comfort Sunset
"Has anyone told you about the Fall Formal?"
"You mean the crazy story about a demon and a princess from another dimension? Yeah, hard to forget. They really thought I was that dumb I'd believe bullshit like that."

Rainbow rolled her eyes
"Well, it’s all true. But before all of that stuff happened, Sunset was kinda the queen bee of Canterlot High."
"She had a lot of secrets about everyone and bullied everyone to do as she said."
"She also broke up a lot of friendships during that time, including ours."

Blue looked from girl to girl to see if any of them was laughing already, only to be disappointed
"You're all serious about this?"
"Course we are, Sugarcube."
"Why would we make up something like that?"
"And why else would everyone be so wary of Sunset even after she saved the school?"
Blue shook her head
"Yeah, I'm not buying it. Whatever drugs you're all on, I'm not interested."

Rainbow slammed her palm on the table
"Look, we have a way to prove everything to you. Just come to the music room after classes today and we'll show you."
"Let's see, I've just been ambushed by a senior yesterday and now six girls suddenly try to lure me into a trap after school. Yeah, guess what my answer will be."

"What do you have to lose from trying, Darling?"
While Rarity tried reasoning with her, Applejack had a better idea
"How about we make it a bet?"

Applejack grinned and crossed her arms in front of her with a smug grin that Blue returned
"What kind of bet?"
"You come to the music room and if we can't convince you, we'll leave you alone for the rest of the school year."
"Even Pinkie Pie?"
All girls turned to her and Pinkie pouted
"But I just had the bestest plan to finally be friends with you!"
"Pinkie!"
"Fine..."

Blue grinned
"It's a deal."
"Not so fast. If we manage to convince you, you're gonna tell us what this juvie stuff is all about. Sounds like a fair price?"
Blue rolled her eyes and sighed
"Whatever. It's not like I'll lose anyways."
Applejack stretched out her hand Blue shook it with a smirk.

Today she had lab class with Sunset Shimmer again, but this time they could work for themselves. Blue tried her best to ignore the girl next to her, but Sunset made it really hard with looking guilty all class long.

As usual, she was one of the first to finish, so she started scribbling on her homework. The teacher, Mr Vial, didn’t say anything about it, after he had checked her results and approved.

Sunset Shimmer was done shortly after Blue and started writing into a huge, old-fashioned book. It reminded her of one of those ancient tomes you’d see only in museums. Blue leaned over, just a little curious, but all she could see was some wavy lines and a few unknown symbols in between. Whatever.

Class was over and everybody filed out, Blue as the last. Outside, Sunset Shimmer was waiting for her
“What?”
“You’re coming to the music room, right? We might as well walk together.”
“Whatever.”

Blue walked slowly with Sunset matching her speed. After a few minutes of awkward silence, Sunset spoke up
“So, um, about Score, I just want to say, I’m really sorry he went after you like that and…”
“Shut up.”
Sunset shook her head
“But it’s just because of me that he…”
“Shut. UP!”

Ocean spun around and fixed Sunset Shimmer with a glare
“Listen, did you send him after me?”
“No, but…”
“Did you tell anyone that I was dangerous or something?”
“No! Of course not.”
“Then it’s not your fault. He made the stupid decision and I punched him. He got kicked out of the team and I get more detention. Case closed. So shut up.”

Sunset clamped her mouth shut as Blue walked on, staring after the girl for a moment before she hurried after her.

When they reached the music room, everyone else was already waiting for them.
“So, Ocean Shore, are you ready to have your mind blown?”

Blue watched as the others picked up some instruments and Pinkie Pie took her spot behind a drum set on the smallish stage
“Let me guess, you’re gonna sing me a friendship song that will make me completely turn my life around in a matter of minutes?”
“Don’t be silly! Everyone knows it doesn’t work like that!”
“Yeah, you’d need at least a friendship rainbow laser for that.”

Blue waited for some laughter that never came. Rainbow Dash looked kind of apologetic after she said it, and some of the others looked at Sunset with some concern, but all of them seemed serious about this. Even Sunset Shimmer, who just rolled her eyes
“Since we’re short of one element of harmony for that, let’s just try the friendship song for now.”

Pinkie Pie took that as her cue to count everyone in and they started to play their song. Blue leaned against a wall with a bored expression and her arms crossed in front of her chest. The song was some happy-happy-girly pop, not really her style but not so bad that she couldn’t take it. The girls played well and their voices worked together better than she had expected when they all sung.

At the end of the verse, something happened though. Rainbow Dash started to glow. Blue first thought it was some light effect, but one glance up showed that there were no spotlights. She looked closer and noticed that there was a nimbus of sky-blue light outlining only Rainbow’s body, but nothing else nearby. She did a double take when she looked at the others and saw the same lights, just in different colours around them as well.

Blue carefully walked closer to the stage to see if there was anything hidden that she didn’t see. Rainbow Dash just grinned and went for a guitar solo. At the same time, the light flared up around her and Blue stared with her mouth hanging open as Rainbow lifted up from the stage, not too much but enough that Blue could see her feet were no longer touching the floor.

The light glowed brightly and something changed. Rainbow’s hair grew longer, down to her waist in a matter of seconds. On the top of her head, a different pair of ears poked out from her hair. Blue had seen those from the Wondercolt headbands some students wore in their clubs, but Rainbow’s ears moved and swivelled around like real ears. Before Blue could get over the shock of that, the light focused on Rainbows back and a pair of large, feathery wings just sprouted out from under her shoulders.

And the wings moved! Blue backed away when Rainbow’s wings started to flutter along to the music

“Heilige Scheiße!”
Blue didn’t even notice she had slipped into her first language, she was too baffled and shocked. Seeking for help, she looked at the others, just in time to see their lights flare up as well
“Was zum…?”

Before her eyes, each of the girls lifted up from the stage and transformed, gaining immense hair extensions and fluffy ears. Only Fluttershy got a pair of wings as well, matching her skin colour just like Rainbow’s, even if Blue could clearly see the feathers.

While the sight was shocking enough, what even more disturbed her was the fact that none of the girls seemed to care in the least! They just kept playing like this was totally normal, something they did every day and got used to.
Okay, it’s finally happened. I’m crazy. Just completely gaga. I blew a fuse, literally, and now I’m hallucinating. Or maybe I’m having an aneurysm.

“So, what you say now Ocean Shore? Pretty sweet, huh?”
Rainbow Dash was hovering She’s hovering with her freaking wings! right in front of her.

The others gathered around her as well, still with their instruments at hand and amused smiles and giggles.
Blue finally picked up her jaw from the floor and said something. At least, she tried
“Whaaa?”

The girls laughed, not at her, just because they understood how it felt, and Sunset put her hand on her shoulder
“It’s the magic of friendship. It manifests when we play our music and allows us to pony up.”
“Pony up?”

Rarity nodded and spun around to show off her longer than normal hair
“Indeed, Darling. Pony ears, pony manes, Pinkie Pie came up with a fitting name don’t you agree?”

Blue took a step backwards and looked warily from one to another
“Okay, you drugged me during lunch, right? Or gassed me with something. Either that, or these are the best special effects I’ve ever seen.”
She walked around Rainbow Dash who was still hovering
“Have to admit, you’re good. I don’t even see any wires.”
“There are no wires, ‘cause this is the real deal.”
“Yeah, right. Pop music that transforms teenage girls into pony mutants with wings.”

“Hey!”
Sunset Shimmer frowned at her
“Ponies are the dominant species in Equestria and every pegasus pony has wings. We’re not mutants.”
“Right. Equestria. Pegasus. Uh-huh. You’re not just ponies, your pegasus ponies.”
“Well, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash are. In Equestria, I’m a unicorn actually.”

Blue just shook her head and slumped on a chair
“I must be dreaming. Maybe I got into a car crash and now I’m in a coma.”
“Still not believing after you see it with your own eyes?”

“I know it’s a lot to take in, Darling, but I assure you, this is very real.”
“Yeah! And it’s super fun!”
Blue kept shaking her head and Rainbow Dash had enough
“You want more proof? Here you go.”

She flew over and grabbed Blue by the shoulders. Blue could feel the breeze from her wings as they flapped harder, she could see every single feather from this close and she almost missed that she was lifted up four feet into the air
“Hey! Was soll der Mist?”
She kicked her legs into the air and Rainbow just laughed
“Still think you’re dreaming? Well, here goes.”

She suddenly let go and Blue dropped down, landing flat on her butt
“Ow…”
“Rainbow Dash! Why did you do that?”

Fluttershy was by her side in a blink and helped her up. Blue was too perplexed to refuse help this time, especially when she felt Fluttershy’s wing touch her back. She reached out and ran her fingers along the feathery appendage. It was warm to the touch and twitched when she touched it
“It’s real! Holy crap, it’s real!”

Fluttershy blushed and hid behind her longer hair or mane?, and Blue quickly pulled her hand back
“Sorry.”
Fluttershy mumbled something and suddenly, the light glowed around her again and she transformed back, her hair shrinking back to its normal length and the wings just disappeared. Blue looked around and watched the others return to normal as well. Including Rainbow Dash who was still in the air at the time and therefore landed on her butt as well
“Ouch.”
“Serves ya right, Rainbow.”
Applejack teased and helped her back on her feet while Blue looked around even more confused
“Wait, and now it’s all gone? Just like that?”

“It doesn’t last too long when we’re not playing our music. We could pony up again, but I think we made our point.”
Blue just shook her head and looked between the girls, one after another
“Okay. So you’re all magic ponies from another dimension.”
“Nope. Only Sunset, the rest of us are humans.”

Blue stared at Sunset who nodded in confirmation
“But they have pony counterparts in Equestria who are in control of some very powerful magic artefacts. So powerful that even the human counterparts gain access to their magic.”
“And with counterparts, you mean…?”

“Well, basically the other dimension is a like a mirror image to this one, or the other way around, just with a few differences. Here humans are the dominant species and use technology for almost everything. Back in Equestria, ponies have very little technology, but we use magic instead.”
“Yeah. Of course, that makes so much sense.”

Blue had trailed off at some point and only stared straight ahead for a while

“I know it’s a little much to take in all at once. I can tell you more if you like…”
Blue shook her head and waved her off. There was something she was far interested in first
“What has this all to do with the Fall Formal?”

Blue looked at the girl in question who shrank into herself like she had in the cafeteria, but this time the others quickly gathered around her with hugs and words of comfort. Blue just tilted her head until Rarity exclaimed with a deep sigh
“There is quite a story behind these events. It might take a while, Darling.”

Blue nodded and shifted on her chair as if to get more comfy
“I’m listening.”
“Does that mean you believe us now?”
“Let’s say I’m open-minded to the idea at least.”

Applejack chuckled and sat down in a chair as well
“Fair enough. Well, it started when we all came to this school three years ago…”

Chapter 4 part 2

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They stayed for three more hours. From before the Fall Formal up to after the Battle of the Bands, every girl had a lot to tell and Blue had many questions. It still didn’t make any sense, but against evidence like that, she couldn’t deny it any more.

Sunset had shown her the large tome and some of the conversations she had with someone. She even scribbled a short note, and about two minutes later, the book glowed and an answer appeared out of nowhere. Sunset had a magic chatroom book that connected her to another world.

Blue still tried to wrap her head around things and barely even reacted when the girls dragged her to their favourite hangout. Pinkie Pie placed a large milkshake in front of her, vanilla of course. Pinkie Pie always knew everyone’s favourites somehow. Blue thought Pinkie was a stalker, but now it might as well be magic.

“So, how about you keep up with your part of the bargain now?”
“Huh?”
Blue looked up at Applejack, who smirked in team with Rainbow Dash
“Remember our bet? You said you’d spill the beans once we convinced you, and now it’s time to pay up.”
The girls nodded with some conviction, but Fluttershy quickly took the pressure from her by adding in her almost-whisper-voice
“Um, if that’s okay for you.”

Blue groaned and rested her head on her right hand, elbow propped on the table to keep her half-upright, but in a way she didn’t have to look at anyone
“I don’t know what you think had happened, but it’s actually really boring. They caught me shoplifting.”
“That’s it?”
Rainbow looked disappointed, and Sunset didn’t look convinced
“They don’t send you to juvenile hall just for shoplifting.”
“They will if you keep doing it.”
Sunset’s frown didn’t fade, and now Rarity joined in
“And why did you keep doing it?”
“What kind of question is that? I wanted stuff I couldn’t afford, so I took it.”

“Like what?”
Blue just shrugged
“Stuff. Why do you care?”
Applejack crossed her arms in front of her chest
“How many people actually believe that hooey you tell them?”
“More than you might think.”

Blue took a deep breath. She knew it would be hard to convince all six of them, but she hadn’t expected that Applejack called her out on her fake stories right from the get-go
“Look, I’ve been switching schools a lot. When you’re always the new girl, you stop caring what others think about you, because, why bother? I’ll be gone in a few months anyway.”

All the girls looked at each other, clearly none of them could relate but Blue kept going

“So you talk without thinking too much about consequences. Teachers think you’re a truant, some people think you’re a rebel. Some get other ideas.”
Blue shrugged
“I got into a lot of fights, almost every day. Most people stayed away, some took it as a challenge and ganged up on me. Teachers weren’t much help either. Other troublemakers tried to get on my good side. I got mixed with the wrong crowds a lot. At first, it was just the usual, hanging out picking on people, pranks on the nerds, maybe cashing in someone’s lunch money every now and then.”

Rainbow Dash glared at her
“So you were a bully.”
“Not more than anyone else. I never dunked someone in a toilet or anything like that, but I made sure everybody knew not to pick on me.”

Rainbow didn’t look appeased at all, neither did Rarity or Pinkie Pie. Sunset Shimmer seemed conflicted on how to react to this, which Blue could understand now that she knew about her backstory.

Out of all, only Fluttershy managed to stay calm
“That doesn’t sound like a good way to make friends.”
“Didn’t care. Didn’t help that we never stayed anywhere longer than a few months. After a while, you just don’t bother trying anymore. On my last school, I got into a serious fight with a senior and we beat each other up badly. We ended up in detention and I thought she would try to kill me after school. She didn’t, obviously. Instead, she asked if I wanted to hang out.”

Blue laughed at the six girls who stared at her in shock
“Yeah, that’s about what my sister looked like as well when I told her.”
“So, you beat each other up, and she wanted to be friends with you?”

“Kinda? It wasn’t really friendship like you think of it. More like, mutual respect. We hung out, with some of her friends who were all older, either bullies as well or dropouts. None of us had much money, so sometimes we’d go to the mall and, you know. It all started with a candy bar. I mean, what’s wrong with snagging a candy bar? The shop won’t go bankrupt from it and I wasn’t going to get rich from it, so who cares, right? It’s just a fucking candy bar.”

The girls remained silent when Blue stopped, trying to keep herself from yelling and swearing. She took a swig from her milkshake and Rarity took that as her clue to say something
“I don’t think your parents were too happy if you explained it like that.”

“Probably not. But it’s not like they could do anything about it when they’re gone.”
Applejack choked on her drink
“What do you mean, gone?”
“I mean gone. It’s me and my sister.”
Blue refused to say more and her apathetic expression made sure none of the girls asked anything in that direction. Eventually, Sunset Shimmer steered back towards the main reason they were here

“I guess that it didn’t stay by that one candy bar.”
“Candy bars don’t get you anywhere. When you managed to get something from an electronics store, you were lucky. That stuff always sold well.”
“You sold it?”
“Yeah. I couldn’t just show up with a new stereo at home, but nobody ever asked where I got a few dollars extra suddenly. A friend of my friend, he knew a guy who would buy stuff from you without questions so he could resell it.”

“So you were part of a criminal organization? I don’t know what to think about that.”
“I wasn’t. Yeah I fucked up big time but I wasn’t part of a gang or anything. Very close, though.”
Blue sighed deeply and closed her eyes
“Too close in fact.”

Rainbow Dash and Applejack leaned forward, sensing that they were reaching the juicy part of the story now. Pinkie Pie was still smiling, but it looked very strained now. She sat completely still and didn’t fidget around like usual. Rarity had scooted her chair around so she sat as far away from Blue as possible without just leaving. Sunset hadn’t moved at all and just kept staring at Blue.

Fluttershy was the one who not only stayed on her seat next to Blue, but who also found the courage to say something
“You don’t have to tell us if you don’t want to, Ocean.”
“I’m almost finished anyways.”

Blue leaned back in her chair and took a deep breath, trying to look like she didn’t care but all the girls saw little signs of how stressed she really ways
“There was a big theft at the mall. My friends and I had been caught pickpocketing once or twice, so we were easy suspects. That guy who bought our stuff? He had pictures from all of us. And my friends” Blue mimed some quotation marks for extra emphasis, “they convinced him to give mine to the police. They all made up some alibi or excuse for the cops, but I didn’t, so they cashed me in.”

“But, you didn’t do it, right?”
Blue glared at Rainbow Dash
“What do you think, short stack?”
“They obviously threw you in jail for it.”

Sunset Shimmer put her hand on Rainbow’s shoulder to make her stop
“Juvenile hall and jail are not the same, Dash. And just because the police thought she did it, doesn’t mean she’s guilty.”
Blue frowned, but not at any of them
“People are idiots. Nobody even asked how I could have done a break like that all alone. Nobody cared that there was no evidence. They wanted an easy solution and they didn’t even look further once they were given one.”
“I find it hard to believe that. Nobody can be so narrow-minded.”

Applejack shook her head sombrely
“Rarity, remember those text messages you thought you got from Pinkie Pie back then? They didn’t make much sense at first, but once you had that thought in your head, things kept just adding up. And you even shut off one of your best friends over it. Just like me or Dash.”
Applejack held her hat in her hands and was fiddling around with it, just to keep her hands occupied. She looked angry, as did Rainbow Dash. Rarity and Sunset Shimmer turned pale instead.

A few minutes passed in which Blue was only glaring at the table. The girls exchanged some hushed whispers, but Blue didn’t hear her name so she didn’t care.
“How long did you…?”
“Ten weeks. During fall.”

She didn’t care who had asked the question, it didn’t matter anyways
“There was another theft in another store and this time, they had no easy suspects anymore. Those jerks who did it got caught and confessed both breaks, so I got out again. By then, my so-called friends had spread rumours and bullshit at school, so the principal-asshole protested to take me back, not that I would ever want to go back to my old school ever again. The judge had something different in mind for me, even though I didn’t do it. ‘Re-socialization’ they called it. Made my sister and me move here.”

Rainbow Dash looked at her and asked
“So, you’re proven innocent. Just tell everybody and it’ll be fine, right?”
“But I’m not innocent. Maybe I didn’t commit the crime they cashed me in for, but I royally fucked up more than enough before. That’s why now I have a dick of a social worker who’s supposed to ‘keep me in line’ and I have to take counselling sessions with the principals. Besides, it doesn’t change the fact that I was still in juvie for more than two months.”

"So what? You’re not doing it anymore so everything should be okay.”
“Dash, honestly, how do you manage to tie your own shoes in the morning?”
Blue turned towards Applejack when the farm girl came to her defence out of nowhere
“People know she’s been there and so there are rumours.”
“And people are idiots. Who would really believe when I said I’m innocent?”
“I would!”

Pinkie Pie chimed in and Rarity shook her head
“I am also inclined to believe now, but if we hadn’t talked beforehand, I’m afraid I most likely would not.”
“And that’s just school. While I was in there, my sister had to fight to keep custody over me and when we moved, she had to find a new job.”
“Sheesh, talk about a double-whammy.”

“So what happens now?”
Blue shook her head and sighed
“Nothing. You stay away from me like everyone else. Trixie will keep spreading rumours and that’s that. You best not tell anyone you even know me.”

The girls exchanged a series of looks with each other, then Rainbow Dash crossed her arms in front of her chest
“Yeah, that’s not gonna happen.”
“Are you all daft?”

Applejack shook her head and leaned towards Blue over the table
“Listen here, Sugarcube. I know you might not like the idea, but I think you could really use a friend or few right now.”
“Real friends this time. Friends who won’t demand things from you or make fun of you.”
“Friends who can help you and won’t abandon you when things don’t work out.”
“Friends like us!”

Pinkie Pie bounced up and down in her chair, more excited that Blue had seen her before.
“This is even better than the surprise party I had planned for you! Because, like this you have friends right away and I can throw you an even more surprising surprise party on top of it!"
"Um, Pinkie? Pretty sure it doesn't count as a surprise party when you tell her about it."
"Oh, silly Dashie. I just have to be extra surprising now!"

Blue shook her head and shoved her empty glass away from her as an outlet for her frustration
"Are you even listening? I don't need you to get dragged into Trixie's bullshit. And I definitely don't need a fucking party."

"Such rude language, Darling. You always start to swear when you're in denial, don't you Miss Shore?"
Blue glared at Rarity
"What do you care?"
"I've been watching you, Ocean Shore. Whenever you suddenly act rudely, you actually mean to opposite of what you say. Which means, you really want friends, even if you're afraid to admit it."

Blue looked from girl to girl, but they all had an expression similar to Rarity's. They can't be serious about this, can they?

"Why would you want to be friends with someone like me? You have nothing to gain from this."
Pinkie Pie just grinned and answered without even thinking
"Duh! We'd get a brand new friend out of it!"

The girls nodded, but Fluttershy had another point she wanted to bring through
"And, um, if you don't mind, it's not just about us. It's more about what you need right now. I think you really, really could use at least one good friend right now."
Blue shook her head and crossed her arms in front of her chest
"I've been doing well without friends so far."

"Ya think? Cause, usually, people don't get in detention during their first week."
"And they don't get into fights after school."
"Or, um, get nasty rumours about them spread around school."

Blue gritted her teeth and glared at each of them and her voice dripped with venom
“Yeah, you’re right, let’s be friends! And everything will only be butterflies and sunshine from now on. People will just ignore everything that ever happened before and stop giving me shit about it. We can just all play-pretend nothing ever happened and if we wish really, really hard, it will all be true. Because at least I have some bloody fucking friends.”

Blue was just screaming in blind rage by now, so she didn’t notice Fluttershy’s fearful expression or Rarity backing away from her. She also didn’t see Sunset and Applejack exchanging some worried glances

What got her attention was Pinkie Pie reaching out for her hand
“But, it can all happen if you’d just try. Don’t you want to give us a chance?”
“FUCK YOU!”

Blue jumped up from her chair and shoved Pinkie Pie away from her
“YOU THINK NOBODY TRIED THIS BULLSHIT BEFORE? They tell you it’s all okay, but when you let them come too close, they just hurt you more. Everyone promises you a new chance, but at the very first fucking thing that goes wrong, they just stop giving any shit about me. People will always betray you! I don’t want any friends! I don’t need any friends! I don’t need anyone! I don’t need everyone pretending like they would care. I don’t need Principal Celestia or Luna and their fake sympathy. Do they really think I believe that they are the fucking one-in-a-bazillion people who actually mean it? Why can’t you all just FUCK OFF AND LEAVE ME THE FUCK ALONE?”

Blue’s screams grew louder and her voice was dry and raspy in the end. She barely even saw them any more and breathed hard, slamming her fists on the table
“LASST MICH DOCH EINFACH ALLE VERDAMMT NOCHMAL IN RUHE! HAUT EINFACH ALLE AB AUS MEINEM BESCHISSENEN LEBEN! VERSCHWINDET EINFACH, SO WIE ALLE ANDEREN AUCH!“
Blue spun around and threw over her chair as she just ran out of the café and down the street, bumping into people as she pushed towards, somewhere. Wer braucht die schon? Ich nicht! Ich brauch gar keinen!

Blue ran for a while, until her legs almost gave out under her and she had to stop. She ended up in some alley, leaning against a wall and panting, all out of breath. Her sides burnt from running and her eyes brunt along.

It took her a while to notice that some people were approaching and she yelled out all her remaining anger
“JUST LEAVE ME THE FUCK ALONE!”

“What? After all the trouble we had finding you?”
Blue flinched back at the male voice that talked to her. Pressed against the wall, she finally realized that she hadn’t been followed by the Rainbooms, but five guys instead. She recognized the two goons from yesterday and another one with the same jacket. Next to them stood Score, with murder in his eyes and another guy whole looked like him, but a few years older and on steroids. While Score glared at her with burning rage, he had a cold, calculating stare for her

“So you are the bitch who attacked my brother? You’re just a little girl who’s crying for mommy.”
Blue just glared right back at them
“If I’m just a girl, why do you need five dudes to go after me? Scared I’ll fuck you over like I did your brother?”
“Shut it, cunt. You were lucky yesterday, but now you’re gonna pay.”

The three goons grabbed her and held her in place. Blue tried to kick at them, even bite them, but they barely gave her any room to move.

Score walked up with a manic grin and without a word, he punched her in the guts. Blue groaned but she didn’t give him the satisfaction to scream. Angry as he was, he punched again, harder this time. Blue bit her tongue so she wouldn’t cry and smirked
“That all you got, meatface?”

A fist hit her face this time and pain exploded in her head.
Score’s big brother grunted and punched again and again. His huge fist hit Blue like a jack-hammer and this time, she felt the tears as her eye swelled up
“What’s wrong, cunt? Had enough already? We’re just getting started.”

He looked around and picked up something from the ground. Blue tried to focus her eyes and blanched when she realized he had found an iron pipe somewhere
“Time to pay up, bitch.”
Blue watched as he raised the pipe over his head ready to strike and struggled even harder to break free, but the others wouldn’t let go.

“Are you seriously trying to kill someone because you lost your spot in the football team?”
Blue almost laughed when she heard Rainbow Dash from behind them. She looked like she was ready to jump right in and Applejack next to her seemed ready to intervene as well.

Score growled at them
“Stay out of this, Dash. Bitch had it coming.”
Applejack narrowed her eyes
“And you obviously made your point already. Now drop that pipe before you do something you regret.”

Score’s brother just grunted and struck.

Blue closed her eyes and waited for an impact that never came. Instead, she heard a shout and something clutter on the ground. When she looked again, she could only guess what had happened.
Rainbow Dash and Applejack were pushing Score out of the way to get to her. Score’s brother had dropped the pipe and now glared at Sunset Shimmer. By the looks of it, she had charged right at him from behind, enough to make him lose his footing.

Just like Applejack, Sunset Shimmer looked pissed
“The cops are on their way. You won’t get away with this.”
“Fuck you, Shimmer. You’re next. I’ll break every single bone in your body.”
He reached out for the pipe again, but more voices approached from the street

“Officer, this way!”
The goons finally let Blue go and ran for it. Blue dropped down on her knees, her head was spinning from the punches. Score tried to run as well, but Applejack and Rainbow held him in place. His brother stared as two police officers ran into the alley, followed by Rarity, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy.

One of the cops noticed him holding the iron pipe like a weapon
“Drop that, son. Don’t make this worse for you.”
Just like Score, his brother didn’t think twice about lying his way out
“She attacked me first. It was self-defence.”

“Like hell it was! We saw everything, you had her five against one. You punched her.”
“Shut up, cunt, or you’ll get what you deserve.”
The cops didn’t need more and went to one brother each
“You’re under arrest, both of you.”

Blue heard yelling and screaming, but she couldn’t make out any words because her headache was killing her.
Then, silence.

Blue groaned and tried to push herself up from the ground. To her surprise, two pairs of arms helped her sit up and lean against somebody. Unlike the arms that had held her before, these ones were gentle. She felt something soft and wet dab against her swollen eye and she winced from the pain.

“I’m sorry Ocean. Does it hurt very much?”

“Fluttershy, I only saw the hit and even I feel the pain.”
“Should we take her to the hospital?”
At the mention of hospital, Blue jerked her head away from Fluttershy and took a few steps away from the group
“I’m fine. Just forget it.”
“Ocean, I think you…”
“I said FORGET IT!”

She yelled at them, but winced from the pain it caused. She could barely see through her left eye and her headache was making her feel nauseous.

Blue stumbled on a few more steps, but almost fell over. Almost, because suddenly Fluttershy and Rainbow were next to her and helping her stand
“The only thing you can forget about is that we would leave you like this.”
Blue groaned and tried to pull away, but she could barely hold herself on her feet even with their help. She moaned out frustrated
“Why are you even here?”
“Duh, we ran after you of course. But when we saw Score, we knew he meant trouble, so we had to do something. Rarity and Pinkie saw the police car, but AJ and I thought we’d better be there in case they do something stupid. Guess we were right on that one.”

Blue wanted to say something, yell at them for being stupid, chew them out for treating her like an invalid. Maybe she even wanted to thank them for trying anyways, but she simply had no strength left at the moment. It took almost all she had to not drop to the ground and throw up from her headache. Did they give me a concussion?

Blue was so focused on just standing, she didn’t notice that Fluttershy was watching her very closely. Blue looked so much like one of her hurt animals right now, she just had to help. More importantly, she reminded Fluttershy of Sunset Shimmer and how the fiery girl had been in so much denial right after the Fall Formal.

Fluttershy knew she had to help, but she also knew she had to be cautious so she wouldn’t have Blue pull away for good.
“If you don’t want to go to the hospital, we’ll take you to my place instead.”
She glanced at Fluttershy. The usually timid girl had a serious look on her face, one she had seen before on a different face. Blue knew she had no chance arguing with her right now

“Fine…”
“Don’t you see we just want to… wait, what?”
Rainbow Dash looked surprised at how easily Blue caved in, as was Rarity. Only Sunset Shimmer had a small smile on her face and waved to Applejack who was still talking to the police, telling them what happened.

Sunset pointed at Fluttershy and waved a sign to her, for which she got a thumps up from Applejack. Pinkie Pie stayed behind with her.

Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and Blue made their way to Fluttershy’s van and they helped Blue climb in. Sunset Shimmer took the seat next to her after sending out a message on her phone. Blue still felt too dazed to ask what it was, but she noticed Dash and Sunset watching her

“Maybe you should send a message home, just in case?”
Blue frowned and nodded. Sitting down helped her feel less nauseous, but she still needed a couple of minutes. Once she had gathered enough strength, she pulled a phone out of her pocket.

As soon as she did, Rainbow Dash laughed out loud and nearly fell out of her seat
“Hey guys, does any of you have some change? I didn’t even know they had coin-ops still running these days.”
Blue flipped her off while she was trying to get her phone to work. It was an old model, very bulky and with only a tiny screen, probably ten years or more out of date.

Sunset tried to not laugh and hide her snickering behind a cough while Rarity only had a sad smile for Blue
“Perhaps you would like to borrow mine, instead?”
She offered her smartphone but Blue just ignored it
“Seriously, in which museum did you get that?”
“Fuck you, Dash. I can make calls, I can send texts and it’s cheap. What more do I need from a fucking phone?”

Rainbow only laughed louder and Blue thought her head might explode, but thankfully, Fluttershy noticed her pained expression and asked her to stop. Blue managed to send a text and few moments later, she got a call.

The girls looked at each other, wondering how they could give her some privacy while driving, but Blue was totally unconcerned. As soon as she answered the call, Sunset realized why, even if she only heard half of the call

“Hi Schwesterherz.”
“Nein, mach dir mal keinen Kopf. Alles halb so wild.”
“Ich hab ein paar aufs Maul bekommen, das war alles. Ehrlich.”
“Nein hör zu. Ich bin mit ein paar… Freunden unterwegs. Nein, nicht wie du denkst.”
“Wir fahren grade zu einer nach Hause. Ich komm schon klar.”
“Ich komm schon irgendwie heim. Alles klar, du auch.”

Blue turned off her phone and blinked when she noticed the other all staring at her
“What?”
Sunset Shimmer and Rarity seemed more curious than anything, but Rainbow Dash failed to stay serious, again
“I didn’t know you could speak Martian.”
“And I didn’t know you could talk at all with less IQ than toast, but here you are.”
“Hey!”

Fluttershy and Sunset giggled, but Rarity was intrigued
“Darling, that sounded very European, I must say. I would have never expected this from you.”
“What, I’ve been in juvie, so I’m not allowed to know German?”
“No, that’s not all what I meant. It’s just…”

Blue frowned and stared out of the window
“Just because I fuck up stuff doesn’t mean I’m stupid.”
“That’s really not what I meant, Darling. I’m merely surprised.”

Blue snorted and rolled her eyes. She mumbled out a few lines from an old song that came to her mind at that. And maybe, she wanted to show off just a little

“Wenn der Vorhang fällt,
Sieh hinter die Kulissen.
Die Bösen sind oft gut
Und die Guten sind gerissen.
Geblendet vom Szenario erkennt man nicht,
Die wahren Dramen spielen nicht im Rampenlicht.“

Rainbow Dash just shrugged since she didn’t get a word, but Sunset seemed more impressed
“Was that a song? What does it mean?”
“Eh, in essence, it means looks can be deceiving.”
“Well, that is quite true, Darling. How did you learn to speak it so fluently?”
“I picked it up from my sister. She was born in Germany and we still talk German at home, most of the time.”
“Ah, so you grew up bilingual. How fortunate for you.”
Blue just shrugged
“Didn’t help me much so far.”

At this point, Fluttershy slowed down the van and pulled into a driveway
“Um, I’m sorry to interrupt, but we’re here.”

Blue looked out the window and found herself deep in the middle of suburbia. A neat little family home with a neat little garden in front, just the same the ones next to it and probably the entire street. Blue was glad her nausea had mostly passed by then.

She climbed out of the van, but she wasn’t as strong as she had hoped, since her knees gave in under her weight again. This time, Sunset Shimmer was there to catch her. Blue felt Sunset’s arm around her shoulders and together, they made the short way towards the house.

The home was made up for comfort and looked more like it would belong to Fluttershy, not only because of the number of dogs and cats that immediately jumped up on her.
The other girls just smiled and giggled, but Blue was rather nervous. Sunset quietly led her to an armchair while Fluttershy herded her pets out of the living room, with the exception of a single white bunny that stayed around her.

Rarity and the others seemed used to this, since they just plopped down on the couch and some other chairs. Fluttershy excused herself into the kitchen.

After a few minutes of sitting and recovering, Blue felt strong enough to glare at the other three
“Why are you doing all this?”
“Shouldn’t it be obvious by now, even to you? We are taking care of our friend.”

Blue fixed Rarity with the full force of her anger, which had to be rather pathetic right now since the fashion fanatic didn’t react to it at all
“What makes you think I even want to be your fucking friend?”
“You’re swearing again, Darling.”
“So what? I can fucking talk the way I fucking want.”

“I’ve told you before, I figured it out. You always swear when you are in denial, Ocean Shore. So the simple fact that you’re doing it right now tells stories on how you truly feel about the matter.”
Blue was startled for a minute and just stared at them. The others looked like they very much agreed with Rarity’s conclusions. Am I really that easy to figure out?

She shook her head
"You don’t know squat about me.”
“We know enough.”

This time Rainbow Dash took the lead and the others nodded
“We know you’ve been through some hard stuff. You messed up a couple of times, probably. But behind that, you’re not so bad. So yeah, you lash out sometimes, but I’ve never seen you pick on anyone. You’re not a bully, you just don’t take shit from anyone.”

“You’re brave.”
Sunset Shimmer followed up when Rainbow was finished, not giving Blue to chance to say anything
“You talked so openly about everything that happened, even to the principals. It took me weeks to do so. And you don’t let yourself get intimidated, even if it’s five against one.”

Rarity had been waiting for her turn and now took her chance
“You have a very uncompromising personality, Ocean Shore. And I mean that as a compliment. You are very honest and clear with how you think and feel, but you don’t force yourself on others. But right now, I feel like this might be a little in your way as it makes it hard for you to accept how others might feel differently about you than you would expect.”

Rainbow rolled her eyes and tried to tie it together
“Fact is: You really need some friends. But you’re not just a pity case to us. We really see someone who we’d like to have for a friend, all of us.”

Blue just stared at them without saying anything. When she finally talked, her words made her feel bitter
“Why? What’s in it for you? What could you possibly have to gain from this?”
“Absolutely nothing, Darling. That’s not what friendship is about. It’s not a contract of goods and services we offer and expect from you in return. We want to be your friend. There is nothing more to it.”

Sunset nodded after Rarity’s explanation
“I guess the only think we ask for is that you give this a chance. Give us a chance to prove that friendship can be more and that it can help you get through all this.”

Blue stared at Sunset and tried to find something. Just anything that would be hidden in such an offer. But she saw nothing but honesty. A glance to Rarity and Rainbow Dash gave her nothing more but the same. She could still remember Fluttershy’s eyes from earlier as well. And she knew for a fact that Pinkie Pie would not look much different, as would Applejack.
Maybe…

“And what if you get to know me and you find out that you don’t like me at all? What will happen then?”
“That’s not some kind of test you can fail, Ocean. We won’t beat you up or punish you if you don’t reach our friendship standard.”
Rarity nodded along
“Indeed, Darling. We simply want to spend some time with you and get to know you better. We don’t have to become instant best friends. Maybe you won’t like joining us during band practice. Maybe you’re not the type for slumber parties. But that doesn’t mean you can’t sit with us during lunch or take trips to the mall with us.”
“All we ask is that you give it a try.”

Blue shook her head again. She ignored the dull pain on the left side of her face and the throbbing headache
“But why? There’s nothing in it for you. Why can’t I find the catch?”
“You can’t ‘cause there ain’t none.”

Blue’s head snapped around and she suddenly felt dizzy again. At some point, Applejack and Pinkie Pie had arrived, with bags from a supermarket.
“Maybe it’s different than what you know of, but that’s just how we roll.”
Blue stared at her, as her vision got blurry.
Just give this a try. You don’t have anything to lose.

“Girls, I think that’s enough for now. Can’t you see she’s hurt?”
Fluttershy spoke quietly, but her voice still rang in Blue’s ears
“Don’t worry, Ocean. You don’t have to answer right away. We’ll take it easy for now, but first we need to take care of those bruises.”

Blue blinked and nodded. Fluttershy took her hand and helped her stand up. She and Sunset guided her to a big bathroom with a tub and everything. So got seated in front of the sink and saw her face in the mirror.

The left side of her face was purple even through her dark blue skin. Her left eye was swollen shut by now. She had a few smallish cuts, probably when she had fallen down. All in all, she looked terrible. No wonder they act like this. I look like a pity case if I’ve ever seen one.

Fluttershy began to dab her temple with a cold washcloth and Blue flinched in pain, but Fluttershy just held her hand and dabbed again, more gently.
Or maybe, they really mean it.

Blue closed her eyes and relaxed a little as the cold dulled the worst of the pain. Fluttershy carefully cleaned her face and put some salve on the cuts, taking utmost care to be as gentle as possible. Sunset only handed Fluttershy the things she needed, but Blue felt her standing behind her and it was okay.

They didn’t tease her for how she looked. They didn’t blame her or berate her. In fact, they barely said anything at all and only focused on what needed to be done.

With the cold taking care of the swelling, Blue could open her left eye again, even if it hurt a little. Fluttershy apologized that she couldn’t do anything more, but she had an ice pack for Blue at least. By now, the headache was bearable and the dizziness was gone, so they took Blue back into the living room.

Obviously, Applejack and Pinkie Pie had been busy in the kitchen, because the coffee table was laden with all sorts of snacks. Rainbow Dash and Rarity seemed to be discussing about which movie to watch and at the door, Blue saw a couple of sleeping bags.

Pinkie Pie beamed and proved her worst nightmare had come true
“So Ocean Shore, are you ready for your ‘Get well quickly and yay you’re our friend now’ slumber party?”
Blue gulped and pressed her icepack against her head
“Would I even get the chance to say no?”
The girls giggled and with that answered Blue’s question. With a defeated sigh, she slumped back into the armchair.

Oh boy. Now I’m in for it. She absently took one of the cupcakes Pinkie was shoving under her nose and took a bite. Almost immediately, her lips curled up to a smile. Meh, could be worse. At least the food’s good.

By now it was late enough for Fluttershy’s parents to return home. Blue felt more than a little anxious. She wasn’t used to being at someone else’s home, without any notice and looking like a beat-up tramp. She wasn’t even sure if they knew about the slumber party, but Fluttershy’s parents took the presence of the six additional girls in their living room in stride. Fluttershy’s mother, who was a doctor, only insisted on checking up on Blue’s eye herself.

Blue was taken to an office room with better lights and Fluttershy’s mom carefully touched the bruises with as much care as Fluttershy earlier. She also had the same kind smile
“It looks worse than it actually is. Keep it cool through the night and the swelling should be gone by tomorrow, though the black eye will stay for a few days.”
Blue just nodded and sighed inwardly. At least now her sister wouldn’t make a fuss when she came home.

The girls insisted she took the chair and made sure she had everything she might need in reach. Fluttershy’s mom had also called Blue’s home number and informed her sister that Blue would stay overnight and that she’d take her home tomorrow. Luckily, it was a Friday night and she wouldn’t have to go to school the next day.

The girls chatted as some movie flickered in the background, and slowly they tried to include Blue into their conversation, but now that she was sitting still for a while, this whole crazy day crashed back on her.
So, everyone in school knows I’ve been in juvie, even if only the girls know the whole story. I’ve got beaten up and nearly killed because some dude went crazy, but the girls saved me. Oh, and the same girls are magic pony-hybrids from a different dimension and can transform when they play girl pop. Sheesh, what a day.

“So I got a question.”
The girls went quiet for a moment and looked at Blue with open and friendly smiles, which confused her but also reassured her at the same time
“If you all got magic powers, why don’t you use it? I mean, if I had wings, you’d never see me walk a mile again.”

Sunset Shimmer facepalmed, but Rainbow grinned
“That’s what I keep saying!”
“No, you’re not going to fly around town!”
Sunset looked at Blue, more serious now
“I know practically the whole school has seen us when we transform, but they don’t know everything. Most of them don’t even know it’s magic. So far, only the principals, Princess Twilight in Equestria and we know the whole story. Including you now, I suppose.”

Blue frowned at that
“Why take such a risk when you barely even know me? Especially after all the things you heard about me?”
Sunset and the others exchanged a few looks, but in the end Rainbow Dash just shrugged
“I don’t have any real explanation. It just felt right. I don’t think you’re going to spill our little secret.” “Me neither.” “Uh-huh.” “That wouldn’t be nice.”
The others chimed in one by one and Blue gave a wry smirk
“You guys are too trusting for your own good.”

“That’s why we have Sunset Shimmer to keep us in line when it comes to magic.”
Sunset rolled her eyes
“Great girls, no pressure. But seriously, if anyone found out about a portal to another magic dimension, it could lead to terrible results. Even if the authorities only knew that we could do magic, they might want to experiment on us. That’s why we decided it’s best to keep a low profile about it outside of school. And that’s why we don’t pony up and fly around for no good reason.”

“Hey! Not having to walk is a pretty good reason to me.”
Sunset glared at Rainbow, but the smirk told her she was just teasing so she joined into the chuckles from the others, but Blue stayed serious for now
“And what if this whole friendship stuff won’t work out? Then I’ll know all your secrets.”
“So you do.”

Applejack just shrugged with a smile
“I think it’s clear we won’t be instant best friends like we did with Twilight, but as Rarity said we don’t have to. If we can just talk between classes or hang out, that’d be mighty fine by me already. Maybe you wanna join our lunch table every once in a while. If you want to take this further, we’ll be all for it.”

“Wow. No pressure, huh?”
Blue meant to be sarcastic, but instead she sounded honestly surprised. This was new to her in many ways, and she felt out of her depth and vulnerable.

However, none of the girls picked her up on that. Instead, Fluttershy just smiled reassuringly
“No pressure at all. We wouldn’t be good friends if we forced you into anything, Ocean Shore.”

Blue looked at her and after a moment of thinking, she smiled. It was the first smile she didn’t have to force out all week.
They really trust me. Either they are completely dumb, or they know something I don’t. Or… this friendship business can really work.

She pondered for a moment, and the girls saw she was deep in thought. They waited patiently for her to look at them again, with that atypical shy smile once more
“You know, only judges and parole officers call me Ocean Shore.”

“Lame!”
Pinkie Pie and Sunset Shimmer giggled when Rainbow rolled her eyes
“You obviously used that phrase a billion times already.”
“Shut up, Dash!”

Rarity chimed into the next round of giggles, but Fluttershy stayed calm and asked
“Then, what should we call you instead?”
“Just call me Blue.”
“Lame!”
“Ruhe auf den billigen Plätzen!”

Rainbows baffled expression had everyone laughing, even herself after a few seconds. Blue’s deep and sometimes hard voice sounded completely different when she talked German somehow, and the girls liked it.
“So, now I have a question for you, Blue.”
“Okay.”
“How come you know German when you’re living here and moving around a lot?”
Blue just shrugged
“I still talk it at home with my sister, I guess. But mostly it’s through music.”

“German music, huh? They’re all into that dark rock stuff, right?”
Rainbow nodded and Blue just rolled her eyes
“Sure Dash. Everyone in Germany only listens to rock, and everyone in the US is an obese gun-fanatic.”
“Well, not really.”
“What kind of music do you like then?”

Pinkie Pie produced a pink laptop from somewhere and opened up a video platform
“Here, show me, show me!”
“Alright, sheesh, calm down.”
Blue typed in a few words and loaded up a video.

The girls gathered around as an upbeat tune sounded out, followed by four guys whistling along as they pretended to drive a car and bopped their heads to the beat. Pinkie’s head immediately bopped along, but Rainbow laughed as she watched the video
“That looks so goofy.”
“It’s from the 90s, Rainbow Dash. It’s supposed to look like that, and it’s more about the music anyway.”

Then the song started and everyone chuckled as the listened, even if they didn’t understand a single word
“What’s that supposed to be? German hip hop or what?”
“Exactly. My sister showed it to me, it’s a classic.”
“Wow. Now I’m almost sorry for you.”
“Fuck you, Dash.”

They laughed again and Pinkie Pie clicked through a couple of more videos, clearly intrigued by a form or music she didn’t even know existed. Blue sometimes had to explain something, but in the end, they just chatted about their favourite bands and songs. The conversation was rather shallow and easy-going, but Blue appreciated that. For once, she had enough stern talking-tos and serious meetings for a lifetime already and her headache got better as the evening passed.

They turned in rather early this night, mostly because Blue felt incredibly exhausted after such a day and probably also looked like it. It surprised her how easily she fell asleep, away from home in a sleeping bag instead of a bed, but with her tummy full for a change, even if it was mostly party snacks. She heard the others whisper softly for a while longer, but she was out almost as soon as her head touched the pillow and slept to late morning.

Chapter 5

View Online

The morning passed quietly and the girls left one by one. Fluttershy’s mom kept her promise and personally drove Blue home. Blue was glad that none of the girls was around, it was hard enough to see the mother of her friend (what a weird thing to say) frown when she approached the cheap apartment complex.

Blue told her not to worry, but it came out more harsh then intended. Lucky for her, Fluttershy’s mother did not take it personally. Away from the girls, Blue quickly fell back into her usual mindset of ‘Whatever’.

She walked into the small apartment on the third floor, no lift, and threw her bag into her room. Her sister rushed out of the kitchen and Blue let her fuss about her for a while, including a stern lecture that turned into an even longer hug once she had the full story.

Blue looked at herself in the mirror with wry smirk. Her black eye stood out and the other bruises in her face where turning greenish already, so she looked like straight out of a cheap horror movie.
Horror movie is right. Why does shit like that keep happening?

It wasn’t all bad though, she had to remind herself. These six girls seemed nice enough, even if a little shallow and naive from what Blue could tell. She hadn’t told her sister, but maybe this could work out.

And just when she was starting to get some hope, life came back crashing down on her.

The doorbell rang and Blue could also hear knocking on the door. When she left her room, she also heard the loud calls. Whoever was outside was angry and in no mood to wait even for a minute.
Blue sighed deeply and slumped on one of the fold chairs in the kitchen. I only know one guy who would act like this.

Her sister opened the door and a middle-aged man pushed right past her without any greeting at all. He ignored any protests and just marched forward until he found Blue. Blue glared at him but he only gave her this look he had since the first time they had met, full of disgust and hatred.
To say Blue and her social worker had a difficult relationship would be an understatement.

"What did you do this time?"
He just barked at her and Blue gritted her teeth. Bitter Leaves had only been assigned to her a month ago, definitely not long enough that he could blame her for repeatedly doing something.
When Blue didn't reply, he slammed a fist on the kitchen table
"I told you, get in trouble with the police and I'll drag your sorry ass right back to prison."

Blue clenched her fists and would have probably jumped at him, if it wasn't for her sister standing between the social worker and her
"She didn't do anything. She got ambushed by a group of boys and the police intervened before she got beaten to death."
Bitter Leaves glanced at Spring Meadow, but his angry look quickly found Blue again
"Likely story. I don't know what kind of lies you told the police, but I knew you meant trouble from the first moment I saw you."
Blue gritted her teeth and just hissed out
"Because I have nothing better to do than let myself get beaten up, only so I can cause you trouble."
He slammed his fist on the table again
"Don't you dare talk back to me like that! I promise, before this week is over, I'll have you back behind bars where you belong."
He was more or less screaming now and Blue wasn't far behind, when a new voice interrupted them both

"Is everything alright in here?"
Everyone turned around and Blue couldn't help but grin when she saw Vice-Principal Luna standing in the door
"I apologize for entering in such a fashion, but the door was open and I heard yelling, so I wanted to make sure nobody was hurt."
Luna looked at Blue and she flinched when she saw the black eye and all the other injuries, her eyes going soft from concern.

Bitter Leaves tried to compose himself, but failed rather spectacularly and shouted at the teacher
"Stay out of this. Let me do my fucking job here."
Luna's eyes snapped on the social worker and the temperature in the room dropped immediately
"Tell me, what kind of profession qualifies you to threaten and scream at an obviously injured teenager?"
"That's none of your god-damned business."
He slammed his fist on the table once more for emphasis. This was all Luna needed to step into the room as well and stand between Blue and Bitter Leaves, fixing the man with an icy glare.

"Then as her teacher, I'll make it my business. I've received a call from the police department that one of my students was ambushed and hurt last night, so I've come to check on Ocean Shore. And what I see now is you acting violently around her. You will either have a very good explanation for all this, or I will have you leave."
He shrunk back from her glare, but he quickly went back to directing his anger at Blue again
"If you must know, I'm Bitter Leaves and I'm her social worker. And you don't have to worry, I'll get her out of your school soon enough. One rotten egg less you have to bother with.”

If Luna’s glare had been icy before, she was now quickly approaching absolute zero as she addressed Bitter Leaves again
“As her social worker, it is your duty to help your charge to successfully get back into a normal life and…”
“Normal life! Hah!”
Bitter Leaves interrupted Luna rudely with a dismissive wave of his hand
“There’s nothing normal when a teenager just feels like breaking the law over and over again. Instead of wasting my time, I’m making sure she won’t cause any more harm than she already has.”

Blue gritted her teeth so hard that her face convulsed into a grimace, so badly that it reached her bruised cheeks and made her wince in pain. Luna must have noticed it because her fingers clenched to fists for a moment, but then she suddenly was calm again. Dangerously calm even and her voice sent shivers running down Blue’s skin as she talked
“Is this truly what you believe, Mister Leaves? That caring after Ocean Shore is a waste of your time?”
He just nodded with a smug grin
“As long as I’m keeping lost causes like her locked up, I’m doing society a favour here.”

Luna just kept glaring at him and slowly, it began to sink in that he had just fucked up with the wrong person. Blue would have grinned at his terrified expression if the tension in the room had not been so thick she could cut it.

Without ever looking away from him, Luna started talking again, and this time, he didn’t dare to interrupt her
“I’ll have you know that I’m not only Miss Shore’s teacher, but also her vice-principal. As such, I know perfectly well that there are no lost causes whatsoever. I also know that people who are to believe in such things should not be in your profession, Bitter Leaves.”

He gulped and backed away a step, but Luna matched him in that and closed the distance once again
“Also, I am not only her vice-principal, but Miss Shore’s guidance counsellor as well, so the police informed me thoroughly on everything that happened last night. Unlike you, who seems to have not even cared to listen before putting the blame on the girl under your care.”
Bitter Leaves gestured with his hands, but he looked more nervous than anything else
“You can’t seriously believe any of her lies? Whatever she told the police, she’s just trying to cover up that…”
“ENOUGH!”

Luna stepped so close that her face was barely inches away from Bitter Leaves now and there was nothing but a burning, righteous fury
“If her injuries were not convincing enough, there are three witnesses who saw everything, as well as two police officers who were present. Three of the perpetrators have already confessed the entire thing, including an earlier attack that happened at my school. Ocean Shore has been a victim of battery and she certainly does not deserve the way you threat her.”

While Bitter Leaves tried to recover and find something to say, Luna took out her phone and snapped a picture of him before tapping a few messages
“As Vice-Principal of Canterlot High School, I am very well connected within the Board of Education as well as Children Protective Service, Mister Leaves. And so, I promise you: I will make sure that you are never let loose on a child ever again. And so God help me, if I find out that this is how you treat all your charges, I will see that you never work as a social worker again.”

Deciding to cut his losses while he still could, Bitter Leaves fled through the door and out of the tiny apartment. He slammed the door shut behind him, but not before Blue yelled after him
"Ja, hau bloß ab du Arschloch!"
"Miss Shore!"
Luna turned her head to glare at the student, but with far less force than before and a twinkle in her eyes
"I know you're upset, but you should not insult even him in such a way."

Blue just gaped and Spring Meadow, who had been fearfully silent for the whole exchange, was the first to realize
"Wait, you understood what she said?"
"Indeed. While my knowledge is surely limited, I am very aware of certain cuss words."
She shot another look towards Blue
“So I recommend you watch your language around me from now on.”
Blue tried to roll her eye, but winced. That still hurt.

Vice-Principal Luna immediately returned to the concerned expression she had had when she arrived
“I was informed that you didn’t visit the hospital yet. Perhaps…”
Blue tensed up, but her sister stood beside her and put a hand on her shoulder
“I work at the hospital. They wouldn’t do anything for her that I couldn’t do here myself, Miss Luna. I would like to keep her at home for now.”

Blue watched the vice-principal closely and almost expected her to insist and simply order her to go, but Luna relented with a quick nod
“If that is what you wish, I will respect that. However, considering all that has happened just now, I would like to ask you a few questions if possible?”
Blue just shrugged and her sister nodded. Luna took a deep breath like she had to calm herself before she began
“Has Bitter Leaves behaved like this before?”
Blue was about to yell, but her sister was faster
“Every time we met him. From the first day on, he made it very clear that he was just waiting for a chance to get rid of Blue again.”
Luna nodded and eyes grew hard, like she had been expecting this
“Then, if I may ask, why have you never contacted the office? You could have asked for someone else.”
Blue just snorted out frustrated
“Why bother? It’s not like he’s the only one who said stuff like that.”
At this, Luna frowned and shook her head
“I can assure you that… oh, excuse me for a moment.”

She was interrupted by a chime from her phone and she headed to the next-door room to take the call.
Blue and her sister just looked at each other
“Shit just keeps piling up.”
“At least she’s nice about it.”
“Yeah. But for how long?”
The question hung in the room while they waited for Luna to return, which took a couple of minutes. When she came back, Luna looked like a mix of determined and satisfied
“I’ve spoken to a higher-up at CPS. It seems that Bitter Leaves had missteps like these before, but nobody took it serious. That’s going to change today. You won’t have to worry about him pestering you any more.”

Blue only shrugged again and her sister asked
“What’s going to happen now?”
“Since I’m already aware of Ocean’s situation, I volunteered to fill in as Ocean’s social worker for now. CPS has agreed to this, as long as that this in your interest as well.”
She looked at the two sisters, but Blue was faster than her sister this time
“Sure, why not? Better you than another jerk from the office.”
Spring Meadow looked at Blue surprised, but agreed reluctantly
“Won’t that be any conflict of interests for you though, since you’re her teacher as well?”
Luna shook her head
“Not as far as I am concerned. I think it would be best if talked things through, so we can address any concerns you might have.”

She was about to pull a chair to sit down, but the she just looked around the kitchen. Blue guessed that she probably hadn’t really seen it before, with all the yelling and arguing, but now Luna took in the cheap kitchen table with its fold plastic chairs, the lack of any kitchen utensils except for a second-hand microwave and a battered fridge.

Instead of sitting down, Luna turned back to them with a friendly, if professional smile
“Perhaps we can talk over lunch? I know a place not too far from here, if you’re free for the afternoon.”
Spring Meadow glanced at Blue who was about to shrug as usual. Something about Luna and the way she smiled got to her, though. Maybe…
So instead, Blue nodded once, firmly. Spring Meadow looked just as surprised as Luna, but nodded as well.
They followed Vice-Principal Luna to her car and headed into the city.

The diner they ended up at was actually quite nice. There was a long counter for customers who just wanted a quick lunch, but Luna took them to a booth in the back, a little out of the way from everyone else.
The waitress seemed to know Luna and greeted her by name as she took their orders. Blue and Spring Meadow were browsing through the menu, Luna already knew what she wanted and let them know that she would be treating them today.

Spring Meadow did not like accepting any charity, but Luna managed to phrase her offer in a way that it didn’t sound patronising at all, so she accepted reluctantly. When Blue heard Luna order a soup, a main dish and some sides, she took that as an offer to do the same, at which the vice-principal only smiled.

From the booth they had taken, Blue sat with her back to the rest of the diner, so nobody could see her black eye. The waitress noticed it though, but was sensitive enough to not mention it.

They talked about what happened the other day and at some point, Luna pulled out a laptop to type down a few notes. She also asked a lot about Bitter Leaves, until the food arrived. She didn’t seem to judge anything Blue said, even if she got angry. Like on the few counselling sessions they had, she rather let Blue talk and only asked when she needed to clarify something.

Spring Meadow listened silently as well. She had barely ever seen Blue be this open to anyone before. Luna tried to include her into the conversation, but Spring still said barely anything. It was clear to her though, that both she and Luna shared a common ground. This was about Blue getting better, first and foremost.

When the food arrived, the conversation turned to lighter topics and Spring Meadow thawed up a little more. Vice-Principal Luna was friendly and understanding, despite the first impression Spring Meadow had gotten from her.
After lunch, Luna ordered some coffee and tea for them and pulled out a few more files on her laptop. As they worked through, it became clear on how negligent Bitter Leaves had been on his responsibilities as Blue’s social worker.

Luna’s mood dropped considerably, and with Spring Meadow’s permission, she forwarded a few of the files to CPS so they could take action against him.

Blue just listened now, mostly bored. All that legal and official stuff only gave her a headache and Spring knew everything about her anyway. Without anything better to do, she picked up her old-fashioned phone and switched it on.
She almost dropped it when it wouldn’t stop beeping and she got pale. Spring Meadow leaned in to glimpse at the tiny screen.

Sixteen missed calls and an even higher number of new text messages, all from the same number and all from today. In fact, the phone just started ringing again from the same number and Blue was almost too scared to answer the call
“Hello?”
“HI BLUE! IT’S PINKIE PIE! HOW ARE YOU?”
Blue flinched and held the phone away from her ear when the familiar voice screamed to her from the top of her lungs
“Ow. Could you stop screaming?”
“Oh, sorry. I was just so excited that you finally picked up, because I’ve been trying to call you all day but the calls wouldn’t connect so I tried texting you but then I thought if the calls don’t connect, how can I be sure that the text come through, so I called again just to be sure and…”

Blue groaned when Pinkie Pie kept blabbering at high speed with her high-pitched voice
“Pinkie, you’re giving me a headache. Can you just tell me what you want in one, short sentence?”
“Since we’re besties now, I wanted to ask if you want to hang out with me and the girls today.”
Blue rolled her eyes and winced again
“Pinkie, last night was okay, but we’re not ‘besties’ or anything, okay? Where did you even get my number? I swear if you’ve been going through my stuff, I will…”

Before Blue could get angry, Luna reached out and snatched the phone from her and answered instead
“Miss Pie? This is Vice-Principal Luna.”
Pinkie Pie went back to yelling again, so both Blue and Spring could hear her response clearly
“Vice-Principal Luna? How did you get Blue’s phone? Oh no, she’s not in trouble because of yesterday, is she? Miss Luna, I Pinkie-promise, Blue did nothing that…”
Luna laughed and cut up whatever came next
“I am well aware, Miss Pie. In fact, we are currently working out the aftermath of yesterday’s events. As such, I’m afraid Miss Shore is still feeling a little under the weather from her injuries, so I don’t think one of your parties would be a good idea.”
“I know that! I wasn’t planning a party, we were just going to spend some time together.”

Luna glanced to Spring Meadow who nodded before she replied
“I can allow that. However, in moderation. Not all of you at once, and only if you keep things quiet.”
“Absolutoatlly! I’ll check in with the girls and we’re right over!”
Luna gave her the name of the place and the address, then ended the call and gave Blue her phone back.

All Blue did was glare at her
“You could have asked me if I even wanted that.”
“Oh please. You were so bored that you almost fell asleep.”
“That’s not the fucking point.”
“Blue, language.”

Spring Meadow reminded her and put her hand on her shoulder
“It’s just a bunch of girls, how bad could it be?”
Blue shook her head and sighed defeated
“Oh, you have no idea.”

Luna and Spring chuckled softly and went back to work, while Blue slumped down on her seat. Why does the universe hate me?

Half an hour later, the girls walked in and scanned the diner. Blue groaned frustrated as Luna waved them over and turned around to see Rarity, Fluttershy and Sunset Shimmer. No Pinkie Pie. Blue glanced around suspicious and almost expected the pink menace to pop out from somewhere, but the girls just giggled

“Pinkie Pie sadly couldn’t make it, Darling. She and Rainbow Dash had to take care of a sudden ‘cupcake emergency’ on the other side of town.”
Sunset Shimmer winked and Blue grinned a little, it almost didn’t hurt any more
“Pinkie Pie can be a bit overbearing and in your condition, we thought it was best you get used to her in small doses.”
“Gee, thanks.”

They laughed a little as Spring Meadow watched each of them closely. They seemed nice enough and friendly. They had considered Blue’s injury, but they didn’t bug her about it, even if the one with the long pink hair looked at Blue like she was a hurt puppy.

Blue quickly introduced them to her sister, but the four of them found a booth for themselves when Spring Meadow and Luna leaned over the laptop again.

Fluttershy gently touched Blue’s arm while looking closely at the bruises around her eyes
“Are you feeling better today, Ocean?”
“Yeah, thanks. At least the headache is better, but it still hurts sometimes.”
Fluttershy seemed satisfied by that but she kept rubbing her arm, which Blue found strangely pleasant.

Rarity leaned in closer and whispered with a glance to Blue’s sister and the vice-principal
“If I may be so bold to ask, why exactly is Miss Luna here? It’s not even a school day.”
Blue shrugged and sighed. Well, time to make things awkward I guess.
“She was informed of the accident by the police because she’s my guidance counsellor at school. When she came to check on me, she saw live and in colour how my social worker threatened to get me back to juvie by the end of the week.”
“What?”
“Oh my.”
“But you didn’t do anything wrong!”

Blue allowed herself a smile. It felt good to have people defend her for a change, even if it wasn’t necessary right now
“He didn’t really care, he just wanted to get rid of me. Anyway, Miss Luna made a few calls and as it stands now, she’s my social worker from now on.”
Fluttershy and Rarity seemed surprised, Sunset just nodded. After the Fall Formal, she had seen Luna do something very similar for her as well, even if it couldn’t be official back then because she was a pony from a different dimension.

“Well, Darling, that’s good news I guess. I mean, it’s not good that your, um, social worker did something like this, but with Miss Luna, well…”
“Rarity.”
Blue interrupted the girl who obviously had never even thought about things like this before and clearly didn’t know how to handle a situation like this properly
“Don’t act like this is normal, okay? I know it isn’t. If you don’t want to talk about it, it’s fine. I don’t care.”
Rarity blushed a little more but Blue only shrugged. Maybe that wasn’t completely true, but at least she didn’t care so much that she wanted to have this conversation right now.

Sunset Shimmer came to her rescue with a song on her phone she had found on the net. Happy to drop the awkward topic, the girls ended up quietly discussing music and other harmless things for the rest of the afternoon. And despite all that had happened, Blue again found herself enjoying it. Maybe this really can work out.

She threw a glance towards her sister who smiled in return.
Yeah. I think I can make this work.

“Scheiße, Scheiße, Scheiße, Scheiße!”
Four weeks later, Blue ran towards Canterlot High, swearing under her breath. Overnight, it had begun to snow and she had underestimated how much it would slow her down. She was already five minutes late and as usual when she was nervous, she fell back into talking German, or swearing in this case
“Scheiße, Scheiße, Scheiße! Miss Cheerilee is gonna kill me.”

She ran up the steps and down the hallway. However, since it had been snowing, there were puddles of water scattered all over the floor. When Blue stepped into one, she lost her footing on the slippery floor and slid through the hallway. Before she could catch herself, she slid right into some nearby lockers with a loud bang and an even louder scream.

That caused enough commotion for all the classroom doors to open and people to stick out their heads to check. Blue groaned from where she had landed on the floor. She hadn’t hurt herself, but one of the doors was the one from her homeroom class and she saw a fuming Miss Cheerilee glaring down at her.

“I’m okay!”
Blue’s attempt of humour got her some snickers from the classrooms, but it did very little to appease her teacher
“That’s great. Then you have no excuse to miss detention today, Ocean Shore.”
Miss Cheerilee’s tone of voice was final, but Blue tried her luck anyway
“The floor was slippery. It’s not my fault.”
“That’s why we tell you to not run in the hallways.”
“I only ran so I wouldn’t be late for class!”
“You were already late. And for the record, if you had arrived earlier, there would be no reason for you to run across the wet floor.”

Blue groaned again. I know it won’t work. Why do I try every single time?
“That’s three-nil for Miss Cheerilee. Sucks to be you, Blue.”
She heard more giggling from one of the classrooms and rolled her eyes
“Shut up, Dash.”
Another wave of laughter reached her, but Blue just got up with a half-smile. Typical Rainbow Dash, I suppose.

She followed Miss Cheerilee into the classroom and slumped into her seat next to Rarity and in front of Applejack. Rarity offered her a tissue to clean up her clothes and both girls had a sympathetic smile for her. She just smirked back. Detention sucked, but it could be a lot worse.

Blue made a beeline to the detention hall after her last class, after a quick goodbye to Sunset Shimmer. She had spent enough time in there that they would soon get a name-tag on her seat, and she learned quickly that it was best to not tardy around, especially when Miss Luna was on duty. However, there was no sign of the vice-principal today.

She handed her detention slip to Mr. Doodle who just rolled his eyes at his regular and went back to his newspaper. Blue was the only student in detention today and they both knew she wasn’t going to make any trouble.

Blue sat down and took out her homework, when the door opened again and another girl walked in. Mr. Doodle looked up and did a double take
“Pinkie Pie? What are you doing here?”
Blue was wondering about the same thing, but Pinkie Pie just had her usual chipper smile
“I had a little cupcake-related accident during art class today.”
Mr. Doodle shook his head in disbelieve and watched Pinkie take a seat next to Blue.

Before Pinkie had sat down though, another girl entered. It was Sunset Shimmer with a less than guilty smirk on her face
“Got caught playing on my phone in class.”
She dropped her detention slip on the teacher’s desk and sauntered towards Blue and Pinkie.

Rainbow Dash walked in right after Sunset and sheepishly rubbed the back of her head
“Fell asleep during Science.”
She shrugged and sat down in front of Blue who had to cover her mouth by now, otherwise she wouldn’t be able to stop laughing.

Poor Mr. Doodle got only more confused when Rarity and Applejack walked in next
“I simply couldn’t bear Algebra today, so I skipped.”
“Same here.”
This time, Blue couldn’t hold back her laughter and neither could Sunset and Dash.

When the door opened one last time, Mr. Doodle looked like he had lost all his faith in humanity at this point
“Fluttershy? Don’t tell me you got detention too!”
The tall girl hid her face behind her pink hair and mumbled shyly
“Oh, um, no, I didn’t do anything. I just thought, since everyone is here, it’d only be fair if I came too.”

Under the hysterical laughter from the six girls, Mr. Doodle threw his hands up in despair and watched as Fluttershy found a seat with the others, hiding a smile behind a veil of pink hair.

Blue couldn’t help but grin as she looked between the other girls
“You’re all crazy, I hope you know that.”
“Yeah, well, though luck. You’re one of us, so that means you’re crazy too.”
“Also means we don’t let you hanging.”
“Yeah, playing in the snow wouldn’t be any fun with one of us missing.”
“Geez Pinkie, you make it sound like we’re some weird kind of cult.”
“Weird is the right word for that. I think…”

Mr. Doodle finally had enough and stopped the silly chattering
“I don’t need to remind you, but this is detention, not the glee club. So if you all don’t mind, would you all just be quiet for the next hour?”
The girls looked more or less guilty, but their smiles said otherwise.

Fluttershy suddenly raised her hand
“Yes, Fluttershy?”
“Oh, um, I just wanted to say, I don’t mind being quiet for a while.”
Mr Doodle slammed his head on the desk and the girls cackled even more.

Two hours later, Blue and the others made their ways home together and watched the Christmas decorations at the stores being set up. It was the last week of November and the holiday break was in sight
“So what are you all doing on the holidays?”
“Meh, the usual I guess. Christmas Eve with my family at home, then visiting some family out of town. Nothing special.”
The other girls had similar stories as Rainbow Dash, until everybody was looking at Sunset Shimmer

“Huh, me? I’ll just stay at home and watch some TV. I’ve never gotten behind this whole Christmas thing to be honest, so I never celebrated.”
Pinkie Pie gasped and stopped in mid-step
“You never celebrated Christmas? Not even in the pony world?”
Sunset just shrugged
“We didn’t really have Christmas there. We have Hearth’s Warming, which is similar as far as I know, but I haven’t really celebrated that either since I was a small filly. I preferred using all that time to study magic.”

Pinkie Pie opened and closed her mouth without sound, like a fish on land. Blue grinned and poked her but with no reaction
“Hey Red, I think you broke Pinkie Pie.”
She looked around but saw similar expressions than Pinkie’s from the other four girls

“Hey guys, are you alright?”
Sunset just kept walking undeterred
“Seriously girls, it’s no big deal. It’s just a holiday.”
“Just a holiday? JUST A HOLIDAY?”

While Fluttershy and Applejack tried to calm Pinkie down, Rarity shook her head and turned back to Sunset
“Darling, I’m so sorry you missed out on such a wonderful festivity.”
“It’s okay Rarity. I wouldn’t have anyone to celebrate with me anyway. A couple of months ago I had no friends and was on my own all the time, don’t you remember?”

The time all the girls stopped in their tracks, even Blue. Sure, she didn’t give much about Christmas either, but at least she always had her sister with her. They didn’t have much in terms of presents or anything, but they’d spend the holiday together. That was, if her sister didn’t get the holiday shift at the hospital.

Since Sunset didn’t seem willing to talk about this, they let the topic drop. It would probably come up again soon, depending on what Pinkie Pie was up to when she rushed off.

One by one, the girls separated and said their goodbyes.
When Blue got home, her sister was already asleep. She had to do double shifts this week, which left her completely exhausted. Blue shrugged. Whatever. Can’t be helped.

Just before she turned off the lights, she checked her phone and smiled when she read the message from Applejack. A whole week of slumber parties to celebrate Sunset’s first Christmas with friends. That sounds fun. Though, it could be annoying spending so much time with everyone for the whole week.

She shook her head and went back to smiling. They spent a lot of time together anyway and it would just be some sleepovers. Nothing bad would happen.

Chapter 6 part 1

View Online

It's been four days since Anon-A-Miss started posting and the cafeteria has already turned into a war zone, Blue thought. Ever since I came here, everyone told me about the magic of friendship, and now look at them.

Everywhere she looked, she saw students bickering and yelling at each other or their phones while others just laughed at their expanse and showed off the latest post from the Anon-A-Miss account. So far there hadn't been a serious fight yet, but not for a lack of trying. Sunset had been lucky that Blue was in the hallway when those idiots tried to gang up on her and her loud yelling got the attention of a nearby teacher. The only thing Dumbbell got for pulling a knife on a student was suspension so far. He would have seriously injured Sunset if not stopped, but it only made the other students more angry at Sunset instead.

They aren't even looking for Anon-A-Miss any more, she thought. They already made up their mind that Sunset is guilty and the only thing that could get them pull their heads out of the gutter would be a miracle, or a disaster.

She walked up the lunch line and watched the two girls in front of her yelling at each other while some guys behind her shoved into her. She turned around with a glare and they stopped immediately. Nobody had dared to attack her or even hassle her ever since the fiasco with Score and his brother. She didn’t look very intimidating with her short height, but the story on how she knocked the football player out with a single punch had left an impression. They didn't even accuse her of being Anon-A-Miss even once. Of course most people knew by now she didn't do MyStable or any social media, but Blue knew that was not the reason. They're just cowards, she thought and her bored expression turned into a frown. They know I would fight back and give them a piece of my mind. Sunset wouldn't fight any more, not after the Fall Formal and the Battle of the Bands. She was an easy target with just enough backstory for people to pick on her.

So they left Blue by herself instead. Not even Anon-A-Miss posted about her. What could that fucker post about me anyways? I don't really make a secret about what happened any more. That coward just hides behind Sunset as their dedicated scapegoat.

She picked up her lunch and glanced around the cafeteria. Almost all the seats were taken and the only free ones had yelling people nearby. She frowned when she noticed one table in particular. With a sigh, she headed towards the five girls, settling for the lesser evil of the hellhole.

Rainbow Dash glared at Applejack and slammed her fist on the table
"We need to do something to stop her! Just look at this mess she created."
She waved her hand at the angry students all around
"I know Dash, but what can we do? You heard what happened with Dumbbell. I don't want to think what he would have done with that knife."
"I've never seen Sunset look so scared, not even after the Fall Formal. It's hard to believe a girl who back-stabbed her friends would be so frightened."
"Don't let her fake tears fool you, Rarity."
"I don't think they were fake any more..."
"Oh, come on Fluttershy! Don't tell me you suddenly believe her?"
"Well, can you tell me what she get from all this? If she wanted to turn bad again, why now? She had the best opportunity when the Sirens appeared, but she fought beside us instead."
"She just..."

Whatever Rainbow wanted to say, she stopped when Blue dropped her tray next to her on the table and took a seat
"What do you want here?"
"We're not going to listen to you defend Sunset Shimmer!"
Blue rolled her eyes
"Do you mind? I'm trying to eat here, just keep me out of whatever you're babbling about."

Rainbow Dash glared at her for a moment longer but Pinkie Pie now chimed in
"Blue's right! We don't have to talk about Meanie MacMeaniepants and let her spoil our lunch too! Even if Fluttershy is right."
Applejack choked on her food and Rarity looked at her ingeniously
"Whatever do you mean, Darling?"

"I mean, ever since the Fall Formal she was trying so hard to be nice and she always helped whenever she could. And at the Battle of the Band, she shared the Magic of Friendship with us. She faked things before, but can you really fake friendship magic like that?"
Rarity and Fluttershy nodded, even Applejack looked unsure, but Rainbow Dash just slammed her palm on the table again
"Oh, come on! If anyone could fake that, it would be Shimmer. She's been playing the whole school for years!"
"Yeah, but Twilight saw right through everything when she came here and she knows everything about magic. You really think Sunset could trick her as well?"

Rarity nodded and tapped her chin
"Pinkie has a point. Twilight would have done something at the Battle if she wouldn't trust Sunset. And she tried to show us her journal, which means Twilight still believes her. But still, there are pictures in the post that could only have come from her phone. The evidence is clear."

"Because, nobody could like hack her phone or crack her password."
Five pairs of eyes turned to Blue who was still eating
"I thought you didn't want to contribute, Darling?"
"Yeah, but there's a limit of bullshit I can take during lunch."
"So all we say is phooey, huh? Then what do you know that we all can't see?"
"Have you actually talked to Sunset? Given her chance to explain?"

The looked at each other, and Rainbow had the shortest fuse
"That bitch doesn't deserve it! After all she did when she was..."
"Yeah, she messed up and now she's forever at fault. Once a bitch, always a bitch, right? Because people can't ever change, right?"
Blue glared at each of them. Fluttershy and Rarity quickly looked away, Pinkie lacked her usual smile and looked very insecure. Applejack frowned in doubt as well and only Rainbow's fury seemed at bay.

"You didn't even give her a chance to say anything, did you? People like you make me sick."
Applejack narrowed her eyes, now it full defence
"Now don't you act all high and mighty like that. You sent her away too!”
“Yeah, because I didn’t want to get into any of this bullshit.”
Applejack crossed her arms in front of her chest
“What would you be afraid of? Don't you have enough skeletons in your closet as well?"
"Yeah, that's why I know how easy it is to get framed for something. Once people start to believe you're a lost cause, they don't ask for reasons any more."

Applejack looked away again, but Rarity caught on
"What do you mean, framed? Are you implying that someone is using Sunset Shimmer as a cover?"
"Duh!"
Help came from an unexpected source as Pinkie Pie smacked her palm against her forehead
"Why would Sunset use her own silhouette and her favourite colours in the profile? Even if she was a big old meanie again, she's not dumb!"
"Sunset is smarter than all of us sitting here. If she was behind it, we wouldn't find out for weeks, if ever."
Fluttershy nodded as Applejack made her point
"If she was mean again, she would never take being bullied in the hallways."
"And she wouldn't have gone after us. That would have been too obvious. She would have picked someone as far away from her as possible, just to confuse everybody."

Even Rainbow Dash seemed to cave in by now
"She ran away. I met her after third period and yelled at her. She looked so scared."
"You did what?"
"Rainbow, you yelled at her, just after another student threatened her with a knife?"
"I didn't know that then! I thought she was faking tears for sympathy so I got angry."
Rainbow hung her head down and stared at the table
"But something was wrong. She never cried like that, not even after the Fall Formal. She said we wouldn't have to worry about her any more, then she ran away."
Blue rolled her eyes and pushed her half-full tray away

"You know, for people who kept preaching me about the magic of friendship for weeks, I'd expected you to at least give your friend the benefit of a doubt."
"She's not our friend! She maybe never was!"
"So what, Rainbow?"
Now Applejack took her turn
"Even if she was just a snake, we didn't give her a fair chance. We just jumped her with no real proof. That ain’t right."
"And we were pretty mean to her."
"We made her cry in front of everybody. Oh, I feel so awful."
Blue rolled her eyes again
“Well, it’s a little too late for that, right? Imagine how Sunset must have felt.”
Fluttershy cried quietly as she did just that and even Rainbow Dash looked unsure now
“Do you think we went too far with what we said?”
“I reckon we have.”
“Even when everybody bullied her after the Fall Formal, she still came to school every day, because at least she still had us. But now that we hurt her in such a terrible way…”

Rarity trailed off and turned to Rainbow Dash
“When did you yell at her?”
“Um, after third period. I was on my way to the gym.”
“And has anybody seen her since?”
They shook their heads and Rarity turned more pale than usual
“Oh my.”
“You don’t think she did something, do you?”
“I certainly hope not. But I remember the look of desperation she had when we sent her away. And that was before she was attacked.”

Blue suddenly turned pale as well and gripped the edge of the table so hard that her knuckles turned white
“Scheiße!”
The other girls looked at her with wide eyes. They knew something must really worry her if she fell back into her native tongue all of a sudden
“What’s wrong, Darling?”
“The knife! When I knocked Dumbbell over, he dropped the knife but Vice-Principal Luna couldn’t find it anywhere.”
Fluttershy gasped and jumped on her feet
“Oh no! What if Sunset took it and…?”
“Fuck!”
Rainbow got up so fast her chair fell over
“She said we wouldn’t have to worry about her any more before she ran away. Could she mean..?”

That was all it took for the others to jump to their feet as well, ignoring all the stares they got from everyone around them. Rainbow started to run at full speed as soon as she was out of the cafeteria, but Applejack grabbed her

“Slow down, Dash. Do you even know where to look for her?”
“I’m sure she ran home! Come on, we’re losing time here.”
“I reckon that’s the best place to start. We’ll take my truck.”

Rarity hesitated for a moment and turned back
“Somebody should tell Principal Celestia or Vice-Principal Luna. I’ll do that and then come after you.”
Without waiting for an answer, Rarity ran off towards the office.

The others got to the parking lot as fast as they could, but Fluttershy soon fell behind
“Oh, we should have never yelled at her! We should have never doubted her! Why did we…?”
“Shy, stop it.”
Blue shook Fluttershy’s shoulder
“That won’t help her now.”
“Right. I’m sorry.”
Blue tried to smile reassuringly, but it died away quickly.

The drive to Sunset’s apartment didn’t take more than twenty minutes, but to the girls it felt like hours. Applejack gripped the steering wheel tightly to stay calm enough to drive safely, Blue on the seat next to her stared ahead blankly for the whole drive and said nothing. Rainbow Dash didn’t say anything either, but her face told of the guilt that was eating at her, even as she kept an arm around Fluttershy who had started crying silently. Pinkie Pie looked disturbingly serious, no trace of a smile on her face and her hair hanging down completely straight all of a sudden. She had tried to call or text Sunset on her phone, but with no success so far.

Blue jumped out of the car before Applejack even stopped the engine, just like Rainbow Dash. They ran towards the doors of the apartment complex and Rainbow pressed the buzzer with Sunset’s name in a wild frenzy.
The other three caught up and there was no response of the door, so Rainbow just pressed all the buzzers at once. They heard the beep from the door and Blue just pushed in, ignoring the voices from the speaker.

By the time they reached Sunset’s floor, Rainbow froze in mid-step. Sunset’s apartment door was slightly open, as if someone had tossed it shut and not bothered to check if it was really closed. Sunset would never be that careless.
Blue and Pinkie Pie rushed past Rainbow, not questioning their dumb luck. Pinkie Pie hurried to the back rooms, but Blue ran up the narrow stairs to the loft, where Sunset’s bed was.

When Applejack, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash ran in, they heard Blue’s panicked screams
“Scheiße! Was hast du gemacht? Was hast du gemacht?”
Fluttershy ran up next and nearly hurled over. Sunset was sprawled out on the bed, bleeding from cuts all over her arms. The knife was still in her right hand, but her fingers couldn’t hold it any more. The girl only twitched as Blue shook her, she seemed barely even conscious.
“FUCK!”
Blue kept shaking Sunset but didn’t get any reaction. Rainbow Dash screamed as well when she finally managed to get past Fluttershy, but Fluttershy couldn’t hear what she said.

Applejack and Pinkie Pie tried to climb up the stairs as well, but Blue screamed down at them
“Pinkie, go find a first aid kit or something! Applejack, call an ambulance, quick!”
Pinkie Pie was the first to spring into action and ran to the bathroom in search of something that could help. Applejack pulled out her phone, but failed to unlock it three times before she finally managed to press the right keys.

Blue was still screaming, this time at Sunset
“Don’t fall asleep, you hear me! Don’t fall asleep!”
She kept shaking the pale girl and barely heard her mumbles
“Leave me alone.”
“What?”

Rainbow was at Sunset’s other side and grabbed her free hand
“We’re not leaving you, Sunset Shimmer.”
For a moment, Sunset’s eyes regained enough focus to recognize Rainbow Dash. Then, she suddenly started trashing around on the bed, kicking and flailing her bloody arms
“I SAID LEAVE! LEAVE ME ALONE! JUST LET ME DO THIS!”

Rainbow Dash backed away, both terrified and ashamed, but Blue grabbed both of Sunset’s shoulders and pressed her back on the bed, even as she yelled more and landed a few hits on Blue
“Shut up! You can’t lose more blood so just shut up and hold still. Rainbow, for fuck’s sake, help me keep her still!”
Rainbow hesitated but then grabbed Sunset’s ankles to keep her legs from kicking. Blue was still trying to keep her from flailing her arms around, but she only managed when Fluttershy grabbed her left arm and held it over Sunset’s head
“Sunset, please. Let us help you.”

Sunset seemed to recognize the voice and snarled out with venom in her voice
“I don’t need your help! You all want me gone!”
“No Sunset. You can hate us later if you like, you probably will, but right now, you need our help. So please hold still.”
Blue grabbed her other arm and held it up as well to slow down the bleeding. Sunset had not reacted too well to her screaming, but Fluttershy’s voice seemed to get through to her.

Pinkie Pie rushed up the stairs with a big first aid kit in her hands
“I had to fetch it from one of the neighbours.”
Blue watched as Pinkie ripped the package open and reached out for some bandages
“Here, hold her arm like this, don’t let her move! Applejack, where’s that ambulance?”
“On its way, but they said they need a couple more minutes.”
“Scheiße.”

Blue took the bandage from the kit and wrapped it around the largest cut on the left arm. She used some force to get it as tight as possible, and Sunset hissed in pain
“Stop, you’re hurting her!”
“Better than letting her bleed out before the ambulance arrives! Keep talking to her, Fluttershy. Don’t let her fall asleep.”
Blue took another bandage for the next cut, and Fluttershy leaned down when Sunset whimpered from the pain
“Sunset, I’m sorry it hurts but please, hold on a little longer. Help is on the way.”
“Fuck… you…”

Fluttershy cried when Sunset, even in her weakened state, still used the last of her strength to push her away
“Sunset, you have every right to hate us for what we’ve done. We can’t make it undone, as much as I wish we could. But we can’t lose you either, not like this! You have to keep fighting, Sunset.”
“Just… let me die already…”
“No!”

Sunset’s face lost all colour and she could barely keep her eyes open when Blue moved to the other arm. The dressings around the cuts didn’t look very professional, but at least they stopped the bleeding for now. Pinkie Pie watched carefully and whispered
“Where did you learn that?”
“From my sister. Dash, I think you can let go now.”
Reluctantly, Rainbow did as she was told, but her eyes never left Sunset
“Why isn't she moving?”
“She’s in shock from the blood loss.”
“How can you be so calm, Blue?”
Blue just shook her head and finally, the heard some calls from downstairs

“Up here! This way!”
Applejack stormed in through the doors with three men from the ambulance right behind her. She pointed at the stairs and when the three men ran up, Rainbow and Pinkie Pie got out of their way
“Holy shit, how did this happen?”
Blue just pointed at the knife and the paramedic frowned. Without another word, they went to work.

“Miss, look at me. Can you see me? Can you hear me? Miss?”
“Low pulse. She’s in shock.”
“She needs a transfusion as quickly as possible.”
The medic nodded and turned to Blue as the other two moved Sunset on a stretcher
“Did you clean those cuts before you dressed them?”
“I was more worried about stopping the bleeding.”

The doctor nodded
“Okay, that was a good thought. Do you know her blood type?”
“No.”
Behind her, Rainbow and the others looked at each other with worry. Since Sunset was a pony from another dimension, they didn’t even know if she had the same blood types as them.

“Okay, she’s going to the ER asap. We’ll take her.”
“I’m coming with you.”
Blue glared at the medic and he glared back, until he noticed the bloodstains all over Blue’s clothes where Sunset had hit her, and on her hands
“Okay, but only you. Did you inform her parents yet?”

Rainbow shook her head when Blue ran down the stairs after Sunset got secured on the stretcher. She didn’t know how to answer.

Just as the ambulance with Sunset and Blue drove away with sirens and flashing lights, a white van stopped right beside the girls with screeching tires. Rarity jumped out from the passenger seat, followed by Principal Celestia and Vice-Principal Luna
“Girls! Where is Sunset Shimmer? What was that ambulance? What on earth happened?”
Applejack tried to explain
“They’re taking her to the hospital. She had the knife and she tried to… she…”
At this moment, Applejack’s mind caught up on what just happened and she lost the fight against her stomach. She barely had enough time to run to a nearby bush before she dropped on her knees and hurled out her lunch.

The minivan with the principals and the Rainbooms reached the hospital with two more interruptions. Applejack had left her truck behind since her hands wouldn’t stop shaking.

Celestia immediately asked about Sunset and was taken away by one of the nurses. Another nurse took the girls to a waiting area while Vice-Principal Luna was making a few calls on her phone.

As they reached the waiting area, they found Blue already there. She still had Sunset’s blood on her hands and clothes and she was staring straight ahead without even noticing that the others walked in.

Rarity, who had not seen Sunset yet, sat next to her and carefully put her hand on Blue’s shoulder, only to gasp when Blue’s empty gaze found hers
“She’s still in there. The nurse wouldn’t tell me anything.”

Rarity tried to hug her, but Blue roughly shoved her away. Rarity knew she didn’t mean it, so she only squeezed her shoulder for a moment before she asked the others to leave Blue by herself for now, gently guiding Pinkie Pie to the other side of the room.
They sat in near silence, with only the occasional call from one of the nurses from outside.

Vice-Principal Luna was the first to return, her expression was somewhere between concern, fear and seething anger
“I’ve contacted your parents. They will come and take you home.”
Rainbow frowned and stood up
“We won’t leave until we know that Sunset will be alright again.”
“Rainbow Dash, that is not open for discussion. As soon as your parents arrive, you will leave with them.”

“Please, we just wanna know what happened to Sunset!”
At this point, Luna’s face was only anger
“Apparently, the five of you happened to her.”
Fluttershy and Rarity started to cry again and Rainbow balled her hands to fists, but Luna just rubbed her temple and waved her other hand to stop them
“And this is exactly why you’re going to leave immediately. We are all in shock and right now, neither you nor I can think straight. We will talk about this when I’m not feeling the urge to physically harm you any more.”

The girls more or less saw some reason behind that and finally agreed. Luna nodded and walked over to check on Blue who was still sitting by herself. The girls couldn’t hear their mumbled conversation, so they whispered among another instead
“Man, this sucks. I don’t want to just leave Sunset behind like that.”
“Hate to tell you Dash, but we already did that.”
“Applejack is right. Sunset would have never even considered this if we hadn’t right-way abandoned her like we did.”
“But that doesn’t mean we have to leave her again!”

Fluttershy looked down at the floor
“I don’t think Sunset would want to see any of us right now. She hates us and we deserve it.”
“Then we have to convince her we won’t do it again!”
“How, Dashie? By promising her we’ll always stick together? Cause we already broke that promise. By telling her we’ll believe her from now on? Cause we messed that up too. By telling her she’s family? We did all of that and it didn’t matter at all. Why should she believe anything we say?”

The other girls looked down in shame and Rainbow punched the closest wall
“Dammit, Pinkie! Aren’t you supposed to be the optimistic one?”
“It is hard to be optimistic when you lose a friend to a poorly made frame job.”
“That’s it!”

Rainbow spun around on her heels
“We’ll find Anon-A-Miss! She’s guilty for all of this. We’ll find her and make her admit that…”
“For land’s sake Rainbow, shut your god damned mouth!”
The girls froze and looked at Applejack. Applejack never swore, but right now, the farm girl was way past her breaking point
“It doesn’t matter who Anon-A-Miss is, or if we find her. Anon-A-Miss didn’t yell at Sunset or sent her away. Anon-A-Miss didn’t make Sunset try to kill herself! We did all this! We did! We did!”

“Applejack?”
In the entrance to the room stood Granny Smith and Apple Bloom with Big Mac behind them. The whole Apple family rushed to Applejack and gathered around her as the usually strong girl dropped to her knees in tears.

Granny Smith and Big Mac just wrapped their arms around her, but Apple Bloom seemed deeply disturbed by the sight of her big sister crying like this
“Applejack, what’s wrong? You sent Sunset away, right? She’s not gonna hurt you any more!”
Applejack only cried harder
“Bloom, she might be gone forever and it’s all my fault! If I hadn’t let that stupid nickname gotten to me like that, I might have stopped this before it even started!”
“Who might be gone? What are you talking about?”

“Allow me to explain.”
Principal Celestia walked into the room, looking incredibly tired and nearly as furious as her sister was
“Sunset Shimmer tried to take her own life with the same knife a student used to attack her. It is only by immense luck that she will recover from this.”
Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie perked up immediately
“Does that mean she’s alright? Can we see her?”
A burning glare from Celestia silenced them quickly
“You won’t be seeing her for a quite some time. While she will physically recover, there is no saying how much this has affected her mental health.”

Fluttershy sighed deeply and nodded
“Sunset is strong. She will come back from this.”
Celestia’s glare focused on her next
“That does still not mean that she will ever forgive you.”
“I know, but that doesn’t matter. As long as Sunset is going to be okay, I don’t care what happens to us.”

Celestia pinched the bridge of her nose in an attempt to calm herself down
“We will discuss this at another time. For now, while her life is no longer in imminent danger, Sunset’s state is still critical. And we still have Anon-A-Miss wreaking havoc in our school.”

The Rainbooms nodded one by one, even Applejack who was still kneeling on the floor and clinging on her grandmother. They were all relieved that Sunset would make it, but that relief was bitter and costly.

Rarity’s mother was next to arrive, bringing Sweetie Belle along. Once they had been brought to speed, Sweetie Belle couldn’t stop crying even with her mother and sister trying to soothe her. Rarity knew her sister had always been a sensitive girl and focusing on her sister gave her something else to think about than her own guilt, even if just for a couple of minutes.

“Rarity!”
“Hush, Sweetie, everything is going to be okay again.”
“No! Rarity, I need to tell you something! Please!”

Rarity tried to smile for her sister but failed spectacularly
“Go on, Sweetie Belle. I’m listening.”
“I’m Anon-A-Miss!”

“WHAT?”
Almost everybody in the waiting room stared at the crying girl, except one

“She’s lying! She’s not Anon-A-Miss, I am! I told Sweetie Belle and now she’s trying to cover for me!”
“Apple Bloom? What are you saying?”

Everybody started talking at once, but when Vice-Principal Luna spoke up, everyone fell silent again
“It’s both of you, isn’t it? That’s why I found multiple IP-addresses connected to the account, from different locations in town. That’s why we had so much trouble tracking the signal.”
The girls bowed their heads in shame and nodded
“We’re sorry.”

“Sorry? Bloom, have you any idea what mess you caused? The whole school’s at each other’s throat, Sunset nearly died and all you have to say is ‘we’re sorry’?”
“Applejack, that’s enough now.”
Granny Smith stepped in before Applejack could switch from bawling to brawling
“You’re a mess, both of you, and ya can’t think straight right now. We’ll get you home and we’ll talk about all of this once your brain’s not in a fuzz any more.”
“But Granny…”
“No Applejack. Haven’t you seen enough pain for today?”
“I… yes Ma’am.”
“Good. Now move!”

With that, the Apple matriarch herded her grandchildren out of the room. Rarity and her family followed shortly after, with Rarity glaring at her sister and their mother at both of them.

Rainbow’s father arrived only minutes later and literally dragged his daughter out, unimpressed by the curses and threats Rainbow yelled at him, at Anon-A-Miss and at herself. Pinkie Pie followed her sister out next, her hair as flat and straight as Maud’s by now.

“Scheiß doch die Wand an.“
Blue, who had been quiet through all the revelations, broke the silence once again. Principal Celestia rolled her eyes unamused
“I don’t know what you said, but I think I’m right for telling you to watch your language, Miss Shore.”

Only Vice-Principal Luna managed a quick smile to her sister. Fluttershy now sat on her own, unsure if she was supposed to cry or not. Everything had happened so quickly and crushed down on her like a tidal wave, but she barely felt anything at this very moment.

Blue finally got up from her seat and stumbled towards the door, drawing Celestia’s attention back to her
“Where are you going?”
“Bathroom.”
“Oh. Of course.”
Blue looked like she had trouble walking straight and from her seat, Fluttershy could see she was leaning against the wall as she stumbled down the hallway
“Um, Principal Celestia, may I go to the bathroom too?”
“Of course, Fluttershy. We’ll tell your parents when they arrive.”

“Thank you.”
Fluttershy hushed out of the room and after Blue who was already out of sight. She walked into the women’s restroom but didn’t see her still. She walked past the stalls and saw Blue sitting on the floor, pressed into a small corner with her head leaning against the wall

“Are you alright?”
“No.”
Fluttershy nodded and sunk down on the floor next to her. Blue didn’t seem to care, but Fluttershy noticed that the girl’s hands were shaking just like Applejack's about an hour ago.
“Thank you.”
Blue blinked and finally looked at Fluttershy
“Huh?”
“You knew what to do when none of us did. You saved Sunset’s life. Thank you.”
“Shut up.”

Fluttershy kept her eyes on Blue even when she returned to staring at the wall
“I didn’t even know where she lives. You were the ones who went checking on her.”
“And we wouldn’t have done that if you hadn’t made us see how wrong we were. You saved her.”
“Shut up!”
Blue shook her head and now was shivering all over
“I’m sitting in a fucking restroom and try not to cry like a baby.”
Fluttershy managed a weak smile
“I started crying before we even saw Sunset. You’re not weak for crying about something terrible, but you are strong for holding it back so long. You were calm and told us all what to do. Nobody else could have done that.”

Blue didn’t say anything and didn’t even look at Fluttershy, but now tears ran down her cheeks. Fluttershy gently put her hand on Blue’s shoulder, and this time Blue let her. They sat together for another few minutes, Blue crying silently and Fluttershy with her.

“I can’t feel my butt any more. Come on, let’s go back.”
Blue wiped her hands over her eyes and accepted Fluttershy’s hand as she helped her up. They didn’t say anything until they reached the waiting room.

Fluttershy’s parents had arrived by now and quickly pulled their daughter close to them. They questioned her with hushed voices while Blue retreated to her seat in the corner.
Fluttershy was still busy explaining all that had happened when another person burst into the room
“Blue!”

Fluttershy stopped talking and looked closely at the young woman. She was wearing nurse scraps and a nametag, so she must be working in the hospital. She had feint lime skin and her hair had many shades of green, from a dark pine to a turquoise sea green. She couldn’t be much older than twenty and about Fluttershy’s height, so she was taller than Blue.

She rushed over to Blue before the girl could even stand up and wrapped her arms around her. Fluttershy couldn’t hear what they were talking about, but she saw Blue nod as she buried her head into the young woman’s shoulder.
“Miss Spring Meadow? It’s nice to finally meet you in person. Even if I wish we had better circumstances for our first meeting.”
“Hello, you’re Principal Celestia, right?”
Spring Meadow kept her arms around Blue as she and the principals talked, even as they had to force themselves to stay somewhat polite.

“Fluttershy? We’ll take you home now, okay? Do you want to say goodbye to your friend first?”
Fluttershy blushed when she realized she had spaced out while watching Blue and her big sister
“Yes Mom. I’ll be right back.”

She walked towards the others and timidly spoke up
“Um, my parents want to leave now, so I just wanted to say bye, if that’s okay?”
“Of course, Fluttershy. Make sure to get some proper rest.”

Principal Celestia replied curtly, Fluttershy could tell she was still angry at her, no wonder after all that had happened. Blue just nodded in her direction, barely able to do so, and Spring Meadow was still holding her and spoke up too
“We have to leave as well, otherwise we’ll miss our bus.”
“If you want, my sister and I could give you a lift.”
Spring Meadow nodded to Luna with a forced smile
“That would be great, Miss Luna. Thank you.”

Principal Celestia hesitated and finally shook her head
“Luna, I’m going to stay. I need to be here when Sunset comes out of surgery.”
The two sisters looked at each other, and Luna nodded
“I understand. Please call me once you have new information.”
“I will. Thank you, Luna.”

Everybody but Celestia left. Fluttershy tried to catch another word with Blue, but her big sister didn’t let her out of sight until they reached their cars, so all she could do was wave. Blue saw the wave but didn’t react as Vice-Principal Luna and Spring Meadow helped her climb into the van.

Chapter 6 part 2

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The next day at school, everybody was talking about how Anon-A-Miss had suddenly stopped posting, one day after Sunset Shimmer had been seen running out of school in tears.

Rumours spread like wildfires. Sunset had left the country, Sunset had been cached in by the school board or the police. One of the seniors joked that maybe Sunset finally done the world a favour and killed herself.

Said senior now sat in the nurse office while Blue waited in Principal Celestia’s office. She had been in the hallway when he bragged about how Sunset ‘deserved it’ and all her fuses burnt at once. The next thing she knew was her chemistry teacher pulling her away from a guy with a bloody nose and bruises on his face.

The door opened and Vice-Principal Luna walked in. Blue could tell the woman hadn’t slept at all, just like her. She glared at Blue with enough force to incinerate the girl on the spot
“Have you lost your mind out there? Isn’t one student in the hospital already enough for you?”
Blue snorted and buried her hands in her pockets
“He deserved it.”
“No doubt about it. But you’re still getting detention for that.”
Blue looked up
“Only detention?”
“At least you realize how lucky you are.”

Luna sat down on her sister’s chair with a deep sigh
“And yes, I’m going easy on you, because I know this is a troubling situation for you. I can’t pull you out like that again, though. Next time it happens, you’re going down.”
“Right. Thanks.”
Luna waved dismissively and shook her head
“On a more serious note, Sunset Shimmer has been moved from the emergency department to a regular station. Her life is not at risk any more, and there are no complications in her healing so far.”
“That’s good.”

Luna looked at Blue with some worry
“She has not said a word since she woke up yet, but she’s been reading a lot in that old book of hers. Do you know what that’s about?”
Blue shrugged
“It’s her way of talking with the pony world, that’s all I know. I bet Rarity or Pinkie Pie could tell you more.”
“I see.”

Luna made a face and shook her head
“I do not look forward to talking with them anytime soon.”
“What about those other two? Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle?”
“That’s why you are here, Ocean Shore.”

Blue frowned, Luna didn’t use her full name unless something went seriously wrong. The vice-principal pushed a button on the phone
“Raven? Send them in now.”

The door opened and Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle walked in. They didn’t look well at all, Sweetie Belle had definitely been crying, none of them looked like they had gotten much sleep. Blue blinked when a third girl followed them into the office, none other than Scootaloo.

Luna just sighed and shook her head
“How come I am not surprised at all? You’re all in this together, aren’t you?”
“Yes Ma’am.”
“Be as it is, before I hear your side of this mess, you should know exactly what has happened yesterday. Ocean, please tell them. Don’t leave anything out.”

Blue nodded grimly and started talking while staring at the opposite wall. She talked for half an hour and as she knew Luna expected, she didn’t sugar-coat anything. At some point, the three started crying and apologizing, but Blue didn’t look at them and just went on.

Once she was finished, Luna told her to leave. She did without another word. Outside, she saw Rarity and Applejack sitting by the door, no doubt waiting for their sisters. Rainbow Dash was pacing up and down, hands balled to fists.

Blue ignored them as well. She couldn’t handle it right now. She left the office and found her classroom. Classes just blurred past her. At some point, people started asking her things, but she said nothing the whole day. The teachers left her alone as well.

Sometime before lunch break, there was an announcement from Vice-Principal Luna. There would be an important school meeting at noon and everyone had to participate.

Blue trotted along with the crowd to the auditorium and found a seat in the back, near the exit, away from any of the Rainbooms. She didn’t care what Luna would say and she didn’t care if or if not Anon-A-Miss was finished now.

She looked up when there was a big uproar from everyone else and saw the three skunks standing on the stage, trying their luck with puppy eyes. Luna screamed for silence with a murderous look on her face

“How dare you? How dare you put all the blame solely on those three? They might have started it all, but all of you kept feeding them secrets and private information. I have seen the messages and I have all the email addresses and account names. These three will be disciplined according to their deeds, but you are all responsible for the toxicity in our school, for attacks on other students and for Sunset Shimmer nearly taking her own life as a result!”

Blue didn’t hear what was said next, even though everybody was silent suddenly. Luna’s voice roared on, but she couldn’t hear a word. The girl next to her started crying, but Blue couldn’t hear it, she only saw the tears.

She left and ran home. Nobody stopped her.

The next day came and Blue walked into school with her earplugs in, even though she had no music playing. Nobody talked to her, but most of them watched her slump through school. She reported in at the office, and Miss Inkwell told her she had been marked as ‘excused’ for yesterday. If she wanted to leave anytime today, all she had to do was tell her.
Blue nodded and tried to thank her, but Miss Inkwell just nodded and sent her off.

She reached homeroom and saw that many seats were empty. Miss Cheerilee informed them that today, there would be no classes. Most of the teachers were busy interrogating all the students involved in Anon-A-Miss along with some officers from the cyber department of the Canterlot Police Department. For the others, there would be lessons on cyber bullying as well as talks in groups or individually with teachers and psychologists from the school board.

Blue was about to follow the others to the auditorium, but Miss Cheerilee asked her to stay behind. They talked for a while, where Blue mostly listened. Cheerilee offered her help and offered to send Blue home for the rest of the day. Blue declined both.

When she joined her class again, they were talking about suicide with a psychologist. He asked them what reasons they thought people had to do something like that, and the others gave meek answers. Fear, desperation, frustration, bullying.

Blue listened for a few minutes, but when one of her classmates started crying and wailed on how terrible this all was, she lost her patience
“You fucking hypocrite! I saw you laughing your ass off yesterday when some moron joked about how Sunset had been ‘taken care of’, and now you’re crying? You all thought it was hilarious, I saw you all laughing at Sunset. Half of you threw trash or worse at Sunset last week. What about that, huh? You’re telling me that was okay, but now because she nearly died, suddenly it’s not?”

Blue stormed out of the classroom, the teacher didn’t stop her, he was busy glaring at the others.

She ran into Rarity in one of the hallways. The two girls stared at each other, and Rarity tried to talk first
“Hello Ocean, I was wondering, would you happen to have any news on Sunset?”
“Why should I tell you?”
Blue sneered back and Rarity flinched away from the open hostility
“I am concerned of my friend’s well-being, of course.”
“Oh? Suddenly you are, huh?”
“What? Whatever do you mean, Darling?”

Blue jumped forward and grabbed the collar of Rarity’s designer blouse
“You didn’t even want to go to her place, instead you ran off. At the hospital, you were more concerned about your sister than about Sunset. You really think I’m going to tell you anything?”

“Darling, I assure you that I…”
“Don’t call me ‘Darling’. In fact, just shut up and listen.”
Blue let go her again and Rarity backed away a few steps, even if she kept eye contact with Blue
“I’ve been thinking. Do you know why everybody suddenly thought it was Sunset? That was because you blamed her in front of the whole school. You made her a target.”

Rarity looked away, ashamed and scared
“I know. Trust me, I’ve come to the same conclusion.”
“What did you do with Sweetie Belle?”
“What? I did nothing.”
“I bet you comforted her when she was bawling at home.”
“She is my little sister.”
“Yeah, I figured that out.”

Blue turned away
“Sunset gets tossed away and treated like dirt from a suspicion, but Sweetie Belle is forgiven and forgotten for actually committing all the things you blamed on Sunset. You always act so high and mighty, like you’re better than everyone else. But you’re not a lady, Rarity. You’re a bitch and a hypocrite, just like all the others, if not worse.”

Blue just walked off and left Rarity crying on her own.

Blue sat in the library on her own. Nobody else was around, but she wouldn’t have noticed anyway as she was lost in her own thoughts. Here I go around treating everyone like dirt. Sure, it felt good to tell Rarity off, but how am I any better? I didn’t throw Sunset in front of the bus maybe, but I just ignored it. She thought of me as a friend and I just left her fight for herself for no good reason. What did I tell her? ‘I don’t want any trouble.’ Yeah, as if I needed Sunset for that. Fuck’s sake, I’m such a coward. And an idiot. And a fucking hypocrite myself.

She got up and walked out of the library, back to the classroom from earlier. There was another class inside, but the psychologist recognized her and invited her to stay. She started talking about what she did and most importantly, what she didn’t do. She talked about how that made her feel. Surprisingly many could relate to her, not that it would matter. She didn’t do this for them or herself, she did this for Sunset.

She wandered through the hallways and found a few people. She apologized to the guy with the black eye. She told him he deserved it, but she was sorry for beating him up.

She found some of the students she had yelled at and apologized, not for what she had said, but for blaming them when she was to blame just as much. They didn’t all agree, but they all accepted her apology.

She met Rarity. She told her all she had learned from her sister the other night, who had asked the doctors about Sunset’s state. Rarity thanked her.

She ran into Apple Bloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle. She walked past them.

She stumbled into the girls’ restroom. She heard someone cry and found Fluttershy. Blue sat down next to her. Fluttershy reached out for her hand and Blue took hold of hers. For a while, there was only the sound of two girls crying.

Before Blue even realized, it was Friday again. By then, Anon-A-Miss was gone as people now knew who had posted what and when. Every class had at least one leaker, almost all the clubs and teams as well. All computers in school now had restricted access to the net and everyone had to hand in their phones before class.
Blue didn’t know what happened to those who had posted something, but she hadn’t heard anything of suspensions. She hadn’t cared to ask what happened to the three girls who had started it all, or even why they did it.

Each of the Rainbooms had tried to talk to her multiple times, but Blue kept these conversations short. Without Sunset around, she had barely any reason to hang out with them or anyone else, so she stayed by herself.

Just before the end of her last class, Vice-Principal Luna called her into the office. Principal Celestia still hadn’t returned to the school yet and Luna had tried her best to keep everything going, but when Blue walked into her office, she could see that Luna was begging for a break
“Take a seat Blue.”

The girl sat down and waited as the vice-principal finished typing something on her computer, then shut it down
“Sunset Shimmer is finally talking to my sister. It’s still a long way to go, but it’s a start at least.”
Blue nodded but with a small smile. Those were good news.

“Celestia has informed her of what has happened. Her memory of the day is rather blurry and she was barely conscious for two days after. She has been told everything, but she has not talked about it yet. She refuses to get any visitors, but she asked to talk with you.”
“Why me?”

Luna looked at her with some concern
“I don’t know. Perhaps she wants to thank you since you played a major part in saving her life. Maybe it’s the complete opposite. Maybe she wants to talk to you, since you didn’t witness the Fall Formal or the Battle of the Bands.”
Blue rolled her eyes and nodded. There was no telling what Sunset might think right now
“I’ll do it.”

“I thought you would say that. I’m going to take you to the hospital right away, we’ll inform your sister once we’re there.”
Blue nodded and took a deep breath. Oh boy.
Luna kept staring at her, looking for something in her eyes
“This is a very big responsibility. Sunset might be less than stable at the moment. Can I trust you to be sensible around her?”
“Honest answer? Probably not.”
Luna chuckled dryly and nodded
“I thought you might say that. Anyway, let’s go.”
Blue picked up her bag and followed the woman.

They reached a room on a different floor of the hospital and Luna knocked on the door. Principal Celestia opened and met them outside
“Ocean, Sunset asked to speak with you alone. I respect her wish of course, but if anything happens you feel you can’t or shouldn’t handle by yourself, I trust you to call for us immediately. Is that understood?”

Blue stared at the principal. She had rarely seen the woman agitated like that and it almost seemed like she was personally involved into all of this, not just a dutiful principal looking out for her student.

Celestia was waiting for an answer, so Blue just nodded
“Very well. You may go inside now.”
Blue took the handle and walked in.

The room was nothing special, just the typical hospital room. There were two beds, but one wasn’t used right now. Sunset lay on the other and had and IV on her right arm, but nothing else hooked up on her. Her arms were covered in thick bandages and her face was fallen in, but at least she wasn’t as pale as Blue had last seen her.

She took a step towards the bed and tried her luck with a smile
“Yo Red, you look like shit.”
“I’m in a hospital. What’s your excuse?”
Blue snickered and sat down in the chair that was set up next to the bed
“Sarcasm’s coming back, huh? That’s something at least.”

Sunset didn’t say anything for a while
“I met your sister. She seems nice.”
“Yeah, Spring is great. But I’m sure you didn’t call for me to talk about my sister. So how about we cut the bullshit and get to it?”

Sunset closed her eyes and waited for another moment, before she looked into Blue’s eyes
“Why?”
Blue knew exactly what she meant and kept her eyes locked with Sunset’s
“Because it would be a terrible waste. Because I would have never forgiven myself for not trying everything I could.”
“So you did it for yourself.”
“Did you expect anything else from me?”

Sunset looked away, but Blue didn’t and kept on talking
“I don’t want to see you die, Red. I don’t want to imagine life without you. I would have missed you. So yes, I’m selfish. But so are you!”
Sunset shook her head and whispered
“Everybody would be better off without me.”
“I wouldn’t!”

At this Sunset looked back at Blue who had jumped to her feet. Sunset stared at her for a minute with wide open eyes, but then shook her head
“One person isn’t enough to…”
“Celestia wouldn’t be better off either. She looks like hell and backwards from just worrying with you being alive. Imagine how she would look like if you had done it, Sunset. And you haven’t even seen Luna yet.”

Sunset shook her head again, but tears leaked out of her eyes
“Miss Cheerilee would have missed you. Mr Vial would miss you. Everyone in your art class. The guys from Sugarcube Corner.”
Sunset kept shaking her head but her crying only grew more
“Flash Sentry. Vinyl Scratch. Derpy Hooves. They never believed it was you, they would have missed you.”
“S-stop…”
Sunset begged through her tears, but Blue didn't back down
“And your pony princess would have missed you too.”

At this point, Sunset fell apart. She sobbed into her hands and cried and screamed as loud as she could
“I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I’m sorry!”

Blue reached out and grabbed her hands, holding them as Sunset kept crying piteously
“It’s not your fault! It’s ours too! It’s Applejack’s fault, it’s Rainbow’s fault, it’s Pinkie’s, Fluttershy’s and Rarity’s fault. And it’s my fault too.”
Blue didn’t know if Sunset heard her. It wasn’t really important. She stayed with Sunset as she cried and listened as she sobbed out reasons and explanations that didn’t matter anymore.

Celestia must have heard it from outside, because at some point she barged into the room and took a seat on the bed next to Sunset. Blue stared dumbfounded when the principal pulled Sunset into her embrace and Sunset clung on her like a life float
“I’m so sorry!”
Celestia whispered to her, but Blue felt a hand on her shoulder. Luna stood behind her and gestured for them to leave.

Once the door was closed behind them, Luna took a deep breath
“Thank you, Ocean. It seems you finally broke through to her.”
“I don’t know. I had no idea what I did.”
“Sometimes, it is best to follow your guts, as they say.”
Luna looked at her, but Blue only shrugged. She didn’t know how she felt right now

“In any case, Ocean Shore.” Oh boy, here’s my full name again. “It goes without saying that everything you heard and saw today is strictly confidential.”
“Duh.”
Luna rolled her eyes but started chuckling, and to her own surprise so did Blue
“Very well. I for once am famished. How about we visit the cafeteria now? My treat, certainly.”
“Fair warning, I skipped lunch today.”
Luna chuckled again
“Let me worry about that, Ocean. Now, onwards!”
Blue rolled her eyes and followed the vice-principal.

Luna drove them home that night and Spring thanked her while Blue already fumbled with the door. They walked through the drafty hallway and Blue just tossed her schoolbag into a corner of her room before she headed to the kitchen. She wasn’t too hungry yet, but her sister came from a double shift, so she fixed some sandwiches while her sister took a shower.

The shower was over quickly and Spring Meadow flopped into one of the fold-chairs at the battered table with a towel wrapped around her hair
“Warm water out again?”
“Afraid so.”
“S’okay. Hungry?”

Spring pulled the plate towards her and took a big bite, then mumbled past her sandwich
“Thanks. It’s good.”
“No biggie. We’re out of milk, though.”

Spring sighed and nodded
“I’m getting my pay check next week.”
“I can try if I can get a shift or two at the diner.”
“No way!”

Spring Meadow pushed the plate aside and fixed her little sister with a stern gaze
“Blue, you’ve been through hell and back last week. You need a break.”
“Tell that to Sunset.”
“Blue, I’m serious!

Spring got up and wrapped Blue into a hug. Anybody else who would try that would have Blue’s elbow in their stomach by now, but with her sister, Blue just closed her eyes and let it happen

“Blue, you’re not supposed to have this kind of stress. Your Principal told me you’ve been walking through school like a zombie all week. I’m worried, Schwesterherz.”
Blue sighed and leaned against her sister
“We almost lost her, and it’s my fault.”
“Blue, no.”
“Shut up! It is. I’m as much as fault as anyone else at school.”
“Maybe. But you did something. You went out and saved her.”
“Her friends ran out and saved her. I just tagged along.”
“That’s not how she told me.”

Blue opened her eyes and looked at her sister
“Who told you?”
“Sunset, of course. She doesn’t remember all of it, but she remembers you.”

Blue closed her eyes again and finally hugged her sister back. Her voice didn't sound anything like her suddenly
“I couldn’t let it happen again. I couldn’t. I screamed at her. I hurt her when I put on those bandages. But I couldn’t let it happen.”
“I know, Blue, I know. Why do you think I’m working so hard to become a nurse? I don’t want to let it happen again either.”

Blue nodded and buried her face against her sister
“Can I stay with you tonight?”
“Of course, Süße.”

Chapter 7

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Blue woke up the next day from a beeping noise. She groaned and turned around, reaching for her old phone. She had a new text message:
Be at the statue in front of the school today at noon. I'll explain later. S.

She checked the time and noticed it was half past nine already. Usually, her sister woke her up before she left, but today she only found a note on the kitchen table, saying she would be back late tonight and that she would bring dinner on her way home. Blue rolled her eyes. I'm starting to hate her weekend shifts as much as she does.

With nothing better to do, Blue decided to walk to school to pass the time. She turned her earplugs to full volume and left the apartment.

It was ten to twelve and nobody was at the school. Blue sat on the stairs in front of the statue by herself and bored out of her mind. Why am I even here? I should have called and asked what this is all about. I should have just said no. Maybe if I...

Her train of thought was abruptly disturbed when the statue in front of her suddenly started to flash with bright light. The socket glowed with colourful swirling lights and as Blue stared, a figure appeared from it. Moments later, the lights vanished as quickly as they had appeared and a purple skinned girl with dark blue hair and stripes of pink and purple stood in front of the statue, unsteady on her feet.
She flailed her arms to keep her balance until she suddenly seemed to remember how to stand again
"Phew, didn't land on my flank this time at least."

"Did you just walk out of the statue?"
Blue kept staring as the girl turned around with that big smile Sunset always had
"Oh, hi! You must be Ocean Shore! Sunset said you'd be waiting for me."
"Of course. Sunset told you about me. Uh-huh. So you thought you'd hop through the statue and see for yourself or what?"

The purple girl giggled
"Didn't Sunset tell you about the portal to Equestria?
"Equest... you mean you come from magic pony land?"
"It is called 'Equestria' and yes, I came from there. From Ponyville, to be exact."
"Sure, Ponyville. No offence, but you don't look like a magic pony."
"Neither does Sunset Shimmer, doesn't she? It's the magic of the portal that makes us change forms when we pass through."
"Uh-huh. So if I was to walk through the statue...?"
"You'd be a pony on the other side, yes. Please don't do it though."

Blue just kept staring between the girl and the statue
"Holy shit, you really are from there aren't you?"
"Yes I am. I'm Twilight Sparkle, nice to meet you Ocean Shore."
"The Twilight Sparkle? From the Fall Formal? The one Sunset keeps gushing about? Princess of Friendship and whatnot?"
"Um, yes. But I'd rather not make a big deal out of it, so you can just call me Twilight."
"Uh, sure. I'm Blue."

She extended her hand but when Twilight offered her a fist, she switched to a fist bump instead
"I guess you're here to see Sunset, then."
"Yes, I am. Sunset told me what happened between her and her friends, or rather non-friends."
Twilight frowned angrily as she said that, but Blue only shrugged
"Anyway, Sunset wrote that you could take me to her. Is that right?"
"Yeah, I can take you to the hospital."

"Hospital? Is Sunset injured?"
Blue sighed deeply as the pony princess didn't seem to know as much as she thought
"We'll have to take the bus to the hospital. I'll explain on the way, unless you want to call one of the Rainbooms to drive us."
"I'd rather not. Not before I spoke to Sunset Shimmer first."
"I get that."

Blue walked towards the bus station and noticed that Twilight was shivering from the cold. Her clothes didn't really match the winter weather, so Blue offered her winter jacket to the princess
"Thanks. The portal always sends me in these clothes somehow, I haven't figured out why yet."
"Um, don't mention it. That's our bus."

Lucky for them, the bus to town just arrived and Blue paid for both of them. They took a seat in the back of the bus and Twilight seemed fascinated by every little detail, but forced herself to focus back on Blue instead
"So what exactly happened that left Sunset in the hospital?"

Blue took a deep breath. Oh boy, here we go again.

About an hour, a full packet of tissues and several horse curses later, Twilight and Blue arrived at Sunset's room in the hospital. Blue knocked and to her surprise, Principal Celestia opened the door, again.

The principal looked just as confused, until she noticed the other girl
"Twilight Sparkle, what a pleasant surprise. I didn't expect you to..."
"YOU!"
Blue took a step out of the way as the princess turned teenager stomped towards the woman with her hands balled to fists and a glare that could melt glass
"You are supposed to protect your students! Why did you let all of this happen? Why didn't you do anything to stop this? Answer me!"

Celestia certainly looked nervous as the angry teen glared her backwards into the room
"Princess Twilight, I assure you that under the given circumstance, I did everything..."
"I don't want to hear excuses! What I want is..."

"Geez, Twilight, calm down. You're giving me a headache."
Blue grinned when she heard the voice from inside the room and in an instant, Twilight Sparkle turned from angry to tearfully relieved and rushed past Celestia
"Sunset! Oh, thank all gods you're alive. I'm so sorry I didn't read your messages until it was too late! I should have come and look after you as soon as you sent the first one! I should have..."

Twilight's voice got cut out as Celestia closed the door to give them both some privacy. She turned to Blue who leaned against a wall with her arms crossed. The student fixed the principal with an appraising stare, which made the woman sigh in defeat
"I suppose you are wondering why I am still with Sunset Shimmer, even after her physical state has improved."
"So?"
"Before I explain, I wish to get your word that everything I tell you remains between us for the time being."
Celestia looked at her, but Blue just stared back and waited
"As a result of all that happened at the Battle of the Bands, I became fully aware of Sunset's unique situation."
"You mean you found out she's a pony from another world."
Celestia sighed
"Bluntly, yes. I also learned that she was living on her own for years and that her financial situation was dour. I made myself a promise to fix this and therefore became Sunset's legal guardian in this world."

Blue waited for something more, but when Celestia didn't continue, she did instead
"So you adopted her?"
Celestia sighed again, full of regret this time, and she closed her eyes
"No, nothing like that, but I know now that I should have. Back then, I was afraid that Sunset would be unwilling to let go of her independence. It was easier to offer her official paperwork and financial assistance at first. I had no idea how damaging it would be for Sunset."

Blue stood straight and uncrossed her arms
"What do you mean?"
"It seems that Sunset believed that I was simply offering her my help to save my position as principal and so I could better hide her from the government. She also thinks I did this so I could better control her and intervene should she turn back 'into a she-demon', as she calls it. That was never the case, of course, but Sunset was convinced of it."

"And when Anon-A-Miss came?"
"When Anon-A-Miss came, I decided to wait and observe before I took any action. Obviously, that only fuelled Sunset's ire belief that I did not care about her at all. If I had shown her more, if I had taken her in, she might have had a refuge from all the troubles at school. She would have had a sympathetic ear to listen to her, a shoulder to cry on. But I failed to give her a safe place in our world, so much that Sunset saw only one way out."

Blue thought of this for a moment, but she shook her head
"I should have stood by her instead of ignoring everything at school. I could have been a friend when she needed one, but I didn't do it. I'm to blame about what happened just as much as you are, or anyone really."
"Ocean Shore, I hope that you are aware that blaming ourselves is not the way. We have to learn from our mistakes and make sure they will not happen again. Sunset has almost given up on friendship, but I hope Princess Twilight will be able to give her some other perspective in that regard."

"So you're waiting at the sideline for someone else to fix it?"
"I haven't left Sunset for more than a couple of hours since she arrived here. It is for Sunset to decide if she will accept this or sent me away and until then, I must be patient."
Blue didn't really agree on that, but she didn't say anything. At some point, they had both heard crying from inside the room, and Celestia struggled to keep herself from running inside. After a while, the door opened and Twilight poked her head out

"Ocean Shore? Sunset would like to talk to you, and so do I. Would you please come inside?"
Blue nodded and after a glance to Celestia who gave her approval, she followed Twilight to Sunset's bed. The girl still looked weak and she had obviously been crying.
"Yo Red. You still look like shit."
"I still feel like it, too."

Blue tried a smirk and looked between her and Twilight
“So, did you talk it out?”
“Yeah. I told Twilight it’s not her fault, but she wouldn’t believe me.”
“And I told Sunset how sorry I was, but she didn’t let me.”
Blue rolled her eyes and took a deep breath
“So what do you need me for now?”

Sunset frowned and whispered
“How are things at CHS?”
“Tense. Everyone is walking on eggshells. They sent psychologists to talk with everyone and stuff. No more phones in school and no internet on any computer.”
“What happened to the others?”
Blue just shrugged
“Didn’t talk to them that much. Couldn’t see any reason why.”
“Oh.”

Twilight Sparkle took the pause from Sunset as her chance to speak
“Ocean Shore, I want to thank you, as a pony who nearly lost her friend, but also as a Princess of Equestria.”
“What for? I did nothing and just tried to ignore this whole mess at first.”
“You did something. You prevented the attack on Sunset’s life.”
“Anyone would have done that.”
“Apparently, not everyone at CHS would have.”

Blue closed her eyes but Twilight Sparkle continued
“Furthermore, once you were aware of Sunset’s situation, you reacted immediately. Thanks to your quick action, Sunset survived long enough to be brought here. As far as I’m considered, you saved her life, Ocean Shore.”
“Not more than Applejack or Pinkie Pie.”
“I beg to disagree. What you did..."

"Save it, Princess."
Twilight's mouth clamped shut as Blue cut her off, probably more rudely than the princess was used to
"You weren't there. You haven't seen anything, all you know is second hand. You don't get to judge me, for better or for worse."

Twilight took a deep breath and looked at Sunset before she turned towards Blue once more
"You're right. I wasn't there myself. But I am now and I can judge on what I see right now."
She looked into her eyes and Blue held her gaze
"You're here now, when all the others are not. Out of all the friends Sunset had, she called only for you. You may be sad or angry or scared of what had happened, but you don't let it consume you like I know it would consume me. Like it does consume me, in fact. And for this, Ocean Shore, I am grateful."

Blue didn't know how to respond, especially when Twilight stepped forward to pull her into a hug. The contact ended quickly, but it was long enough for Blue to believe that Twilight meant what she said after
"As a pony and a friend, I want to thank you, Blue, from the bottom of my heart. And as the Princess of Friendship, I tell you this, Ocean Shore: For your courageous display of true friendship, you have my respect and my gratitude. Should you ever find yourself in dire need of anything, and I mean literally anything, please don't hesitate to contact me. I will come to your help, as you have come to my friend's help. This, I promise as a Princess of Equestria."

Blue just stared, completely dumbfounded
"I, um, thank you, I guess? Um, I mean... I don't know what to say. Am I supposed to bow now? I've never been around a real princess before."
Twilight just smiled kindly
"You don't have to do or say anything, Ocean Shore. But I hope you believe my words and that you will remember them should you ever feel desperate."

The princess turned her head to look at Sunset
"I was not there to safe Sunset when she felt helpless. I won't let that happen again. And I won't let any of Sunset's friends suffer the same either. That's the least I can do."
Twilight reached out for Sunset's hand and squeezed reassuringly. Blue saw that Sunset squeezed back weakly, but she smiled. That was good enough for her
"Thank you, again, Princess Twilight."

Twilight stayed in contact with Sunset, which greatly reassured the recovering girl, in more than one way, so Blue stood beside them a little awkwardly, unsure what to say
“So, what’s going to happen next?”
“Well, obviously, Sunset needs to recover first. Until the doctors say she’s well enough to leave, I will prepare everything for her return to Equestria.”
“Wait, what?”

Sunset jerked her hand out of Twilight’s grip and shook her head
“I won’t be going back to Equestria, Twilight!”
“But, but Sunset. I don’t understand. These girls, the entire school, how they treated you… why would you stay here?”
“Because… because I want to stay.”
“But why?”

Blue watched the two Girls? Ponies? Whatever. She felt out of place, more than ever before. When she changed schools, she was the new girl, and so it was normal that she was odd. She was a rebellious girl, so she was used to sticking out of a crowd. It was normal that people sometimes didn’t get along with her.
That, she always understood. But this here, she didn’t understand at all. Why would Sunset want to stay here? There’s no good reason.

Then she realized something. There was often no good reason behind the things she did as well. But just because others couldn’t get it didn’t mean she was wrong. It just meant that they didn’t get her. I might not get Sunset right now, but as long as she has a good reason, shouldn’t I support her? Isn’t that what friendship is all about, trusting a friend even if she might be wrong?

Twilight still tried to convince Sunset, but Blue hadn’t really listened to their conversation. All she could see was that Sunset looked more uncomfortable with every minute. Blue put her hand on Twilight’s shoulder and shook her head
“If she really wants to stay, would it be fair if you force her to leave?”
“Yes! Yes, if it means she won’t get hurt any more! If it means she’ll be safe, I’d rather have her be mad at me.”
“And who says that she won’t get hurt in pony world?”
“I do! In Equestria, I’ll always be there for her and so are my friends and she can have a room in my castle and…”
“And she’ll feel miserable that you didn’t even try to understand her! And she’ll be trapped in a fancy cell with prison guards who smile and try to be friends with her. You think that won’t hurt her?”

“I want this to work!”
Sunset burst out and buried her fingers into the blanket
“I want to stay. I don’t want to give up, again. And I want my friends back, if they can ever forgive me.”
“Sunset, what should they forgive you? You did nothing wrong!”

Sunset shook her head and tears ran down her cheeks
“Because, what I did wasn’t fair to them. I hate them for not giving me a chance to explain, I’m angry at them because they just sent me away. But now, I made them cry, I made them feel terrible. I hurt them so much, and not just them. I wish I never had done it. I wish I could take it all back.”

Blue took a step towards the door while Twilight watched helplessly. Sunset was bawling desperately, and the pony princess didn’t seem to know what she could do now.

Blue pulled the door open, and as she expected, caught Principal Celestia eavesdropping. She didn’t even pretend anything else. As soon as the door was open, Celestia rushed inside, past Blue and Twilight, and sat down on the bed next to Sunset.

Before Celestia had her arms around the girl, Sunset already leaned against her and buried her head into the woman’s shoulder. She let go of the blanket and her hands gripped on the fabric of Celestia’s jacket instead
“I’m sorry!”
“Sunset, shh.”
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”
“I know, I know. I believe you. I forgive you.”
“I’m so sorry!”

Blue stood at the side and looked away, but the room was too small to ignore Sunset’s crying and Celestia’s words of comfort. Twilight Sparkle watched, then looked at Blue, then watched more. Blue couldn’t read her expression, so she just waited.

Suddenly, Twilight knelt down at the bed so she and Sunset were on almost the same eye-level. She carefully reached out for one of Sunset’s hands and twitched when Sunset grabbed on hers immediately, but she took a deep breath and her voice was calm
“Sunset, I’m very sorry. I just assumed things but I never even asked how you feel. Instead of being there for a friend who needs me, all I did was looking for more reasons to hate the others. Some Princess of Friendship I am.”

Despite her tears, Sunset managed a smile. Her voice was a little raspy from all the crying as well
“You don’t have it in you to hate anypony, Princess. You couldn’t even hate me when I was a demon.”
Twilight blushed and shook her head
“That was different. But you’re right, I don’t hate them, but I very strongly dislike them right now.”
Celestia, with her arms still around Sunset, chimed in unexpectedly
“I wouldn’t be unhappy if those girls never came close to Sunset again. I’ve even thought about helping Sunset switch schools altogether. But, obviously, she doesn’t want that and I promised to respect her wishes.”

Twilight and Celestia looked at each other. The former was still angry at the principal, the latter was determined to not back off even against a princess. Blue watched from the sideline and some unpleasant memories came back to her mind. Spring looked just the same back then.

Blue suddenly looked away and shivered. She felt like crap from just watching Sunset and she felt worse for the fact there was nothing she could do. But at least I’m here. What about Applejack and Rarity? They worry as well, but they don’t know anything. I can’t imagine how they must feel.

Taking a deep breath, Blue tried to talk, even if her voice was nothing more than a mumble
“The others, they didn’t hear you out. They didn’t listen to what you had to say. Sunset, you really want to do the same?”
“What?”
Blue finally looked back at Sunset. She was still huddled against Celestia who had her arms around the shivering girl. Twilight was still holding her hand
“They asked me about you, but I couldn’t tell them anything. They are worried too. Despite everything. Even if you’ll never forgive each other, shouldn’t you at least listen to them, just once? Before you decide for them if you’ll ever be friends again or not?”

Blue looked at Sunset, but she was talking to Celestia and Twilight just as much. The principal seemed worried and concerned, but immediately relented when Sunset bopped her head into a nod. The princess who had only learned of everything a few hours ago was still too angry to let herself get convinced
“I want to talk to them first. Each of them.”
Blue noticed Twilight’s angry frown and crossed her arms in front of her chest
“Yeah, because after you chew them out, their talk with Sunset will go so much better.”
“I’m not chewing them out! I just want to make sure they are aware of how badly they treated Sunset and of the consequences.”
“Princess, with all respect and stuff, but they were all there. They saw her when she was barely still alive. You really think they need you to tell them?”

Twilight stomped her foot on the floor, but it looked weird the way she did it
“Well, obviously they do, otherwise things would never have gotten so far.”
“If they need you to hold their hands and tell them what to do all the time, why did you tell them to be Sunset’s friends? Why did you treat them as your friends in the first place?”

Twilight’s head dropped down in defeat and Blue shivered when her voice sounded so broken
“Because I thought I knew them. Because I thought they were just as my friends back in Equestria. But they are not. They didn’t go through all of our adventures at my side. I didn’t realize it until it nearly cost me another dear friend.”
“Twilight…”
Sunset Shimmer grabbed her arm and tried to pull her close, but she was too weak and Twilight was too stubborn
“It’s not your fault! It’s all mine.”
“Sunset, no, I…”

“Enough of it already!”
Blue yelled out in frustration
“We can go on all week blaming ourselves, but that won’t get us anywhere. Sunset, if you want to talk to them, I’ll get them all here by tomorrow. And Princess, you can chew them out all you want after that for all I care.”

Twilight clung on Sunset’s hand and nodded. Sunset’s eyes darted from Blue to Celestia and back to Twilight, suddenly very nervous
“Will you all be there? I don’t want, I want people with me when they come.”
Celestia, who had been quiet for a while now, immediately affirmed. Twilight didn’t hesitate either. Then, all three of them looked at Blue, who didn’t understand at first.

Wait, they want me here as well? Am I even a part of this?
The look on Sunset’s face told her that she believed she was. Principal Celestia had drawn her into her confidence earlier. Princess Twilight had even promised her a favour for her help.

Blue took a deep breath and forced a grin for Sunset
“Just try to stop me.”

Blue arrived at Sunset’s room in the hospital at half past nine in the morning the next day. Twilight had spent the night at Principal Celestia’s and both of them were already there. The Rainbooms shouldn’t arrive until ten, but Blue wanted to make sure she’d be there before them. Pinkie Pie would probably arrive early with some crazy party gadget that would not help at all. Rainbow Dash would be impatient, storm right in before anyone else and do something stupid. Not if I have anything to say about it.

The one who actually arrived first was Rarity. She was still dressed up as usual, but she didn’t carry it at all. Her shoulders were slumped and there was no energy in her step at all. She didn’t wear any makeup either, which would have been ruined by now anyway, as Blue could clearly see the tear stains already.

Rarity cautiously approached Blue, realizing that it was just the two of them yet
“Good morning to you.”
“We’ll see about that.”
Rarity flinched but she couldn’t protest after all
“Shall we go head inside, maybe?”
“No. Sunset wants to see all of you at once. It’s easier for her that way.”
“I understand. But you said Princess Twilight was…”
“Twilight is waiting with Sunset.”

Rarity clamped her mouth shut and nodded. She finally realized that nothing she said could convince Blue right now, but Blue kept glaring anyway.

Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy arrived together after a few minutes of awkward silence. Fluttershy faced Blue’s glare, even if she looked like crying. Rainbow quickly looked away, towards Rarity, which didn’t make it better if Blue read the expression on her face right

“Um, good morning Rarity.”
“Rainbow Dash.”
Rarity barely acknowledged the other girl’s presence and turned away
“What are you even mad at me for?”
“Isn’t it obvious, Darling? If your almost-sister hadn’t pushed this whole mess the way she did, none of us would even be here today.”
“Say what? At least my sister didn’t steal anyone’s phone and spread a whole bunch of lies.”
“My Sweetie Belle would never do such things if it wasn’t for Scootaloo to…”

“GIRLS! QUIT IT!”
Blue’s eyes opened wide when Fluttershy’s voice silenced the others. She sounded angry and Blue still had a ringing in her ears. They’re at each other’s throats already. Maybe Twilight won’t have anything left to chew out once they’re finished.

She had, however, once again underestimated Fluttershy. The usually timid girl glared furiously at the other two for a minute, then took a deep breath to calm herself. Even though her voice returned to her normal volume, the anger remained as she spoke
“We should count ourselves lucky that Sunset Shimmer is even willing to give us this chance. We clearly don’t deserve it. So the least you can do is taking this seriously and stop bickering.”

Rarity and Rainbow looked away ashamed and nodded as Fluttershy brought her point home
“This isn’t about us. This is only for Sunset.”
This time, Blue agreed as well and they waited silently for the last two.

Applejack and Pinkie Pie arrived on time, but just barely, and Blue could immediately see why. Applejack hadn’t looked well all week long and barely said anything, but right now Blue was glad they were already in a hospital, since Applejack looked like she might collapse any moment. Pinkie Pie seemed to think so as well, because she kept her arm around Applejack to support her as they walked.

Pinkie Pie didn’t have any troubles staying on her feet, but she didn’t look like her usual self either. Her hair hung down very straight without any of its usual bounce and there was no spring in her step at all. She smiled at her friends, but it clearly was forced, as was the “Hey guys!” she pressed out. None of the others replied, so Blue walked up to the door.

Before she opened it, she threw a last glare at everyone
“Sunset is still recovering, so keep it down. If any of you starts to yell or does anything that might hurt her, I’m going to throw you out. The hard way. Are we clear?”
She received a series of nods and only then pushed the door open.

Sunset Shimmer sat on the edge of the bed with Twilight next to her. She had changed the hospital gown against a loose shirt and a pair of sweatpants. Her arms were bare and the barely healed cuts stood out against the pale-amber skin. She was still pale and Blue could already see she was holding back from crying as she clutched on Twilight.

The pony princess looked at them with an unnaturally calm expression. Blue knew Twilight was only this calm because Sunset asked her to wait until she was finished. Twilight fixed each of the girls with her eyes, and none of them could hold her gaze for longer than a second.
Blue noticed Celestia wasn’t around, but Blue guessed that she was listening in from somewhere nearby. She had probably taken her position at the door by now, ready to intervene.

The Rainbooms stood in a line in front of Sunset’s bed, Blue stood sideways in between them and Sunset. She had her arms crossed, but she was tensed up, ready to jump in at any point. To the girls’ credit, they didn’t immediately start apologizing or blaming each other. They just waited and Sunset’s eyes darted in between them, unable to speak now that they were so close.

Just as Sunset took a deep breath, probably to say something, Applejack lunged forward from the middle of the group. She was too fast for Blue or even Rainbow Dash to react.

Sunset stared with eyes wide in fear, but Applejack simply wrapped her arms around her, without any of her usual strength. As she clung on Sunset, Applejack started to sob
“No matter how this all turns out, I’m just so glad you’re still here.”

Nobody knew what to say, especially Sunset. Blue had heard some abridged version of the Apple family history, so it wasn’t hard to understand what AJ really meant.

In the end, Sunset just closed her arms around the sobbing farm girl for a quick squeeze, at which Applejack slowly let go
“Sorry, I just…”
Sunset nodded when AJ trailed off, but couldn’t put up the reassuring smile Blue knew she wanted to see right now.
Applejack returned to her spot between Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie, and this time Sunset started to talk.

Blue stayed and listened for hours, but if she was asked later what they talked about, she couldn’t recall a single word of it. She heard excuses, justifications and confessions, but also apologies and reassurances. If she had to describe how the talk really went, she would later describe Princess Twilight’s expression as it changed.

At first, the pony from another world showed no emotions at all, except some sympathy towards Sunset Shimmer when she recalled why she had done what she had done.
As each of the girls told their stories of what they had seen, Twilight’s eyes softened up slowly.
When each of the Rainbooms had profoundly apologized, each in their own way but all of them tearful in the end, a few tears ran down Twilight’s face as well. When Sunset more or less begged for their forgiveness, she stepped aside so the others could embrace her, just like she had the night before.

Blue didn’t say anything all the while, but she felt drained. All the girls had worn themselves out by crying and Sunset drifted in and out of consciousness from all the emotional turmoil and pain she had to go through. The girls barely even noticed when Celestia entered the room and quietly asked them to leave so Sunset could rest.

Blue waited for everyone else to walk out first, Applejack and Rarity in front. They didn’t look as desperate anymore, but Blue could see they were still far from okay. Rainbow walked behind them, still angry, but now mostly at herself. Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy stayed for a moment longer, they wanted to make sure Sunset was okay. As soon as Sunset saw the principal, she finally felt safe enough. She closed her eyes and surrendered to her exhaustion. Celestia sat down next to the bed, only focused on the sleeping girl in front of her and completely ignoring the others as they left.

Blue closed the door behind her and saw all the girls in a half-circle around Princess Twilight. They looked like they expected to receive a death sentence or something and the look on Twilight’s face didn’t do much to diffuse that impression.

Blue had not chosen either side during the talk with Sunset, but now she stood next to Fluttershy in line with the other Rainbooms. The others seemed surprised at that, but to her it made the most sense. The five of them had said and done cruel things and she had done just nothing, but it the end it amounted to the same thing.

Princess Twilight accepted this with a nod before she finally addressed them
“What you have done to Sunset was some of the vilest and most terrible things I could imagine. It’s unworthy of friendship and you’ve shown that you are not fit to represent the spirit of harmony the way your pony counterparts are.”
Five heads dropped in shame, and Blue closed her eyes. She couldn’t get much of all this ‘Elements of Harmony’-stuff, but Sunset told her how big of a deal it was in Equestria. Even if it didn’t affect Blue much, it was a blow against the other five even more.

“I trusted you. I asked you to be a good friend to Sunset Shimmer. I know it was a hard task at first, but I believed in you. At the Battle of the Bands, I saw some of the hardship, but it the end I was hopeful that I had chosen right. Now, I realized that I’ve made a big mistake.”
Twilight held her hand up before any of the girls could protest
“I just expected you to be the same as your pony counterparts who had already proven themselves through danger and struggle. But you are not them, and I was a fool to believe so. And my friend Sunset Shimmer had to pay the price for it.”

Fluttershy was already crying again and even Pinkie Pie who tried to console her looked like she was close to tears. Rarity, Applejack and Rainbow Dash looked even worse, as they felt even more responsible than ever of Sunset’s misery, since it was their little sisters and sister-in-spirit who were behind everything.

“However, I cannot and will not blame you for mistakes I did.”
While the others suddenly looked a little more hopeful, Blue tensed up even further
“I’ve forgotten how young you all still are. You still have much to learn and many mistakes to make so you can grow from them. I just wished that your mistake would not have brought my friend to such a dark place that she saw no other way out.”

Twilight fixed each of them with another glare to prevent any interruptions
“Don’t get me wrong, I am still angry at you, furious even for all that you did and didn’t do. But right now, most of all, I am incredibly disappointed in every one of you.”

None of the girls could stand Twilight’s gaze for long, not even Blue. She knew that Twilight was right, even if a fancy title from another world meant nothing to her, there was no denying what was true.

“I wish none of this had happened. I wish you hadn’t done this. I wish none of us had to have this talk in a hospital right now. So all I can do now is hope and pray that we have learned our lessons from this. You, me and everyone at Canterlot High.
You have already learned some. You came to rescue Sunset, even if it was too late to prevent the terrible thing. You faced her in an honest attempt to apologize. But you must know that it’s still only the first step on a long road to forgiveness.”

Twilight looked at each of them again, but now the anger was gone and Blue saw sympathy instead
“I want to speak with each of you, before I return to Equestria. I will return alone for once, but I will be back in a few days to look after Sunset Shimmer again. I have offered her to return home with me then. If she does or not, that’s something only Sunset can decide in the end.”

The girls seemed shocked at this, but Twilight’s hopeful smile took most of the fear from them. Blue still didn’t react. She didn’t know how to react. She only had met Twilight Sparkle barely more than twenty-four hours ago. She could tell why the others thought so highly of her, but for Blue she was just some girl who didn’t know her.

Rarity finally found the courage to speak up
“If I may make a suggestion? I would like to offer my place for everyone tonight. I know it wouldn’t be a sleepover, but after seeing Sunset… I know I don’t want to be alone right now. I expect I might not be the only one.”

Applejack and Pinkie Pie nodded immediately while Rainbow and Blue just shrugged. Fluttershy and Twilight Sparkle didn’t react at all, so Rarity addressed the princess directly this time
“It would also give you a chance to have your private talks with everyone and…”
Fluttershy shook her head vehemently and glared at Rarity
“Won’t Sweetie Belle be at your home as well?”
“Why, yes of course. My parents are watching her right now, we haven’t let her out of our sight ever since the incident.”
“I’m sorry, but I won’t stay in the same house as any of them.”

Rarity took a step backwards like she had been hit, which left her stand with Applejack and Rainbow Dash and the others opposite of her
“Fluttershy, you can’t seriously mean this. Sweetie Belle had never had the intention to let it come this far.”
“Oh, I don’t blame her for all the mistakes we did. But the three of them could have ended this at any time, only they didn’t. Even when they saw Sunset crying and devastated, they kept going. We had already abandoned Sunset by then, which what they said was all they wanted. So they kept posting all this terrible stuff just because they thought it was funny.”

Rarity tried her best to keep her composure
“Fluttershy, you have not seen her. Sweetie Belle has not stopped crying for more than an hour ever since she confessed. I don’t mean to palliate her misdeeds, but I promise you that she is just as shocked as I was and truly, deeply sorry about what she did.”

Twilight stepped between the two groups and held up her hand
“Actually, I want to speak to Sweetie Belle too. And Apple Bloom and Scootaloo if possible. So yes, Rarity, I would like to accept your offer, but I won’t think any less of anyone who doesn’t want to do the same.”

Fluttershy glanced between the others and nodded, but she didn’t look happy
“If you’re all going, I’ll come too. But I’m doing this for Sunset, not for your sisters.”

“And we’d never even think of asking you to do that, Fluttershy, trust me.”
Applejack didn’t look any more happy than her
“Princess, my Granny has Apple Bloom grounded ever since, so I don’t think she’d let her come over tonight. But I could take you to her if you want.”
“Thank you, Applejack. That would be good.”

Blue noticed that Twilight managed to direct the girls rather efficiently without raising her voice or even giving orders. It was like they wanted to do as she said almost completely on their own. Or, maybe they were just all feeling guilty and tried to make up for it.

Applejack and Twilight separated from the rest as they reached the big parking lot of the hospital. They watched Applejack’s truck pull into the street and vanish in the thick afternoon traffic.

As soon as Twilight was gone, Blue could feel the tension building up between the girls again. Rarity looked like she wanted to say something, but Fluttershy turned so she wouldn’t have to look her way. Rainbow Dash stuck with her oldest friend, even if she threw a somewhat apologetic look towards Rarity, which seemed enough for the fashionista to speak up
“If you wish, you could all come to my place right away. Maybe we could, well, talk about it before Twilight returns?”

Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash looked at Fluttershy who shook her head. Blue had seen her get serious or even slightly angry at times, but she had never seen Fluttershy like this and it was getting kind of unnerving.
“I’m going home. I’ll see you all later.”

Rarity pleaded desperately and reached out for Fluttershy as she moved away
“Fluttershy, please! You have not talked with any of us all week! I already almost lost one of my best friends, I can’t bear to lose another.”

Fluttershy jerked her hand out of Rarity’s grip and finally turned around
“Do you know why I didn’t talk to you? Because you still don’t understand. This is supposed to be about Sunset, but all you talk about is yourself! You’re…”
“Yes, I KNOW!”

Rarity cried out suddenly and clutched on Fluttershy’s hand as she started crying in front of the hospital
“I’m a selfish, arrogant, heartless beast and I don’t deserve friends like you. I don’t deserve a friend like Sunset. I can’t stop thinking about it. And I know my sister caused all of this. And I know I should hate her for all of this, but I can’t! She’s still my baby sister and even if I’m angry, I could never hate her!”

Blue, Pinkie and Rainbow Dash held their breath as they watched Rarity crying shamelessly, holding on Fluttershy’s hand for dear life. Fluttershy stared for a minute, but then pulled Rarity against her. Rarity only cried more and Fluttershy’s expression changed instantly, full of compassion and kindness as she whispered to her best friend Rarity and held her.

Blue let out a sigh of relief. At least they’ll save their friendship between them, even if it’s too late to really matter.

She turned around and walked towards the bus stop, but Pinkie Pie rushed to her side. She didn’t stop her, but her hair was almost back to curly and she didn’t look like crying any more
“Where are you going?”
“Home. I wanted to make sure Sunset is alright, but now that it’s over, you don’t need me any more. Plus, Twilight wants to talk with you anyway, so I’ll be out of the way.”

Rainbow Dash was at her other side and she put her hand on Blue’s shoulder
“I’m pretty sure Princess Twilight wants to talk with all of us. That means, you too.”
Blue just shrugged Rainbow's hand off
“And why? I already told her what happened yesterday and I’m not a part of the magic pony group anyway.”
Pinkie Pie shook her head with the ghost of a smile
“Uh, yeah you’re part of us. Why else would Sunset call you?”
“We’re friends, remember? We don’t want to lose Sunset, but we don’t want to lose you either.”

Blue sighed and shook her head
“It’s not up for us to choose any more. Sunset has to decide if she wants to stay friends with any of us, or stay at all. You can choose for yourselves, but you can’t choose for her. Or me.”

She walked towards the bus stop, but she didn’t get very far before another voice from behind her stopped her
“I never thanked you.”
Blue turned around and looked at Rainbow Dash
“That day, at the flat, when you yelled at me. I saw Sunset, and I just froze up. Couldn’t think, couldn’t even move. If you hadn’t yelled at me, who knows how long I would have just stared at her, until it’d been too late. So, thanks. For yelling at me. And for taking charge when we couldn’t.”

“I have to thank you as well.”
Rarity and Fluttershy had caught up to them, and even if Rarity still clung on the taller girl, her voice was clear and strong again
“You ran into me the next day. At the time, I thought you were just angry and rude, but I know now that you had to be loud and talk some sense into me. It gave me the will to start moving through this all and I am deeply grateful for what you did.”

Blue held her gaze and didn’t know what to say, but Rarity’s eyes clouded over again
“And, I also need to apologize. At that same day, all I could think about was how rude you’ve been to me. I could only think about myself. It took me until now to realize how much you must have been hurt as well. Sunset is your friend just as much and you had to see her fall apart just like we did. I never thought about that you might need someone to talk just like the rest of us. You needed help too, but I was too selfish even to offer mine. For this, Ocean, I am very sorry.”

Blue tried to turn around again, but her legs wouldn’t move. She couldn’t even look away, but she barely saw Rarity any more as her vision got blurry from tears. She had been pushing everything away, but now she couldn’t any longer.

She didn’t need to say anything and before she even knew it, Pinkie Pie had her wrapped up in a big hug. Rainbow Dash had her arm over her shoulders. Fluttershy and Rarity joined in and for a moment, the five girls just held on each other as most of them cried.

“We really haven’t been the best friends for either of us recently.”
Rarity stated the obvious. She tried to rub away some of the tears with the back of her hand, her other hand still holding to Fluttershy
“No, we haven’t. But we can learn. I know we will.”
Fluttershy’s timid voice sounded more confident than Rarity’s and all of the other girls nodded in agreement. Pinkie Pie bopped her head up and down immediately, Rainbow looked guilty but determined at the same time. Blue was the last to join in, wiping her tears with a last shaky breath that wasn’t a sob any more

“No time like present, right?”
Pinkie Pie kept her arm looped around Blue as they made it back to the parking lot. The five squeezed into Rarity’s convertible and even though nobody said anything, the silence was far more companionable then it had been all day long.

Rarity’s room was big enough for all seven girls, even if there were only six of them right now. Princess Twilight had moved to the guest room on the other side of the hall, and Sweetie Belle was with her right now. Rarity’s parents had allowed for all of them to stay, after a private talk that ended with Rarity in tears, again.

Blue sat on the floor in the corner furthest away from the door. As Rarity had expected, it wouldn’t turn into a slumber party. There was no music, no video games, barely any conversation at all. Applejack had told them a little about how the talk between Twilight and Apple Bloom had gone, but she was still shaken up by her own talk with the princess during the drive back into town. Pinkie Pie sat next to her on Rarity’s bed and even managed a small smile out of Applejack.

Fluttershy sat on a chair in front of the vanity. She had borrowed one of Rarity’s brushes and worked on her long hair, though even Blue could see she was just trying to calm herself down with the slow steady motions.

Rainbow Dash tapped on her phone, trying to get a hold on Scootaloo’s parents. She couldn’t just call Scootaloo, since the girl’s phone had been confiscated along with her computer.

Rarity was the only one standing near the door, anxiously waiting for Twilight and Sweetie Belle to return. Although Fluttershy had been mad at her, Blue could easily understand that Rarity still cared about her sister despite some mess-ups.

Blue snapped back up when she heard voices from outside the room. The door opened and she saw Sweetie Belle being guided away by her mom, both shaken but not overly angry. That’s good. Family shouldn’t fight with each other.

Princess Twilight walked into the room, but one look of her made sure that Rarity didn’t start questioning her. She looked exhausted, but not as grumpy as she had been in the hospital and definitely not as desperate as Blue had seen her the day before.

“Ocean Shore?”
“Huh? What?”
Blue had been staring at the floor and had not noticed Princess Twilight addressing her, or that the others were watching her as well
“If it’s okay with you, I’d like to talk with you last. The girls and I… we have some things to catch up on.”

Blue nodded along. She knew Twilight was talking about magic horse stuff. No matter how close she might have gotten to the girls, she didn’t have that connection they all shared with the pony princess
“Sure, fine with me.”
“Thank you, Ocean. Rainbow Dash, could you come with me, please?”

Rainbow got up from the bed and followed Twilight out. Blue went back to staring at the floor. Then she heard a thud and Pinkie Pie was sitting next to her
“Twi didn’t mean anything by it, you know? She’s not singling you out as last cause you’re less important or anything.”
“Yeah, Pinkie. I know.”

She flinched when Pinkie put her hand on her shoulder and turned her head to look at her. Pinkie Pie didn’t have her usual cheery smile, but she didn’t have it in a while now. Right now, she looked concerned
“You say you know, but you’re still making the face.”
“What face?”
“You know, the face.”

Blue didn’t get it, but Fluttershy kneeled in front of them and tried to explain
“When you first came to CHS, you always looked at everyone like you were about to punch them. Or yell at them. Or do something mean.”
“Oh.”

Blue let her head hang down and closed her eyes. If asked, she would usually describe her mind-set before she met the girls as ‘Whatever, I don’t care’, but apparently she had been far more aggressive than she was even aware.

A hand under her chin directed her eyes back to Fluttershy’s kind smile
“But we barely see you like that any more. And we’re not blaming you for anything. We all didn’t really act very nice either ever since Anon-A-Miss.”
Applejack and Rarity sat down next to Fluttershy
“And we know what it means by now. The face, I mean. We know you better than Twilight does, and you sure as sugar don’t come last for any of us.”

Blue looked around but the others nodded with conviction and Blue felt her lips curl into a smile
“Thanks guys.”
She shook her head and looked away before she started blushing
“Sheesh, last week you were at each other’s throats and now you’re all smiles and sunshine again. You guys are giving me a headache.”
As Blue had hoped, a round of chuckles filled the room. She still couldn’t avoid the group hug initiated by Pinkie Pie. She didn’t mind too much, though.

Blue walked into the guestroom and as usual she scanned her environment closely. Unlike Rarity's bedroom, this room had no personal touch at all. The walls, the bedcovers, the few piece of furniture were all simple and neutral.

Princess Twilight sat on the only chair in the room. From the bedcovers, Blue could see that the others had probably sat there, but she wasn't like them. Stubborn as ever, she remained standing. She leaned against the wall opposite of the princess, with her arms crossed before her chest and her eyes cast down. She shuffled her feet and shifted her weight. She realized that she was getting ready to run for it should things go south. She'd never made any good experiences when talking with figures of authority. The fact that Princess Twilight was from another world wasn't enough to keep Blue's flight instinct from kicking in.

Twilight looked at her and noticed the tensions in the room and her opposite. Blue watched as she touched her chest with her right hand and took a deep breath in, then exhaled slowly while stretching her hand away from her, as if she was pushing something from her.

She seemed calmer after that and her voice didn't waver when she finally talked to Blue
"I'm sorry I kept you waiting, Ocean Shore."
"Yeah, it's okay, I get it. I'm not a part of the magic pony band, it was more important you talked to them."

Twilight cringed and shook her head
"That's exactly what I didn't want to imply. I never meant to say you are less important in any way."
"But I am, right?"
Their eyes met and Blue shrugged
"I mean, you never met me until yesterday and you've know the others from before. I'm not involved in your magic adventure stuff, a couple of weeks ago I wouldn't have believed something like you would even exist. You were all friends long before I came along."

"Ocean Shore, I've only seen the others twice before and only for a couple of days each time. I know their counterparts and they are my best friends, but I think it's clear now that these girls are not them, not all the way at least. So I have as much to talk with them as I have with you."
Blue frowned and shrugged again
"If that's how you see it. When I hear the others talk, I got the impression you've known each other for decades."

"Well, we did share the Magic of Friendship. I can't deny that there is a connection. But it's not about this right now, Ocean Shore."
"Then what is it? And for fuck's sake, stop saying Ocean Shore. I hate it when people say my full name all the time. Just call me Blue."
Twilight had the indication of a smile at Blue's little outburst
"Okay. The reason I asked to talk with you last, Blue... it's because I was nervous."

Blue rolled her eyes
"What, the others told you some rumours and now you think I’m going to beat you up or what?"
"No, of course not. But, as it is, I feel conflicted about you, more than the others."
"And why's that, Princess?"

Blue shifted her weight from one leg to the other as Twilight tried to find a starting point
“You see, on one hoof I’m very grateful for what you did. I already told you that. Whether you believe it or not, you saved Sunset’s life in my book. And I will stay true to that promise I gave you no matter what. That won’t change.”

By now, Twilight had enough courage to meet Blue’s eyes again
“But that doesn’t mean you’re innocent either. You could have stepped in earlier. You could have talked some sense into the girls before they cast Sunset out. You could have stayed by her side when she needed you. You just did nothing. Granted, you didn’t join the bandwagon like the rest of CHS, but that’s only a small relief considering all that happened.”

Blue rolled her eyes and tried to sum it up
“So you say you don’t know if it’s right to reward me and instead you should punish me for doing nothing.”
“No.”
Princess Twilight shook her head
“I won’t punish anypony. I want to for sure, but out of respect to Sunset’s wishes, I won’t. If I punished you for just standing by, I would have to punish everpony at CHS as well. I’ve heard from Principal Celestia and Vice-Principal Luna that everybody is very shocked after the revelation. I hope this is enough to get them back on track to friendship, like before.”

Blue rolled her eyes
“Only problem is that people are hypocrites. They had no trouble making fun of Sunset and blaming her for all that shit, and now they are suddenly so sorry. They laughed their asses off with each new post, but now they’re appalled on how anyone could do such a terrible thing, even though most of them posted stuff themselves.”

Blue’s voice dripped with bitterness, so much that even Twilight Sparkle couldn’t downright ignore it
“As much as I wish it was otherwise, I can see that you’re right. Not everyone will forgive Sunset even now she’s proven innocent, and not everyone will see that they were the reason for all that hatred in school.”
“And then there’s people like me who will just say ‘Whatever’, shrug it off and act like thing never happened.”
“Is this what you plan to do, Blue?”
Blue shrugged and sighed
“That would be the easiest way out. Just ignore and maybe nobody will talk about it again. I doubt that’s going to happen though.”

Twilight had a soft smile for her
“I think so too. And I don’t think you will ignore this, Blue. I think you have learned a lot of this, about friendship and about yourself. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have responded to Sunset’s message at all. And you wouldn’t have helped the girls either.”
Blue shrugged again
“You’re the Friendship Princess. You should know everything that is to know, but you feel conflicted when you talk with me. What does that say about me?”

“It says a lot.”
Princess Twilight stood up so she was closer to Blue and looked her in the eyes
“It says that you have friendship in your heart, but it just looks different than what Rarity or Pinkie Pie made you think it should look like. Maybe you’re cynic and sometimes bitter, but I can see you’re honest and loyal in what you do. You don’t have much to give materially, but you’re generous when someone needs advice or an honest word. On the day after, you lashed out, but you also apologized right away and showed kindness even to those who didn’t deserve it. I believe that if you look close enough, you could find the magic of friendship in you as well.”

Blue rolled those words around over and over in her head. To her surprise, Twilight pulled her into a hug, which she returned clumsily
“I see you as my friend, Blue. And I am always willing to do everything I can for my friends. So I’ll say to you the same as I told the others. I’m not happy that what you did led to this outcome, but I forgive you. And Blue, I’m very grateful for you personally because you saved Sunset’s life.”

Blue nodded, floored by the severity behind Twilight’s little speech. She now had a magic pony princess as a friend, for whatever good or bad may come from it.

“Can I ask you a question, Twilight?”
At her nod, Blue bit her lip
“What’s going to happen next? You said the others weren’t worthy of the magic, will you take it away from them? Will you punish the three girls? And what about Sunset?”
Twilight sighed and shook her head
“I can’t just take away their magic, and I don’t think I should. Magic works differently in this world and I’m sure the girls were chosen for a reason, even if I can’t see it yet.”

Blue nodded and Twilight went on
“Also I won’t punish Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom or Scootaloo. They are genuinely sorry for what they did and will get their punishments from this world, rather than mine. Though I won’t invite them to come to Equestria anytime, that’s for sure.”

“And, Sunset?”
Twilight sighed deeply
“I will support Sunset in her decisions. If she thinks staying here is the best for her, then I am all for it. If she says she wants to go home, my castle is open for her and any of my friends. And I will keep the journal around me from now on, so I can respond more timely. That would have saved her a lot of hurt last time.”

Blue nodded and leaned back against the wall, but her eyes stayed on Twilight this time
“And what about you, Blue?”
“Me?”
She hadn’t even thought about that

“I guess I’ll try to go on for now. If Sunset wants to stay friends, I’d like that. But it might take a while until I can forgive the others. Or myself.”
Twilight put her hand on her shoulder and had an encouraging smile for her
“I’m sure you can work through all of this, Ocean Shore. And remember, if anything should happen, I’m just a message and a portal away.”
“Yeah. Thanks Princess.”

Chapter 8

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Sunset had to stay in the hospital for another week. Blue visited her a few times and she knew from Spring Meadow that the others did the same. Fluttershy went straight to the hospital after school each day.

After she got released, Sunset was just gone for a couple of days. None of the girls could get a hold on her, her phone was switched off and she wasn’t at her apartment either. Principal Celestia told them not to worry, so Blue guessed she was staying with her 'legal guardian' for the time being. As for why she didn’t tell the others, Blue thought she knew as well.
She’s trying to figure out if she should stay or not. Princess Twilight would take her back to Equestria in a heartbeat and she’d be rid of all this shit at school. I’d leave if I was her.

At CHS, nobody knew that all of this was going on, but it didn’t stop the rumour mill from starting again. It seemed like Anon-A-Miss had taught them nothing at all and only a few days later they had their heads in the gutter again. Applejack and Pinkie Pie had to physically hold back Blue more than once when she overheard some of the bullshit the others spread around. Rainbow Dash didn’t fare much better and both of them got detention for screaming at people in the halls.

A few little things had changed, though. Blue and Rainbow Dash weren’t the only ones. Whenever the gossip started getting out of hand, there were some guys who interfered. None of the things they said about Sunset was as mean or hurtful as before. All the hatred had focused on Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo instead. Blue failed to see how this was any better, but she felt like they somehow deserved this. They made the whole school hate each other, now they should feel what it’s like on the receiving end.

Some other things had happened as well that Blue didn’t notice right away. Like, how many students found the guts to stand up for the stuff they posted and apologized. That some of them put so much effort to fix and save their damaged friendships after they had been at each other’s throats. Blue also learned from Rarity and Fluttershy that many students asked them to send their apologies to Sunset. They didn’t go to visit her, as they rightfully guessed that Sunset wouldn’t want to see them, but Rarity delivered a whole bag of cards and letters to Sunset.

Once the winter holidays had passed, things were almost back to normal, but they didn’t feel normal yet. At least, not for Blue. The other students still avoided her outside of classes, probably because she had beaten up that guy. Pinkie Pie said it was probably because of ‘the face’.

Pinkie and the others made more of an effort to include Blue ever since their gathering at Rarity’s with Princess Twilight. Before, it had been mostly Sunset who asked Blue to hang out with them, but after what they had been through, the girls were much closer. And even if Blue appreciated having the girls to fall back on when she was feeling down, she couldn’t help but feel guilty.
Blue got along better with the girls than ever before while Sunset had nearly died. She felt like she didn’t deserve anything nice coming out from this, not when it meant that her friend got hurt and was still hurting in the progress. She didn’t tell anyone how she felt about this though, not even her sister.

And then, without any warning, Sunset came back to school one day.

Blue saw her first, as she was walking that day instead of taking the bus, so she noticed Sunset at the staff parking lot. She had arrived with Principal Celestia apparently and had a new set of warm winter clothes to wear. When Blue came closer, she could see that Sunset still looked pale and weak, but that was because she was very nervous.

Sunset was watching the entrance of the school and hesitated getting closer, so she didn’t see Blue yet. Blue slowed down, unsure on how to address Sunset just as much, but then she just shrugged and headed straight towards her
“Yo Red!”

She chuckled when Sunset nearly jumped out of her boots and joined her. She held out her fist as usual and Sunset bumped back after only a moment
“Stop sneaking up on me. Geez, you want me back in the hospital that badly?”
Blue grinned but she could see that Sunset forced that joke. Instead of sending another joke back, Blue just put her arm around Sunset’s shoulder and made her walk towards the school with her
“Come on, let’s go see the others.”
Sunset gave her a weird sideways-glance, since Blue wasn’t usually the one for hugs or touchy-feely stuff, but she walked along nonetheless.

Of course everybody noticed Sunset’s arrival. Conversations died down and everybody was staring at them. Just as Blue had guessed though, nobody approached them. Most of them would still feel too guilty to talk with Sunset, or scared on how she would react on them. The rest would be too intimidated by Blue to get in their way.

Blue was focused on Sunset, so she didn’t noticed the looks of sympathy from most of the students. They could see that Sunset was just as nervous as they were, even scared. They hadn’t heard any details of how badly Sunset was hurt, but they could guess from how long she had missed school. So they didn’t flock around her and when they started whispering to each other again, they at least tried to be discrete.

Blue made a beeline to the statue where Rarity and the others were already waiting, with smiles for Sunset. Blue let go of Sunset when each of them greeted her with a careful hug. Sunset had a faint smile as they did, but she couldn’t shake off her insecurity, not even around them. Or maybe, especially not around them.

To their credit, they didn’t act like nothing had happened, like Blue had tried to. As they waited for school to start, they each told Sunset how happy they were to see her back on her feet. Blue didn’t know how much they talked since the gathering at the hospital, but everyone apologized once more to Sunset, in their own way.

Sunset listened but barely said anything herself. Maybe she still was too weak, since she was still very pale and unsteady on her feet. She didn’t look angry, but Blue noticed how she kept glancing over the other students around them every now and then, checking for potential threats. Blue knew that Sunset had every reason to be scared and her hands balled to fists.

The bell rang and the girls had to separate for Homeroom. Sunset let herself be guided by a far gentler than normal Fluttershy towards their classroom. While Fluttershy only focused on Sunset, Rainbow Dash kept their surroundings in check, glaring at anyone who started to whisper behind Sunset's back. Blue and Rainbow shared a glance before they split up and Blue nodded. Rainbow had things covered for now, and later on, Blue shared some classes with Sunset and could take over. The two of them weren't the most sensitive girls, but they could do their thing and make sure nobody even thought about hurting Sunset.

Rarity, Applejack and Blue headed into their own classroom and Blue slumped down in her seat. She didn't even notice that she was gripping her table until Rarity touched her hand. When Blue turned around, she saw a concerned look from both her friends
"Are you holding up, Darling?"
Blue just let out an angry snort
"Shouldn't you ask Sunset that? She needs it more."

Rarity just shook her head and gently took a hold of Blue's hand, at which she let go of some of the tension
"Sunset is in another classroom, and I can't help her right now. But I can help my other friend who seems upset."
Applejack nodded and put a hand on Blue's shoulder as well
"You're making the face again. You look like you're about to hit someone, or start crying."
Blue closed her free hand to a fist, but she also held on Rarity's hand at the same time
"I swear, if anyone is trying to hurt her, I'll..."
"We won't let it come this far, Darling."

Applejack opened her mouth to add something, but at this point Miss Cheerilee arrived and started class. As she droned on, Blue couldn't focus really. When Homeroom finally was over, she was the first to pick up her bag and rush out of the classroom, followed closely by Applejack and Rarity. They waited in front of Sunset’s classroom and when the fiery-haired girl left as last, they took her into their middle. Rainbow Dash ran off, she didn’t share their next classes, but Blue took her task of glaring at anyone who tried to get to close to Sunset. She let Rarity and Fluttershy take over guiding Sunset to the next class. Applejack was carrying Sunset’s book bag, since she was already wobbly on her feet from just walking. Pinkie, oblivious as ever, just pranced ahead of them, smiling and waving at everyone they ran into. Blue grinned to herself You might think she’s daft, but she’s clearing a path for Sunset in a way the others couldn’t. Nice job.

During Algebra, which was the last class before their free period, Blue had the seat a row behind Sunset and one place to the right, which allowed her to watch Sunset very closely. She could see that Sunset was struggling, not with class or the teacher, but simply with sitting upright it seemed. Sure, it’s been some weeks by now, but Blue could see that Sunset was still very weak. Physically weak since she had trouble just sitting there, but also… emotionally? Blue frowned a little at herself, but it was true. She could see everything she needed in Sunset’s face, that fear of everyone around her, that tension so she wouldn’t fall apart crying and most of all, how tired Sunset looked, too tired to face all this stuff right now. She’s got no walls left. She’s been thinking of nothing but how this day would go and everybody around her probably talked about nothing but her for weeks now… it’s just too much.

Blue couldn’t tell where she got that insight from. She didn’t really care either. What she did care about, was Sunset. Easy as that. She wasn’t a girl to overcomplicate things. Simple problem, simple solution, that’s what she preferred. And she had a simple solution for this.

So when Algebra finally ended and the girls flocked around Sunset, Blue made her move. She just grabbed Sunset’s wrist and pulled her away, despite all the looks she received. Applejack and Fluttershy immediately protested, but Sunset didn’t. Sunset just stumbled after her even as she started running. Rarity had noticed it as well and stopped Applejack from going after them, but Blue didn’t see that any more. She was already out in the hallway and running right for the main door and Sunset right after her. People jumped out of their way, Blue glared at them so they wouldn't try stopping her and Sunset followed in her trail. They didn’t run into any teachers, lucky for them. Blue knew she would have yelled at any teacher if they had gotten in her way, but now she just kept going forwards and pulled Sunset into the bus that was waiting at the bus stop, just as she had hoped.

“Where are we going?”
Sunset managed to catch her breath and gather enough words to break Blue out of her haze, but the bus was already halfway through the city by then. Blue just shook her head
“You’ll see. Can you go on a little longer?”
“Yeah. I think.”
“Good.”
That was the last Blue said for the rest of the trip, although she took hold of Sunset's hand again once they left the bus.

She wanted to run, if she was honest, but because of Sunset, she kept it at a fast-paced walk. Sunset was already panting when they finally reached the house. Blue didn’t give Sunset a chance to take in the slightly battered building or comment on the garbage that was littered everywhere on the stairs. She pulled her through one of the many doors that she had opened with a key and some well-measured force and slammed it shut behind them. Her bag flew into its usual corner and Sunset was shoved into Blue’s room.

Her room was probably the only thing she liked about her home. It had floor heating as well as carpet floor, which meant that she could just sprawl out relatively soft and without freezing her ass off. She had a window towards the busy street and with all that noise, nobody cared much if she had her music blearing as loud as she wanted. Both of which she was going to need today.

Sunset just stood there, unsure what to do in this foreign environment, and probably just started thinking right now, since Blue hadn’t given her (or herself) much time before with all the running. Blue didn’t want her to think too much, so she just more or less pushed her into sitting on the carpet floor. She fiddled a little with the control and Sunset shifted when she felt the floor warm up underneath her. And finally, Blue turned on her stereo, the only valuable thing she possessed and the only thing in the whole flat that would pass as high-tech. She chose a CD from the rack and pushed it in, then turned the volume up to max.

After that, she just flopped down on the floor next to Sunset. Unlike her, she stretched out to her full length as loud, aggressive music filled the room. Sunset looked even more lost and tried to say something, but Blue just yelled at her over the music
“SHUT UP!”

Sunset didn’t seem to understand, so Blue just screamed louder
“No fucking talking! Just shut up! SHUT UP!”
Blue reached out and threw one of the few cushions she had lying around on the floor towards Sunset, not quite at her, but enough to make her point. Blue closed her eyes, making it impossible for Sunset to get in contact with her over the music.

Sunset carefully spread out on the floor. It wasn’t as soft as a bed, but right now that was good. She already felt like everyone was packing her in cotton all the time, so a slightly hard floor was a welcome change. And it was comfy still because of the heating. The music was so loud that it hurt her ears, but she didn’t want it to stop, since it managed to drown out everything, even her own thoughts. It was like her head was just giving up bombarding her with worries and fear and ceased to the music. It was so loud that she could feel the base humming through the floor, which was strangely comforting.

Sunset glanced back at Blue who hadn’t moved. She was just lying there with her eyes closed, but she wasn’t sleeping because Sunset could see her eyes move behind her lids and Blue was also frowning angrily.

Sunset wondered if she should say something. Everyone who had visited her, every doctor or nurse she had met in the hospital or after, even her friends, had wanted her to talk. About It. About what It made her feel. About how It had changed her. How she had to get past It.
She was sick and tired of hearing about It, but at the same time she wanted those people around, if only so she wasn’t alone, not alone again. So she talked, even when she didn’t want really.

Shut up! Blue didn’t want to talk. The music wouldn’t let her think. The hard base let everything drone out and the angry guitar ripped through the rational part of her brain. SHUT UP! Sunset rolled to the side and hugged the pillow to her chest SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP!

She rolled on her back and closed her eyes and stopped. Thinking, worrying, feeling, she just stopped. The vibration from the floor and the loud music overpowered everything and for a few glorious minutes, she just existed and nothing else.

From the stereo, loud angry singing washed over the two girls on the floor.
It’s like I’m paranoid, looking over my back, it’s like a whirlwind inside of my head, it’s like I can’t stop what I’m hearing within, it’s like the face inside is right beneath my skin.

Blue knew how long they had been lying there, because she knew all the songs inside out and how long they were. When the third song was just ending, she turned her head towards Sunset. She was lying on her back with her eyes closed, but not clenched shut. There were some stray tears running down her cheek, but her expression was calm, even if not peaceful. Like Blue, she had stretched out as far as she was able too, relaxed on the somewhat soft carpet, but her hand was still tightly gripping the pillow she’d thrown at her. If anyone had asked her to describe how Sunset looked in just one word, Blue would have probably called it 'torn'.

Blue thought she knew how Sunset had to feel, but at the same time, she knew she could never truly feel what Sunset felt right now. But she could relate, at least. That had to be worth something, right? Sunset looked better than she had in school already. Blue couldn’t expect everything to go back to normal. Things wouldn’t be the same ever again. But, they could become better again. Not the same old, but at least good. But before things could be good, they had to get okay first. And before they could get okay, they had to be decent first. But before things could even start to be decent again, they would be just about bearable for a long while. Many, many little steps they had to take. Blue hated it, but Sunset needed it. She had to make this worth.

Blue closed her eyes again and listened to the chorus as the song ended.
It’s true, the way I feel was promised by your face, the sound of your voice painted on my memories, even when you’re not with me, I’m with you.

The CD had already started over once when the door to the flat opened again. Spring Meadow, still in her hospital scrubs, grunted as she slammed the door shut again, which was the only way to make sure it was locked. She heard the loud blaring from Blue’s room and frowned. Not because of the volume, she had reluctantly accepted the fact that she might soon have a deaf sister, but because of the time. Blue should still be in school.

Ever since she went to CHS, Blue had changed for the better in almost everything, once she got past that rough start. But with Sunset’s suicide attempt, things had changed. Spring Meadow had spent time with Sunset Shimmer when the girl was still hospitalized and she understood why Blue was so angry. Sunset was a nice, sweet girl and that people had driven her so far, it made Spring furious herself. But while she could control her anger, Blue often could not. If it made her start skipping school again, she’d be in trouble.

Preparing for the worst, Spring opened the door to Blue’s room and immediately understood everything, including the loud music. Blue and Sunset were sprawled out on the floor, Blue with her head towards the door and Sunset the other way around. Sunset didn’t move when the door opened, but she looked like she really needed it. Spring knew she did. Blue on the other side raised her hand without even looking towards the door and flipped her off. Spring understood that as well. She didn’t say anything, but she took a moment to adjust the temperature of the floor heating so the girls wouldn’t get cold.

Then she closed the door and let the two teenagers drown in music.
And I just wish that I didn't feel like there was something I missed, and I take back all the things I said to make you feel like that, and I just wish that I didn't feel like there was something I missed, and I take back all the things that I said to you

Nothing had even moved in Blue’s room when Spring Meadow heard someone at the door. The doorbell was kaputt, of course, so was the door buzzer. Still, someone had made it in and now rapped at their door. Spring got up and steeled herself before she abruptly pulled open the door. Even though they had been living here for months now, she’d not talked with any neighbours. People who lived here kept for themselves, so whoever was at the door could only mean trouble. She had her meanest glare ready for the intruder.

Her expression changed to surprised when she saw the flustered teenager in front of her. The girl clearly didn’t live here, first she was too well off and second she looked like she didn’t know if she should just turn around and run away. Spring Meadow fixed her with another glare

“WHAT?”
Spring had to yell, because of the loud music coming from inside, but she would have anyway. She was tired from her shift, she hadn’t even eaten yet, and she already had two emotionally fragile teens who were about to tick off. She didn’t want to deal with another one, especially one who was clueless.

However, the teen showed some guts and kept eye contact with Spring. She even managed some coherent words
“Um, hello. Is Ocean Shore home?”
Spring just raised her brow
“Who wants to know?”
“I, um, I’m her friend. From school”

Blue had told her about the friends she made at CHS, but of course had never invited them over. They all seemed like nice girls and bringing them here would lead to questions Blue would never want to hear. Spring had met only two of the girls who had visited Sunset Shimmer in the hospital, but that girl wasn’t one of them.

Spring just looked at her suspiciously, but the girl was too nervous and innocent. She probably didn’t have any hidden agenda for visiting. Spring forced herself to take a deep breath. Chill, girl. It’s normal that friends visit each other at home. Just because you didn’t have that kind of friends doesn’t mean Blue can’t.

Spring waved for the girl to wait and walked back into the flat. She slammed her flat hand against Blue’s door, and her sister responded immediately
“FUCK OFF!”
Spring just grinned and knocked again
“You have a friend at the door.”
“Friend? Who?”
Spring glanced back towards the girl who waited at the open door
“Some dyke with rainbow hair.”

The girl’s cheeks flushed up immediately and she shuffled from one leg to another. Spring just laughed. She heard a groan from behind her as Blue stepped out of the room. They shared a glance and Spring retreated to her own room, while Blue took over glaring at Rainbow Dash at the front door

“Um, hi Blue.”
Blue didn’t say anything and just kept glaring, angry music blaring from behind her
“I, um, I saw your running off with Sunset and I thought, you know?”
Blue crossed her arms in front of her chest and still said nothing
“So, nice place you have here…”
Rainbow Dash trailed off as Blue’s glare only intensified

“How do you know where I live?”
“I, um, I’ve known for a while.”
“How?”
“I followed you home one day. But I haven’t told anyone, I swear!”
Blue kept glaring, but her head tilted to the side
“And why not?”
“You didn’t want to talk about it, so I thought I’d better not tell the others.”
Blue rolled her eyes
“Gee, thanks. And now that you’ve said hi, you can piss off again.”
“What? No, wait! Sunset is with you, right? I’ll stay.”
“No fucking way. You’re the fucking last person Sunset needs to see right now.”

Rainbow Dash still didn’t move and her eyes narrowed to a glare of her own
“You’re swearing again. And I’ll stay.”
Blue balled her hands to fists and took one menacing step towards Rainbow Dash. Dash didn’t move, only her eyes darted to the door Blue had come out of, as she expected Sunset inside as well. She glared back at Blue and they both knew she wouldn’t leave, not without a fight.

Blue just barely stopped herself from throwing the first punch. She forced the image of Sunset into her mind, how scared and hurt the girl had looked back at school. A fight wouldn’t solve anything and it wouldn’t help Sunset the least. Rainbow might have the heart at the right place for going after her friend, but she also had the tendency to screw everything over with the things she said without thinking. So Blue wouldn’t give her the chance.

“Not a fucking word.”
Rainbow seemed surprised that Blue had started talking instead of fighting and she didn’t understand
“What?”
“Shut up! You can stay, but I don’t want to hear a single fucking word out of you.”
“And why?”
Blue shoved her backwards, harder than necessary, but it was the only thing she could do at the moment
“SHUT UP! If you say anything, I’ll smack your sorry ass out of town, so shut up! SHUT UP!”
With that, Blue suddenly turned around and headed to the door. Rainbow Dash stared after her and didn’t know what to do from that outburst, but ran after her anyway. She could figure out Blue’s craziness later, right now Sunset was more important.

Once she stepped into the bedroom, Rainbow had to fight the urge to cover her ears. The music was loud and angry and droned out everything else. On top of that, what she saw gave her just another kick in the guts.

Sunset Shimmer had retreated to the relative safety of the bed. She had turned towards the far wall and a curtain of flame-coloured hair obscured her face. She sat there curled up and hugging her knees, still clutching on the pillow from earlier.

Rainbow didn’t know how to react so she just raised her hand like she was waving and opened her mouth for a mindless ‘Hello’. Before she could, a pillow hit the side of her face and Blue glared at her. Not a fucking word

Blue sprawled out on the floor in the middle of the room again. Rainbow Dash retreated to the corner behind the door, as far away from the bed as possible, even if she didn’t stop staring at Sunset.

Sunset had looked bad at school, but Rainbow thought that it had been because of the other students. Those fucking bastards had threatened Sunset, bullied her and even attacked her, so of course she would be afraid of them. But back here, she was safe, she had to be safe, so why did she look that broken? Why didn’t she even look at her? Why did Blue almost kick her out before she had even arrived?

It then dawned on Rainbow Dash what Blue meant. You’re the fucking last person Sunset needs to see right now. Rainbow felt her legs give out underneath her and she slumped down the wall and on her butt.
I’m one of them. Sunset is afraid of everyone and I’m one of them. She trusted me and I burnt her worse than the others. There’s no difference for her between me, the girls or any other student at CHS. No, I’m even worse, because I told her she could trust me and then turned on her anyway.

She couldn’t blame Sunset. Rainbow Dash before Anon-A-Miss would have just acted like nothing ever happened. Just ignore the complicated feely stuff and move on. But that had been before she had seen Sunset Shimmer, covered in her own blood and barely alive.

She had apologized, along with the others. She had one awkward visit at the hospital with Fluttershy, but she hadn’t said much then. Because talking made things complicated. Talking meant that she had to face her own mistakes, worse, her own feelings. That just wasn’t something Rainbow Dash did and Sunset knew that. Rainbow had given Sunset many reasons to believe that, but not a single one that she had changed. That she had been changed, as well. Why would Sunset want to talk now, or even see her?

Coming here was a stretch. Confronting her was pushing it past the breaking point. Blue had seen it and thankfully stopped Rainbow from doing something stupid, again. Sunset couldn’t face it right now, and as much as Rainbow wanted to get over it, this wasn’t about her. It couldn’t be about her. It was about Sunset and it had to be about Sunset from now on, for as long as necessary.

The music droned on and on. Sunset stared at the wall and Rainbow stared at Sunset. Blue was in between them, like a physical barrier. From the stereo, the music blared
Everything you say to me takes me one step closer to the edge and I’m about to break. Everything you say to me takes me one step closer to the edge and I’m about to break.

Rainbow had lost the feeling in her legs some time ago but she stayed in the corner. The deafening music didn’t give her any chance to think and she was grateful for that. Sunset had lost a lot of her tension as well, even though she was still staring at the wall, she wasn’t clutching on the pillow any more. It was a break from everything for her.

A blurry motion pulled Rainbow’s eyes away from Sunset for a moment. Blue hadn’t moved for half an hour but now she was waving her arms through the air while still laying on her back. The motion seemed so erratic that Rainbow watched a full minute before she realized that Blue was air-drumming or something similar. On any other day, Rainbow would tease her since Blue’s arms and the rhythm didn’t match up at all, even she as a guitarist could tell that. However the stereo was blaring out an aggressive song and Blue, even with her eyes closed, matched that almost too well. As Rainbow watched, Blue flailed her arms fast and hard while the song turned from loud singing to angry shouting. Rainbow hadn’t seen anything like it from the girl before, but she could tell what was happening. Blue was screaming along to the music now as well and with each thrust of her arms, she channelled more of her anger

If I turn my back I’m defenceless and to give in to fate seems senseless, if I hide my pride and let it all go on then they take from me until everything is gone, if I let them go I’ll be outdone, if I try to catch them I’ll be outrun, if I’m killed by the questions like a cancer, I’ll be buried in the silence of the answer BY MYSELF!

Rainbow just could not laugh when Blue turned into an uncoordinated mess of flailing arms on the floor, but it was only partially because she looked funny. All that flaring and shouting, to the point of tears even, had a strange effect on Blue and by extension on Rainbow as well. It was almost like some of that anger just, not vanished, but changed into something more bearable. Something that wouldn’t make her punch the first person she saw. Blue just, in lack of a better word, let go.

Rainbow looked up and saw that Sunset had turned around to watch Blue as well, with as much fascination as she did. Then she looked up and their eyes met. For a moment there was a flicker of understanding and a spark inside Sunset’s eyes that had been missing for a while now. It didn’t stay very long, but Rainbow had seen it.

How do you expect, I lost so much, I’m so afraid, I’m out of touch. How do you expect, that I know what to do, when all I know, is what you tell me to?

There was a second of silence in the song before an even harder guitar riff set in, and before Rainbow knew what she was doing, she moved along. Her upper body bounced back and forth to the beat and her left arm stretched out. Her fingers moved on imaginary strings on her air-guitar and she screamed along to the song. On the other side of the room, Sunset did the same, only she had her eyes closed. Instead of screaming, she was banging her head which made the flame-coloured hair whip around like crazy as she strummed along. In the middle of the room, Blue kept torturing her invisible drum-set.

DON’T YOU KNOW, I can’t tell you how to make it STOP, no matter what I do and how hard I TRY, I can’t seem to convince myself WHY, I’m stuck on the outside,
DON’T YOU KNOW, I can’t tell you how to make it STOP, no matter what I do and how hard I TRY, I can’t seem to convince myself WHY, I’m stuck on the outside.
I CAN’T GO ON!

The song kept going on for a while longer, and the girls kept going with just as much intensity. Sunset looked more alive than she had since before winter break, even.

When the song ended abruptly, Sunset and Rainbow looked at each other again, with less tension than before. It would take a long time before they could grin at each other and throw quips like they used to, but it already was a glimmer of hope, even if it only lasted a second.

The next song started with some piano tunes instead of heavy guitar, and Sunset’s eyes clouded over. It struck a different chord in her. Rainbow slumped back down against the wall and Blue’s arms dropped back on the floor
I tried so hard and got so far. In the end, it doesn’t even matter. I had to fall, to lose it all, but in the end, it doesn’t even matter.

Rainbow and Sunset both ended up starting at their respective walls, one close to tears and the other stuck with depressing thoughts running circles in her mind.
They both snapped out when Blue started singing along, out of the blue.

They never heard her singing voice before. Blue hung around at band practice, but she had not shown any ambition of joining in. As far as they knew, she didn’t play any instrument and the thought of a tough girl like Blue to sing just seemed wrong. Now her voice had a different quality to it, a few notches higher than her normal voice but still deeper than any of the other girls in the band. She still had that angry undertone as well

I tried so hard, in spite of the way you were mocking me, acting like I was part of your propriety, I’m surprised we got so far. Things aren’t the way they were before, you wouldn’t even recognize me any more, not that you knew me back then, but it all comes back to me, in the end.

Rainbow just stared straight ahead as the meaning sunk in, to some degree. This kind of desperation, in lack of a better word, had never touched her life, before Anon-A-Miss. Of course, she knew that Blue had been through some shit, but that was never more than just stories. She was doing fine now, right? She had friends after all. Friends who fell apart over a dumb frame job from some jealous middle school girls.

Just then, Rainbow heard Sunset’s voice. Unlike Blue, Sunset just sounded broken. And she reminded her that she knew better than both of them
I’ve put my trust in you, pushed as far as I can go, for all this, there’s only one thing you should know. I’ve put my trust in you, pushed as far as I can go, for all this, there’s only one thing you should know.
I’ve tried so hard and got so far. In the end, it doesn’t even matter. I had to fall, to lose it all. In the end, it doesn’t even matter.

It wasn’t like Rainbow didn’t want to understand, but she couldn’t. She had never been that far off. She’d thrown tantrums when she lost at sporting competitions, but that wasn’t the same as losing everything. Sunset had been alone for three years before the Fall Formal. Three years, and she was thirteen back then. She had gone from living in a castle to sleeping in the streets before she found her cheap-ass apartment. Blue maybe had her sister, but she had never had much else. She never had the chance to build anything up because they kept moving all the time and money was always short. Rainbow’s family wasn’t rich, but she never had to worry about anything, which was more than could be said about Sunset or Blue.

And now, she had taken even more away from Sunset who already had so little. She’d taken away that little bit of trust Sunset had worked so hard on to build up after she had been blasted into a crater at the Fall Formal. Sunset had given friendship a chance and got burnt worse than she ever had when it was just her.

And somehow, Sunset was still trying to give friendship another chance. She had told them at the hospital, with Princess Twilight. She had tried to show it when they had been visiting her. Rainbow had thought nothing of it, but now she saw, she realized just how hard it really was. She couldn’t take this for granted. She wouldn’t let all of Sunset’s fight go to waste again. And even if it meant she had to face her own feelings, she wouldn’t act like nothing had happened.

Both Blue and Sunset turned their heads when they heard Rainbow’s voice. The tough and always cool athlete with her giant ego was sitting in the corner with her eyes closed and tears running down her face. Something about Rainbow Dash showing emotions just didn’t compute, especially since she was also sobbing her way through the song
I’ve tried so hard and got so far. In the end, it doesn’t even matter. I had to fall, to lose it all. In the end, it doesn’t even matter.

Rainbow yelped when something hit her face and jerked her eyes open again. Blue just glared at her, after she’d thrown a pillow at her, but it wasn’t the same glare as she had at the door and Blue’s voice didn’t sound as angry either
“I told you, not a fucking word. If you want to sing, go back to your girl band.”

Blue kept glaring at Rainbow, knowing that Sunset would be watching very closely. As she had gambled, Rainbow picked up the challenge in her voice and reacted in what was normal, for her
“Hey! We’re not a girl band! The Rainbooms are a rock band!”
Blue just rolled her eyes
“Sure, rock band. You have Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie and Rarity. You’re the definition of a girl band.”
“Hey! We also got Applejack!”
“You’re right. You’re a country music girl band.”
“Oh yeah?”
Blue grinned when Rainbow hurled the pillow back at her. Now she’s going to talk about how she’s the band leader and how awesome she is.

She never expected to hear what Rainbow said instead
“Just so you know, any band with Sunset Shimmer in it is pure rock, period!”
Blue was so baffled that she gaped at Rainbow for a moment, enough for her to start laughing. She would have argued, but she also heard chuckling from behind her and Sunset’s voice who sounded more alive than she had all day
“She’s got you now, Blue.”

Rainbow and Sunset just laughed harder and Blue rolled her eyes. She knew when she was beaten
“Okay, fine. But Red’s like the only redeeming factor you ever had. You couldn’t keep up without her.”

Rainbow stopped chuckling immediately and looked directly at Sunset for the first time since she arrived and their eyes met. There was no challenge in her voice any more and she sounded completely serious
“I know.”
Blue turned around to see Sunset hide away an awkward blush behind the veil of her hair. Before anyone could say more, they all flinched from the new voice from the door

“If you’re finally done moping, how about you turn down that music now?”
Spring Meadow stood in the door, shouting over the angry music that was still blaring. Blue had completely toned it out for a few minutes but now got up and turned off the stereo altogether. Rainbow Dash also stood up from the floor and watched Spring Meadow as if she was expecting her to throw her out now.

Spring ignored both of them and turned to Sunset instead
“I just got a text from Vice-Principal Luna. She’s going to come pick you up in an hour or so.”
Sunset blushed and nodded hesitantly while Spring Meadow only had an understanding smile for her, that turned right into a glare as she fixed on Blue next
“And you better have a damned good explanation why you skipped classes today. I’m not saving your sorry butt from this one.”
Blue just rolled her eyes and nodded as well, so Spring fixed the last girl with another thoroughly intimidating glare
“Any problems with that?”
“No Ma’am! Totally fine with that, Ma’am.”
“Good.”

Rainbow Dash almost didn’t believe her eyes as the terrifying young woman in front of her turned back into the kind and understanding big sister Blue told her about in the blink of an eye, complete with a warm voice to match
“Now, does anyone want some cookies? I just finished a batch.”

Spring Meadow didn't even wait for an answer and helped Sunset back on her feet. With the care she’d expected from a nurse, Sunset was guided back into the kitchen and sat down on one of the cheap fold chairs. Rainbow followed quietly and took the seat at the other side of the table, but in the tiny kitchen it barely made any difference.

Blue followed as last and pulled a jug of milk out of the fridge. Rainbow couldn’t help but noticed that the fridge was almost empty.

Spring put a plate with cookies in the middle of the table. They were just plain cookies, but fresh from the oven and they scented heavenly, so Rainbow didn’t wait long before she snatched one.

Sunset hesitated for a moment longer, but when she took a bite, she was smiling a little at least. Blue hoped it wasn’t just because of the cookie, even though it didn’t hurt that her sister knew how to bake

“These are awesome!”
Blue rolled her eyes as Rainbow Dash stated the obvious and shoved another cookie into her mouth. She didn’t mention that the only reason they had home-made cookies was because they were cheaper than buying from the store. Blue also didn’t mention that they didn’t have any milk left when everyone had finished their glass. Rainbow didn’t need to know that and Sunset definitely shouldn’t worry about that right now.

Blue looked back at her sister and only now noticed that Spring was glaring at her for a while now
“Maybe you should start on your homework, Blue. Your vice-principal will be here soon and you don’t have a good excuse for leaving school early.”

At this, Blue only groaned and slumped forward until her head hit the table
“I didn’t stay long enough to get all homework. I’ll be stuck in detention all month.”
“Or maybe not!”

Rainbow chimed in, around another cookie, and rummaged in her school bag
“I’ve got everything for you and Sunset. Figured you wouldn’t come back today, so I picked your stuff up.”
Blue and Sunset exchanged a quick glance and Blue said what they were both thinking
“Since when are you planning ahead, Dash?”
“So it was Rarity’s idea, big deal. I’m the one who came here, right?”
All the girls could laugh at that, even Sunset. It was only a chuckle, but Blue counted it as a win for today.

Spring Meadow cleared the table and each girl leaned over their respective homework for a while. Sunset’s exhaustion from earlier was almost gone by now and her pen flew over her algebra sheets, even though she was in the advanced course. Blue just shrugged it off, she had no reason to be jealous and made good progress on her stuff. Rainbow Dash, as usual, didn’t get much done, but today it wasn’t because she was lazy. Blue noticed that she looked like she was deep in thought, which really wasn’t like Rainbow at all. After a couple of minutes, Rainbow put her pen down and looked at Sunset
“Hey, can I ask you something?”

Sunset hadn’t noticed Rainbow’s unusual behaviour and looked up surprised, but Blue tensed up, ready to intervene in case Dash said something stupid or thoughtless, as she often did
“If you don’t want to tell me, that’s cool but…”
“Do you need help with your homework?”
“What? No! I mean, yeah probably, but that’s not what I wanted to say!”
“So just spill it, Dash. I’m sure I can take it.”
Sunset sounded better than all morning, but she still looked shaken to Blue. Rainbow decided to go with it anyway
“So, why is Vice-Principal Luna picking you up? You’re not in trouble, are you?”

Blue resisted the urge to punch Rainbow right then and there. Of course, Rainbow didn’t know that Principal Celestia was Sunset’s official guardian. Blue knew because Celestia had told her, but Blue knew better than to spread news like that. Even after Anon-A-Miss, most people at school would react poorly if they knew.

Sunset froze up and looked down at her hands. She didn’t dare to look at Rainbow Dash and Blue could tell she was trying to work out if she should tell them or not. It was sensible information and even before Anon-A-Miss, Blue wasn’t sure if Sunset would have told that to her friends. Sunset seemed to think otherwise though and took a risk
“I moved in with Principal Celestia after I was released from the hospital. She and Luna live together, so Vice-Principal Luna is picking me up to get me home tonight.”

“Oh.”
Blue watched Rainbow Dash closely, but for once the athlete didn’t just blurt out the first thing on her mind. It was a bit much to take in on top of everything else, so Blue jumped in to help Rainbow out
“That’s good, right? Better than living alone in a tiny apartment. All by yourself.”
Rainbow, thankfully, got the clue and followed up
“Yeah. It’s great you’ve got someone looking out for you now. And Principal Celestia is only like the nicest person in the whole school. Vice-Principal Luna though…”
Rainbow made a face like she’d bitten into a lemon, but Blue just rolled her eyes
“Miss Luna is okay once you get to know her. I should know.”
Sunset nodded along but Rainbow needed a moment to catch on, as usual
“Why would you… Oh, right. Social worker and stuff. Gotcha.”

Sunset giggled when Blue faked a punch towards Rainbow and Rainbow acted like she’d been hit out of her chair. They hadn’t noticed that Spring Meadow had slipped out of the kitchen.
“You’re both such dorks.”
“Oh yeah? Better than egghead of the year like you!”
“That ‘egghead’ can still refuse to help you with your math homework, Dash.”
“Have I mentioned recently how much I admire your intellect, Sunset?”
They laughed it up again, even Sunset who didn’t hold back this time and for a moment, it seemed like nothing had ever happened.

Surprisingly, it was Rainbow Dash who sobered up first into a pensive expression
“I really should have told you that more often. Sorry for that.”
Sunset deflated in her seat and looked down at her hands again
“It… it’s okay Dash. Don’t worry about it.”
“It’s not. It’s not okay. But, thanks Sunset.”

Before the moment could get any more awkward, Spring Meadow came back with Vice-Principal Luna in tow. To Blue’s relief, she didn’t look that angry, but one look at her and Blue knew she was in trouble anyway. She sighed and held up her hands as a sign of surrender
“Your office, first thing tomorrow?”
Luna had that almost-evil smirk as she added
“I also wouldn’t make any afternoon-plans for the rest of the week if I were you.”

Rainbow Dash snickered and tried to hide it as a cough, while Spring Meadow just frowned. Blue ignored both at them and turned towards Sunset. She looked guilty above anything else, but Blue surprised her with a smirk of her own
“Totally worth it.”

Chapter 9

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Blue groaned when she finally walked out of Vice-Principal Luna's office. It was the last day of detention for skipping classes the week before, and as usual Miss Luna had found 'something productive' for her to do. Normally she wouldn't complain about that, but this time Miss Luna had her sort out the school's archives and it had taken forever to finish up.

Nobody was in the school building any more, of course. Even the late clubs had left already and none of the staff was around either. Blue checked her phone and saw that she probably wouldn't have enough time for a trip home. There was some big test coming up and the girls had decided to meet up for a study session. Blue sent off a message to her sister to tell her she'd go right to Pinkie's instead. Not only did Pinkie Pie have a large room all to herself, her family had also made sure that it was completely soundproof, so Pinkie wouldn't have to hold back with her volume when she was planning (or hosting) parties in there. As a nice side-effect, it also made for the perfect place to study without getting disturbed.

After a quick stop at her locker, Blue walked towards the front doors, when she heard voices. That late after school, she didn't really expect anyone to be around, especially by the doors. On top of that, although she couldn't make out any words, she clearly heard angry shouts and one high-pitched voice already crying or at least very close to crying.

Blue immediately started running and rushed outside. She saw a group of six students gathered around a girl on the ground, who was the source of the crying. They were middleschoolers but also two freshmen, and by the looks of it, they weren't finished with their victim yet.
Before she even recognized the crying girl, Blue rushed forward with an angry shout
“Leave her alone you assholes!”

The six bullies turned around and the younger students backed away. Blue shoved one of the freshmen out of her way and then planted herself firmly between the crying girl and the remaining one. Since Blue wasn't very tall, the other student still towered her, but he backed away when he saw Blue's angry glare

“Why do you defend her? She's just...”
Blue cut off his pathetic attempt to justify with another angry yell
“I don't care, shit-stain! You gang up on someone, you got a problem with me!”
She let her gaze wander around to the others to make sure they got the message and only saw frightened kids. Good. I can still scare the crap out of them.

They knew of course that Blue didn't back out from a fight and that she had taken down two seniors by herself on earlier occasions. Let's make sure they get the message.
“Get lost! And if I find out you're pulling shit like this again I'll kick your sorry asses into next month. Now beat it!”

The six of them didn't need any further encouragement and ran off into different directions. Blue took a deep breath and only now turned to Sweetie Belle who was still cowering behind her on the ground.

Sweetie Belle still had tears running and shivered all over, especially with Blue glaring at her, but she tried her best to look up and say something in her shaky voice
“T-thank you...”
“Shut up!”
Sweetie Belle's mouth clamped shut immediately and she crawled a bit further away from Blue who was still throwing angry glares at her
“I don't like you. I don't forgive you a single lousy thing you did. And a really big part of me wishes I'd been here five minutes later.”

The young girl shrunk more and more into herself but didn't protest to anything Blue said. She did however whimper out one question
“But... but why did you stop them? You could have just watched, but instead you saved...”
“SHUT UP!”
Blue turned away from Sweetie Belle, more angry at herself than the girl on the ground right now
“I didn't save you. But as much as you deserve it, six against one just isn't right.”

Sweetie Belle, unsure on how to take this, looked away from Blue. She made no effort whatsoever to get up from the ground, which just ticked Blue off more
“Geez, how long are you going to sit there in the dirt? Don't you have to get home or something?”
Sweetie Belle gave out a meek pout and finally scrambled back on her feet
“Oh no, if I'm not home soon, Dad's going to be so mad at me!”
“Then stop whining and get the fuck moving.”

Sweetie Belle winced and ran off. Blue didn't mean anything with what she said, even if she sounded harsh. That was just the way she talked, but Sweetie Belle didn't know that. Blue watched as the girl disappeared in a street and walked down the same street, though at a slower pace.

This was the first time she'd talked with any of the Anon-A-Miss-gang since the day in the hospital. It made her feel weird. She was still angry at the three girls, for obvious reasons. At the same time though, she was best friends with their elder sisters. Rarity, Applejack and Rainbow Dash hadn’t said anything, but Blue knew that they would expect her to at least try and be civil around the three skunks. Since Blue knew she wouldn’t be able to do it, she had just avoided them. Until now. Even though she didn’t lie with what she said to Sweetie Belle, it didn't feel right that...

“No, let me go!”

Blue's train of thought was abruptly broken by a high-pitched cry. Of course, Blue recognized the voice right away as Sweetie Belle, and that she had to be close by. What the fuck is going on today?

She wasn't ever going to ignore that call, so Blue sprinted off towards the voice. As she passed a corner, she saw one of the guys from before, pinning Sweetie Belle against a wall this time. Oh, now you've done it you little fucker.

Without any warning, Blue ran over and tackled the boy to the ground. He screamed out in surprise first, but then in pain and Blue twisted his arm on his back in a wristlock. When he started shouting out obscenities, she only tightened her grip
“Shut it you little fucker. I told you what would happen if you tried that shit again. Give me one good reason why I shouldn't just break your arm now!”

The boy screamed out in pain and started whining
“I was just trying to get back at her!”
“Oh yeah? For what? What did she do that you have to assault her twice in one night?”
“She's Anon-A-Miss!”
Blue growled from rage and pulled at his arm more
“Anon-A-Miss is over, dumbass. The three rats got their punishments from school and from the cops. There's no reason for you or your shitty little friends to get involved!”

“OWW! But she barely got punished! For everything she did...”
“Oh yeah? What did she do to you? What was so terrible that you need to beat her up personally to get even?”
The boy almost started crying, but he whimpered out
“She made a post about how I have a crush on Roseluck!”

Blue yanked him up on his arm and then shoved him away so she could glare at him
“Seriously? That's it? Are you fucking stupid? People post stuff like that on the net every fucking day, and you were going to assault a girl for that? What if the cops saw you, dumbass? You could get arrested for that.”
“I... um...”
Blue stepped up and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt when he just kept stammering
“Listen closely, dumbass. You better run home as fast as you can unless you want me on your case. And maybe you think about if that post is really worth all this trouble.”

As soon as Blue let go, the boy ran off without looking back. She gritted her teeth when she thought about how much this guy overreacted in comparison to some really nasty posts that had been made. Speaking of overreacting, Blue turned around and saw that Sweetie Belle had not moved away from the wall, she had only dropped to her knees and started crying.

Blue was already angry, so all she could do was shout at her
“Fuck's sake, how can you be such a crybaby! Get up already!”

Sweetie Belle quickly got up but wouldn't stop crying, not even when her phone started ringing. She looked at the screen and only cried more. Blue, running out on patience, snatched the phone out of her hand and saw an incoming call from 'Dad'. With a frustrated groan, she took the call
“Hello? Mr Hondo Flanks? This is Ocean Shore, Rarity's friend?”
“What? Why are you on the phone? Where is Sweetie Belle?”
“She's fine, sir. She got into some trouble on the way home and...”
“Trouble? What kind of trouble? Did those kids bully her again? I swear if they hurt my little girl, I'll...”
“Sir! Nothing happened. I'll take Sweetie Belle home right away.” Blue looked at the phone to check the time “We'll be there in about 10 minutes.”
“Alright, Ocean Shore. I'll be waiting.”

The call cut out and Blue went back to glaring at Sweetie Belle
“Come on, let's go. Hurry up!”
Sweetie Belle quickly ran up to Blue as she stared moving. She knew the way to Rarity's house well enough, so she marched ahead and left Sweetie Belle struggling to keep up with her. Of course, that didn't stop her from crying and whining
“Dad's going to be so mad... Mom is going to yell at me again... and Rarity will be angry and...”

“For fuck's sake, SHUT UP!”
Sweetie Belle whimpered and looked at Blue all frightened, but when the angry girl didn't make any attempt to attack her, she whined out a question
“W-Why are you doing this? You helped me and now you take me home, but you're still angry at me. I don't understand.”
“Because you're such a massive crybaby and you're so helpless that it fucking ticks me off.”
Sweetie Belle didn't dare ask anything else and just walked quietly next to Blue. At least the crying had stopped by now.

After a few minutes of silence, Blue felt the need to say something, even if she didn't look at Sweetie Belle
“You don't even realize how good you have it, kid.”
“Huh?”
Sweetie Belle just stared at her, so fucking oblivious that Blue couldn't help but get angry again

“You pull of all this shit, all the lies and ticking off the whole school, you even got Sunset into the hospital, but what happened? You get detention and community service, big whoop. And even though you fucked up so hard, your family is still protecting you.”
“What... what do you mean?”
Blue sighed
“Your dad wasn't mad at you. He was worried that something might have happened to you. He was about to come down hard on anyone who had hurt you.”
“But... I... he...”

“You're lucky, kid.”
“Lucky?”
Blue closed her eyes and her hands balled into a fist, so hard her knuckles turned white
“I never had a dad who looked out for me! When I was getting breasts and some creeps started following me home, my dad didn't scare them off! I had to do that! I had to beat the crap out of them before they laid off. And then they called the cops on me.”

Sweetie Belle was staring at Blue with wide open eyes now, but Blue couldn't see it as she talked herself more and more into rage
“And guess what, I didn't have parents who would pick me up from the police station. I didn't have a mum who was in the PTA and who would talk to the principal for me. Nobody had my back, so they kicked me out of their fucking school! And in the next school, when everyone heard what happened, they all ganged up on me again from day one. But my sister didn't go to the same school as me, so I had to look out for myself. I had to smash in their faces to make them stop.”
Sweetie Belle whimpered but didn't say anything, not even when Blue turned her head to glare at her

“And what do you do? You fuck up big time, and all you do is whine and wallow in self-pity. Your parents are angry? They fucking should be! But did they really go mad at you? They even let you keep your phone, for fuck's sake. Your sister didn't talk to you for a couple of days? Buh-huh. You pulled her through the dirt. You targeted her over everyone else. And she still made a new outfit for you. People in school give you a hard time? Maybe that's because all they got from you is crying instead of a proper apology just once!”

Blue breathed hard after her rant, burnt out of anger for now, and just kept walking. Sweetie Belle stayed by her side, in some distance. She needed a full minute before she found to courage to ask something

“But... what am I supposed to do now? I’m doing all my detention and all my punishments, but nobody seems to care about it at all.”
“Stop crying, for fuck's sake. Stop acting like a stupid kid, or people will keep treating you like one. Grow a fucking spine and stand up for what you did. Even if it was the biggest shitty fuck-up ever. Crying won't make it better, so you need to find something that works.”
“Like... like what?”
“Figure that out yourself, kid. If you don't, it's not worth a fuck.”

Sweetie Belle didn't say anything more as they walked the last stretch to the house. Before they even reached the door, it flew open and Rarity rushed out towards her sister
“Sweetie Belle, whatever happened to you? Oh dear, look at your outfit, it's all messed up! Are you hurt, Sweetie Belle?”
“No, I just fell down. Please don't worry, Rarity.”

Blue stayed behind and watched as Sweetie Belle didn't start crying for once. Instead, she wrapped her arms around her big sister for a hug
“Thanks for always looking out for me.”
Rarity, utterly surprised by Sweetie's behaviour, looked at Blue for an explanation, but Blue only shrugged and handed Sweetie Belle's phone over to their father

“Here you go, sir.”
Hondo Flanks stared at her for a moment. It wasn't too long ago that he would forbid either of his daughters to spend time with Blue, for obvious reasons. This time however, he just nodded and turned back to the house. Rarity's mother, Cookie Crumbles, was also fussing about Sweetie Belle now, so Blue just turned around to leave the family to itself for now, but Rarity called out to her
“Ocean, please wait!”

Blue turned around and Rarity came after her
“You're going to Pinkie Pie's study party as well, correct? We can go together, I was just about to leave.”
Blue glanced at the other three going back into the house, before she looked back at Rarity and shrugged
“Whatever.”

Rarity didn't seem any surprised by Blue's reaction and they walked off together. Blue noticed that Rarity kept glancing over to her, so she yelled at her
“What's your fucking problem?”
“Excuse me, Darling. You just seem deeply upset about something.”
“Oh yeah? What do you fucking know?”
“Well, for once, you're doing 'the face' again. And you’re swearing.”

Blue was about to yell more, but she held back last second and took a deep breath instead
“Sorry Rarity. I shouldn't have snapped at you like that.”
“It's alright Darling. Did Sweetie Belle say something that upset you?”
“No. Well, kinda, in a way. It's a bit more than that.”

Rarity nodded and put a hand on Blue's shoulder
“I think I understand, so I won't pry any further. But if you ever need somebody to talk, you can come to me anytime. You know that, right Darling?”
Blue had a small smile as she nodded
“Yeah. Thanks, Rares.”
“Don't mention it, dear.”

Blue walked out of the classroom with a mighty groan, just like Lyra Heartstrings next to her. Both of them were the last to finish their test and both of them looked equally exhausted
“Man, that was brutal. How did it go for you?”
Blue made a so-so gesture with her hand
“Started out well, but the last questions just murdered me. Hopefully enough for a passing grade.”
“Yeah, no kidding. I totally drew blank at the one about...”

“Um, excuse me?”
Blue turned her head around when she heard the voice, and instantly started glaring, just like Lyra next to her. Bon Bon, who had been waiting for Lyra, even rushed over when she saw who they were talking to.

The three skunks, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, huddled up before them. From the corner of her eyes, Blue saw Bon Bon closing up on Lyra, so she took a step forward to stand between the couple and the three girls, just in case. She could really do without another fight in the middle of the hallway.

Surprisingly, Sweetie Belle was the one up front for the skunks. Usually, she was always hiding in the back, but this time it was Scootaloo who half-hid behind her back. Apple Bloom stood by her friend's side, but it was clear that she also expected Sweetie Belle to take the lead here.

Blue fixed her with a glare and an annoyed yell to match
“What?”
Sweetie Belle flinched, but her eyes met Blue
“I... we just wanted to... you got into a lot of trouble. After all we did before winter break. It's, um, we never targeted you directly, but you still got caught up in it. And we hurt your friends. And I think we never really apologized, so.” Sweetie Belle took a deep breath and this time, the other two chimed in “We're sorry for all the trouble we caused.”

Blue just watched them, as did every other student in the hallway. She didn't say anything for a minute. Lyra could see that she balled her hand to a fist, but just for a brief moment.
“Was that it?”
Everybody stared at her, just as surprised as Sweetie Belle. Blue wasn't really known for a calm demeanour, far from the opposite, but when Sweetie Belle had a baffled nod, she just shrugged
“Kay. Whatever.”

Apple Bloom looked like she wanted to say something else, but a quick glance from Scootaloo stopped her
“Um, I guess we'll be going now. Thanks for listening.”
“Yeah. Now get lost.”
The three girls nodded and hushed away, but even they could tell that Blue had said that last part without any of her usual anger. Blue turned around to see Lyra and Bon Bon staring at her, to which she only shrugged
“Come on, let's get some lunch. I'm starving.”

Bon Bon was more than happy to leave that awkward moment behind. She nodded and pulled Lyra along towards the cafeteria. However, another girl from their class joined them right away
“What was that all about?”
“Nothing. Just forget it, Fuchsia.”
Blue didn't want to elaborate, but the girl wasn't finished yet
“I hear they've been pulling this stunt all day with different people. Do you think they're plotting something?”

Blue gritted her teeth and was about to respond, but Lyra beat her to it
“Are you trying to hype this up, Fuchsia? Sounds like you're just waiting for another Anon-A-Miss.”
“Ah, no, of course not! I was just wondering...”
“Well, you can wonder without turning that into nasty rumours!”
Bon Bon shot a frown at Fuchsia for emphasis and Blue couldn't hide a small smirk.

Any attempt of conversation fell apart when they reached the noisy cafeteria. After grabbing some lunch, Lyra and Bon Bon left of their usual table and Blue headed to sit with the girls. Applejack threw a suspicious look at her and Rarity had that same knowing smile as last night, but other than that, it was just a normal lunch break from then on.

Chapter 10

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When the last bell rang on Friday afternoon, everyone at CHS more or less rushed to the exit, even the teachers happily left their classrooms for the weekend. Seven girls tarried behind in one of the hallways though, talking about their plans for the weekend.

Pinkie Pie rattled down a number of ideas how they could pass the time and the others chipped in. Even Sunset Shimmer was kind of excited to spend some time with her friends again, after being stuck in the hospital for so long. She was one of the reasons why the Rainbooms were in no rush to leave, as Sunset would have to wait for Principal Celestia to take her back home. Sunset had shared her new living situation with her closest friends, and they all could see how much better Sunset was doing with that kind of support in her life. She was smiling along with the others and laughed at Pinkies antics like she always used to.

Only Blue didn’t look that happy. She would not get home in time today, as she had detention once again. However, instead of sitting in detention hall or doing pointless chores, Vice-Principal Luna had something else in mind for her today. What that was, Blue didn’t know. She didn’t like surprises in general, so surprise-detention was more than enough to put her in a grumpy mood.

Fluttershy quickly picked up on that, as usual, and reached out for Blue’s hand. A quick but reassuring squeeze later, and Blue’s frown faded into something calmer. She threw a thankful smile towards Fluttershy who returned it from behind her veil of hair that covered most of her face. The others noticed and made more of an effort to include Blue into their chat, putting weekend plans to the side for now. Blue told them they didn’t have to just because of her.

Despite of how much Blue had changed since her first day in CHS, detention still was a very regular thing for her. Even though Trixie had wisely stopped teasing her after their first run-in, some resident troublemakers in seek of the next thrill had made a sport of challenging her. Sadly, Blue’s latent anger and short fuse were two of things that hadn’t changed, so ticking her off wasn’t very hard. On the bright side, Gilda Gryphon seemed to like that the black eye made her look more badass.

Blue sighed and leaned against the wall of the school building while the others sat down on the stairs of the side entrance. She knew she deserved that detention, so she couldn’t really be mad at Vice-Principal Luna. She also couldn’t be mad at the girls for making weekend plans when she couldn’t. That left only herself to be mad at, and she had a lot of practice at that.

The doors opened and the girls jumped back on her feet. Principal Celestia pulled Sunset in for a quick hug and even though Sunset blushed, all the girls could see her smile and how much she enjoyed this kind of affection, after years of loneliness. If anything good had come out of Anon-A-Miss, it was that Sunset had found a family in Celestia, even if it was a little odd.

On a normal day, Vice-Principal Luna would probably tease her almost-niece now, but today she was busy glaring at Blue instead. Blue should know better, but she still glared right back, not willing to back out that easily. The girls left with some goodbyes and Celestia took Sunset to the faculty lot, but Blue and Luna were still glaring at each other.

Like always, Blue dropped out first with a sigh

“Okay, so what is this ‘special idea’ you had?”

When Luna’s glare only intensified, Blue added a meek “Miss Luna” at the end of her question. She rolled her eyes when Luna had that evil smirk then. She hated it when Luna pulled the ‘figure of authority’ card on her, but Blue knew better than to complain. She already had enough detention as is.

“You’ll find out soon enough, Miss Shore. Did you bring your gym clothes?”

Blue nodded, but with a groan

“Can’t you take a break from playing Miss Mysterious just once? It’s Friday, for fuck’s sake.”

“Maybe if you could hold your temper for a change, we wouldn’t have to do this on a Friday.”

Blue rolled her eyes and sighed deeply

“Whatever.”

Blue followed Luna when the teacher started moving, but to her surprise, they didn’t go to the gymnasium. Instead, Luna headed to her car in the parking lot and motioned for her to get in. Wordlessly, Blue climbed into the passenger seat and threw her bag to the backseat. Blue was already in a bad mood, driving halfway through town on a Friday night to some fucking place only Luna knew didn’t help. She could really do without all this secrecy bullshit. I just hope it’s over soon.

When Luna finally parked the car, Blue climbed out immediately. From the drive, she knew they had to be in the central district of Canterlot, but the street was unfamiliar to her. While Luna locked the car, Blue glanced around to get her bearings. At least, that was what it was supposed to look like. After a few months of working with Blue, both as her teacher and her social worker, Luna noticed what Blue was really doing. Blue had shifted her weight on one leg with her body tensed up for a running start and she probably didn’t notice anything of the street except possible getaway routes. Luna sighed silently. Blue had made a lot of progress, and in school she had managed to let go of this tension, especially when she was with her friends. But as soon as she left school grounds, Blue was still the same nervous, mistrusting, and ill-tempered girl who had arrived at CHS late fall. Hopefully, this trip would help her loosen up a bit more.

Blue, of course, didn’t know of Miss Luna’s hopes. She was checking out the buildings, wondering why she had been brought here, until she noticed a small sign. This had to be what Miss Luna was going at, since she had asked her to bring gym clothes, but just the thought alone seemed absurd

“Martial Arts School? Are you fucking serious?”

Undeterred, Luna went straight towards the door with the sign, expecting Blue to follow, which she did of course

“All ballet classes were booked out, so this was the only place I could find on such short notice.”

Luna said this with such a straight face that Blue just stared at her in shock for a whole minute, before she finally caved in and chuckled as Blue slowly caught up on her joke

“Ha ha. But seriously, what the fuck do you think is going to happen here?”

Luna only had a sideways glare for her

“I expect you to keep an open mind while here, Ocean Shore. Instead of complaining like a young child, maybe you should be grateful that I give you this chance when I could have just locked you up in detention hall.”

Blue looked away from Luna’s glare and clamped her teeth shut before she could blurt out an angry quip. Miss Luna didn’t use her full name very often, but when she did, Blue knew that she was on thin ice. Instead of risking the teacher’s wraith, she went for a meek question instead

“Do you really think this will help with anything?”

“I do. You’ll find that sport can be a good outlet for all that anger you carry with you all the time.”

Blue rolled her eyes and mumbled

“Now you sound like the counsellor in juvie.”

She noticed a blur to her right but wasn’t fast enough to duck from the blue hand that smacked the back of her head

“Ow! Hey!”

“And perhaps you will learn that sometimes it’s better to stand down and be quiet, instead of talking with your fists.”

Blue glared at Luna for that not very subtle hint at her last trouble in school

“I didn’t start that fight! I wasn’t going to let anyone beat the shit out of me, so I fought back.”

Luna nodded with a long, defeated sigh

“I know, Blue. I know. And I hope that, if nothing else, at least you’ll learn how to defend yourself without causing injury to your opponents. Or yourself.”

At this, Blue’s frown faded almost instantly. The way Miss Luna said that made her feel weird, somehow. She wasn’t really used that anyone would care if she got hurt, except maybe her sister. That Miss Luna seemed to care about her that way… Blue didn’t really know how to feel about it.

She didn't get much of a chance to think about it since Luna pushed her into a room after climbing a set of stairs. Blue took a step inside and, as always, immediately checked her surroundings. The room was nearly square, probably big enough for twenty people, and the floor was covered with judo mats. Besides the door she had just come in from, there was only one other door at the far end of the room, but Blue could see that it was just a storage room or something. There were no real windows either, just some small slits right under the ceiling, like bathrooms sometimes had them. Which meant her only escape route would be back through the door Miss Luna was now guarding. Great. I'm really stuck here.

In the room, there was a man waiting for them and he was watching Blue with appraising eyes. He was tall and muscular, and he didn't look at all like Blue would imagine a martial arts teacher. Instead of the lean, wiry guys she had seen in ninja movies, this guy was bulky like a bodybuilder. On steroids. Blue had to guess that he was in his forties, but she couldn't really tell since his hair was naturally grey, except one broad stripe of red in the middle, almost like a Mohawk. He had yellow-brownish skin that reminded Blue of sandstone, and the way he just stood there and watching her, he might as well be just a statue.

Blue instinctively glared at him as she walked up towards him. She didn't know this guy or why Luna had brought her here, but she wasn't going to let some dude in a karate outfit intimidate her. When she reached the middle of the room, she stopped and waited for the guy to say something. Which he didn't. Something about him gave Blue military vibes, from the way he just stood still and stared. If it wasn't for the karate outfit, Blue would have never guessed that this guy had anything to do with martial arts.

As if he had read her thoughts, the guy finally talked with a deep, chesty voice

“Who did you expect? Mister Miyagi?”

Blue involuntarily let out a snorting laugh, trying to cover it up with a snarky comment

“Oh wow, he can talk.”

It didn’t come out nearly as snarky or witty as Blue had hoped, and the guy was now grinning at her. Not an improvement really.

“From what Luna told me, I thought you were taller.”

Blue’s glare dialled up a few notches and her hands balled to fists. She hated people who judged her before they even got to know her, especially about her size. Her reply was only an angry growl

“I’ve taken down a guy twice my size during my first week in town, so you better watch what you say.”

She didn’t care that she had never met this guy before. She didn’t care if he looked like he could lift her up and throw her through the room with one hand. She didn’t care that Miss Luna was behind her and watching, or that she might have just insulted one of Miss Luna’s friends. Blue wasn’t going to take shit from nobody, and especially not from a jerk like that guy.

The guy moved and walked closer to her. Blue didn’t realize that she shifted her weight to one leg and instinctively tensed up her upper body, but he noticed, even if he didn’t show it. Blue wouldn’t back away, even when he was so close that she had to tilt back her head and glare up at him. She almost expected him to throw a punch at her, but he still had that stupid grin on this face. And then, he surprised her

“Show me.”

Blue’s glare faded for a moment and made room for her surprised expression

“What?”

“Show me how you did it. Try to take me down, like you did with that guy.”

Blue only responded with an angry snort

“Yeah, right. I’m going to punch a stranger and then I’ll check for the bus to the nearest police station. How dumb do you think I am?”

The guy just had a throaty laugh for her at that

“Don’t worry, you won’t get into trouble for it”

He probably thought he would lighten up the mood with that, but Blue’s frown returned with full strength

“Oh, so you’re just looking for an excuse, huh? You let me punch you and then you’ll get to beat me up for it. Is that something that turns you on? Beating up girls like a sick perv?”

That finally worked and shook the guy out of his cool. His grin faded and now he really looked angry

“Has that ever happened to you?”

“What?”

The guy leaned forward and looked like a pissed drill-sergeant

“What you just said. Has that ever happened to you before?”

Blue would have been confused by how much this guy seemed to care, but she didn’t really listen now that she had an opening. When he leaned towards her, Blue had a perfect angle again and her fist smashed into his upper body, just below his ribcage.

His eyes opened wide from surprised and he staggered backwards with a pained grunt. Suddenly his face went pale and he looked like he had trouble breathing. And while he tried to get his breath back, he was staring at her with pure disbelieve.

Blue would have enjoyed that sight way more if her hand didn’t feel like she had just punched a massive stone wall

“Ow, what the fuck? Do you keep fucking bricks under that shirt?”

Behind her, Luna just broke into laughter. The sight of the tall man struggling to stay on his feet while Blue was shaking her hand to get the pain out of her fingers was just too good. Blue glared at her as she tried to get feeling back into her fingers, and Karate Guy was still panting, although his face turned back to normal colour.

Unlike Score who was out cold from one punch, this guy recovered far more quickly. Also unlike Score, he didn’t seem unreasonably mad either

“Nice punch. But I don’t think that will work if you don’t distract your opponent first.”

Blue crossed her arms in front of her chest, her glare wasn’t as seething as before

“I’ve got more than one trick.”

And there was his grin again

“Show me.”

Blue took a step forward, and the guy tensed up. Blue could see that his enormous muscles flexed in anticipation of her next move. He clearly wouldn’t underestimate her again. Blue didn’t notice the satisfied grin that sprang to her face. Her hands balled to fists, and she ran up to him.

It had only been a couple of minutes, but Blue was out of breath and sweat was running down her face as she still tried to hit the guy. High emphasis on trying. That guy was far too quick for his massive size. He had dodged or blocked every single blow from Blue so far and he didn’t even stop grinning. Blue got more and more angry and by now, she was just flailing at him in blind rage.

Then suddenly, he just took her hit. He just didn’t move at all and took it full force. Blue was so surprised when she just bounced off his massive form, and the pain in her fingers was back again. While Blue tried to catch her balance again, she noticed that he moved. Before she knew what happened, she was landing on the mat, butt first. She was so perplexed, she even forgot to be angry.

“Not much of a trick, huh? But we can change that.”

He reached out for Blue’s arm and pulled her back to her feet

“My name is Black Belt, and we’re going to train together. There’s a changing room at the end of the hall. Get changed and catch your breath, then get back here. You’ve got work to do.”

Blue glared but did as he said. She wordlessly walked past Luna to the door. She slammed it shut behind her, as she knew they expected, but instead of heading to the changing room right away, she stayed right behind the door. From here, she could hear the guy, Black Belt, and Miss Luna talking

“So that’s your special case, huh?”
“Special, in more than just one way.”

“I’ve never seen a girl this reckless. She just stormed at me with no fear, but no sense or reason either. What do you expect me to do with her?”

Blue gritted her teeth and slammed her fist against the door. ‘Special case’ was just another way to call her a lost cause. She was just pissed, but she wouldn’t back out now. She would show this jerk what she really was made of.

She changed into her gym clothes as quickly as she could and stormed back into the room, slamming the door shut again. The glare she shot as Miss Luna was enough to make the woman stay out of her way as she just lunged at Karate Guy again. Black Belt was surprised, but only for a second, because one moment later, Blue was slamming into the floormats again, face first this time. Before she even realized, Black Belt had her pinned down, so she was reduced to some pathetic wiggling on the floor.

And of course, he had that stupid grin again

“Hothead, are we? When we're done today, we'll talk again.”

Blue just screamed in rage and tried to pull free, which didn’t work at all, since she could barely move. Only after he let her go, she could get back on her feet.

Blue’s hands balled to fists and she clenched her teeth shut so she wouldn't scream. Black Belt watched her closely, and so did Miss Luna. Sneaking in a hit didn’t work. Charging at him didn’t work. I’ve already made an idiot of myself enough for one day.

She forced out a breath and let her fingers spread again. She even tried to stop glaring and slipped into that slightly bored expression she usually set up for her teachers at class. Luna recognized it and saw right through it, and so did Black Belt after a nod from the teacher.

Without even mentioning what happened before, he started the lesson.

They didn’t really get much done, as they only had two hours and Blue had no clue about martial arts besides what she’d seen in movies, which was mostly rubbish as Black Belt told her. So, Blue only scratched at the basics. She learned how to stand right, so she couldn’t be knocked over easily. She learned and practiced how to move and keep her body centred. Some of the things she had learned the hard way, during fights at school and outside of it, but not in the way Black Belt explained them.

She probably wouldn’t admit it, but it was actually kinda fun. Black Belt didn’t pull any Master Yoda philosophy bullshit with her or any of that new-age stuff with healthy body for a healthy mind or whatever. He didn’t treat her like a dumb child, and Blue could appreciate that a lot.

The best part was the end, when he brought something like a portable punchbag, and she could practice some of the moves he showed her. After the frustrating start, it felt really good to deck that thing with punches over and over.

When they were doing some stretching at the end, Blue was kinda exhausted, but it was okay. This was ways better than sitting in a classroom or carrying boxes from one office to another. Of course, that good mood didn’t stay very long. Miss Luna was throwing weird glances at her and Blue was about to ask what her problem was, but Black Belt beat her to it and started questioning her instead

“How often has that happened?”

“Huh? The fuck are you talking about?”

Blue glared and any trace of contentment just vanished. Black Belt had that look she had seen in other people, that kind of pity of someone who thought she was weak and lost in the world and only they could save her. Blue hated being treated like a little girl, and she didn’t need any saving, especially not from people like that.

“You getting into fights with people, how often has that happened?”

Black Belt faced Blue’s glare head on, which only made her angry again

“Why do you fucking care? That’s nothing to do with you!”

“Just answer the goddamn question!”

Blue pulled back a bit. Black Belt hadn’t shown any anger all night, not even when she was trying to punch him, but this time she could hear it very clearly. She shrugged and looked away, but did as he asked

“Lost count. Bastards couldn’t take it. They thought I was an easy pick, but they’re all wrong.”

When she looked away, her eyes fell on Miss Luna. She didn’t look angry, but there was that same pitiful expression Blue hated so much

“What the fuck is wrong with you? You drag me to a martial arts class but suddenly you care if I get into a fight or not? Make up your fucking mind!”

Luna sighed, and so did Black Belt behind her. Blue could almost hear their thoughts ‘Oh, that poor, poor, child’ and it pissed her off

“Stop treating me like a little girl. I’ve made it through half a dozen high schools without self-defence-classes and guess what? I survived.”

“You certainly did. But was it really worth it?”

Blue glared even harder at Luna and screamed at her

“Fuck you! Those jerks had it all coming. I won’t let myself get beat up just so you can feel better. I’m not taking shit from nobody!”

Black Belt spoke up again, unimpressed by Blue’s rage

“Nobody asked you to do that. But maybe there’s a better way to it. You said you survived, but what else?”

Blue threw her head around to glare at him again

“What do you mean, what else?”

“You went from fight to fight and everywhere you go, you’re butting heads with everyone. Sure, you survived, but could you really call that living?”

“Fuck you! Who are you to judge my life? You know shit about me! You have no idea what I’ve been through! I always had to fight for myself, or nobody else would!”

Black Belt suddenly slammed his fist into the mats. Blue was so surprised that she flinched from the loud bang. She turned around and instinctively got ready to run for it. She knew she had no chance to fight back if Karate Guy wanted to go after her. Not even Miss Luna could save her now.

Instead of charging at her, Black Belt only glared

“Why are you doing this? You’re not an idiot. You know I only want to help you, but you treat me like an enemy. Why?”

“I never asked for your help! I don’t want any help! I don’t need any!”

“That’s bullcrap. Everybody needs some help eventually. Even a tough girl like you.”

“FUCK YOU! Stop treating me like a fucking pity case!”

Blue didn’t even wait for an answer and just stormed out through the door. She heard yelling but she just ran down the stairs, still in her gym clothes. She just couldn’t take this bullshit any longer. A minute later, she was out on the street and she just ran.

It didn’t take long before Blue stopped running, most likely because she’d spend the last few hours training. It also didn’t take long before she started swearing under her breath again. She’d left her clothes behind, including her jacket which she missed dearly now that the sun was gone, and the night turned cold. More importantly, along with her clothes, she also left her phone behind, so she couldn’t call her sister or anyone else. The only hope she had left was that she could make it into the building and wait for her sister to get back home after her night shift.

That was, if she’d find her way back before freezing to death.

Blue glanced around for anything familiar, but she didn’t recognize any of the streets she passed. Running off in just any direction when she didn’t even know where she was had been a stupid plan. Now she really had no idea where she was and all she could do was follow the street and hope she’d fine a sign soon.

She frowned and burrowed her hands in her pockets. Her gym clothes were worn out, like all her stuff, and barely held back the cold, but they had to be enough for tonight. How she would get her things back, she had no idea, but that would have to wait for tomorrow. Right now, she was just following the street somewhere and swearing, because at least that was something she could still do.

Blue had been wandering around for maybe an hour when a car drove by. It passed her and Blue noticed that it wasn’t a car, but an old truck by the size and sound of it.

Weird. What’s a truck doing around here this late on a Friday night?

Before Blue even finished that thought, the truck took a sharp break and started slowly pulling back in reverse. Blue immediately tensed up and looked around for a way to run, but then she heard the voices from the open window

“See, I told you she’d be around! I had a twitchy toe and a tingle in my left ear.”

“Alright, alright, I admit you were right all along, Pinkie.”

Blue froze in mid-run

“Pinkie Pie and Applejack?”

On cue, the passenger-door of the truck flew open and Pinkie Pie waved at her as if it was the most normal thing ever

“Hi Blue! Did you have a nice walk? We’re here to pick you up now!”

“You what? How? How did you even… and why…?”

Pinkie Pie just smiled her goofy smile at her, so Applejack tried to explain instead

“Pinkie sense. She just knows stuff somehow. Don’t try to figure it out, you’ll just hurt your head.”

Blue’s stare shifted between the two girls and slowly turned into a glare

“So Pinkie is acting weird, but that still doesn’t explain why you would be here right now.”

“We came to pick you up?”

“Why?”

Applejack and Pinkie Pie shared a confused look while Blue just kept glaring at them

“What do you mean, why? We don’t want you freezin’ your legs off, that’s why. Now hop on in!”

Blue didn’t move an inch. Even though she was shivering now that she had stopped moving and the freezing cold crept under her skin. The only thing that kept her somewhat warm was the anger that was building up inside her

“I thought you all have plans for tonight. Now you’re driving around in the middle of nowhere, and I want to know why.”

Pinkie Pie started to giggle and even Applejack had that stupid grin of her, all which didn’t help with Blue’s anger

“Silly dilly, we wouldn’t leave a friend out in the cold. That’s more important than a sleepover!”

Blue kept on glaring, but against Pinkie’s antics and Applejack’s stubbornness, her anger couldn’t compete. And it really was too cold to argue, so she finally climbed into the truck, even if the fire still grumbled in her tummy.

She toned out Pinkie Pie’s babbling and instead focused on the road ahead. This late, even the main roads were relatively empty, so they got along well. Applejack took the route back to the school, as far as Blue could tell, but there was no use to this late

“Take the next left, you can drop me off at the corner.”

Even if they were her friends, Blue had no intention of letting them know where she lived. They didn’t need the see the old, run-down house or the tiny apartment she shared with her sister. They would just worry, or even worse, feel like they had to save her. Blue just glared from the thought alone. She didn’t need saving from nobody. Bad enough that Rainbow Dash and Sunset Shimmer knew where she lived.

Applejack nodded, but didn’t take the turn and just kept driving anyway

“AJ? What the fuck? Where are you taking me?”

“Don’t worry, partner. I know where to go.”

Blue grit her teeth and threw a glare that should incinerate her

“I’ve got enough of this secrecy bullshit! First Luna, now you, what the fuck is wrong with you? I don’t care where you want to take me, let me out now!”

Blue reached over Pinkie Pie to get a grip at the door, but Pinkie Pie grabbed her wrists with surprising strength

“Don’t do that! Don’t you know it’s dangerous? Also, why would you want to leave and miss the party?”

“Party? I didn’t ask for a fucking party… ugh, shut up!”

Blue stopped Pinkie Pie from saying something stupid about a surprise party

“I don’t fucking care! I just want to get home now! So you either take me home now, or…”

“Or what? You gonna jump out of a driving car? You’re crazy, but you’re not stupid, Blue.”

With a yell of pure rage, Blue finally pulled free from Pinkie’s grip and now turned to Applejack, trying to make her pull over by force. For a moment, she managed to pull the wheel towards the right, way too fast, and Applejack almost lost control of the truck

“Watch it! Are you trying to get us all killed?”

“PULL OVER NOW!”

The girls glared at each other, but Applejack finally stopped at a corner

“Get the hell out of my truck, now!”

“Fuck yeah you crazy bitch!”

Pinkie looked between the two and shrank down scared in an almost perfect imitation of Fluttershy, but Blue was far to angry to notice. She just threw the door open and jumped out, just in time before Applejack hit the gas and drove off as fast as the truck would allow, with Pinkie Pie shrieking through the still half-open door.

At this time, Blue couldn’t give less of a fuck. She was back in the freezing cold, but at least she knew where she was now. Angry as she was, she just ran all the way home.

What the fuck is wrong with me?

Blue sat in the dark of her room, no music or lights, and asked herself the same question over and over, without finding any answer.

Why the fuck did I do that? What the fuck is wrong with me?

Blue had been angry at Karate Guy, but not so angry that it would explain the way she just exploded at Applejack. At Applejack and Pinkie Pie. And why? Because they wanted to help her.

What the fuck is wrong with me?

They were supposed to be friends. This was supposed to be easy. Blue knew they had their quirks and she had hers, but why did this all turn into this fucking mess?

They had been so close right after Anon-A-Miss, but right now… Blue didn’t know where they stood anymore. Everything was just a giant complicated mess right now.

Rainbow Dash, Rarity and Applejack still walked on eggshells around Sunset. Sunset tried to act like everything was okay, but surprisingly, or maybe not, Fluttershy was so protective around Sunset. Pinkie Pie was just oblivious as always. Blue didn’t want to pretend she was happy, but she also knew that she shouldn’t be the one who starts a big argument, because most likely, she would blow up on them.

Like I just did anyway. Why does stuff like this happen whenever things seem to be turning for the better?

Blue glared at the opposite wall, but in reality, she was more angry at herself than anyone else. She couldn’t even call and try to explain herself (not that she had any good explanation), because her phone was still in Miss Luna’s car, along with her schoolbag. She couldn’t borrow her sister’s phone either, since Spring Meadow worked the night shift and wouldn’t be back until the next morning. It wouldn’t matter if she was here anyway, since she didn’t know any of the girl’s numbers out of her head…

What the fuck is just wrong with me?

Blue flinched when she heard a sound she didn’t expect. She got up, still in the dark, and opened the door to her room. There it was again, and this time she was sure: Somebody was knocking at her door this late, and she had no idea who it could be.

“Come on Blue, we know you’re in there!”

Blue gritted her teeth when she heard the voice from the other side and stormed to push open the door with all her force. Rainbow Dash, who was of course at the other side of the door, must have expected something like that, because she immediately jumped out of the way and held her hands up defensively

“Whoa, easy there! We come in peace! I promise!”

Blue glared at her but then noticed Sunset Shimmer standing half-behind Rainbow. She had a large bag from a fast-food-joint and held it out towards her

“Peace offering?”

Before Blue could even think of something to say, her tummy gave out an almighty roar. She hadn’t eaten anything since lunch at school and between the workout from earlier, combined with running halfway through town, and the empty fridge…

Her tummy grumbled again, and Blue felt her face go all red from blushing. Rainbow and Sunset just laughed, but it somehow broke the awkward tension. With a roll of her eyes, Blue just stepped aside and let the two in.

Two-and-a-half burgers later, and Blue finally looked up at her maybe-not-so-much-unwanted guests. Rainbow was busy with a burger of her own, but Sunset was watching her, waiting until she was ready

“Why are you here? Let alone this late?”

Sunset sighed and rolled her eyes

“Geez, I wonder. Maybe because you just ran away from Luna and left all your stuff behind? Or maybe because you blew up on Applejack and nearly made her crash into a wall with her truck.”

“I did not make her…”

Blue just barely stopped herself from saying something stupid and took a deep breath instead

“That was not intentional. I was just… angry.”

“Angry, huh? Sound more like freaking mad to me.”

Blue shot a glare to Rainbow Dash, but compared to the ones from early tonight, this one was harmless

“What do you care anyway? That’s between Applejack and me, if anything.”

“That's not how it works, and you know it, Blue.”

Blue balled her hand to a fist under the table

“No, I don’t fucking know. I don’t know why Applejack and Pinkie suddenly appeared out of nowhere, I don’t know where they wanted to take me, and I don’t know why any of you should care. If I’m just fucking crazy, shouldn’t you be with them right now?”

Sunset and Rainbow looked at each other, before the latter sighed

“Either you really don’t have a clue, or you’re just being stubborn right now. Applejack and Pinkie Pie are at Rarity’s place right now, where they wanted to take you too. Fluttershy managed to calm Applejack down by now, so they are taken care of. But you’re sitting here in the dark all by yourself.”

“So what? Why the fuck would you care?”

Sunset shook her head in disbelief

“We’re worried because we’re friends, Blue. That’s what friends do. We want to be there for you.”

“Yeah, we don’t want to leave you hanging like…”

Rainbow caught herself from finishing the sentence, but the way she looked at Sunset told everything anyway. She doesn’t want to let me down like she let Sunset down?

“I’m fine by my own. I’ve always been fine by my own.”

“That’s not the point!”

Rainbow looked between Sunset and Blue, gathering the courage for what she wanted to say

“Sunset was fine by herself for years, but when we became her friends, we should have made sure she doesn’t have to be by herself anymore. And now you shouldn’t have to do everything by yourself anymore!”

“What do you want to say with that? That you’re helping me because you feel guilty about Sunset? That you think I’m just a fucking pity case for you? Who the fuck do you think…”

“It’s NOT about that!”

Sunset slammed her hand on the table to interrupt Blue’s rant before she could talk herself into another raging fit

“It doesn’t matter if the girls let me down, right now it’s about not letting you down, that’s all there is!”

“I never asked you to ‘be there for me’ or anything! I’m not a fucking baby who needs to be treated like she’s made of paper! I don’t need anyone to come and save me!”

“WE KNOW!”

Blue just stared, baffled when both Sunset and Rainbow just yelled at her

“We fucking know, okay? You’re a tough girl and you can handle yourself, alright? But that still doesn’t mean you should. That’s all there is.”

“We don’t think you’re weak. We didn’t come to rescue you. We just want to do what friends should do, okay?”

Blue slumped back into the cheap plastic-fold chair and stared from one to the other and back for a couple minutes

“So, what now?”

“I dunno. Obviously, we’re not dragging you to Rarity’s sleepover. But if you want, we can stay and just, you know, hang?”

Blue tilted her head to the side, looking at Sunset now who just gave her a noncommittal shrug

“Up to you, Blue.”

She sighed, kinda defeated but more confused really

“Okay. Sure. Let’s hang. I mean, you brought food, so it would be fucking rude if I just kicked you out like that.”

The three girls chuckled. It felt kinda awkward, but it beat the tension from before by miles. Rainbow looked around the kitchen, searching

“I was gonna say maybe we could watch a movie but…”

Blue just shrugged

“Yeah, we don’t have a TV. But I can turn on some tunes if you want.”

“Sure.”

“Sounds cool.”

The girls lounged in Blue’s room for a couple more hours. In a weird déjà-vu, Sunset was sitting on the bed with her back against the wall while Blue had just sprawled out on the floor. Rainbow had scanned through Blue’s humble collections of CDs and found something ‘awesome’, which was still playing in the background, though at a far more manageable volume than the last time the three girls had been in Blue’s room. Sunset and Rainbow chatted about this and that while Blue, now that she had gotten back her phone from Sunset, tried to apologize to Miss Luna via text. She sucked pretty hard at it, and she didn’t even try texting Applejack. She saw the number of missed calls from the girls and frowned at the giant mess she had caused. Again.

At some point Rainbow slipped out to the bathroom, and Sunset looked at Blue who was still staring at the phone

“You okay?”

“No.”

Sunset sat up straighter when Blue looked up from her phone

“I’m in the middle of bomb sight and I have no idea how to get out.”

Blue bit her lip when the words slipped out faster than she wanted. Somehow, talking about stuff like this was just easier with Sunset. Maybe, because Sunset usually knew what to say, when Blue didn’t

“Well, maybe you can figure out how you got into the mess first and start there.”

“What’s there to figure out? I lost my fucking shit, that’s what always happens.”

“Maybe, but why? What was so different today?”

Blue shrugged and said nothing. Just because it was easier to talk with Sunset didn’t meant it wasn’t still fucking hard.

Sunset waited for a minute, testing if it was safe for her to keep pushing

“Luna said you blew up in that martial arts school as well.”

“She told you about that?”

Sunset just shrugged

“We live in the same house, so yeah, we talk about stuff. So what went wrong? Did you get mad that the guy was stronger than you?”

“No! Why the fuck would you think that? That guy was like a marine on steroids.”

“So what was it?”

Blue shrugged again, but this time she actually talked

“I dunno… just, the whole thing, Luna dragging me there without telling me, all this mystery bullshit. I hate that.”

Sunset nodded and muttered under her breath

“Memo to Pinkie Pie, no surprise parties in the near future.”

Blue chuckled tonelessly

“Yeah, probably for the better.”

“Okay, so you don’t like surprises. But Luna said you looked like you enjoyed yourself after the rough start, so why did you run away then?”

“Geez, how much do you guys talk about me. It’s fucking weird.”

Sunset didn’t fall for Blue’s obvious attempt to change the subject and just kept staring at Blue, demanding an answer with her eyes. Eventually, Blue caved in and sighed

“I mentioned that I got in a lot of fights and suddenly, he acted like I was just a little girl. Like, he had to come and save me. I don’t need fucking saving from anyone, especially from a jerk like him. But he wouldn’t let it go, so I just… I got angry.”

“By which you mean, you blew up on him and then ran away so you could throw a tantrum.”

Blue glared at her for that but couldn’t really argue

“Sensitive, much?”

“Hey, I call ‘em like I see ‘em”

“Shut up.”

Sunset chuckled again, but wouldn’t let it go yet

“And when Applejack picked you up…?

“I told you, I don’t need saving from fucking nobody. That includes Applejack. I don’t need people going out of their way because they think I can’t handle myself. I can handle myself just fine.”

“If by ‘just fine’ you mean ‘blowing up at any occasion’, then I guess that’s true.”

“Fuck you, Red. You made plans for the night before I left. Without me. So what reason could there be that you guys cancelled everything except that I’m just a fucking pity case for all of you.”

Sunset held Blue’s glare with a neutral expression

“Maybe we felt bad for excluding you and we changed our plans. Maybe I knew where Luna would take you and told the girls, so Applejack and Pinkie volunteered to pick you up, but you ran away before they had a chance, so they drove around to find you.”

Blue gritted her teeth, trying to push back the bitter taste she suddenly felt

“Is that what happened?”

“What if it was?”

Blue swallowed, hard

“Then it would just prove I’m nothing but a fucking pity case to you.”

“And so what? Are you telling me that I wasn’t some sort of pity case for you, too?”

Now it was Sunset’s turn to glare, but Blue couldn’t hold it

“That’s different. You had real problems and nobody to turn to, and you… you…”

“I tried to kill myself.”

Blue winced and nodded

“Yes. Compared to that, what’s me getting Friday night detention?”

“So you think it’s okay to pity me for Anon-A-Miss, but it’s not right that we pity you for having it rough?”

“Yes… no… I don’t fucking know. It’s different.”

“Why is it different? If you can’t give me a reason, then…”

“IT’S DIFFERENT BECAUSE I’M NOT WORTH SAVING, OKAY?”

Blue screamed at the top of her voice and breathed hard

“DON’T YOU FUCKING GET IT? EVERYTIME SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAPPENS, IT’S ALL MY FUCKING FAULT ANYWAY! NOBODY SHOULD SAVE ME, BECAUSE IT’S NOT WORTH THE EFFORT! I’M JUST GOING TO MESS UP AGAIN ANYWAY, SO WHY EVEN BOTHER?”

She felt a hand, probably Sunset’s, on her shoulder, but she pushed her away

“Stop. Stop wasting your fucking time on me.”

“I can waste my time however I want. You can’t tell me not to. We’re friends, and that means we care about each other, and that includes you. If we want to go out of our way to do something nice for you, then that’s what we do. And you have no right to stop us.”

Blue felt the hug and wanted to ram her elbow into Sunset’s guts, but at the same time, it was the very last thing she wanted to do. She even leaned in a little. She was so angry at herself, all the time, that she couldn’t tell the difference anymore. But somehow, Sunset could.

“And just for the record: You’re worth saving to me.”

“And to me.”

Blue groaned when Rainbow suddenly joined in. She really was deep in shit when even Rainbow Dash thought she needed a hug. Either that, or she just really needed one right now.

“You guys are crazy. I hope you know that.”

“Yeah, whatever. I can live with that.”

“At least we’re crazy together, right?”

Blue laughed and just leaned in a little more

“Right.”

Days always started early at Sweet Apple Acres, even on Sundays. On a farm as big as theirs, there was always something to do for the Apple family. So it was no surprise that Applejack walked out of the house in her work clothes right at sunrise, eager to throw herself into another day of work.

Something did surprise her though and had her freeze on the door.

Blue stood awkwardly in the middle of the driveway, in some worn clothes that had seen better days. She clearly had been waiting for Applejack a while, but now that she was here, Blue didn’t dare to meet her eyes. Applejack pulled her hat a little deeper to hide her face behind it

“Morning. What the heck you think you’re doing here?”

Blue didn’t flinch at Applejack’s harsh greeting, in honesty, she had expected far worse

“Um, Rainbow mentioned you could use a hand today, and I thought… you know.”

Applejack’s frown, mostly hidden behind the hat, turned a little deeper

“I can handle my own work. We Apples have been running this farm for generations now.”

“I know, I know! I don’t mean to say you can’t. But I thought, maybe if you had a bit of help, you might get things done a little faster today.”

Applejack stepped down the two stairs that led to the farmhouse, so that she now was standing in front of Blue. Which meant Blue had to look up to her now, since Blue was the shortest of the friends, and Applejack the tallest.

“Why are you really here, Blue?”

Blue still didn’t meet her eyes and let out a deep sigh

“Come on, AJ. You know why.”

“Either I’ll hear you say it, or you can just leave right now, Ocean Shore.”

Blue bit her tongue so she wouldn’t lash out. She hated it when people used her full name, but Applejack had every right to make her wiggle a bit

“I came here to apologize for Friday. I yelled at you for no good reason. And I nearly caused a crash.”

Blue looked up and this time met Applejacks eyes

“I’m sorry.”

Applejack held her gaze for a while, testing Blue’s eyes for any dishonesty it seemed, but far too soon she smiled and put a hand on her shoulder

“Apology accepted, partner. And you don’t have to slave yourself through some farm work to make up for it. I hate dragging my friends into my chores.”

Blue smiled back, which was a rare sight by itself, but what she said surprised Applejack even more

“I kinda guessed as much. But I’m not here to punish myself. I have a friend who could use some help, so I came to help. Somebody told me that’s something friends do sometimes.”

Applejack stared at her for a whole minute, before a large grin split her face

“Well, in that case, how could I refuse? And to be honest, I really could use an extra set of hands today, but it’s going to be hard work.”

Blue just shrugged unimpressed

“I don’t mind. I’m not made of paper.”

“I know. In some ways, you’re stronger than the rest of us.”

She didn’t really know how to react to that, so Blue decided to better say nothing and just nod. Apparently, that was the right thing, because Applejack just grinned on

“But don’t think I’ll go easy on you just because of it.”

“Do your worst, cowgirl.”

They both shared a laugh, and with that, the tension between them seemed to melt. It wasn’t completely gone, but it was by no means as constricting for Blue anymore. As they walked over towards the barn, Applejack put her arm around Blue’s shoulders, and Blue knew they’d be fine, in time.

The doorbell rang and was answered by a call from inside

“I’m coming!”

Rarity practically flew down the stairs and opened the front door. As expected, Blue was standing there, with her arms crossed in front of her and a sleeping bag sitting at her feet

“Ocean, Darling, so wonderful you could make it! We finally get a chance to catch up after last weekend, um… turned out a tad unexpected.”

“Yeah, about that.”

Blue was glaring, but she was always glaring so Rarity thought nothing of it. Instead, she focused on her voice that seemed apologetic enough

“I like knowing what I get into. So next time, could you just tell me ahead of time what’s going on? I hate surprises.”

Rarity nodded and let her smile shrink down a little, as it was appropriate

“I promise you, we didn’t mean to set you up, it was a completely spontaneous idea.”

“Yeah, Sunset told me. Which brings me to the next thing.”

Blue’s voice turned a tad harder, and Rarity braced herself for some harsh words that were not meant as bad as they sounded

“I don’t need your pity. I can deal with a weekend by myself. I know you’re all about giving, but I can manage even without your favours if I need to. Okay?”

Rarity nodded and felt a sudden relief, now that Blue had the chance to vent her worries

“I understand, Darling. I never mean to be condescending. You did something very nice for my sister earlier, and I simply wanted to do something nice for you in return.”

“Okay. No hard feelings then?”

“Of course not! Now, come on in! We’ll make this a sleepover you’ll never forget!”

“Yeah, that’s what I’m afraid of, kinda.”

Rarity chuckled along, but the laugh she heard from Blue was real. With the troubling parts out of the way, they could now start having some fun together.

The Friday night class was over and Black Belt was just putting away a few last things. His students had already left, now all he had to do was lock up before he could leave as well. As he turned for the door, he saw a short girl in gym clothes standing in the door. She had the same fire in her eyes as last week, but her posture didn’t really carry it. He crossed his arms in front of his bulky chest and waited, watching her.

Now that he had noticed her, Blue walked two steps into the room, but her eyes turned down towards the floor when she started talking

“Um, about last week, I just wanna say…”

“Stop.”

Black Belt didn’t really need to hear it

“You have every right to be angry. Last week, today, and in the future. But you don’t get to just run away anymore. Are we clear?”

“Yeah… but I…”

“Did you apologize to Luna?”

Blue glared when he interrupted her again, and he noticed her body tensed up a bit more

“Yes. Did that first thing Monday morning.”

“Good. Now get your ass in here, we’ve got work to do.”

Black Belt could see her mood change go through her muscles as her slightly slumped posture straightened up and the bounce in her arms now matched the fire in her eyes again

“Just one more thing. I really think we should have that talk from last week, but this time, you have to ask for it. Okay?”

Blue nodded after a moment’s hesitation

“Yeah. Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it. Now, show me what you kept from last time.”

Black Belt just barely managed to hold back a chuckle as Blue practically bounced into the room. Maybe Luna had been right all along, this Blue girl really was a special case.

“Hey Blue, over here!”

Blue turned her head walked over when Sunset called her

“Yo Red!”

They grinned and shared their fist-bump as usual, but Blue’s attention was drawn to Sunset’s newest possession

“I still can’t believe Miss Celestia hooked you up with a motorbike.”

Sunset laughed as Blue circled the vehicle with an impressed look

“Are you kidding me? She even taught me how to drive. Apparently, that’s something she and Luna used to do together.”

“For real?”

Blue clearly didn’t know much about motorbikes, but Sunset’s bike just had received a new paintjob and looked like new, so Sunset got why she would be impressed. Blue had one of her rare smiles as she let her eyes roam, and Sunset felt brave enough to start some small talk

“So, how’s your week been?”

“What do you mean?”

“I heard you’ve been pretty busy, helping Applejack, night at Rarity’s, that trip to the arcade with Rainbow and Pinkie… that’s more in a week than you did in your first month.”

“Huh. I guess. Never thought of it like that.”

Sunset nodded and of course sensed that Blue wanted to drop this conversation, but she had one more thing she needed to ask

“So what do you think, now that you gave friendship a try?”

Blue froze up for a moment and just stared, overwhelmed, and Sunset felt a smile creep to her lips

“I dunno… is it always this… this…”

Sunset now smiled, wondering which word Blue would end on. Rewarding maybe? Fulfilling?

“Is it always this hard?”

And just like that, Sunset’s smile fell off again

“Hard? I mean… I guess it can be a little challenging at times, but…”

“I don’t mean hard as in a lot of work… I just find it’s really, really difficult.”

Now more than a little worried, Sunset tried to keep a shiver out of her voice

“Why do you think it’s difficult?”

“It’s just… everybody expects you to be totally into their thing all the time, and the girls tell me to just be myself and be honest around them, but at the same time I can’t really say what I think sometimes because it might offend them. Then there’s them getting involved into my stuff even if I don’t ask them, especially if I don’t ask them. And of course all the hugging every freaking time. We see each other like 3 times a day in school, why are they making that big of a deal about that?”

In a wave of relief, Sunset laughed at that last one before she tried to answer

“It takes some time getting used to, that much is true. But if you want some time for yourself, you can just tell us, I’m sure the girls will understand. We don’t need to hang out at every chance.”

“Yeah, I might do that…”

Blue trailed off again and went back to admiring the bike, giving Sunset a chance to think about what she had just said

“But even if you think it’s difficult… do you think it’s worth it, in the end.”

“Yeah.”

Blue didn’t say any more, but to be fair, Sunset didn’t need anything more. As she knew well enough from her own experience, friendship was not something you could just turn on or off. Friendship needed time to grow. What was important was that Blue was giving it a chance.

Blue was soon done fawning over Sunset’s bike and was handed a helmet

“Ready to take this baby for a spin?”

“Bring it, Red!”

Blue climbed on the bike behind her, and Sunset drove off with a little more gas than was necessary, making her baby roar beneath her. Sunset grinned and she heard Blue whoop from behind her as they left the school and drove off into the city.

Chapter 11

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Blue walked out of the school building late on Friday afternoon, as she did often. This time though, it wasn't because of detention. She had offered to help Vice-Principal Luna handling the mess from the Friendship Games earlier this week. Although Sunset had repaired most of the damage when she had turned into that angel-form with the help of magic, there was still more than enough work to do. Blue didn't mind losing a few hours of her weekend and Miss Luna also enjoyed having a bit of company when she had to deal with sensitive, magic-related information. Since Blue was in the loop, she was the only one who could help Miss Luna with that, other than the Rainbooms of course.

Blue made her way towards the bus stop, she was going to meet up with the girls in town later tonight, but then she saw a figure standing at the plinth of the former Wondercolt statue. For a moment, Blue thought that the girl must have come through the magic portal that was hidden inside the plinth, but as she walked closer, she realized who was really standing there.

Although the girl looked like Princess Twilight, it wasn't the pony princess. The glasses were a good giveaway, but even without Blue could tell the difference. She had only met Princess Twilight during the aftermath of Anon-A-Miss, but the princess had never looked like the girl in front of her. This Twilight looked like she could barely stand on her feet, she was hunched over, and her hair hidden under a hoodie. She stared at the plinth and didn't even notice Blue coming closer to her.

Blue got a better look at Twilight Sparkle, the genius from Crystal Prep Academy. After all that had happened to her during the Friendship Games, Blue had guessed that Twilight Sparkle probably would need some time to recover, the way she was standing there, she looked so out of it. Blue saw trails of tears on the girl's face and an expression she knew far too well, guilty and desperate.

Blue watched as Twilight Sparkle carefully stretched out her right hand towards the plinth, but she didn't dare to touch it in the end. Taking her hesitation as the sign she'd been waiting for, Blue closed the distance to the girl and spoke up
“Guess the portal is still down, huh?”

Twilight Sparkle backed away from the plinth with a shriek. When she turned towards Blue, she looked downright terrified, so Blue held up her hands defensively
“Whoa, chill. I didn't mean to scare you, Twilight.”

The girl took a step backwards and looked more closely at her
“You're a student here, right? I think I saw you at the Friendship Games.”
“Yep. I was also in the crowd when that happened.”

Blue pointed at the empty plinth, but immediately regretted mentioning it as Twilight looked even more guilty now.
“Sorry Twilight. I didn't mean to...”

At this, Twilight's head snapped up and she almost glared at her
“You seem to know me and act all familiar, but I have no idea who you are!”
“Whoops, sorry. Guess it never came up during the games. I'm Ocean Shore, but you can call me Blue, everyone does.”

That seemed enough for Twilight to calm down, at least a little
“Sunset Shimmer mentioned your name. That must be why you know about the portal and how it functions!”

Blue chuckled a little when the nerdy side glanced back through behind the nervous facade
“Yeah, I know about the pony magic stuff, even if I don't have much to do with it. But I've met the princess at least.”
“The... princess?”
“You know. Princess Twilight. Your pony counterpart from over there.”

Blue pointed at the portal with what she hoped was a disarming smile, but it didn't really put the girl in front of her much at ease.
“Something wrong?”

Twilight shook her head, which was not very convincing. Luckily, Blue had an idea what might be bothering her
“Pretty weird thought, right? Last week, the world was normal, and you thought you had a pretty good idea of how it works, and suddenly bam! There's magic, portals to other worlds and different versions of you running around in that worlds. That's some crazy shit for sure.”

Twilight kept staring at her, but more surprised now
“That, um... that actually sums it up pretty well. A few days ago, I would have never believed in any of this, but now...”
“Now you can't deny it. Not after all you've seen and felt. But that doesn't make it any easier to just accept all this magic stuff.”

Twilight nodded along, watching Blue with more interest now
“You sound like you know what you're talking about.”

Blue shrugged and sighed
“I guess. I've only been at CHS for a couple months. I wasn't around for the Fall Formal or the Battle of the Bands. But I've seen the girls transform often enough by now, and I've seen Princess Twilight walk right out there once.”

She pointed at the plinth and laughed at Twilight's bedazzled expression
“Yeah, I suppose that's how I looked like back then.”

Although she meant to lighten the mood a bit, Blue only managed the opposite. Twilight Sparkle tried her best not to look directly at her, or the portal, or just anything. At the same time, her fingers gripped on the hem of her jacket like her life depended on it. In a completely stab-in-the-dark attempt to save the situation, Blue addressed her calmly
“So, um, you'll transfer next week, right? Did you come to check out the school a bit more?”

Twilight's hands only clenched tighter and she shook her head
“I wasn't! I was only... I mean... I was going to...”

Blue rolled her eyes and called over the rambling
“Hey Sparkle!”

That worked, and Twilight's head snapped up to look at her, clearly nervous if she had said something wrong, but Blue just waved that notion right off
“If you wanna know something, just ask, okay? I'm not gonna bite or stuff.”

Twilight nodded and Blue could see that she really tried to relax. In the end, her curiosity won over and she pressed out a question
“You mentioned that Princess Twilight came for a visit. Does that happen a lot?”

Blue shook her head
“Only saw her once. She was only here for two days, and not for the best of reasons. I don't really wanna talk about it.”

Twilight had perked up a little as Blue explained and her mouth opened for another question, but as Blue said those last words, she lowered her gaze back to the ground and bit her tongue.

Blue noticed of course
“Hey Sparkle!”

Again, this did the trick and had Twilight look back at her once more
“Just ‘cause I don't wanna talk about it today doesn't mean I'll never tell you about it, okay? Just, give a little time to prepare.”

Twilight Sparkle obviously didn't really get that, Blue could see it in her eyes, but she understood at least that Blue hadn't just blown her off with this. Because of that, she had a small, thankful smile.

Blue had her usual grin back as well
“Anything else you wanna know?”
“Oh, lots of things! But, um, since you said you don't really know about magic...”

Blue chuckled and nodded
“Yeah, you'd be better off with Sunset for that kind of stuff.”

Twilight nodded eagerly
“Yes, Sunset Shimmer has told me so much already! She told me all about the school and her friends and a bit about the portal. Oh, and about you of course!”

Blue tilted her head to the side and changed her weight to the other foot. Something about the way Twilight said that didn't really feel right
“Like what?”
“Well, you know, how you got here and that you had some troubles making friends because of your past transgressions and that you've been arrested before and...”

This time, Blue didn't have to stop Twilight's rambling, as the girl suddenly realized what she had just blurted out, right in front of Blue. She covered her mouth with both hands and Blue could tell she was close to a panic attack. Just as close as Blue was to blowing a fuse. She hated it when people brought up this stuff before they even tried to get to know her. And she was pissed that Sunset would just talk about this to a girl she's just met.

Forcing herself to a deep breath, Blue did her best to keep that anger in check. She was getting better at it, and Twilight clearly didn't mean to hurt her, which helped
“Twilight, relax. I'm not gonna beat you up or anything.”

Blue's attempt to calm Twilight Sparkle down didn't really work yet, so Blue kept going
“I get it, okay? You and Sunset are friends. That's why she trusts you with, um, sensible information. I bet the girls are just the same. That's just how they swing.” A small nod from Twilight told her she was right “But, you know, I'm not like them. I'm Sunset's friend, but that doesn't mean you're my best friend just because of it. I'm gonna need some time to get used to the idea. Heck, I needed weeks to get used to Rainbow Dash.”

As she had hoped, that lured a small smile out of Twilight
“So, what I'm trying to say is... it might be a bit awkward at the start. I'm willing to give this friendship a try, but I can't just force it. So, a little patience, maybe?”

Twilight's smile grew and she nodded eagerly
“Of course! I'm not very familiar with friendship as a concept either, but I'm usually a fast learner!”

Blue chuckled again and held her fist out towards Twilight, who just stared at her completely dumbfounded. After a minute, she realized what to do and bumped her fist against Blue's.
“So, I was gonna meet the girls tonight. You coming or what?”

Twilight blushed and looked around nervously, probably for a reason to skip out
“Oh, um, don't you think that's a bit soon? I mean, you just said you need your time and...”
“Sparkle!”

Just like before, that was enough to make Twilight flinch and focus on Blue, who could barely hold back a chuckle. Okay, I have to ask her what's up with that. Later though.

Instead, she grinned at Twilight
“Just because we're not best friends yet doesn't mean we can't hang. And if it gets too awkward, you just tell me and we'll fix it, no big deal. What do you say?”

Twilight was still hesitating, but Blue just waited and smiled at her, not unlike another girl had done for her just a couple months ago.
“Oh, sure, why not?”

Blue nodded and they both chuckled, until a third voice suddenly came out of Twilight's backpack
“Sweet! Does that mean I can come out now?”

Twilight immediately went into panic mode again, but Blue just laughed when a dog poked its head out of Twilight's backpack
“Spike! I told you to stay hidden! We can't let anyone hear you talk!”
“Nope, you said I'm only allowed to talk around friends! And you just made a friend!”

The small purple dog turned to stare at Blue
“Hi! I'm Spike!”

Twilight looked like she just wanted to run away and hide from embarrassment, but Blue just laughed more
“Nice to meet ya, Spike. Are we ready to go now or what?”

Twilight sighed defeated and let Spike out of her bag so he could run around while she followed Blue
“How come you're so calm about this?”
“What, talking dog? That's far from the weirdest thing I've seen last week. I mean, those holes to that other world were a thing and then Sunset hit me with one of her magic beams as well.”
“Really? You came in direct contact with magic?”

Immediately, Twilight when back from shy and scared to curious and excited. She's different, but she's still at least a bit like Princess Twilight.

As they made their way to town, Blue tried to explain to Twilight how it felt to have magic pass through her body, all while Spike ran around them. Long before they reached their destination though, they were sharing stories just like any normal teenager would. Yeah, I think we can make this work.

Lab class was contained chaos, as usual. On their bank in the back, Sunset, Blue and their newest addition Twilight Sparkle were ahead of the rest of class. That wasn’t very unusual either, since Chemistry was Blue’s best subject and Sunset was a straight-A student overall. What was unusual and therefore getting on Blue’s nerves was that Twilight kept on babbling.

On one hand, it was great that Twilight fit in so well at CHS and with the girls and how much happier she was overall, after just a couple of weeks. On the other hand, Twilight still had some annoying habits she couldn’t let go, like how she had to explain everything to everyone around her, like they were all dumb as fuck. So Blue wasn’t a genius like Twilight or Sunset, but that didn’t give Twilight the right to ‘educate her’ every single second of the day. Especially not when she clearly knew her stuff for once, at least as well as Sunset.

That didn’t stop Twilight from babbling about every single tiny little detail of their experiment, despite the fact that Blue had set up their aperture perfectly without her input. Sunset wasn’t much of a help either, she kept throwing facts back and forth with Nerd Queen Sparkle. They didn’t care at all that they were blowing this simple high school lab class up to university-standard levels of ‘who the hell gives a fuck?’

Even the teacher left them alone, Mr Vial knew better than to get between Twilight Sparkle and Sunset Shimmer when they were in brain bug mode. Too bad for Blue, she was stuck with them. She didn’t have much to distract her either, since it was impossible to focus on anything else with Twilight going a mile a minute with some obscure theory. So Blue just gritted her teeth and tried to stay calm.

Since she didn’t have any alternative, she decided to check the aperture once more to see how their experiment was going. It was really simple, mix in a few substances and then add a reagent. When the reaction was over, just distillate the new product and determine the purity of the product, easy as one-two-three.

Blue noticed that the solution was clear and transparent now, so they were ready for distillation. Since Twilight was still in full nerd-mode, she could start it and tell them after.

As soon as she so much as reached out for the burner though, Blue suddenly heard a shriek behind her and Twilight shoved her away from the aperture
“What are you doing? It’s not ready yet! You can’t just do whatever you want!”

Blue had already been at the edge of her patience, but somehow, she managed to not just slap Twilight right then and there
“The fuck are you talking about? It’s ready for the next step and…”
“No it’s not! The book says we need to wait at least five more minutes! You’re just going to mess this up!”

Blue gritted her teeth and balled her hand to fists
“The solution is ready. We don’t have to fucking wait, we can just…”
“NO! We’re going to do this right, like the book says! This is too important to let you waste all our effort just because you don’t understand what we’re doing.”

Sunset Shimmer had by now noticed Blue’s expression of barely held-back rage and tried to intervene, but by then it was too late for Blue already.

With burning anger in her voice, she just snapped at the Nerd Queen
“The fuck did you just say? You’ve done nothing but yap the entire class. I know what I’m doing, and I don’t need someone like you to tell me how to pass a fucking lab class.”

Twilight backed away and wilted down when Blue just yelled at her, so loud that everybody was staring at them by now. Gone was any confidence from before and now she looked like she was about to cry
“I… I’m sorry… I just want us to succeed at this class.”

Blue was past the point where she could hold back, so she just kept on yelling
“So you say I can’t do it without your help, huh? Are you fucking real? I’ve done great without your fucking input and if you’d just get your head out of your ass for one fucking minute, you’d see that I’m right, but that’s not how you do it, right? You don’t listen to people like me, because after all I’m just a dumb brick compared to you, isn’t that what you think? Twilight Fucking Sparkle doesn’t make mistakes after all, so obviously whatever I do must be worth shit! Is that how you see me?”

Twilight shrunk down into herself even further, her eyes locked on the floor in front of her feet as she nervously clutched the hem of her lab coat
“But… but the book says…”
“I DON’T FUCKING CARE WHAT THE BOOK SAYS!”

Blue tried to get closer to Twilight, but Sunset was faster and stepped between them. Blue only now noticed that she was breathing hard from all the yelling, and that she was so angry that her hands were balled to fists. She also noticed that Twilight was scared of her, and everyone was staring.

Blue met Sunset’s eyes and nodded once, then took a step backward, trying to calm herself down. Sunset understood right away and focused on Twilight instead
“You okay?”
“I… I didn’t mean to… I was just trying to save the experiment and…”
“Blue was right, you know?”

Twilight’s head snapped up to Sunset as if she had been slapped
“What?”
“When the solution is clear, it means the reaction is over and you can go on with the next step. Even the book says so.”

Twilight now really looked like crying, even though for a completely different reason
“Oh no, I didn’t mean… I never meant… I’m sorry!”

She turned to Blue, who was still too angry to face her right now, so she just stayed quiet.

By now, the teacher had reached them and glanced between the three girls
“What seems to be the problem here?”

Blue left it to Sunset to sum things up for Mr Vial, who ended up frowning at Twilight
“Miss Sparkle, I know Crystal Prep focuses more on individual studies, but you’re working as groups in my class. For that reason, you need to learn to work together and not just dismiss your partners’ opinions.”

Twilight let her head hang down and nodded. Blue could see that she was not used having a teacher talk down on her.
“Not only that, but you also disturbed everyone else with this ruckus. I believe one hour of detention will give you enough time to think about this, Twilight Sparkle.”

Twilight stared up at the teacher with her eyes nearly bulging out of her head
“But… but… I never got detention ever before!”
“As they say, there is a first time for everything, Miss Sparkle.”

Sunset jumped into action right away and tried to reason with the teacher, but Blue got his attention when she grabbed his arm
“Sir, Twilight didn’t cause the ruckus, I did.”

Mr Vial turned around and looked at her expectantly as he raised his brow
“Did you now?”
“Well, yeah. I was the one who started screaming, right? I overreacted.”
“Are you sure that's what happened, Miss Shore?”
“Are you fucking kidding me? Everybody knows I have a fuse that’s shorter than Pinkie Pie’s attention span.”

The guys from the class started chuckling and even Mr Vial had a hint of a smile
“Well, if you’re so eager to take responsibility for this… you’ll report in with Vice-Principal Luna right after this class, Ocean Shore.”

Blue groaned over-dramatically and everybody in class giggled. Detention was bad enough, but Vice-Principal Luna always had ‘creative’ ideas on what detention should really look like.
“Sounds like you can kiss your afternoon goodbye, Blue.”

Everybody, except Twilight Sparkle, laughed at this, especially when Blue flipped the bird at Lyra Heartstrings for that comment.
That seemed enough to break the tension, and everybody turned back to their experiments.

Twilight stayed in her corner of the room and watched as Sunset and Blue finished up as if nothing had happened, even though Blue refused to look at her direction. In Crystal Prep, nobody had ever questioned Twilight. Even the few times she had been forced to work in a group with other students, they had all just expected her to do all the work, which was fine by her since that meant they wouldn’t mess anything up. As long as she got a high mark from it, Twilight didn’t really care about her partners.

Nobody had ever questioned that. And nobody had ever blown up at her like Blue before. Then again, nobody had ever taken a fall for her like Blue either. Twilight just didn’t know what to think about her anymore.

Blue sighed when she walked out of the office and to her locker. All things considered Miss Luna had been lenient with her this time. All she did was extend their weekly counselling session for an hour, but that was okay. They talked about the incident in lab class and how Blue had lost her temper, but Miss Luna didn’t berate her for it. That was just not how she did things during their sessions. And as always, Blue felt a lot better, a lot more balanced after talking things through with Miss Luna. Which was the whole point of the counselling sessions, after all.

Blue walked down the empty school building, but then she noticed someone else was still around. A single girl stood by her locker, obviously waiting for her.

Not in the mood for games tonight, she just called her out
“Twilight, what are you doing here this late?”

As soon as she heard Blue, Twilight stood straight and started stammering
“H-hello, I’ve been waiting for you. Ocean Shore, I wanted to apologize and…”
“Only judges and parole officers call me that.”
“Huh?”

Blue grinned and rummaged in her locker
“Only judges and parole officers say my full name every fucking time. My friends just call me Blue.”
“Your friends? But I… and you… and then I…”

Blue laughed and shook her head
“Yeah, I know. Sorry for blowing up on you like that. It’s something I’m working on.”
Even though I’m not very successful at it…

Twilight looked at her like she’d just grown an extra set of arms
“But you were right to blow up on me! I… I talked with Sunset and… I’m sorry! I mean, I was sorry before I talked with Sunset, but after I talked with Sunset, I understand why you would react like you did. Which is not wrong, I didn’t mean to say that you were! I just didn’t know! But even if I didn’t know, I shouldn’t have said what I said when I said that…”
“Yo Twilight!”

Blue snapped her fingers in front of Twilight’s face to get her attention
“Twilight, you filled your quote for rambling today. So whatever you want to say, you only have ten words left! Make them count!”

Twilight blinked at stared at Blue for a whole minute
“I just wanted to say I’m sorry and… here!”

She held out a stack of papers for Blue who now frowned confused
“What’s that?”
“It’s… it’s today's homework.”
“What?”

Blue’s frown turned into a glare
“Why?”
“Because… you lost your afternoon because of me. I just want to make up for that.”

Blue kept glaring at her and Twilight quickly fell into panicked rambling
“I didn’t mean to imply that you’re dumb! I know you’re not! I just wanted to do something nice, but I didn’t know what you would like, and I didn’t have time to research for a fitting gift and so I thought maybe this would be…”
“Sparkle!”

Twilight flinched back at that word and instinctively held up her arms to cover her face
"I’m sorry!”

Twilight waited for a minute, but when nothing happened, she dared to open her eyes again. Blue was still watching her, but she hadn’t moved at all. She also wasn’t glaring anymore, even if she was still watching Twilight very attentively
“That’s what the bullies at your old school called you, right?”
“Wha… What do you mean?”
“Sparkle!”

Twilight flinched again and when Blue frowned, she nodded hesitantly
“It… it happened a few times.”
“Right. And they also told you that you had to do their homework.”

Biting her lip, Twilight looked down at the floor
“Yes.”

Blue sighed and leaned against her locker
“So when you thought you had to make it up to me, you could only think of homework because that’s what a bully like me would want, right?”
“Right… No! I mean… you’re not a bully! I don’t think so.”

Blue rolled her eyes
“That doesn’t sound very convincing, you know?”
“I… I didn’t mean to…”
“Twilight. Listen.”

Blue sighed and took a step towards Twilight, trying to find her eyes
“You know why you can’t tell me apart from any bully? Because bullies are often angry for no good reason. And then they start picking on people. Especially people who are weak and make an easy target.”

Twilight shrunk back from her, but Blue reached out to hold her arm, which made Twilight look at her again
“You’re not weak Twilight. You just gotta stop thinking you are. You slipped in at CHS with no trouble at all and you got the girls to back you up when you need it. There’s no way any bully is ever gonna pick on you again. You just need to get that confidence back up.”

Twilight almost smiled, but another thought had it fall apart again
“But, what about you? You’re no bully, but you got angry.”
“And it’s gonna happen again.”

Twilight’s eyes opened wide in fear, so Blue let her go. When Twilight didn’t run away, Blue tried to explain
“I told you, I have a short fuse. It’s something I’m working on. But I’m pretty sure I’ll get angry again. Maybe at you, maybe not. Probably about something that’s not worth it. It’s just how I tick.”

Blue could see Twilight wanted to ask something, so she stayed quiet until Twilight had worked up enough courage to do so
“Have you… did you ever get so angry that you hurt someone?”
“Yeah.”

Twilight backed away in fear again, but Blue only had a bitter laugh
“Sunset didn’t tell you that, did she? Can’t say I blame her.”

Again, Twilight needed a minute to gather her courage
“If… if you know it’s wrong, why do you keep doing it?”

Blue just sighed and shrugged
“I dunno. In the moment when it happens, I usually don’t think what I do is wrong.” She looked back at Twilight “Sounds familiar?”

Twilight thought about it for a couple more moments. When she had talked down Blue during lab class, she really believed what she said was right. It was only until later that she started to feel bad about it.
She didn’t think that more rambling would help make her point, so she just nodded silently.

“And just for the record, if I was a bully, I’d be cashing in your lunch money. I can do my homework just fine, thank you very much.”

Just as Blue expected, Twilight was totally thrown off loop by this and Blue couldn't help but laugh at her baffled expression, so much that she even had tears in her eyes. Before long, Twilight caught up and joined right in.
“Oh man, I think I’ve been stuck in school for long enough today. Come on, let’s go to Sugarcube Corner and get some shakes. Your treat!”

Twilight, still giggling, followed along
“Okay fine, but only because I still feel a little guilty for getting you into detention.”

Blue grinned as they left the school grounds
“Sounds fair. How about this: Your treat today and next time, it’s your turn to pay!”
“Hey!”

Twilight smiled and put her hands to her hips
“You better not think you can push me around like that.”
“Meh, can’t blame a girl for trying.”

Twilight threw a fake-glare towards Blue, which just had them laughing again as they made their way down the street.

Blue waved after Rarity and Fluttershy as they drove off together. Fluttershy had offered her a lift too, but Blue wasn't in a hurry to get home today. Her sister was doing the late shift again, so it'd be almost midnight before she got back, meaning that Blue would sit around in her room and get bored anyway. Might as well waste some time by walking home.

She walked around the school building towards the street when she noticed that she wasn't the only one left. Twilight Sparkle was sitting at the steps near the empty plinth, waiting for her brother to pick her up. At least, that's what she told them earlier.

As Blue got closer, she noticed the faint purple glowing from Twilight's hand. A book lifted up from her bag and floated in a brighter version of that glow and when Twilight waved her hand from side to side, the book followed the motion with only a slight delay. Twilight's other hand was holding on her necklace, and Blue knew the geode from the necklace would be glowing as well right now. She'd seen it enough times already.

Blue slowly walked up to Twilight who was so lost in her magic trick that she didn't notice her until Blue spoke up
“You're getting better with it.”

Twilight jumped up with a start but immediately relaxed when she recognized Blue. The book was lifted up by the magic glow again and weaved through the air
“I think so, too. Sunset Shimmer had a lot of useful advice for me. Apparently, levitation is a very basic skill where she's from. I doubt the others or me would be able to handle these new powers very well if it wasn't for her help.”

Blue nodded and leaned against the plinth, trying not to stare at the floating book
“Yeah, Sunset grew up with this shit, so it's all natural for her. Everybody is losing their shit over it, but it's like Sunset couldn't give less of a fuck. For her it's just normal and to us, it's the craziest shit ever.”

Blue hadn't noticed that Twilight was staring at her, but she did notice that the glowing suddenly stopped. She turned her head just in time to see the book drop back into the bag, and that Twilight was watching her very closely
“Are you... I mean, is there something bothering you, Ocean Shore?”

Usually, Blue would roll her eyes now and tell Twilight to stop saying her full name, but something about the way Twilight looked at her got under her skin. Not in a good way
“Why are you asking?”
“You said 'shit' three times in less than a minute.”

Blue glared at Twilight for that. She hated it when people could figure her out just like that, even if they were her friends. But most of all, she hated how little control she had over herself. She didn't pretend she was an angel, but at least she had toned down her swearing a lot over the last few weeks. So when she slipped up like this, people immediately knew she was angry. Even Twilight could pick up on it.

In a way, it had been easier when she had been angry all the time. She didn't have to worry about anything she said back then. But at the same time, Blue knew she didn't want to go back there. Life wasn't all rainbows and butterflies, but things had picked up for her still. Less fights, less detention, less jerks pushing her buttons. Ever since she spent time with the girls, even her grades had gone up a little. Life at home was still shitty, but with the girls around, she felt good enough to forget about it for a while. She felt like she belonged.

But then, of course, some magic shenanigan reminded her that she never really belonged with them.

Twilight kept watching her closely, and when Blue wouldn't speak for a minute, she took a guess instead
“Are you worried about our new magic?”

Blue still didn't look at her, but shook her head
“No. I know you guys can handle that stuff.”
“Then what is it, Ocean Shore?”

Blue frowned and shot a glare towards Twilight
“Stop calling me that! And you know damn well what it is. You wouldn't ask that question if you didn't.”

Twilight blushed and suddenly, she couldn't look at Blue anymore, so she stared at her feet instead
“If you're not worried, then I suppose the only logical solution is that our magic bothers you. Most likely because we got new magic, but you, um... you didn't.”

Blue blew out an angry sigh
“When you say it like that, it really makes me sound like a whiny bitch. I'm fucking jealous because I didn't get a glowing stone as well. How shitty is that, even for me?”

Twilight turned her attention back at Blue
“But the girls had magic before we found the geodes. You never seemed as bothered by that. What has changed that makes you feel like this?”

Blue turned her head to look at Twilight, but for once she wasn’t glaring
“Can’t you tell?”

By the way Twilight suddenly gripped the hem of her shirt, Blue knew she could
“The only thing that changed since was… it’s me, isn’t it?”
“No!”

Blue jumped to her feet and her hands balled to fists
“Twilight, it’s not you, okay? You’ve got nothing to do with it! It’s not you, it’s just… it’s not me either.”

Blue clenched her fists together so tightly that her knuckles turned white. She turned away from Twilight so she wouldn’t have to see that look on her face any longer. Twilight now got on her feet as well and after a moment of hesitation, she put her hand on Blue's shoulder
“What... what do you mean it's not you either?”

Blue shrugged off Twilight's hand, but at least she calmed down again. She let out a long sigh
“That magic you all got, it's the magic of friendship, right?”
“Yes. That's what Princess Twilight says.”
“So if your magic got stronger, it means you're great friends. All of you. And once you stopped being scared of yourself, you can now even control it.”

Twilight just nodded, since she didn't know where Blue was going with this
“Don't you see, Twilight? You've only been around for a couple of weeks, but you're already best friends, so much that you even levelled up your magic. I've been around for longer than you, and I thought the girls and I were good friends too. You guys are the first real friends I ever had. But I guess the friendship magic says I'm still not worth a fuck.”

She looked back at Twilight
“You girls... you belong together. I don't belong. I thought I would, but I've just been fooling myself. No way someone like me would ever belong anywhere.”

Twilight instinctively backed away when she saw the look on Blue’s face. Blue couldn’t really blame her for that, she usually wasn’t ever emotional like this, but the last week had been wearing her down somehow. Now she just felt pathetic.

She had never wanted friends to begin with. She was okay with being alone. When she was alone, nobody could trick her or betray her. Nobody could hurt her.

But the others didn’t betray her. They didn’t trick her into a trap. They never meant to hurt her, but Blue still felt it. While everybody around her grew stronger and closer, Blue just felt left out. The magic of friendship had dejected her. In a way, she felt like she was just wrong, as if a fundamental law of nature like gravity just decided she wasn’t worth bothering with anymore. On the other hand, she was angry at herself. She’d been getting along fine without flashy lights, without superpowers and without cheap accessories, and she hated herself for being jealous of her friends. It was just so pathetic. She was so pathetic.

“Well, I think you’re wrong.”
Blue snapped out of her thoughts when Twilight put her hand back on her shoulder
“I don’t know why the girls got magic and you didn’t. I don’t know how magic is supposed to work. Why it transformed me into an evil witch the first time and into a pony-human-hybrid when I use it now. But I know that if it’s friendship that turns this magic into something good, then you’re responsible for it like the rest of us. Or anyone at CHS, really.”

Blue turned her head so she could glance back at Twilight
“What do you mean, I’m responsible?”
“When I came to CHS, I didn’t know the first thing about friendship. I had so much to learn, and I learned a lot. Not only from the girls, but from you, too. I can’t explain why I got magic and you didn’t, but I know I wouldn’t be the friend I am today without your help, Blue.”

Blue laughed harshly, without any joy
“Yeah, I guess if nothing else, you get to see how to not friendship from me.”
“That’s not true!”

Blue looked up at Twilight who sounded, almost angry, for whatever reason
“You stood up for me when I was getting into trouble in my first week! And you weren’t even angry at me when you got detention for it. In fact, you had to cheer me up in the end. Does that sound like a bad friend to you?”
“Twi, I appreciate the effort, but…”
“But what? You think your friendship is worth less, why? Because you swear a lot? Because you got a temper? Because you didn’t get a magic geode? I don’t care about any of these things! You’re my friend and you’re important to me. Period!”

Twilight had talked herself into some kind of rage on Blue’s behalf, but Blue could just stare at her, first annoyed but that turned more and more into wonder the longer Twilight talked.
Now where’s that shy, insecure girl I met here just a couple weeks ago?

Blue just couldn’t help but grin at some point. She didn’t even listen to what Twilight was saying anymore, in fact she just interrupted her once she realized why this felt so familiar
“You know, you almost sound like her right now.”
“Huh?”

Twilight, thrown off loop, blinked a couple of times in confusion
“I sound like who exactly?”
“Like the princess. You know, Princess Twilight.”

Blue pointed to the portal-plinth and grinned even more when Twilight suddenly blushed furiously
“I’m not. I’m not her.”
“Yeah, I know. But some things are the same.”

Twilight turned her lips into an angry pout, which wasn’t better than the blushing but at least she was talking normal again
“You’re still comparing me to her.”

Blue just rolled her eyes at that
“Seriously? Twi, I’ve met her once and spent a couple hours with her. I know you for far longer than her. If anything, I’m comparing her to you. And I can’t help when you both happen to say the same thing to me.”
“The same thing? What do you mean by that?”

Blue sighed, parts relieved that Twilight didn’t seem angry anymore, parts frustrated about how pathetic and whiny this would make her sound
“When we talked, after Sunset… after that whole Anon-A-Miss mess, she told me she thinks I’m not a lost cause when it comes to the whole ‘friendship is magic’-stuff… but that me being a friend looks different than Sunset, or Rarity, or her. Or, you know, you.”

Blue looked away from Twilight, mostly to hide how embarrassed she probably looked right now. Twilight didn’t seem to notice at all, and what she said pulled Blue’s attention back to her
“But isn’t that a good thing?”

Blue didn’t know what to say, really. She was used to being a problem, a troublemaker or a loner at the very least, and all kinds of adults telling her she should be ‘more like other kids’. In fact, she was pretty sure that she wouldn’t be in detention so much if she was more like Rarity or Applejack or… well, maybe not Rainbow Dash. Still, she couldn’t see what made Twilight say stuff like that. Before she had the chance to ask, Twilight started explaining all by herself
“All of our friends are different, to the point they even start arguing over unimportant, little things. Like Applejack and Rainbow Dash, they always have to compete and butt heads with each other. But that’s the whole point. They are all friends because they are so different. It’s the fact that they are so different from me that makes them my best friends. I can learn so much from them, and they from me, and when either of us faces a problem we can’t solve on our own, we’ll have a friend who can help. Because we’re all different. Like you and me.”

Twilight reached for her geode and held it up for Blue to see
“This thing? Maybe it’s something new that makes us different, but that doesn’t mean it has to be something that separates us.”

Blue stared at her for a whole minute, until she couldn’t hold back her laughter any longer
“Nice speech, Princess. Now all you need is a crown and a sceptre.”

Twilight started to pout as soon as Blue laughed, but she could tell that Blue was just teasing her
“I’m serious!”
“So am I. Hey, I bet Rarity would make you a dress that goes with your crown, too.”

Blue laughed even more, and Twilight turned away so she could roll her eyes, but also hide her smile
“That’s what I get for trying to have a serious talk with you. I should have known.”
“Should have known that I’m allergic to serious talks.”

That was enough to have them both laugh this time, which they did.

A few moments later, Twilight turned towards the street as a familiar car drove up
“That’s my brother, I better go now. See you on Monday?”
“Yeah, sure. Have a nice weekend.”

Twilight nodded with a smile and walked towards the car, but turned around when Blue called after her
“Hey Twilight? Thanks for… just thanks!”

Thanks for cheering me up. Thanks for listening to me. Thanks for understanding.
Thank you for being my friend when I needed one.

Blue never said any of those things, but Twilight’s smile turned a bit brighter still. Blue was never good with words, but she knew Twilight got what she wanted to say.

They waved goodbye, then Twilight climbed into the car and drove away with her brother. Blue turned around and took the street that, eventually, would take her home as well.

She still lived in a dump. She still barely saw her sister because she had to work her arse off to cover the bills. She still had a temper and struggled keeping her anger in check sometimes. And she was never going to be ‘good enough’ to get a magic friendship necklace.

But for the first time in a while, she didn’t feel one bit pathetic.

Chapter 12

View Online

“Hey Blue! Customers for you!”

Blue leaned back from the sink so she could glance through the kitchen door, just in time to see Milk Tea point at one of the tables in the back. She also heard familiar laughter and a pink hand waving to her, even if the person that belonged to the hand couldn’t possibly see her.

Blue grinned and dried her hands before she put on a server’s apron. The diner wasn’t really busy this time of day, so she wasn’t swamped in work either. Usually she was just cleaning tables and doing dishes, sometimes she played gofer for the cook. Grilled Cheese was a quirky guy but in a good way, and even though him and Blue got along great, he wouldn’t let her near his food if he could help it. Blue wasn’t a total failure when it came to cooking, but he had a reputation to keep up. So, cleaning it was. Blue didn’t really care too much. She was just happy she got this job in the first place.

Milk Tea’s little diner was the same place Miss Luna had brought her back during her first week at CHS, after the fight with Score and his brother. Miss Luna had also helped her get this job. Normally, people didn’t hire high school students with a criminal record like hers, but Milk Tea didn’t have her head in her ass and valued Luna’s recommendation more than some file, so she gave Blue a chance. And Blue made sure she didn’t regret it.

At first, Milk Tea had her do only cleaning work, but when the diner wasn’t too crowded, she had tried Blue as a waitress. It hadn’t gone that smoothly. Blue wasn’t very patient to begin with and sometimes clients could just be jerks. In the end, Blue stuck with cleaning and doing dishes and the occasional serving job when Milk Tea was busy.

These customers were the only exception of the rule. While a diner like this wasn’t a typical hangout-spot for teenagers, Sunset and the girls visited at least once a week, while Blue was working. The mall where the others worked wasn’t too far away and the diner was quieter than the food court, so the girls sometimes ended up here instead. And when that happened, Milk Tea usually let Blue handle taking their orders, just like today.

Blue walked over to their usual table and smiled at her friends. Sunset Shimmer, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie and Rarity laughed at some story when Blue arrived to take their orders. Blue glanced through the diner and saw only four other tables were occupied tonight. She talked a bit with the girls, but she was still at work so she made sure she wouldn’t slack off too much. Milk Tea was rather lenient with her, but Blue wasn’t going to push the limits.

After the usual routine (“Rainbow Dash, you’re ordering too much, Darling” “Get off my back, Rarity! I’m really hungry!” “You always say that, and then you don’t even eat half the things you order!” “Oh yeah? What about you? …”) Blue made her way back to the kitchen. Only halfway there though, somebody grabbed her arm very roughly. Before she could react, that person pulled her around with so much force she stumbled
“Get me a coffee and make it snappy. I ain’t got all day.”

Normally, this would be enough to tick Blue off mayorly, raging fit included, but right now she just stared at the asshole in front of her
“What the fuck are you doing here?”

Blue was staring at Bitter Leaves, her former social worker and the asshole who always claimed he’d get her behind bars where she belonged. He had never been much of an appearance, but even Blue could see his clothes were messy and in need of a washing, in fact he could go with a shave and a shower himself. Bitter Leaves clearly had seen better days.

What didn’t change was his jerk attitude. He slammed his fist on the table and immediately went from grumbling to yelling
“What are you waiting for? Do as your told already! You should be lucky you’re still allowed in my town, so make yourself useful at least.”

Blue’s hand balled to fist and she gritted her teeth. By now, nearly all of the diner was staring at them, including her friends and Milk Tea. Blue bit any response she had down with force. She was still at work and she didn’t want to make things awkward for Milk Tea, so she answered calmly in a forced-polite voice
“I’ll get my order to the kitchen, and then I’ll take care of your coffee. Just give me a minute.”

Blue couldn’t even finish because Bitter Leaves shoved her mid-sentence
“Don’t you dare talk back to me like that! Who do you think you are?”

Blue stumbled backwards, right into a table, and lost her balance. She grabbed the closest thing she could reach, which unfortunately was a chair that landed right next to her on the floor with a loud clatter. Now everybody was staring at her and Blue’s face was red from rage
“Motherfucker!”

Blue glared up at Bitter Leaves only to see his smug grin, and a moment later she knew why because Milk Tea ran over to them
“What’s going on here? What happened?”
Bitter Leaves shot a glare at Blue, then completely ignored her while he talked to Milk Tea, like she was just some trash on the floor
“Your waitress is not only a klutz, she is also rude and refused to serve me. I want her fired. Now.”

Blue jumped back on her feet immediately
“You shoved me, you asshole!”

She was about to charge at him and do way worse than that, but Milk Tea was faster and stepped between him and her
“Blue, kitchen. Now.”
“But he…”
“NOW!”

Blue gritted her teeth and stomped away, too furious to care that everybody was staring at her or to notice what Bitter Fucking Leaves was shouting at her. She slammed the door shut behind her and let out a long scream of rage. Grilled Cheese was nowhere to be seen, he did the smart thing and probably left for his own safety while Blue was going nuclear.

A nearby box received a rage-filled kick that made it crash into the nearest wall with the sound of something breaking. If nothing else, it was enough to snap Blue out of it so she could force herself to calm down. She hadn’t seen Bitter Leaves in months, but all the trouble and snide she got from him quickly bubbled up again after just a few words. He just acted like a dick to her with no reason, and Blue wasn’t the girl who would take shit from anyone.

“He really is a meanie-old grumpy-pants like you said.”

Blue bolted around when a hand touched her shoulder, and stared right at the intruder
“Pinkie Pie? What are you… how did you even get in here when… you know what? Nevermind.”

Pinkie Pie had a smile for Blue, even if she didn’t carry her usual happy-go-lucky self
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah. Just peachy.”

Pinkie didn’t say anything, but the way her smile changed into sad was enough for Blue to get the message
“Okay, so I’m pissed. But why wouldn’t I be? Things are working out at school, I got an awesome set of friends, and I even got a job for the first time in forever. And suddenly that guy shows up and ruins everything!”

Pinkie, who had smiled when her friends were mentioned, now softly shook her head
“You don’t know that. Maybe it was just a coincidence. Like in the park. Or at the museum. Or at Black Belt’s school. Or at Sugarcube Corner.”

Blue blinked, her anger dimmed down by confusion
“Um Pinkie, why did you just list up all the places we hung out last week?”
“Well, I wasn’t going to say anything, I just thought it was funny we’d see the same guy every time we meet, I mean once or twice, okay, but now he’s here and it turns out he knows you? I mean, what are the chances, right?”

Blue stared at Pinkie who had her usual, oblivious smile
“Are you saying… did he follow us? All week long?”
“Huh. I guess that would explain why I saw him. And why I got a shaky knee. Shaky knee usually means someone’s in a hurry.”

Blue’s frown turned into her typical glare
“Why didn’t you tell me that he was following us?”
“I thought it was just a coincidence.”

Blue gritted her teeth, but she was angry at Bitter Leaves, not at Pinkie Pie, so she swallowed it down. Just in time, as Milk Tea entered the kitchen with a deep frown on her face

“Pinkie, the kitchen is for employees. Please leave.”

Pinkie nodded and skipped out with a wave, but Blue was busy squirming under the glare from her boss. Milk Tea waited for something, but when it didn’t happen, she just sighed and started talking
“Okay, so what was that out there?”

“He grabbed me and then he shoved me. I tripped and fell. That’s all.”
“Bull.”
Blue flinched and Milk Tea’s glare intensified
“What happened really out there?”

Blue turned away so she wouldn’t have to look at her
“That guy was my former social worker. He’s a dick. He’s been a dick since the first minute and he hates me. I tried to be polite, but then he shoved me, and I just snapped.”

Milk Tea glared at her for another minute, but then she shook her head
“Alright. Lucky for you there aren’t many people in the diner. The only ones who really noticed him were your friends anyway. I showed him the door once he started yelling at me that I should fire you or get you arrested. Anything I should know about that?”

Blue let out an angry sigh
“He’s been trying to get me back into juvie from the first time we met. That’s why Miss Luna took over. Luna told you what happened, right?”

Milk Tea nodded and Blue continued
“I guess he still hates me, even though I haven’t seen him in months. And Pinkie says he might be following me around as well.”
Milk Tea frowned even more at that
“You think he might be coming back?”
“I don’t know. I guess not. Why would he?”
“If he hates you enough, he might. He might come back and cause a scene and he might chase away customers. I can’t afford that, you know.”

Blue just shook her head
“I barely even knew him more than a month. He’s an asshole, but who would go that far just because he doesn’t like me?”
Milk Tea waited for a couple of minutes, then she sighed and shrugged
“I don’t know. All I know is that dinner rush is setting in, and I need you tonight. Can you keep it together in front of the customers?”
“Yeah. I’ll try my best, boss.”

“Okay then. Cheese, you can come out of hiding now. We got orders!”
“Yes Ma’am!”

Grilled Cheese poked his head out from the storage room and shot a wink to Blue before he manned the stove again. Blue got another stern look from Milk Tea, but then she also went back to work and headed into the diner. Blue took a deep breath and pushed away that boiling anger she felt in her tummy. Instead of venting, she just threw herself back into cleaning dirty dishes.

Blue’s mood improved as the night went on. She was still peeved about earlier, but she could tone it down to her usual ‘Whatever, who cares?’-mood. Also, the diner was packed, and she barely had a chance to take a break and really think about it anymore.

“Blue! I need you for a moment!”

Blue turned her head, but Milk Tea was already back in the diner, so she just shrugged. She dried her hands and put on her waitress apron and headed after her boss into the diner.

She immediately knew shit was going to hit the fan when she saw two police officers next to Milk Tea at the counter. Then she heard a voice she had hoped she wouldn’t hear again. Bitter Leaves was standing next to the police and pointed at her
“That’s her. Arrest her immediately!”

Blue glared at him but bit her tongue before any obscenities made it out. Instead, she looked at Milk Tea and the officers
“What’s going on?”

One of the officers cleared his throat and explained
“Mister Leaves just reported his wallet missing. He had it when he visited this place earlier, then suddenly it was gone. He also mentioned you assaulting him.”

Blue gritted her teeth, but Milk Tea was faster
“That’s not what happened, officer. He shoved her and she fell to the floor, that’s all that happened. When he wouldn’t calm down, I asked him to leave. He didn’t even mention his wallet.”

Apparently, that was enough for Bitter Leaves to lose his shit because he started screaming like a madman
“I only noticed when I was trying to pay for the bus. I bet you’re in it as well! You’ve set me up, and who knows how many customers you already robbed! Why else would you hire a convicted criminal like her?”

He was screaming and kept pointing at Blue, who could only stand there and try not to explode. Many of the customers stared at her by now, most of them mumbling as they watched the scene unfold.

Fortunately, Milk Tea stayed calm through it all
“You’re the one who attacked her and then demanded I get her fired. And now you’re back with holdless claims. Sounds to me like you’re just trying to throw shade on my employee. Or did you take his wallet, Blue?”

Blue shook her head and pressed out through her gritted teeth
“No Ma’am. I spent most of the time on the floor, I wouldn’t even get the chance to take the wallet if I ever wanted.”
Bitter Leaves only screamed louder
“Don’t act like a smartass! You’re a criminal and a thief! Arrest her!”

The officer now stepped in. He ignored the screaming maniac and focused on Blue
“Do you mind if I take a look at your things real quick?”
“Go ahead.”
Blue emptied her pockets and even brought her school bag. Of course there was no wallet, but Bitter Leaves just kept going
“I’m telling you, her boss is in on it. She’s as crooked as her. They’ve probably hidden it somewhere in the kitchen.”

The officer rolled his eyes and focused back on Milk Tea
“Has anyone else ever mentioned something missing after they’ve been here?”
“No, of course not. Do you want to search the kitchen next?”

The officer shook his head and turned to Bitter Leaves
“I don’t think that will be necessary. Sir, maybe you just lost your wallet somewhere on the way?”
Bitter Leaves shook his head and screamed
“It was her! I felt her hand slipping in my pocket when she stumbled!”
“I didn’t even touch you, asshole!”

Blue shouted back angrily, but Milk Tea stepped between her and him. The officer looked at Blue and tried to ignore Bitter Leaves
“Do you know if anyone has seen you falling?”
“Yeah. My friends were around that time. They’ve seen everything.”

Bitter Leaves pushed away the officer so he could scream at Blue again
“There you have it! She’s in a gang, she just admitted everything! Arrest her already!”

Blue was about to blow a fuse, but the second officer was faster than her
“Sir, we’ve been listening to your rambling since we left the station. Would you please just shut up while we talk to Miss Tea and her employee?”

“You can’t trust her! She’s a liar and a thief!”
“Sir, that’s enough!”

The second officer tried to get Bitter Leaves towards the door, but he just kept screaming all the way
“You don’t believe me? Just check her file! You’ll find all you need!”

The other officer, who had stayed with them, looked unsure for a moment
“What was your name again, Miss?”
Blue gritted her teeth. She knew how this was going to end, but she answered anyways
“Ocean Shore.”
“That’s not what your boss called you.”
“I like my nickname better, big deal.”

The officer nodded and took out his phone. He took a step back, but Blue could understand enough to hear that he was asking someone to look her up. Milk Tea looked between him and Blue, only to see the officer frown and Blue to look more and more frustrated. After a couple of minutes, he put the phone away and walked up to Blue

“I need you to come to the station with me, Miss Shore.”
“What? Why? She didn’t do anything.”
Milk Tea tried to reason, but the officer insisted
“Just a standard check, Ma’am. We have just a few more questions for Miss Shore. We’ll phone you tomorrow if we have any more questions for you, Miss Tea.”

The officer waved for Blue to follow, and she knew better than to resist, so she picked up her bag and walked towards the door. She heard Milk Tea call after them
“Wait, doesn’t she have the right for a lawyer or something?”
“We’re not arresting her, Miss Tea. We’re just taking her to the station so she can be questioned. Don’t worry, we’ll inform her parents as soon as we get there.”

Blue frowned and shook her head. Yeah, good luck with that, genius. Didn’t even take time to properly read my file, asshole.

She said nothing, of course. Bitter Leaves wasn’t around when she left the diner, but a lot of people were staring at her when she climbed into the police car and they drove off.

Blue felt a very unwelcome déjà-vu sitting in some office in the police station. The officer had been polite so far and nobody acted like she was actually dangerous, but still just being here made Blue's blood boil, especially since she hadn't done anything to deserve it.

Finally, the officer returned and took a seat behind the desk. Blue just glared at him, and he forced an awkward smile
“So, um, we tried to contact your legal guardian, but she didn't answer the phone. Any guesses why?”

Blue's glare only intensified
“My sister works at the hospital. She's not allowed to have her phone on her while she's treating patients.”
The officer looked surprised that Blue actually said something, since she had been dead-silent during the ride
“Oh. I guess that makes sense. But that puts us in an awkward situation. You're still a minor, and I can't do an official questioning for the record without any adult on your end.”

Blue just rolled her eyes as the officer just kept yapping on
“So instead, you called my social worker, Miss Luna. And now you're trying to buy time until she gets here.”
The officer blinked once, confused, but decided to humour her
“That's right. I wonder how you would know that.”
“You've read my file. This isn't my first rodeo, Officer...?”

“Oh, I guess I never introduced myself to you. My name is Officer Bright Badge.”
“And everything you want to know about me, you'll read in my file, so what's the point anyway?”

Officer Badge leaned forward so he could rest his elbows on his desk
“Listen kid, you can make your life a lot easier if you just confess. You'll save me, you and your social worker a lot of trouble.”
“I haven't done shit! That asshole just accused me because he's a dick, I did nothing wrong.”

The officer took her bout of rage surprisingly well
“In that case, you have nothing to worry about. Although flinging insults at Mister Leaves doesn't really make you less suspicious.”
“Whatever.”

Officer Badge stared at her and Blue glared back. He waited for a few more minutes, but he was obviously uncomfortable with the silence and pulled up a notebook soon
“Those friends you mentioned, the ones who saw the incident? What are their names?”
“I thought you're not allowed to question me before Miss Luna arrives.”
The officer just shrugged
“This is non-critical information. It will be fine.”

Blue never stopped glaring, but she replied reluctantly
“Sunset Shimmer, Rarity, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie.”

The officer nodded and wrote down the names while Blue rolled her eyes
“Are you going to call them in as well?”
“That depends entirely on what you're telling me tonight.”
“I can't tell you anything because I haven't done shit. I didn't steal his wallet.”

The officer abruptly stopped to write and looked at her
“So you stole something else?”
“What? No. That’s not what I said.”

“Come on girl, don’t make this harder than it has to be. You almost slipped up right now, you can’t keep this façade up forever. Just tell me what you did.”
“I didn’t steal anything!”
Blue was screaming at the top of her voice, and the door flew open as Luna rushed in

“What’s going on in here?”
Officer Badge looked displeased, as did the cop from the front desk who ran after Luna with some form she probably had to fill out. Luna meanwhile just glared at Blue, which cooled her anger down as effectively as a bucket of ice water.

Blue slumped back into her chair and looked at the floor, acting like she didn’t care, even if Luna could see right through her. The woman sat down next to her and took over glaring at the officer
“You told me you couldn’t start questioning her until I arrived.”
“We were just talking. We didn’t start the real questioning yet.”
“I see. So you tried to pressure my charge into a confession, instead of getting all the facts first. Is that it?”

Officer Bright Badge shook his had and held up his hands
“You got this all wrong. Miss Shore here was about to admit what she’s done by her own device. Isn’t that right, Miss Shore?”
Blue kept her head low and grumbled “I didn’t do anything” to which Miss Luna nodded
“That’s what it sounded like to me as well. So perhaps you shouldn’t jump at premature conclusions, Officer Badge.”

The officer just shook his head and grumbled something
“Fine, and since your social worker is here now, why don’t you tell me exactly what happened with Mister Leaves tonight?”

Blue glanced over at Luna who just nodded, so Blue explained everything for the third time that evening. She was about finished when the door opened, and another officer poked his head in. Blue recognized him as the other officer who had been at the diner.

“Sir? I got the report from Sunset Shimmer, I thought you wanted to get this right away?”
Officer Badge frowned and looked at the file his colleague handed him
“How on earth did you get this already?”
“She’s here, Sir. I just finished talking with her.”

Bright Badge looked even more confused, so Luna explained
“Sunset Shimmer is my niece. I brought her with me to the station, she got called soon after you informed me about Ocean Shore. She insisted coming right away to ‘get this over with’, as she phrased it.”
“Wait wait wait… you’re Miss Shore’s social worker, you’re the Vice-Principal at her high school and she’s friends with your niece as well? How does that all fit together?”

Bright Badge was clearly suspicious, but Miss Luna just took it with a calm smile
“None of these are connected, if that’s what you’re wondering. It’s just how things turned out. Now, I believe my niece has told you the same as Miss Shore just did?”

Bright Badge glanced over the report and nodded, but with a frown
“I guess. But it doesn’t match with what Bitter Leaves told us at all.”
“It matches perfectly with what the owner of the diner told us, though.”
Bright Badge shot a glare at his colleague
“The owner was in the kitchen when it happened, and these girls were sitting at the other end of the diner. The only ones who really know what happened are Miss Shore and Mister Leaves.”

The younger officer nodded again, although he clearly hesitated a bit now
“Right. But Mister Leaves changed his statement a couple times over the course of the night, while they didn’t. And he tried to accuse the owner and the girls along with Ocean Shore when we couldn’t immediately arrest her, like he demanded multiple times. It makes more sense to trust the information that actually matches up, Sir. Even you didn’t want to look deeper into it until Bitter Leaves mentioned that file.”

Bright Badge now stood up from behind his desk
“Listen here, you’ve just transferred to our city, but I’ve been here for more than a decade. I know Bitter Leaves has worked for Children Protective Service even longer. If he tells me something is wrong, I know better than to just ignore that. And as you’ve seen in her file, Ocean Shore has pulled off worse than this before.”

The young officer nodded and took a step backwards, but he didn’t just keel over
“Right. But she hasn’t done anything since she came to Canterlot. She might have learned her lesson. People can change.”
Bright Badge slumped back in his chair with a long sigh
“Sure. People can change.”

The way he stared at Blue made clear that he didn’t really believe it, but in the end, he just shook his head
“Well, there’s no clear evidence Ocean Shore broke the law, so I guess you can take her home now, Miss Luna. Thank you for your time. And sorry for any inconvenience.”
The way he said it didn’t sound very honest, more like something he had practiced saying, but Blue wasn’t going to stay longer here than she had to.

Miss Luna exchanged a few papers with the officer, but Blue was already at the door with her things and impatiently waited for her to finish. The younger officer at least had a smile for her as he let them out, and Blue just headed straight for the door. Miss Luna called after her to wait, but Blue only did so once she was outside. She just couldn’t stand police stations.

Fortunately, she didn’t have to wait long for Luna to leave as well, with Sunset Shimmer in tow. Sunset’s expression told Blue she didn’t like dealing with the police any more than her, but they didn’t talk about it. Luna just herded them to her car, and they climbed in silently.

They had been driving for maybe five minutes when Blue finally broke the silence
“Sorry I crashed your afternoon with that shit.”
Miss Luna just rolled her eyes but stayed calm
“You don’t have to apologize. This is literally my job. I knew what I signed up for.”
Blue nodded and sank back into the backseat
“Um, okay. Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it. Now, did you have supper yet?”
Blue shook her head, she usually would have eaten at the diner, but by now it was so late that her shift was over, and she wasn’t really sure if Milk Tea would be too happy to see her again tonight. Wordlessly, Luna pulled into some place with a drive-through.

When Blue arrived home, with food, her sister still wasn’t back yet. She wondered how she would explain this whole mess to Spring Meadow. She went to her room to finish up some homework, and by the time her sister returned, she had already fallen asleep.

Two days later, Blue walked into the diner for her next shift. She had tried to call Milk Tea, but hadn’t managed to talk with her, so she arrived earlier today so they could say what they had to say.

Blue nodded when she passed a couple of regulars, but they stared at her as if she was an alien, and one of them quickly reached out for his bag. Blue tried her hardest to keep from glaring at him.

As soon as she saw her, Milk Tea pointed to the kitchen door and Blue headed in after her boss. She turned around to explain, but Milk Tea never gave her a chance
“You never told me.”

Blue frowned and tilted her head
“Never told you what?”
“You never told me you’re a thief.”
Blue gritted her teeth, but tried to stay calm
“I didn’t steal that guy’s wallet.”

“Maybe not, but you’ve been shoplifting, and you’ve been arrested for it. The officer told me, it’s in your file.”
Blue looked down at the floor and just said nothing. There was nothing to say.
“I asked you when you started working here. But you didn’t tell me.”
Blue shook her head desperately
“I thought you knew. You said you had talked with Miss Luna and… I thought you knew.”
“Luna told me that you’ve been in juvie on a false premise. But she didn’t tell me you’ve been stealing even before that.”

“That’s years ago! I haven’t done anything like that since I got to Canterlot.”
“Really? And what about that fight, when two young men got arrested?”
Blue’s hands balled to fists
“I didn’t do anything! They ganged up on me and beat me up.”
“And you’re completely innocent? Like that guy just shows up in my diner and accuses you? That’s not something that happens when you’ve done nothing.”

Blue gritted her teeth
“What do you want from me? That guy just acted like a dick, I didn’t ask him to come here and cause a lot of trouble! I didn’t beg the cops to take me to the station! It’s not my fault!”

Milk Tea sighed and shrugged
“Maybe it isn’t. But it still happened. The police came back the other day and pestered my customers. A whole bunch of people saw you getting arrested the night before.”
“They didn’t arrest me! They just took me to the station, that’s all.”
“People don’t care! They saw you getting taken away by the police, after some lunatic screamed something about criminal organisations in my diner. A dozen regulars haven’t shown up since then. And the one’s who show up act all weirded out.”

Milk Tea opened the kitchen door and pointed at the now empty table where the other customers had just been sitting five minutes ago
“Point in case. I’m losing customers over this, and I can’t afford it. This diner is my livelihood, if the customers stay away, I can’t pay my bills. Or Grilled Cheese and you. Do you understand what I’m saying, Ocean Shore?”

Blue gritted her teeth so much it hurt, especially when she heard her full name, but she forced a nod. Milk Tea looked at her all serious now
“I’m asking you one last time, is there anything going on that I should be aware of? Anything that might involve the police again?”
Blue shook her head violently, and Milk Tea sighed relieved.

“Good. Now I hope we can just move past this. I know it’s hard for people like you, but I’m willing to try.”
Blue’s head snapped up instantly
“People like me?”

Milk Tea nodded with her typical smile. Blue had never noticed before how fake it looked
“You know, people with a criminal past. I know there’s a lot of social stigma, but I’m willing to do my part and help you through this.”
Milk Tea walked back towards the door and Blue just stared at her back, unwilling to believe what she just heard.

“Fuck you!”
Milk Tea flinched and span around
“Excuse me?”
“FUCK YOU!”

Blue rammed her fist into the nearest thing, which happened to be a metal cupboard that gave of a loud bang
“Is that all I am for you? Just a fucking pity case?”

Blue was screaming at the top of her voice and she noticed Milk Tea looked worried, but her rage was just burning in her tummy and she only felt the bile taste in her mouth
“Didn’t I do my fucking job good enough? I worked all my hours, I even filled in on short notice. I earned every fucking dollar you paid me! Did anyone complain that the tables weren’t clean enough? Or that I poisoned the food?”

Blue just screamed and banged her fist against the metal again and again
“Is this all there is? You just hired me because you think I couldn’t make it on my own? That I’d be wasting away if you didn’t come and save me? Did anything I do ever really matter to you?”

Milk Tea walked up to her, but Blue just pushed her away, too angry to reason with anyone right now
“Whenever I came here, I worked as hard as I could! I didn’t slack off, I didn’t mess things up, I didn’t cause any trouble. But that’s not enough for you, is it? Because one guy decides to be a dick about me, and suddenly I’m nothing more than a fucking criminal who needs to be saved. Is that it?”

“Blue, stop it this instant!”
“FUCK YOU! You don’t give a shit about me! You just care about your fucking diner! You’re just waiting for a chance to kick me out!”
“And you just gave me all the reason I need. You’re fired. Get out.”
“FUCK YOU! I QUIT!”

Blue reached out for something and threw it to the floor, she didn’t even care what it was, she just wanted to hear that satisfying smash, then she stormed out. Once outside, she just started running. She didn’t even know which direction she was going, she just ran until her anger stopped burning.

Blue was still seething with anger the next day. It was plain to see and everybody stayed out of her way. Fluttershy and Applejack tried to calm her down, but in the end none of the girls could get through to her.

It just wasn’t fair! She knew that she didn’t do herself any favours by exploding in front of her boss, but it just wasn’t fair that Milk Tea acted like that from one little slip-up. Though after Blue heard her reasoning, it was more likely that Milk Tea always thought of her as a waste of space and only tolerated her out of the goodness of her heart, or whatever bullshit stuck-up bitches like her told themselves to stroke their ego.

Blue was almost relieved when she was called into the principal’s office through the intercom. The guys from her class mumbled and whispered as she walked out, but this was better than sitting around and glaring at the teacher all day.

When she arrived at the office, Miss Inkwell just pointed at Miss Luna’s door. Blue sighed and tried to get her anger out of her face before she walked in. It didn’t work too well.
Luna sat behind her desk and Blue slumped into her usual chair and they glared at each other. Nobody said anything for a while, until Luna broke the silence

“A had a very long and very annoying talk with Milk Tea last night.”
Blue frowned and her glare only intensified
“Let me guess, she complained that she did so much for me, and I dared to yell at her and that I’m an ungrateful brat and that she never wants to see me again.”

Luna shook her head with a bitter smile
“That’s how it started, but in the end, she realized she has not been all fair to you as well. She’s willing to give you another chance.”
“That bitch can go fuck herself.”

Luna smiled sincerely now
“I told her you’d say something like that. Maybe we can bring this up again after both of you had a chance to calm down some.”
Blue kept glaring and didn’t say anything. She wanted a job. It was nice to have a little extra money, but she wanted to earn it. She wanted to get paid because she was doing something productive, not just because some bitch took pity on her.

Luna waited for a moment, but when Blue didn’t reply, she went back to business
“As you can imagine, this is not why I pulled you out of class. I was contacted by Children Protective Service yesterday, considering your case.”

Blue frowned even more
“What do you mean by that?”
“To be honest, I don’t know. They were intentionally vague. However, we were called into the office for today.”

Blue rolled her eyes and let out an angry sigh
“That’s just what I wanted. Sitting in a waiting room all day so some guy with a stick in their ass can preach their bullshit about me.”

“I’m not thrilled either, Blue. But we got an appointment on short notice, so it would be unwise if we’d just ignore it. They seem to think it’s important.”
Blue noticed that Miss Luna seemed a bit more tense than usual, and she didn’t really like it
“You think we’re in trouble?”
“I don’t know, Blue. I honestly have no clue.”

Blue groaned and balled her hands to fists
“Great. That’s just what I need. I hate surprises.”

They didn’t have to wait for hours in the office, since they had an official appointment. Miss Luna greeted a few people along the way, but Blue just kept her head low and glared at the floor. She didn’t like being here any more than she liked being at the police station.

They were sent to an office with some old geezer. Judging from the diplomas on the wall, he probably thought he was a bigshot. Blue just knew he was big enough of a jerk that he didn’t even introduce himself. Since Luna was there to be polite, Blue just slumped on the seat next to her and kept glaring at the floor.

Since introductions were pointless, the geezer got right to the point
“Miss Luna, I’ve been informed of your… let’s call it ‘unusual’ arrangement between you and Miss Shore. And now that I have looked into it, I can’t help but feel rather worried of the whole situation.”

Blue’s glare intensified, but Luna kept calm
“I don’t see what’s so unusual about the arrangement. I am Ocean’s social worker and so far, there’s been nothing out of the ordinary. I’ve merely made some reports that will benefit my charge, as a social worker is supposed to do. And as her former social worker failed to do, might I add.”
The geezer nodded and waved with his hands
“Yes, yes, I agree that Bitter Leaves didn’t fulfil his obligations at all, and it was very unfortunate that Miss Shore had to suffer from it. I didn’t mean to criticise your work so far, either. But you must admit that the whole thing is very unusual.”

Blue gritted her teeth, her usual reaction when Bitter Leaves was as much as mentioned, and again Miss Luna took over
“I’m afraid I don’t understand what you mean. Maybe you could explain what you mean when you say that ‘this whole situation’ is difficult.”
“Miss Luna, you’re her Vice-Principal at school and her social worker. That’s a conflict of interests, and I’m sure you’re aware of it.”

Miss Luna shook her head, but Blue could tell she wasn’t as calm anymore
“I disagree. As her Vice-Principal, I’m not directly involved in Ocean’s education. I don’t teach her personally, I’m not responsible for her grades and I don’t oversee any of her after-school activities.”

The geezer leaned forward on his desk and stopped waving
“But you are responsible as head of discipline at your school, whenever Miss Shore misbehaves or breaks school rules.”
Miss Luna nodded, hesitantly
“Yes, I am. But I don’t see how this affects Ocean negatively in any way.”

The geezer opened a file and Blue groaned. Nothing good ever came when somebody opened a file about her
“From what I’ve seen, Miss Shore has quite a lot of detention. Two fights in her first week, tardiness, sleeping in class, unruly behaviour…”
Blue balled her hand to a fist, but Miss Luna just put her hand on her shoulder an answered instead
“I can’t name you one student who’s never been tardy or unruly in class. And those fights you mentioned were not initiated by Ocean Shore. Also, as I’m sure you’re aware of, Blue’s behaviour improved greatly over the last couple of weeks.”

The geezer suddenly perked up, like a buzzard who suddenly found prey
“You call her Blue? That’s interesting. According to my files, only her sister ever called her that. Would you say you’ve become familiar with each other, Miss Luna?”
Luna hesitated, but in the end, she nodded
“Yes, we have. I think it’s natural to happen, since I’m involved in Ocean’s personal life to a certain degree.”

The geezer nodded, but he still had a glint in his eye
“Yes, yes, it’s not unusual for that to happen. And don’t get me wrong, I’m happy to see that Miss Shore is behaving better and getting less detention time. I just want to make sure it’s for the right reasons.”
“What do you mean by that?”

“Well, Miss Luna, one has to wonder: Is Miss Shore really behaving better or is it merely that you have grown soft on her, and therefore don’t punish her accordingly anymore.”
Blue couldn’t help but bark out a laugh
“Oh boy, you have no idea what you’re talking about. Miss Luna is hard as nails to everyone. She doesn’t even know what the word ‘soft’ means.”

The geezer threw an annoyed look at her
“Miss Shore, I would appreciate if you’d keep quiet while I discuss this matter with your vice-principal.”
Blue rolled her eyes and slumped back, but Luna jumped right back in
“Why should Ocean stay quiet? This concerns her more than anyone else, shouldn’t we take her opinion into consideration?”

The geezer forced a slim smile
“Miss Shore is a teenager. She doesn’t know what’s best for her.”
“Ocean is sixteen years old. She’s old enough to drive a car, and she’s old enough to make decisions for herself.”

He rolled his eyes, but turned to Blue
“Very well. Miss Shore, what is your opinion on this matter?”
Blue sat up and glared at him
“Nobody else really cared before, but Miss Luna does care. She’s doing her job and she still takes the time to help me when I need it, and she helps me help myself. That’s more than any other guy from the office ever did. So why can’t we just keep it as it is?”
He rolled his eyes more and dismissed her with a wave of his hand
“Thank you very much, Miss Shore. I knew you would be biased about this, of course.”

“How do you call this biased? It’s her life, of course she has her own opinion. That has nothing to do with her age.”
The geezer turned back to Miss Luna and ignored Blue’s nodding
“That would be true for a normal teenager, but with Miss Shore’s unique background, she has proven that she’s not capable to pick the best life-choices. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have acted against the law several times.”

“But that is not who she is anymore! Ocean has changed, and it’s not fair to judge her by the person she was a year ago. She’s made so much progress already and she’s on the best way to keep going, I see it every week during our counselling sessions.”
“Which brings us to my next point.”

The geezer interrupted Luna’s outburst with a cold smile, and suddenly Miss Luna seemed worried
“Canterlot High School does not have a school counsellor, is that right?”
“Yes, that is correct.”
“And is it also correct that Principal Celestia and you share the work that would usually fall to the school counsellor?”
“That is also correct.”

The geezer shook his head
“And who is doing the sessions with Miss Shore?”
“At first my sister and I took turns with Ocean, but recently it’s been me. Ocean and I have built up a good rapport, which is important for counselling.”

“Oh, I agree. But, Miss Luna, can you see the problem?”
Luna didn’t say anything, and the geezer now had a fat, satisfied smile plastered on his face
“You’re her vice-principal, her social worker, and now her counsellor as well? Miss Luna, that’s simply not how it’s done. It is highly unusual and…”

“But it works!”
Luna jumped out of her chair when even her patience finally ran out
“Blue is doing well, she has some set-backs of course, but she has improved so much already! You can’t deny this!”
“I am not, Miss Luna, but you have to admit, it is highly unusual…”
"But it’s working! It’s unusual, but it’s working for Blue! She had tried the usual way to no success, but right here, right now, we got something she can relate with! If you take this away from her, you risk losing all the progress we made ever since she came to Canterlot.”

The geezer stared as Luna talked herself into rage, but in the end, he just had his smug smile
“We have regulations and we have them for good reasons. I can see now that you’ve become far too attached to Miss Shore already, and that you’re not capable to judge the situation objectively anymore. Therefore, Miss Luna, I am going to assign someone else to Miss Shore as her new social worker. I will also find a neutral therapist in town for her.”

Luna fumed, just like Blue, but there wasn’t really anything she could do. Blue gritted her teeth and balled her hand to fists, so hard that her fingernails dug into her palms, but she somehow managed to stay quiet. She understood that she already caused a lot of trouble for Miss Luna, she couldn’t make it even worse.

Miss Luna kept glaring at the jerk for a minute longer, but then she sat back down with an angry frown. The geezer kept his smug smile
“Of course, you may continue to assist Miss Shore in your position of vice-principal at Canterlot High School.”
“How very generous of you.”

The geezer was smart enough to stop smiling now, at least. He gave them some paperwork and told Blue that she would have someone new assigned to her by next week. Just before they left, Miss Luna shot one last glare at him

“I hope your friend Bitter Leaves is happy now that he got his cheap revenge.”
“Miss Luna, Bitter Leaves doesn’t even work for me anymore. Why would you think he is involved? I have never even mentioned him.”
“You didn’t have to. This has his name written all over.”

With that, Luna turned around and just left without another word. Blue only took a moment to flip off the geezer, then she headed out and slammed the door shut behind her.

They didn’t say anything until they were back in the car and already a good distance away from the office. Blue was just glaring at the dashboard which was the only safe outlet for her anger she had right now, but Luna addressed her after a few minutes of driving

“Listen, no matter what CPS says, they can’t keep me from helping you. If you ever get into any kind of trouble, you can still come to me, even if I’m no longer your social worker.”
Blue just blew out an angry snort
“Why would they suddenly care? We’ve been doing this for months and nobody gives a fuck, and suddenly it’s a problem.”

“I believe Officer Bright Badge might have forwarded a message to the director. Most likely as a favour to his old friend Bitter Leaves.”
Blue gritted her teeth so loud that even Luna could hear it
“Why can’t he just leave me alone? He’s an asshole.”
“Worse. He’s a well-connected asshole, so he can stir up trouble if he tries hard enough.”
“And he still thinks he’s saving the world from people like me.”

Luna didn’t laugh, so Blue just went back to glaring, although with a little less force now
“I’m going to miss our weekly talks.”
“Blue, we can still talk. Maybe I’m not your counsellor anymore, but they can’t decide what I do in my private time.”
“But, if they find out, won’t you get pestered at your job?”

Luna laughed and shrugged
“That depends on how petty they really want this to get. But some things worth the hassle. Some things are more important.”
“But not more important than your job!”

At Blue’s sudden outburst, Luna slowed the car down to a halt, so she could turn around and look at the girl who seemed torn between frustration and anger
“Blue, listen, I know it might sound bad right now, but…”
“But nothing! I’m not more important than your job. And I don’t want to be the reason you get into any more trouble, like with Milk Tea.”

While Luna was trying to find the right things to say, Blue turned around to look at her, and Luna could have sworn that Blue blinked away some tears
“Besides, there might be another student sometime who needs an awesome vice-principal to help her out. Someone who sticks out for her and doesn’t just write her off. And when that happens, I want you to be around.”

Blue deliberately turned to look the other way, so Luna couldn’t see her expression. Once again, she couldn’t help but notice all the differences between the girl today and the one who had walked into her office back in fall. No matter how much Blue was trying to hide it.

“Besides, I can take care of myself. I can deal with a jerk from the office and if everything fails, I still got my friends, right?”
That was enough to make Luna laugh, despite the unpleasant situation
“Right. And I hope you know that includes me as well. And my sister.”

Blue now turned around and glared at Luna, but without any of her usual fire
“Don’t say that out loud. Geez, people already think I’m weird, if they find out that I’m friends with my principals at high school… I’d have to beat up a month’s worth of detention just to make them stop laughing.”

Luna only laughed harder, and after a while Blue joined in. Blue was still a teenager, but with the right kind of help, she might get through all the changes just fine.

Friday couldn’t come soon enough. Bad enough that Blue lost her job and didn’t have anything to fill her suddenly free afternoons, but she couldn’t let anyone at school notice how pissed she really was. If Miss Luna found out, she’d do something and that would mean more trouble for her, which was the last thing Blue wanted. It also meant that Blue needed to be careful around her friends, especially Sunset, because if Sunset knew how angry Blue was, Luna would find out sooner than later.

And Blue was majorly pissed. She had gotten a call from the office and some jerk had just barked a time and a warning that she’d better be punctual, before Blue could even say as much as ‘Hello’ or ‘Fuck you’. She didn’t really have a chance to vent, since her weekly session with Miss Luna didn’t happen either. Her sister was doing double-shifts as well, so she sat alone at home when she wasn’t with the girls, which didn’t really help either.

Her last hope was Friday night, when she could train with Black Belt. He didn’t care if she was pissed, and she could just punch out all her anger and frustration. After that, she would hopefully be calm enough to deal with the jerk from the office on Monday.

She arrived earlier than usual, since she had done her best to avoid detention this week, but she knew Black Belt didn’t mind that much. He had a class before their sessions and even though they were more advanced than her, Blue had sparred with them a couple times. She ran up the stairs, hoping that she might join in again today.

But when she opened the door to the training room, it was empty. Nobody was around, nobody was training and from the looks of it, nobody had used the room all day. Blue didn’t know what to think about it and walked inside
“Hello? Anybody here?”

Her voice echoed through the empty room, but she heard steps behind her and turned around. Black Belt stood at the door, not in his karate outfit but in normal clothes that looked kinda wrong on him
“Blue. You’re early. I didn’t expect you for another hour.”

Blue just stared at him, then waved at the empty room
“What’s going on? Where is everybody?”
Black Belt sighed and his shoulders slumped down. Blue had never seen him like this, and she didn’t like it one bit
“There was some guy here earlier this week. Said a whole lot of nonsense. I told him to get lost and not bother me anymore, but some people listened.”

Oh no Blue thought, please no. Not again. Not here.

“Suddenly people stop coming to my classes. Said they don’t want to get involved in any crime syndicate or gang wars. I don’t even know where they picked that up.”
“Bitter Leaves.”
Blue gritted her teeth and Black Belt noticed
“That’s his name? He never introduced himself to me. Or rather, I chased him off before he had a chance. Why does he run around and spread stories like that?”

Blue sighed angrily
“He hates me and he kinda lost his job because of me. He called the police to the diner and told them I stole his wallet, just so I’d get fired.”
Black Belt shook his head in disbelief
“Some people. How you’re dealing with all that?”
“Don’t worry about me. Why is nobody here today?”

Black Belt rolled his eyes and leaned against the door
“Cancelled the whole week. Told them to get their heads out of their asses. If they think somebody should not be allowed to learn how to fight because they’ve made a mistake once, they shouldn’t learn it either. I’m sure most of them will show up again next week.”

Blue balled her hands to fists and almost didn’t dare to ask
“And, if not?”
Black Belt just shrugged
“I’ll live. I’ve had meagre years before. Some things are more important.”

Not again. Not him too.

“Now come on, since you’re already here, we can get started. Just let me change real quick and then…”
“SHUT UP!”

Black Belt looked up, surprised at Blue’s sudden outburst
“What the fuck, man? You would just give up your school, your job, everything just because… because…”

“Blue!”
He walked up to her and gripped her shoulder
“This isn’t giving up. If I’d give that guy what he wants, then I’d be giving up. But I’m not gonna do that. I’m not giving up on you.”

Blue screamed and pulled away from him
“Well maybe you should! Maybe he’s right! Maybe I’m really just messing up everything around me.”

“Blue, that’s not…”
“SHUT UP! I don’t want to be responsible that Milk Tea has to close her diner! Or that Luna loses her job! Or that you can’t run your school! I don’t want any of that!”

Blue screamed and hot, angry tears ran down her face
“Bitter Leaves hates me, so nobody of you should get involved! It’s not fair that he goes after you when it’s me he wants! It’s not your fault!”
“Blue, it’s not yours either. It’s that person. He decided to act this way, and some people decided they want to listen to him. None of this is your fault, and I don’t blame you. Neither does Luna, I’m sure.”

Blue backed away from Black Belt even more, to the far wall where she slumped down onto the training mats
“Nobody has a good reason to trust me over him. Not with all the shit I did before.”

Black Belt took a few steps towards Blue, but he knew better than to get too close to her right now
“Do you regret those things today?”
“Yes! I do, now.”

Black Belt tilted his head and Blue could guess why. It wasn’t like she’d shown a lot of remorse ever before.
“Why now? What changed?”

Blue gritted her teeth, but she knew she wasn’t getting out of this right now, not when she was sitting on the floor and crying like a whiny baby
“Because of you! You, and Miss Luna, and Milk Tea and Sunset Shimmer and… and… all that shit never bothered me before. Who cares if I got caught shoplifting? Who cares if I beat up guys at my old school? Who cares if I went to juvie, who gives a shit if I wasn’t guilty at all? Nobody gives a shit about me and that was fine! I don’t need fucking people getting involved in my fucking piece of shit life!”

Black Belt put a hand on Blue’s shoulder
“People care about you now. That’s something you need to get used to. You’re one of the toughest girls I’ve ever met, but now that the guy targets the people close to you instead, none of it really matters. You can take all the abuse, but if they get hurt, you feel helpless.”
Blue forced herself to stop crying and pulled away from him
“What are you, a fucking shrink?”

Black Belt shook his head, but he didn’t have it in him to smile at Blue’s sarcasm
“You can’t stop people from caring, you know.”
Blue slammed her fist into the mats
“But I can make sure they don’t have to suffer because of me.”
“Come on, who says we’re suffering? I think your melodramatic friend got through to you.”

Blue didn’t feel like laughing. She hadn’t felt it all week.
“Miss Luna got threatened by CPS, Milk Tea got pestered by the police, and you had to cancel your classes. None of that would have happened if it wasn’t for me.”

“You don’t know that.”
Blue glared at him
“Bitter Leaves didn’t even know you before he followed me around.”
“Sounds like a ‘me’-problem, not a ‘you’-problem.”
Blue shook her head as her glare only intensified
“But I can deal with it. Bitter Leaves doesn’t want me coming here, right? So I won’t. I already lost my job, so Milk Tea should be fine now as well.”

Black Belt crossed his arms in front of his bulky chest
“That’s sounds to me like you’re giving up. You’re letting him win.”
Blue let out a bitter laugh
“The one time I don’t fight back and try to be clever, and you still complain. I’ll just never be good enough for you, for any of you, am I?”

Black Belt didn’t move a muscle, while Blue was scrambling back to her feet
“Is this really what you want?”
Blue nodded and sighed, angry
“I don’t love the idea. But I can deal with it. If it means less trouble for you.”

Black Belt watched her for a minute, but then relaxed again
“I can’t talk you out of this anymore. But this doesn’t have to be forever, okay? That guy will give up eventually, and when he does, I expect to see you back for training.”

This time, Blue managed a small smile
“You betcha.”
Black Belt put her hand on her shoulder as she walked to the door
“You’re not all by yourself, right? You don’t have to deal with this all alone, you know.”
“Don’t worry. I got my friends at school. I got my big sister. Spring and I have been through so much shit, we can handle another asshole.”

Blue tried her hardest to keep her confident smile up for Black Belt, until she was out of the building. She kept in in until she made it a few blocks away, but then it just all boiled over, and she let out a loud, almost feral scream.

Everybody around stopped for a moment to stare at her, which only made Blue more angry
“What the fuck are you looking at?”

She yelled and everybody hurried away as she glared at them. She just started shouting random insults into the sky, mostly about Bitter Leaves but after a while, she was just screaming for the heck of it.

It didn’t make her feel any better, or any less angry. Everything she touched just turned into shit, every single time. Every time she found something she could enjoy, it turned into a fucking disaster. Her job, school, her friends, even sports. Whenever it seemed like things were turning around, the whole world just turned into another pisshole instead.

There wasn’t anything she could do. She’d already caused trouble to Miss Luna just by existing, and she didn’t want Miss Celestia or the whole school to get dragged in as well. She couldn’t go to her friends. The police had already pestered them, and she couldn’t risk that they would get into trouble just by being around her.

In the end, she just went home. She was still fuming, and her stomach was burning like a furnace the whole time. At least at home she could vent without anybody seeing her, so nobody would care. It was a small comfort, but it was better than just running through the streets all night long. At least at home, she was safe from all this bullshit that happened.

She walked into the run-down apartment, and to her surprise, Spring Meadow was home. Blue thought she was supposed to work the night shift this week, but then again, she was home earlier than expected as well. Maybe it was just a coincidence.

Spring Meadow looked up at her and Blue knew it wasn’t a coincidence. Her sister was crying. Blue hadn’t seen her sister cry since she had been a little girl, and even then, she had never looked as desperate as right now.

Oh no. Please no. Not again. Not her. NOT HER!

“What’s wrong?”
Blue managed to press out with her voice even breaking on those two words, but Spring Meadow wouldn’t stop crying and all she could do was sob
“They fired me. Without any warning. I don’t know why. They just let me go.”
“They fired you from the hospital?”

Spring nodded and Blue couldn’t say anything, she gritted her teeth so she wouldn’t just scream in rage, but her sister wasn’t finished yet
“I couldn’t find another job, not on such short notice, and now I don’t know how to pay the rent. They’re going to kick us out of this place.”
“WHAT?”

Blue’s hands balled into fists and her whole body shook violently. The place was a dump, but at least it was a dump with heating and running water. If they couldn’t afford a shitty apartment like this anymore, how could they ever hope to find another place to live?

“And that’s not even the worst.”
Spring pushed a letter from the table towards Blue. She read the words, but they turned blurry after just a few lines.

… under the given circumstance, we have decided to withdraw your guardianship over Miss Ocean Shore, effective immediately. Miss Shore will be placed in a juvenile institution as soon as possible…

Blue didn’t even read the rest. She wouldn’t be able to even if she wanted. But she couldn’t. All that rage from this shitty day, shitty week, the whole fucking shitty month came back with the force of an erupting volcano, and she just saw red.

She grabbed the closest thing, which was one of the cheap plastic chairs, and just smashed it against the wall. Again and again. She heard the plastic break, she heard her sister scream, but she couldn’t stop. Again and again and again, the remains of the chair smashed against the wall.

FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK!

Chapter 12.5

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Rainbow Dash had barely pushed the button for the doorbell when the door already flew open, and Pinkie Pie let her in. Rainbow seemed a tad confused, since this wasn’t Pinkie Pie’s place, but she pushed that away. She had more serious things to worry about right now.

She followed Pinkie into a living room. The glasses and plates on the table gave her a good idea that more people had to be around, even if right now, only Rarity was present. She looked more stressed out than Rainbow had ever seen her, and she just had a glare for Rainbow instead of a greeting
“Took you long enough.”
“I came as soon as I could. I had soccer training and I couldn’t just let the team hanging. And it’s not like I had much of a warning.”
Rarity immediately relented and her glare faded away with a deep sigh
“Yes, of course Darling. I’m sorry if that came out a bit snippy. I wasn’t really prepared for something like this either. Frankly, the whole situation is rather frustrating since there is so little I can do to help.”

Rainbow just waved off any hard feelings and slumped on the couch, next to Rarity while Pinkie Pie had vanished through another door.
“So, how bad is it?”
“Well, we are all still struggling to understand the situation as a whole, but I must say, what I heard so far is terrible.”

Rainbow nodded and glanced to the doors that led deeper into the house. It was far too quiet for the number of people who were here right now, and Rainbow didn’t have to be a genius to figure out that it was a bad sign.

“I only have a couple texts so far, but it must really be bad if Blue asked for help.”
“Oh Darling, you don’t even know half of it. Blue was devastated, desperate, and, and…”
“Angry.”
“Yes. According to Applejack, it took Fluttershy almost half an hour just to calm her down enough so she could get into the car. Luckily, Miss Luna was able to handle her so far, I believe they are still in her room, together with Sunset.”

Rainbow nodded and frowned
“And what do we do now? What’s the plan?”
“I’m afraid there isn’t much of a plan. As it stands now, there is frustratingly little we could do.”

Rainbow shook her head angrily
“No way. There must be something we can do. We saved the world like four times, we are that awesome. No way we can’t find a solution to this.”
“I understand that you are upset, Rainbow Dash, but right now we can’t just charge in head first, least we risk making the situation worse than it already is.”

Rainbow just shook her head again
“So we need a game plan. First things first, we need to get Blue’s rent so they won’t get kicked out. How about we do a concert like we did for Gloriosa and Camp Everfree?”
“Applejack had the same idea, Darling. Even if we could organise a concert, or a bake sale, or anything on short notice, it would just delay the real problem.”
“And what’s the real problem then, Rares?”

Before Rarity could answer, Pinkie Pie chimed in. She had been surprisingly quiet the whole time, and even now that she spoke up, she was missing her usual drive
"Her sister. Even if we get the money for the rent and they get to stay another month, they will still take Blue away from her sister.”
Rarity nodded with the same sad expression as Pinkie, but Rainbow’s anger just flared up again
“They can’t just do that! That has to be illegal!”

“Well, Miss Celestia and Twilight are looking through all the documents right now, but they haven’t found anything so far, so…”
Rainbow sighed and slumped back
“So if Twilight hasn’t found anything, there probably isn’t anything. She’s too much of an egghead to miss anything. Still, it doesn’t feel right. They can’t just separate two sisters just because they feel like it.”

A door opened in the back of the house, and Rainbow heard sobbing before the door closed again. Applejack and Twilight entered the living room, neither of them looking better than Rarity or Pinkie Pie
“Any news?”
Applejack shook her head and slumped heavily into a chair
“Afraid not. Blue calmed down but now she’s just staring at the wall and doesn’t react to anything I said. Fluttershy said she’d stay with her for now. But I’m more worried about Spring Meadow, honestly. She doesn’t look good, at all.”

Rainbow Dash glared at the other girls
“Come on guys, think. There must be some way out of this.”
Twilight shook her head
“I don’t see how. All the documents are legally binding and there’s no loophole. Whoever did this was very thorough.”

“But Twi, your brother is a cop, right? Can’t he just, you know, loose the file on accident?”
Twilight glared at Rainbow Dash for that
“First, my brother doesn’t do things like that. Second, this comes from Children Protective Service, not the police department. And third… I already asked and he said no.”

There were only sounds of frustration from everyone, but Twilight wasn’t even finished yet
“It’s not like he could do much anymore. Spring Meadow lost guardianship over Blue, so she’s legally a ward of the state right now. So even if we somehow got Canterlot city department on our side…”
“Federal office would just take over. Probably already has. Which means, even if we got Blue and her sister out of the city somehow…”
“Any other city would have to arrest them, and they’d still get separated. And since Blue is a ward of the state, the state controls her passport at the moment, so they can’t just get on a plane and leave the country either. Not that we have money for plane tickets anyways.”

Rarity looked defeated, but Rainbow Dash just kept shaking her head
“That can’t be right. They just decided to separate them and send Blue to the other side of the country? Without a judge and a jury? No lawyer and nothing?”
Twilight shook her head
“This isn’t a legal prosecution, Rainbow. There hasn’t been a crime, so there are no witnesses, no lawsuit, no judge.”
“But this is crazy! So somebody who never even met Blue gets to decide over her life?”
“That’s the system. I don’t claim it’s always fair, but that’s the system we live in.”
“No wonder Blue hates the office so much. This sucks.”

A few rooms away, Celestia looked up when the door to her office opened and Luna slipped inside
“Did she finally calm down?”
Luna shook her head and slumped into the only chair of the room
“No, I wouldn’t call it that. It’s more like she finally collapsed from exhaustion. I expect her to be just as angry when she wakes up. Did you have more luck with Spring Meadow?”

Celestia also shook her head
“I’m afraid not. She has shut down completely and doesn’t respond to me anymore. I left her alone so she could get some rest, but… I doubt it will help much.”
Luna nodded and rubbed her temples as if to ease a bad headache
“This is quite the situation. Even if we had more time, I don’t know if we could do anything to solve this.”

Celestia went back to pacing up and down, something she only did when she was very stressed
“Luna, I think separating them will have a very bad impact, on either of them. Blue will probably lash out and get herself into more trouble. And Spring Meadow already blames herself for letting it come this far. I am afraid what she will do without her sister.”
Luna could only nod and sigh
“Everything Spring Meadow did for the last nine years, she did for Blue. She fought to become her legal guardian and she worked every and any job, just so they could barely survive, and Blue could keep going to school. Without Blue, she’s going to be a high school dropout with no goal and no perspective left.”
“Luna, we can’t let that happen. She had such big hopes in Canterlot… and now she’s going to lose everything if we don’t help.”

“But what can we do? Offer her a job at our school? Our budget is already stretched thin because of all the magical shenanigans that happened this year. And even if we could, even if we let them live here without any rent, it won’t change the fact that Blue is going to be sent away.”
Celestia stopped pacing and turned to look at Luna, strangely nervous all of a sudden
“I’ve been thinking about this and… if Ocean Shore is now a ward of the state, well… adoption would be a possibility.”
Luna just shook her head and frowned
“CPS already thinks I’m biased. They will disagree and draw this out for months before I’d even get a chance.”

“Well, maybe I could…”
Luna got up and glared at Celestia, who backed away as it came so suddenly
“Celestia, can you go in that room, look Blue in the eye and tell her that it wouldn’t be out of pity?”

Celestia’s eyes opened wide. Blue would glare at her as well, and she would be even more angry than Luna. If she couldn’t even face her sister, then…
“No. I couldn’t. And Ocean Shore is too proud to become a pity case.”
“I don’t like it any more than you, Tia. But it seems our hands are bound in this.”

Celestia carefully put her hand on Luna’s shoulder
“Luna, you can’t save everybody. You know that. You did all you could. You said Spring Meadow shouldn’t blame herself, but neither can you.”
“I know. But I really wish there was something, anything I could do. Things just started looking up for them, and now… they don’t deserve this.”

Celestia, unsure what to say, simply pulled her sister into a hug. She felt the same way, of course, but right now she had to be the voice of reason. Just like Luna had to be for Blue. Sometimes, that was all they could do.

A few hours later, and all seven girls just sat in the living room. They had thrown out ideas and plans, only to dismiss them moments later. Silence had taken over and each girl was just staring ahead, lost between angry, like Rainbow Dash and Sunset, or sad, like Fluttershy.

Blue was still asleep in Sunset’s room, and Spring Meadow hadn’t left Luna’s room yet. Celestia and Luna hadn’t left the office either, but Sunset knew they were just as worried as the seven friends.

Rainbow Dash finally broke the silence and kicked an empty soda bottle through the room
“Man, this sucks. We got enough magic to blast any monster to smithereens, but we can’t even help a single friend when she’s in trouble.”

Rarity nodded, with a depressing sigh
“It is true, for all the good things we achieved, our geodes won’t do us any good right now. The magic of friendship can’t compete with the cruelty of bureaucracy, or so it seems.”

The magic of friendship failed, huh? Princess Twilight will be devastated when she hears that.
Sunset thought while the others kept talking around her. Somehow, the last thought didn’t sit well with her.
What am I even thinking? Princess Twilight would never give up. Not when a friend is in trouble. She would find a way. After all, she’s Blue’s friend too and… wait, that’s it!

“That’s it! Rarity, you’re a genius!”
The girls just stared as Sunset suddenly jumped on her feet and raced back to her room. Rarity and Rainbow Dash followed quickly
“What do you mean, Darling?”
“The magic of friendship! We’re not the only ones who have it, and Blue has more friends than just us! If we can’t help her, maybe another friend can!”

As the door flew open, Blue woke up suddenly and started moaning and swearing, but Sunset ignored her. She had an important message to get through.

Blue was sitting on the bed in the guest room. The girls were still around, but she couldn’t see them right now. She didn’t feel like she was about to explode anymore, but she’d still lash out at them. They didn’t deserve that, so she stayed away.

Spring Meadow was sitting on the window sill and talked to someone on her phone. Blue didn’t really pay attention, but she kept watching her sister. Spring Meadow didn’t look good at all. Blue had seen the expression on her sister’s face before. Sunset Shimmer had looked at her like this once.

Blue shook her head and glared.
No. Spring is stronger than that. We just need to figure something out.

Just what? Miss Celestia, Miss Luna and not even Twilight Sparkle found any loophole. The police wouldn’t help, the office wouldn’t help. They couldn’t just leave the city either. No matter how they looked at it, they were stuck.

Spring Meadow hung up the phone and swore under her breath. Blue turned her head towards her, and Spring looked as pissed as she felt
“They want us out of the apartment by the end of the week. Even if we somehow found the money. Bunch of assholes.”
Like always when it was just the two of them, Spring was talking in German. Blue didn’t think that the girls would try to listen in, neither did Spring. It was just out of a habit.

And sometimes, at least for Blue, some things were just easier to say in German
“Sorry I always mess up everything for you.”
Spring got up immediately and joined Blue on the bed
“Blue, it’s not your fault. These people…”

“They did all this because of me! They stirred up all sorts of trouble to get back at me. If it wasn’t for me… if it wasn’t for me, you’d still have your job. You’d be a nurse like you’ve always wanted, you wouldn’t have to be stingy with money. You wouldn’t have to go through all this shit. Maybe I should just go with them. So you can have a better life without me.”

Blue flinched when her sister clung on her, and started crying again
“You can’t just leave me alone, Blue. What am I going to do without you?”

Blue shuddered and Spring’s grip got only tighter. She had always thought Spring was so strong, too strong to break. If even Spring Meadow couldn’t take this anymore…
I can’t do it. I can’t leave her. But what can I do? I don’t know. I’d do anything, anything if only Spring Meadow would be happy again…

Somebody knocked on the door, but didn't wait before they barged right in. Sunset was holding her giant old book and she looked strange, like a mix of excited and nervous.

Blue glared at her, mostly so Spring Meadow would get a chance to compose herself, but Sunset didn't care the least
“I think I found a way out for you. It's a risk, and it's pretty drastic, but I think we don't have much of a choice anymore.”

Before Blue or Spring could ask, Sunset opened her book and showed them the last entries. Most of the page was filled with that wavy symbol language, but the last few paragraphs were written in normal English. Blue leaned in and read them. Then she blinked and read again. And again, just to be sure.
“No way. No way! Are you serious?”

Spring Meadow now looked at the tome as well, curious from her sister’s reaction. She frowned when she couldn’t read the wavy part, but she got even more confused when she reached the part that she could read
“Blue… what does this mean?”
Blue just stared at the pages in pure disbelief
“I… that can’t be right. Sunset, what the fuck is this?”

Twilight, are you around? Sorry to bother you this late, but you’re our last hope.

I’m here. What’s going on? How can I help?

Remember what we talked about earlier? It seems that there’s no way out of it for Blue and her sister. If they stay here, they’ll be separated, and I’m scared of what might happened to them next. So I was wondering if maybe they could…

Yes! I understand what you’re getting at, and I remember the promise I made. Please tell Ocean Shore and her sister that they’re welcome to come to Equestria in their time of need. They can stay in my castle for as long as they need.

Thanks Princess! You’re the best!

“Sunset… are you fucking nuts? We can’t just leave this world just like that, right?”
“Well, why not? If you stay here, who knows what will happen? Over there, you’ll have Princess Twilight to help you. You’ll be safe and have ponies on your side.”

Blue looked like she didn’t know if she should punch Sunset or start crying, but Spring Meadow was just confused
“Will anybody tell me what the fuck is going on here?”

Sunset and Celestia, who had joined them after Blue had started screaming, took turns explaining, while Blue just stared at the book.
No way. No fucking way. This can’t work. No fucking chance.

And then she remembered how Spring Meadow had looked just a few minutes ago. How deep in their shit they both were stuck already. Could they really take more? Could she just pass up on a magical solution?

I’d do anything for Spring. I refuse to give up. There's a chance, so I'm not gonna question it. We'll take that chance, even if it seems weird at first glance.

Spring stared at her and Blue stared back. Then she nodded. It was a chance, maybe their last one. They had to make this work. They had to.

Chapter 13

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Blue only hovered a few inches above the ground, but it felt great. She couldn’t get over how natural it felt to have wings on her back and how easy it was to use them.

It was way easier than walking on four legs. She looked at Spring Meadow who was still struggling with a slow walk through the mirror room. Her sister had no wings like Blue and no horn like Sunset Shimmer either. Princess Twilight had told her she was an earth pony, while Blue was a pegasus pony. Sunset Shimmer was a unicorn and ponies with both wings and horns like Princess Twilight were called alicorns.

Right now, Sunset and Twilight had left them in the room with the magic mirror that was the way to the human world. Where they had gone, Blue didn’t know, but they had told them to stay and get used to hooves. Blue didn’t really see the use in that, since she could fly, but a glare from her sister had her hover next to Spring Meadow and land. Only for her legs to collapse under her own weight and hit the floor.

Spring Meadow laughed and tried to help Blue on her legs again without falling over. Even as ponies, Blue could tell the other pony was her sister and she could read her expression on the pony face just as well as on the human face. The colours of their skin had turned into the colours of their coats and their hair colours now matched their manes and tails. Their manes were even made up similarly, Blue’s mane was shorter and a little stubby, Spring’s mane hung down long and the shades of green that made her colours blended a little into each other when she moved, just like on the other side of the mirror. Their clothes had vanished somehow, but being covered all over with coat served the same purpose it seemed.

They walked silently for a while and Spring Meadow got a good hang of it rather quickly
“You just don’t have to think about it. It’s like your legs know what to do if you just let them.”
Blue nodded, it was the same for her wings
“This is so unreal.”
“Only, it isn’t. We’re really here.”

They both focused to dodge a few piles of books on the floor and Blue spread her wings to hold her balance
“Blue, is this really what we should do? It feels like running away.”
“Sis, what’s left for us? How much more of all this shit can you take before you break down? Or me?”
Spring Meadow closed her eyes with a heavy sigh.

She had had big hopes on Canterlot City. The work in the hospital was exhausting and stressful, but she loved being a nurse. Once she had finished her training period, her pay would raise up as well. Or so she thought.

About a week before she could finish her nurse training, the head of human resources had called her in. She had told her that Canterlot Hospital would not hire her after she finished training. She had shown her a list of minor mistakes and mishaps that had happened around her. She wasn’t even responsible for some of them, she was just around when they had happened. Still, the woman in a business suit had told her the hospital couldn’t afford hiring a potential risk like her. Especially since she would only barely pass nurse training. The woman had shown Spring Meadow her final statements from the doctors and they were less than flattering.

Spring couldn’t understand why or how this had happened, until she saw the name sign on the woman’s desk. Her name was Bitter Pill, and next to the sign, Spring saw a picture of her with her brother, Bitter Leaves. Bitter Leaves had lost his job shortly after Vice-Principal Luna had impeached him for neglecting Blue and his other charges. Bitter Leaves had blamed everything on Blue, but with no success. Until now. Spring would lose her job as a nurse because of petty revenge.

It hadn’t stopped then. Spring Meadow had asked at every hospital or clinic even remotely close to Canterlot City, but none of them would hire her. Bitter Pill had contacted them before, and her word weighed more than Spring Meadow’s. Blue had attempted to find a job as well, but nobody would hire her because of her ‘criminal’ past. Two weeks later, Spring Meadow was unemployed and couldn’t pay the rent any more. She looked for other jobs, but couldn’t find one, thanks again to petty revenge.

Miss Luna had offered them rooms in her home, until Spring found a new job, but Spring declined. She hated accepting charity and offerings from anyone, but Bitter Leaves had one last mean trick to pull. Because Spring Meadow couldn’t pay the rent, CPS threatened to take Blue away from her. Since she was still a minor, they intended to take her to an orphanage and because of her background she would have to stay there until she was 21 and could be ‘reintegrated into society’. They also claimed that Spring Meadow turned to be a worrying influence on Blue, so they recommended an orphanage a few states over.

When Blue had come home that day, she had found her sister in tears and unable to speak. After she had read the letter, Blue had blown up into a raging fit and smashed a chair against the wall.

Blue would lose all her friends at CHS, again. She would have to start over in a new city. Spring Meadow couldn’t even afford to move after her, not without a safe job. Miss Luna couldn’t help either, all her contacts to CPS stayed silent.

Once again, as soon as things had looked up for them, life came back to throw them into into its shitty hell again.

In her desperation, Blue had asked for help from the girls. None of them could do anything, of course. Except Sunset Shimmer. She had contacted Princess Twilight with her magic journal and the princess had responded. She still remembered the promise she had given Blue after Anon-A-Miss. And since Princess Twilight had promised to help Blue with anything she might need, Twilight lost no time to open the portal. Blue and Spring Meadow were invited to her castle in Ponyville, at the other side of the mirror, and the princess had asked them to stay.

“Sis?”
Spring Meadow sighed deeply and emerged from her reminiscence before she would start crying again. They would have an audience with the princess soon and she had to convince her to let Blue and her stay. She had to.

Spring Meadow and Blue looked at each other. They both felt the same way about it. They would make this work. They had gone through a lot of bad situations together, they could make this one work too, as long as they had each other.

The door opened and another unicorn walked in. She was a mare as well and looked strangely familiar. Blue took a closer look and blinked surprised
“Starlight Glimmer?”

The unicorn smiled brightly and nodded
“I wasn’t sure if you would recognize me, Ocean Shore.”
“I almost didn’t. You look different without the beanie.”

They chuckled and Starlight ran her hoof through her mane
“I know, I liked it too, but it’s hard to make a hat like that work with one of those.”

She playfully tapped her horn with her hoof and Spring Meadow involuntarily shuddered at the horn-on-hoof sound. Blue felt her wings twitch at her sides.

“I’m sure we’ll have a chance to catch up later. Right now, the Princesses would like to see you.”
Spring’s ears perked up
“Wait, ‘Princesses’? Plural? I thought there was only Twilight Sparkle.”

Starlight Glimmer laughed and shook her head
“Nope, there’s more. Twilight is the only princess who lives in Ponyville, but she’s the Princess of Friendship so she gets to travel around a whole lot. Then there’s Princess Cadance, the Princess of Love, she rules over the Crystal Empire far up north. And of course, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna who control the sun and the moon. They rule over all of Equestria from Canterlot.”

Spring Meadow and Blue froze in their tracks
“Celestia and Luna? You mean, as in, my principals?”
“Principals? Oh, right, counterparts. Um, yes and no. They might be similar, but they are not the same. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna ruled over Equestria for many centuries now, and Twilight told me your Celestia and Luna only lived for a couple of decades.”

Blue blinked rapidly and felt the urge to pinch herself, but she didn’t know if she could even do that with hooves
“So let me get this straight: The princesses here rule practically forever, control stuff like the sun and they all have wings and horns which makes them like superhero-level of powerful?”

Starlight tilted her head, unimpressed, and simply nodded
“Pretty much, yeah.”
“And they are all here to see us?”
“Uh-huh. You’re the first humans to cross over to Equestria since the portal has been reopened, it’s a big deal so they all agreed to come.”

Blue felt her wings shrink down and press tightly to her sides. Next to her, Spring Meadow sank back on her haunches and started breathing quicker than normal.

Starlight noticed that they weren’t following her anymore and turned around. Her eyes grew wider when she saw their terrified expressions
“What’s wrong?”
Blue stomped her hoof on the floor and flinched at the sudden pain (Note to self: Hooves are sensitive) but it didn’t make her any less angry
“What’s wrong? Seriously? We thought we were supposed to talk with Sunset and Twilight, and now you tell us that all of the most powerful and important people in the whole world want to interrogate us instead. No, can’t see anything wrong with that at all!”

She glared at Starlight and her wings flared up a little as she got herself more and more angry
“I mean we can’t even walk right with these things and I don’t know anything about how to talk with a princess or four of them. It’s like you just set us up to fail! Sunset said we’d get a fair chance, but how is this even fair?”

Before Starlight could say anything, another voice called out to her
“Calm yourself, young one. Your situation is not as hopeless as you might fear.”

Spring Meadow was already staring towards the voice with wide open eyes, and Blue felt a shiver run down her spine. She knew that voice, but at the same time she was sure she had never heard it before.

She turned around and saw another mare with wings and horn standing in a door. The alicorn mare was taller than Twilight and she wore a black chest piece and a matching black crown-tiara-thingy. Her coat was a dark midnight blue, almost like the skin of her human counterpart. Unlike Miss Luna, the pony version had a mane that looked like it was made of night sky with glittering stars and it waved on its own even inside here where there wasn’t even the slightest breeze.

Blue stared in awe at what had to be Princess Luna. The tall alicorn watched her attentively and Blue for the first time in her life had an idea of what people meant when they called someone ‘regal’ and ‘majestic’. The Princess radiated a form of authority and power, but not with grand gestures, loud words, or flashy clothes, she did so just by standing there. Blue shivered when Princess Luna’s cerulean eyes fixed on hers and her wings folded back to her sides. Those eyes seemed to look right into her, but at the same time she felt her anger fade away. Whatever the Princess saw, Blue noticed the indication of a smile from the tall mare.

Blue was frozen by that gaze, but next to her Spring Meadow tried to bow down like Starlight Glimmer. However, she lost her balance and flopped over forward instead.

Princess Luna laughed gently and without any malice
“There is no reason for that, dear guests from afar. We are well aware that the transition between worlds is challenging and downright irritating. As for such, we can ignore unnecessary formalities today. We simply ask for your honesty with us.”
She looked at Blue again, and winked
“Although when talking with my sister, a certain amount of politeness will be beneficial.”

Starlight was there to help Spring Meadow back on her hooves as Princess Luna walked away in long, regal strides, expecting them to follow. Blue fell back to her sister’s side. It was disturbing to see how much this Luna was the Miss Luna she knew, and how much she wasn’t Miss Luna at all.

They reached a large set of doors that opened with a visible glowing from Princess Luna’s horn. Blue stored that information away for later, as now she walked into a large hall. She kept her pace slow, like Spring Meadow. It would look like they were just trying not to fall over and embarrass themselves, but it also gave Blue the chance to let her eyes roam around.

The four princesses sat around a large table made of crystal and on throne-like chairs made of crystal. Princess Twilight sat at the head of the table and on her throne was the same symbol she had on her flanks as well. The other princesses didn’t have their own marks on the chairs, so Blue guessed that there were other ponies who usually sat there.

To the left of Princess Twilight was Celestia, but definitely not her Celestia. The white alicorn was the tallest of all four, with the biggest horn and huge wings. She had the same shimmering mane as Princess Luna and that same aura of authority and majesty. While Luna’s power seemed calm and cool, Celestia’s shined brightly and warm. Blue glanced at the giant sun tattoo from Celestia and the moon tattoo from Luna. I guess that’s what Starlight meant when she said they control the sun and the moon.
Princess Celestia watched them attentively, with a benevolent smile and much curiosity. She had only looked away to exchange a quick glance with her sister as Princess Luna took the seat next to her.

The fourth alicorn was older than Twilight, but she didn’t have that aura the other two possessed, not yet. She was pink with a tri-coloured mane and that same smile, but something about the way she looked at her made Blue feel like she was already being tested. She didn’t know the human Cadance, only that she was the sister-in-law of Human Twilight, but that was about it.

Blue and Spring Meadow walked to the front of the table while Starlight Glimmer joined Sunset Shimmer next to Princess Cadance. Sunset looked the least weird as a pony somehow. Maybe because Blue knew her best out of them, or maybe because the Sunset she knew had never been a human but always the pony version.

Eventually, even their deliberately slow walk was over, and they stood before the princesses. Not just any princesses, Blue thought, they are the princesses of magic pony land who live forever and could probably squash us all with their superpowers if they wanted and now we’re here begging for them to let us stay in their magic kingdom we know next to nothing about and…

Blue wasn’t the best dealing with new situations. She was the first to admit that she usually needed a little longer than most to adapt. Ever since she’d gotten closer to Sunset Shimmer and the others, she had faced a lot of strange and new things.

Like the Friendship Games, when there was suddenly a completely different Twilight Sparkle who had transformed into a dark angel in front of her. It had taken her a while to separate that Twilight from the pony girl she’d met before.
When she had thought things were almost back to normal again (or at least to the normal kind of weird with random pony-ups and stuff), Camp Everfree had thrown everything she knew over again. Suddenly, they all had superpowers. Or magic talents, whatever you’d like to call them.

A few more mishaps took place. Blue had been locked into a magic mirror dimension. Someone had erased part of her memories. There had been some shenanigans when the girl’s powers acted weird or unexpected. At more than one point, Blue had some magic surge through her when she was around the girls as they would pony-up. Blue had seen a lot of weird ever since she came to CHS. She had tried to keep an open mind for magic and stuff.

But this, right now, in a new body and with some of the most powerful beings of this world, including a dragon named Spike, watching and judging her, this was just too much. Her thoughts kept running away and rambling on, so much she even lost sight of the princesses in front of her.

Until a chuckling laughter pulled her back into the room.

Princess Celestia tried to stifle it behind her hoof, but in the silent room, Blue could hear it anyway. It wasn’t too long before Princess Cadance joined in, along with Princess Twilight and Sunset Shimmer. Starlight threw a smirk at Blue that probably meant something like ‘Told you so’, and while Princess Luna did not laugh, she smiled, and her eyes sparkled with mirth.

The eldest princess calmed down and addressed Spring Meadow and Blue with a friendly, open smile
“This is quite a situation now, isn’t it? For so long, we knew your world existed but barely anything else, and today we greet our first visitors from there here in Equestria. I think it’s in the interest of us all that we make this event a happy one, wouldn’t you agree?”

Blue nodded silently, even though the princess in front of her was centuries old, the way she talked immediately reminded her of Principal Celestia and how she had greeted Blue on her first day at CHS. Back then, Blue had been bitter and too angry to believe any of the smiles and friendly words of Celestia, but maybe today that could be different.

Just like back then, Luna quickly followed up on Celestia
“As much as we wish for this, sister, we should not forget that not all reasons that brought us here today are good ones. We’ve been informed by Twilight Sparkle that you, Spring Meadow and Ocean Shore, come to us in times of need. Sunset Shimmer has given us more details, but we think it’s only fair you get to describe what has happened on the other side of the mirror, before we conclude for ourselves.”

The other princesses nodded, and Twilight spread her wings formally, as she declared
“One thing I want to say before you start. No matter how our final decision will fall, I will stay true to the promise I made, Ocean Shore. You came to me in need and now I will do whatever I can to help. And until we’ve figured out what is best, you and your sister are welcome as guests in this castle. The least I can do is offering you a safe place to stay.”

Twilight looked at the other three princesses for confirmation. Blue guessed that since this was her castle, Twilight could decide on her own who would be allowed to stay or not. But thankfully the other three nodded in agreement, even if Twilight had acted without consulting them first.

Blue and Spring Meadow took turns summing up their situation. Sunset Shimmer helped out whenever there was some inter-cultural confusion about to happen, as did Twilight Sparkle a few times. The purple princess also took notes of everything, a trait she shared with her human counterpart.

Out of the other three princesses, Cadance was the most vocal. She kept asking questions, not all about Blue and Spring but also about humans and the human world in general. Blue tried to answer those as best she could, but even with Sunset’s help they could not completely satisfy the pony princess all the time. Cadance didn’t seem too bothered by that, more curious and genuinely intrigued instead.

Princess Luna stayed silent throughout all of it. Her eyes always locked with Blue or Spring when they talked, and more than once Blue felt like she was staring right into her soul and she assumed that Princess Luna could maybe sense some of the hidden implications behind what Blue said.

Princess Celestia barely said anything either. She listened attentively but at times, she looked away from the two humans-turned-pony, deep in thought. Her expression stayed neutral but friendly, Blue couldn’t tell what she really felt about this. She noticed however, that Twilight and Cadance looked at her whenever Blue or Spring talked about something that surprised them. Probably because she was the eldest princess and had at some point been a teacher for them.

Blue and Spring didn’t go into many details unless asked for. They didn’t talk about why money was so short for them. They didn’t say why Bitter Leaves had started a personal vendetta against them. They didn’t lie or make anything up either. Blue was tempted a few times to make things sound more dramatic and appeal to Twilight’s and Cadance’ strong sense of compassion in her favour. If this had been a human council, she might have. But this was not normal, not anything she knew of, this was all just new. And for a new start, for a real, true, genuine new chance, she needed to be honest, to them and to herself.

Because, of course, once Blue and Spring were finished, the princesses asked for details. Some of them were expected, like why Blue was treated so differently from other teenagers and how she had come that way. If she could have avoided talking about this, she would have. But with her sister at her side and at least two good friends on the other side of the table, Blue took the risk
“Because in the human world, I broke the law several times. I committed crimes and I received the consequences for it, but nobody looks at you the same once they learn you’ve been sentenced before. Nobody was willing to give me another chance, not when it really counted.”

This was the point when Celestia and Luna got more involved and took over from Princess Twilight
“What crimes came to your name, Ocean Shore?”
Blue sighed deeply and closed her eyes for a moment, but looked back at Luna as she answered
“Theft, breaking and entering, battery. I’ve never gone and vandalized anything, but I’ve caused some damage to propriety along the way.”

Luna kept her eyes locked with Blue and her expression neutral, and Blue didn’t look away, so she couldn’t see how the other princesses reacted
“Why did you steal from others?”
“Because… at first I was jealous. I saw so many people who had everything they wanted and more. I thought I deserved some of that too, so I took it. Later I thought I was doing it as an act of rebellion or something. Fuck the broken system, break some rules and stuff. And sometimes, I was just desperate.”

Sunset Shimmer cringed when Blue started swearing again, another sign of how nervous she was, but the two elder princesses didn’t comment on it. Instead, the focused on the matter at hand
“You were so desperate that you had considered hurting others for your own benefit?”

At this point, Spring Meadow who had been visibly on edge for a while, couldn’t hold back any longer
“No! She had to defend herself, that’s all. Blue would never intentionally hurt anyone!”
Princess Luna and Princess Celestia shared a weird side-ways glance before Celestia replied
“There are other ways than violence in matters of defence.”

Blue let her head drop down and her pony ears flopped over, instinctively showing her shame to the other ponies in the room
“I didn’t know that back then. I only learned that after I met Sunset Shimmer.”
Spring leaned closer to Blue and looked at the princesses in front of her, telling them with her eyes that she would defend her sister if necessary, even against them. Blue didn’t see that, but the fact that she couldn’t even look back at Princess Twilight spoke volumes to the princess of friendship.

Princess Cadance who had been silent for a while, now asked in a calm voice
“When was the last time you hurt someone like this?”

Blue gulped, but she wouldn’t back down from this. She looked up again, but not at the princesses. She turned her head to look at Sunset and mouthed ‘I’m sorry’. Sunset Shimmer grew a little pale, but she nodded.

Blue turned back to Princess Cadance
“Last winter, the day after we had to take Sunset to the hospital, because… because…”
Princess Celestia clicked her hoof on the table and pain flashed through her eyes
“We know what happened in winter. Princess Twilight and later Sunset Shimmer told us about how far this scheme…”
“Anon-A-Miss” Twilight interrupted with a growl and Celestia nodded
“Yes, how dire the consequences had become. Please continue.”

Blue sighed and looked back at Sunset
“The day after, when Sunset didn’t come to school, people started making up all kinds of rumours. One guy said that he hoped Sunset had finally done the world a favour and killed herself. When he said that, I saw Sunset lying on her bed and all the blood and the knife and… I broke his nose.”

Blue closed her eyes and her ears flopped down in shame. Shame of what she had done, but to be completely honest, also shame that she knew she would do it again without hesitation. Just talking about it made her angry again.
Blue felt something touch her leg and when she looked down, Spring Meadow had wrapped her hoof around it. She didn’t know how she did it, but her hoof moved accordingly. Like always, it helped just being around her sister.

Sunset Shimmer stared at Blue, obviously she had not heard of that before, but the princesses could see that Sunset was not angry at all. Instead, she sounded guilty as she whispered
“I’m sorry.”
“I’m not.”

Princess Cadance slammed her hoof on the table and the loud sound seemed to snap everyone out of their thoughts
“I’m sure I would have done something similar. Maybe not break a nose, but…”
Her wings twitched and Blue knew that this meant angry. She didn’t know how she knew it, but it seemed clear as day.

Princess Luna and Celestia shared another of their glances before they focused back on Blue
“Anger is something we can relate with. However, we need to know what would happen if you got angry again. Would you hurt one of our little ponies? If you saw somepony better off than you, would you steal from them again?”

Blue sighed and shook her head
“I don’t want to. I try not to get that angry anymore. Miss Luna taught me a few tricks how to deal with it, but I can’t promise I’ll never get angry again. All I can promise is that I really don’t want to hurt anyone.”

Princess Celestia seemed appeased by this and had an encouraging smile for her
“That already marks a big difference to the girl you once were. We can’t expect you to never get angry, as anger is an emotion everypony feels from time to time. However, your ambition to control your anger is a noble goal that we appreciate.”

The other three princesses nodded, and Luna spoke up again
“That said, the hardships you describe, poverty, prejudice, and bad reputations, those exist in Equestria as well. How do you intend to deal with them, should you be allowed to stay here?”
Blue looked up at Princess Luna again and her hoof gripped a little tighter on Spring Meadow
“I’ll work hard and push through. And I won’t stop anymore even if it gets hard. I’ll keep going. I’ve learned that from my sister.”

Cadance and Twilight immediately smiled when they heard this, just like Starlight, Spike and Sunset. Celestia and Luna looked at each other, longer this time than before, and it was Celestia who nodded in approval this time.
“A good answer. I think it’s fair to say that you’ve given us a lot to think about, Ocean Shore. Spring Meadow, would it be alright if we asked you a few questions now as well?”

Blue felt her sister tense up next to her, so she kept her hoof wrapped around hers. Her wings fluttered at her sides, but she forced them back down.

Spring looked between the four tall ponies with wings and horns, and she couldn’t help but feel small when all their attention was suddenly on her. She had heard of magic and pony worlds from Blue and her friends of course, but she had not given it much thought. The life she had, the real life, had more urgent matters than chasing fantasy worlds or magic artefacts. Not that she ever stopped Blue from doing so, but before today, in her head it had been nothing but stories.

So when she passed through a whirlwind of lights and suddenly had four legs to deal with, part of her world just fell into pieces. It didn’t help that every other creature she met either could fly or move things with their minds, while she lacked both. In the whole castle, she was the only one without wings or a horn, except for the dragon but that was a different matter entirely.

Compared to those tall and commanding presences of the princesses, she felt small and defective. If this world had castles and princesses, then maybe it also had other mediaeval traits like commoners and bondservants. Maybe the fact that she didn’t have any extras already made her less just by proxy.

Then again, the Luna and Celestia with wings and horns didn’t treat her any differently so far. The human versions Spring knew had never looked down on her just because she wasn’t as well off financially or didn’t have a fancy diploma to her name. They had still talked to her like with anyone else and respected what she did of what little she had.

With Blue at her side, she had all the motivation she needed to push away her doubts for now and focus on the questions instead
“Sunset Shimmer told us that she had first met you in a hospital.”
Spring nodded and confirmed
“I was a nurse-in-training when Sunset was admitted. I suppose, I still am, since…”

Princess Twilight noticed easily how hard it was for Spring to talk about this still, so she went for another question
“Did you like your job as a nurse?”
Spring nodded immediately
“I do. I get a chance to help people when they need it most. I know I’m not a doctor who saves lives, but I can do my part at least.”

Princess Luna had a smile for her, and Spring recognized it as the knowing smile the woman Luna had for her at times. It didn’t even look weird to see that smile she knew on a pony face this time, especially when both of Luna’s voices matched up just as much
“A noble ambition, indeed. I can tell how much passion you feel for your profession. But tell us, why did you not reach further? Surely there are ways to become a doctor in your world.”
Spring looked away and mumbled
“There are ways, but they require a lot of money. Education is expensive and even if I’d manage to earn enough, there’s no guarantee I’ll ever get a doctor’s license.”

“Why not?”
Spring sighed heavily
“Because, with all that happened, no ethics committee would speak up for me. Being a doctor is a prestigious job and I'm just a high school dropout who got involved with the police far too many times already.”
Next to her, Blue dropped her head in shame, but Spring immediately turned to her sister
“It’s not your fault! Never has been, okay Blue?”

She leaned in and instinctively nuzzled her little sister. It felt right and natural to do so and she didn’t question it. Blue didn’t either and they shifted so they could lean against each other, with Blue’s head coming to rest on Spring’s shoulder.

“I have one more question, if that’s okay.”
Spring’s focus returned to the room and the ponies who were watching her. She stayed close to Blue, but looked at Princess Twilight when the youngest princess turned to her

“If we decide that you can stay, there might be complications. Sunset’s stay in the human world is one thing, but here we have far more magic everywhere, so there’s no telling what might happen. We might have to keep you under close watch. Even if nothing happens, you could end up stuck here forever. Do you know what that means?”

Blue and Spring did that sideways-glance thing they’d seen from the princesses and nodded. Twilight still insisted
“That world is your home. Are you really sure you want to risk losing it?”
Blue nodded again, without any hesitation. Spring looked directly into Princess Twilight’s eyes
“I’d rather give up being a human then let anyone take me away from my sister.”

The princesses looked at Spring Meadow, but soon they realized that she meant what she said. For the first time since they started talking, the four rulers turned away from the two human sisters and looked at each other. Princess Cadance nodded to Twilight and the other two followed a minute later.

Princess Celestia as the eldest addressed them again
“I believe we have interrogated you long enough for today. I think I speak for all of us when I say you have given us many things to think about. We need to talk this through on our side now and weigh our decisions against the consequences. We might call on you again, but not today. You came to us in troubled times and you endured all our questions, now you deserve some rest.”

Princess Twilight stood up from her throne and walked around the table to meet them from eye to eye
“This castle is a safe place and you can put your minds at ease here. No pony and no human will come here without my permission. You’ll have all the time you need to get used to everything.”

Spring Meadow sighed relieved and Blue grinned
“Thanks Princess Twilight. We’ll try not to break anything.”
They both giggled, joined by Starlight Glimmer and Sunset Shimmer, the only others who could relate on how difficult a new body could be.

“We’ll stay here and talk a little longer, but how about you go help yourself to a little snack? Spike, do you think you could prepare some ‘human-friendly’ meals?”
The smallish dragon jumped to his feet and gave a thumps-up
“Sure, no problem. Come on, I’ll show you around the castle. See you all later at dinner?”

The remaining ponies nodded, and Sunset flashed a smile towards her friends from the other side of the mirror
“Have fun you guys! Leave some of the treats for me, it’s been years since I had some real pony food!”
They chuckled and followed Spike out of the room and down another hallway.

Spring noticed something right away
“You can walk. You don’t even wobble anymore.”
“Same for you, Sis.”

They laughed and Spike smiled along
“When I turned into a dog, it was easy once I stopped worrying about it.”
“Yeah. I guess there’s something to that.”
Spike turned around to walk backwards so he could look at them
“So, does that mean you’re not worried anymore?”
Spring and Blue looked at each other
“Maybe, less worried? The princesses seem nice, but I don’t know if they’ll let us stay.”

“Well, why not? Sure, you did some bad stuff, but so did Starlight or Discord and they’re great friends of mine.”
They followed Spike as the young dragon explained of some that had happened ever since he had come to Ponyville with Twilight.

As soon as they arrived at the kitchen, he served them a hot cup of brew. It looked like tea, it smelled like it, but there was also something else. Spring took a sip of probably the best cup of tea she ever had and stared at it in wonder
“It tastes different right? That’s because you’re ponies now.”
They looked back at Spike who now wore an apron and stirred some dough in a mixing bowl
“I was a dog on the other side, and things tasted different to me as well. Like, dog biscuits were really tasty. But when I tried one here, oh boy.”

He made a funny face and poked out his tongue, which made Blue and Spring chuckle
“So, we get like to taste everything for the first time again?”
“More or less. Is that okay?”
Blue smirked and nodded along
“Sure. Could be fun, right Sis?”

Spring looked at her tea, unsure at first. She thought of how the ponies had welcomed her and how this had been a first time again, too. If they all worked like with this tea…
“It sounds amazing.”

Dinner was… interesting. At some point, Blue thought she wouldn’t even make it through her first night in Equestria without dying from embarrassment.

All the food looked great, even the more pony food like haycakes and daisy-daffodil-salad, and the scent made her mouth water. There was just one problem to it all. Spring and Blue were the only ponies without horns and none of them had enough control in their hooves to pick up the cutlery, so as much as she wanted, she couldn’t figure out how to get anything into her mouth.

Some of the bigger treats like muffins she could scoop up awkwardly with two hooves for a quick bite, but when Spike placed a large bowl of what had to be fruit salad in front of her, she felt like she had to scream in frustration.

After the princesses had noticed her predicament, they laughed at her, or so she thought. They didn’t want to patronize her though, they just laughed because for all their plans and contingency plans, none of them had even thought about something this mundane.

In the end, Starlight brought two smaller bowls for them and they ended up eating with their muzzles in their meal. Blue felt humiliated, but Princess Luna was quick to explain that this was not unusual for everyday meals. Fancy silverware was something for special occasions, only spoons for things like soup or cereal were more common.

In the end though, the food was delicious and once the ponies talked about other things, Blue could at least enjoy some of the dishes. The texture and flavour were different, but similar enough and the way Spring Meadow dug into the flower salad, Blue guessed that her sister enjoyed it as well.

Although she only had little portions so she could try almost everything, Blue was stuffed when she finally pushed her bowl aside. She couldn’t even remember the last time she had a meal this filling.

She had been so focused on her meal (and not making even more of a fool of herself), that she didn’t notice how the princesses watched her closely all throughout dinner. They hadn’t told her of their final judgment yet, which was fair since this was kind of a big deal. Blue had realized this the more time she spent as a pony, it was a much bigger change than she could have imagined, even after everything Sunset and Twilight had told her.

But it’s worth it. If it means we’ll stay together, I can make this work.

After dinner and with a cup of tea in front of each mare, Princess Celestia addressed them somewhat formally once again
“We have come to some conclusions, but nothing final yet. I don’t want to rush this to either yes or no, so we will take some more time to think. This is mostly for your sake, Ocean Shore and Spring Meadow, but please understand that we also have to consider what’s best for Equestria and its ponies.”

Blue’s ears dropped down on instinct when she heard that. It didn’t sound too promising to her, but Princess Celestia added quickly
“Please don’t be discouraged, Ocean Shore. So far, we have no reason to believe that your presence here would be harmful, even in a long term. That was our biggest concern. I can see this working out, but this is a new situation for all of us. If we’re doing this, I want to do this right.”

Princess Cadance joined in, with a friendly smile and a far gentler tone
“For my part, I would like to get to know each of you a little better first. So tomorrow, if that’s okay with you, we all would like to talk with you individually. Not tonight obviously, since it’s late and you already had quite a day.”

Princess Twilight nodded and continued
“Starlight and I have rooms set up for you and you’re free to move around the castle. I’ll have to ask you to stay indoors for now, at least until we figured a few things out.”

Blue frowned at that, it sounded weird to her
“Like what?”
“For example, if you have pony counterparts and if so, where they are. I’m sure they are not in Ponyville at least, but don’t you think it would be weird running into yourself?”

Sunset Shimmer and Starlight Glimmer started to giggle at that, like they shared a private joke. Blue looked at them and probably frowned, because Starlight smiled to apologize
“There’s a chance you don’t even have counterparts in Equestria. Sunset and I didn’t have one in the human world, so that problem could just vanish on its own.”

“Indeed so.”
Princess Luna fixed the human sisters with another of those gazes that seemed to go under their skin
“As for now, I wish to repeat what Twilight Sparkle already told you. You are safe in this castle and in this world. Even if our decision would turn against a permanent stay, we won’t let any harm come to you. We know many thoughts trouble you and weigh down on you right now. But for tonight, we ask you to try and let go off them. May your first night in our world be calm and peaceful, young ones.”

On cue, both Blue and Spring let out a long yawn. They both had filled their tummies with tasty treats and had wound down after being so nervous before. With this last reassurance from the princesses, Blue felt her eyelids sink down like lead. She put most of it to the fact that she wasn’t hungry for a change, but she really felt safe. Starlight and Twilight stood up to take them to their rooms and Blue just trotted after them, literally, without really taking notice of the route they were taking. All she thought of was the bed she’d been promised.

She just noticed enough to see that her sister had the room right next to hers and she listened as Starlight Glimmer mentioned a bathroom that was through the other door, but then she just climbed on the comfy mattress and let her head sink on the soft pillow. Somebody, probably Starlight, pulled the covers over her and she rolled over a little to get into a comfortable position with her four hooves and her wings. Luckily, her bed was pony-sized, so she had all the space she needed and more to stretch out her legs. She closed her eyes and was asleep before Starlight had even left the room.

Blue had had lucid dreams before, but not like this. Usually, when it happened, she would slowly become aware that she had some control, but when she realized she was dreaming, she would usually wake up soon after.

This time was completely different.

She knew it was a dream right from the first moment. She could still think and process everything like she would normally, and the dream didn’t fade. She also felt safe, like she had before, but warmer now. Maybe because her body was in a cosy bed and covered with thick blankets.

Speaking of which, she was a pony even in her dreams. She even had her wings, but she still couldn’t move them entirely like she wanted. This was unexpected to say the least. She knew dreams were made out of thoughts, impressions and memories, but she had only spent less than a day as a pony, she would have thought her mind was still ‘more’ human and not all pony already.

But then again, she had never had a dream like this before, so maybe this was a pony thing and not a sleep thing. She stood in a landscape like she had never seen it before, with huge unfamiliar plants that looked like flowers of some sort but were taller than trees. Blue heard some water swishing nearby, maybe from a stream or a little waterfall. The air was filled with a pleasant scent and warm. She had never smelled something in her dreams before.

“Hello again, Ocean Shore. I welcome you to my realms.”
Out of nowhere, Princess Luna suddenly stood in front of her, smiling and looking into her eyes. Somehow, in this place they were even more impressive, and Blue had a hard time looking away.

The pony princess spoke gently, and the warmth of her voice matched the calm atmosphere
“I am not sure how much Sunset Shimmer has explained to you of sister’s duties and mine, so I wish to introduce myself once more. I am Princess Luna, Princess of the Moon and Mistress of the Night. I command the rise and fall of the moon and the stars on the nightly sky and in my duty as a protector of Equestria, I am also the guardian of the realm of dreams.”

Blue stared in awe as her mind caught up on what the princess had told her
“Is this what you’re doing? You walk into dreams of everyone?”
Princess Luna laughed gently and shook her head
“Not every dream needs my presence. But if a pony finds themselves facing a vicious nightmare or overwhelmed with dark emotions, it is my duty as guardian to help those ponies before harm is done.”

Blue looked around the peaceful landscape
“If this is a nightmare, it’s the strangest one I’ve ever had.”
The princess only chuckled
“This is not your dream, Ocean Shore. It is mine and I have invited you.”
“Oh.”

Blue looked around again and now that she was aware of it, the whole place really screamed ‘Princess Luna’ all over
“Is there any reason you invited me into your dream?”
“Indeed there is. Ocean Shore, you have been very honest and open with us today, and for this I wish to thank you. I think it’s only fair that now, I am honest with you alike.”
Blue watched the princess closely and her wings twitched, showing that she was a little anxious again.

Princess Luna smiled kindly
“There is no need for fear. I only wish to tell you that I will be watching you and your sister, and your dreams. I will not enter unless you either invite me or are in need of my assistance, but I believe it is my right to keep an eye on you. Should there be any complications from your transition, I wish to be here to help quickly.”

Blue frowned a little and her ears stood up
“So you’re like mind-probing us in our sleep?”
Luna only had a smirk for her
“Who says that this is limited to your sleep only?”

Blue flared out her wings as this sounded like a threat, but Luna’s eyes sparkled with mirth and Blue realized the princess was only teasing her, so she giggled
“Okay, thanks for the warning, I guess. This is all really confusing still, so I expect my dreams to show that as well. Good luck trying to make sense of any of that.”

Princess Luna laughed again
“Let me worry about this, Ocean Shore.”
Blue chuckled along, but felt a little nervous when she dared to ask something
“So, I know you said you still needed time to think about everything, but maybe, could you maybe tell me what you think so far?”

Luna fixed her with her eyes again, and Blue stared back when they almost started to glow in the feint lights of the dream-landscape
“As I already said, your honesty is a big factor in your favour so far. I can understand most of your reasons, even if I don’t agree with every one of them. And you have my sympathy for finding yourself in such a dire situation when you and your sister are still so young.”

Blue smiled hopefully, even as Luna continued
“But, I can also see that you’re not telling us everything. This is a fair thing to do, we don’t expect you to share every of your private thoughts with us. However, for all I know and all I can see, one question keeps nagging on me.”
Blue stood straight and her wings spread out a bit as she braced herself for what was coming
“For all the hardships and troubles you faced, this step still seems very extreme to me. Why leave behind the only world you’ve ever known and put so much hope into this world you barely know?”

Blue took a deep breath and her head hung down
“Because, the old world hasn’t anything to offer for me any more. Even with all the help I’ve gotten since I met Sunset and Miss Luna, nobody will ever look past what I’ve done. It’s my own fault, I know. I tried to deal with it. But whenever something seems to work out, it’s like the world comes up with something new to throw at me.”

Luna had listened attentively, but when Blue looked up again, the princess was deeply surprised by the look of shame and guilt the former human directed at her
“But it’s not about me. It’s for my sister. Spring had to fight through so much stuff already because of my fuck-ups. Everybody thinks I’m a lost cause, but now Spring suffers from my bad name as well. I can’t take it. And I can’t take getting separated from my sister. My sister deserves so much more, so much better than all the shit she gets because of me.”

Blue instinctively flared her wings all the way and she kept her eyes on the princess
“If it means a better chance for Spring Meadow, I’d give up everything. I don’t need fingers or cars or computers. I want to be with my sister and I want to see her happy again. So I promise I won’t make the same mistakes I did before. And I’ll do my best to be the perfect role-model-citizen all the time if it means we can stay, together.”

Princess Luna held Blue’s gaze as she went through different emotions in short succession. After a minute or two of thinking, the smile returned
“Well said, Ocean Shore. I will remember this when the time comes to make my decision. But for now, I’ve held you from your well-deserved rest far too long already.”

She stomped her hoof on the ground and a simple wooden door appeared next to Blue
“This is the way into your own dreams, Ocean Shore. I’ve made precautions so that your sleep will be untroubled tonight, but should you need my further assistance, all you need to do is call my name and I shall be there.”

Blue nodded and bowed her head down in respect, like she had seen from Sunset and Starlight
“Thank you, Princess Luna.”

Luna just smiled and motioned towards the door
“You are welcome. Sleep now, young one. Sleep deeply and peacefully.”
With that, the wooden door opened and Blue saw a bright white light. The landscape around her faded out and so did the feeling of lucidity. Her thoughts grew hazy and blurry and within seconds, she was dreaming.

Chapter 14

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The sun was already up and shining when Blue woke up from what had to be the best sleep in her life. She sat at the edge of her bed and tried to get up, but standing on her legs was very difficult, so she used her wings for better balance.
Wait, what? Wings? What in... oh.

With her wings flapping slightly, she slowly lowered herself down to standing on four hooves instead of only two. It was much easier, and it felt right in this body, but it was strange nevertheless. Blue stared down at her hooves for a moment, then shrugged it off
"Whatever. I just gotta get used to it, that's all."

She turned towards the bathroom door and reached for the doorknob. It was already easier to turn it and push the door open, but she doubted that she had already reached the point where she could use forks and knives again. Oh well. One step at a time.

The bathroom had a large soaking tub, but Blue guessed it had to be late morning already, so instead she stepped into the shower. And stepped inside was the right expression, as it was a pony-sized walk-in shower. She wondered for a moment how a home without any electricity (even the lights were magic) would have indoor plumbing, but she didn't question it. Right now, she just wanted a quick shower and maybe a bite for breakfast, even though she had eaten more last night then the entire week before.

Her quick shower took almost half an hour. She played around with the knobs for a while, but the water was always either too hot or too cold, since she didn't have enough fine control. Then, she struggled with the showerhead. She couldn't pick it up with her hooves, so instead she just turned the water on full force and stepped under the stream, turning around to reach all the spots.

Water on her coat instead of skin felt very weird. It was almost like she would expect showering with all her clothes on might feel. She felt more wet than ever, as the coat seemed to soak up the water somewhat like a sponge. Her wings on the other hand or hoof? were very sensitive and the dark blue feathers repelled the water.

She browsed through the gallery of bottles she found on a small holder and wondered why there were so many. She picked up a shampoo bottle and clumsily poured a dollop on her head and tried to rub it into her mane. She wasn't used to this much hair, as her mane had considerably more volume than the short haircut she'd preferred as a human. Having hooves instead of hands didn't help much either.

She reached for the brush she found hanging next to the holder and tried to brush through her coat, but it was nearly impossible with her hooves. In the end, she used her mouth for most of it, glad that she was alone, and nobody could see her making a fool of herself. She blushed even at the thought of someone catching her with a brush between her teeth.

The brush, however, felt very nice on her coat and the skin beneath. She'd have to get used to that as well, but after a good brushing under the warm water, she felt much cleaner and refreshed.

Using a towel to dry herself seemed futile, with that much moisture clung in her coat and only a small towel left out for her, so she simply wrapped it around her mane and stepped out of the bathroom again. She walked to the window and into the bright sunlight in hope that the warm sun would help her dry faster.

This also gave her a good chance to look at the strange tattoo on her butt.

She had not noticed it the night before, with so many different, new, and frankly scary things happening at once, but now she had the chance to look at it closely in the light.

The design covered a good portion of her side, or was it called a flank now? It was very well made and looked like it was part of her coat rather than something that had been dyed or sprayed on.

The image was very appealing to her as well. On her dark blue coat was a white cloud with seven stylized raindrops falling out of it. The cloud was a little dented, like a strong breeze was blowing against it. Blue nodded in approval. She would never have thought about getting a tattoo, but that was an image she could agree on. Strange as it was, it just looked right on her flank. It fitted her perfectly. The only thing she couldn't understand was why she had the exact same tattoo on both sides of her flanks. Who would go to so much effort to paint a detailed picture like that not once, but twice perfectly on her coat?

Her pondering was interrupted by a knock on the door and a pony walking in, before she had even the chance to ask who was at the door. Starlight Glimmer smiled at her and didn't seem to have any problems with entering her room, so Blue pushed her annoyance aside and returned the smile
"Good morning."
"Good morning, Ocean Shore. I hope you had some good sleep."
"Yeah, thanks. Best I had in weeks, if not longer."

Starlight smiled brightly and Blue could tell it wasn't only from her answer. Starlight looked up and down Blue's still wet body and hid a giggle behind her hoof
"And I see you found the bathroom. Did you have some troubles with the shower?"
Blue tried her hardest not to blush and nodded
"My hooves and I had a little trouble working together, but I think we managed in the end."

This time, Starlight didn't hide her giggling, but Blue could sense no malice behind it, so she just rolled her eyes and smiled along
"Yeah, yeah, laugh all you want. I've seen your first steps when you were a human, can't say you were a picture of grace either."
They laughed together and Starlight nodded
"I'm sure you'll get the hang of it in no time. For now though, want me to help out?"

Blue blinked and since she couldn't shrug as usual, she tilted her head
"Help out with what?"
Starlight chuckled and waved her hoof up and down as she pointed at her
"I'd say with getting you dry first of all. We'll see how much else."
Blue rolled her eyes and nodded
"It's such a pain with so much hair all over. How can you deal with this each morning?"

Starlight laughed kindly and her horn glowed a little. At the same time, the towel around Blue's head floated away and released her half-dried mane
"Well, if you take good care of your coat, it will repel most of the moisture, even if you're soaked you can just shake most of it off. Didn't you use the coat lotion?"

Blue just blinked rapidly
"I just used some shampoo I think."
"But that's for your mane. You didn't use anything for your coat?"
"Nope. Just a brush."
Starlight giggled with another nod
"Normally, you use the brush to lather your coat with the lotion and then rinse off. If you do that, your coat will stay healthy and shiny."

Blue noticed the glow around Starlight's horn again and nearly the same glow travelling down her body, so she held still. The glow was warm, almost like a blow-dryer, and her coat was dry when it passed. She smiled to Starlight
"Thank you. That was magic, right?"
"Yup. Just a quick low-scale heat spell."
Blue nodded and flapped her wings to get all her feathers straight
"I can't imagine doing that every morning."
"Oh, come on, it's not that bad."
"You speak for yourself. You have a magic horn, but I have to pick up things with my mouth."

Blue blushed and pressed her ears to the side of her head as she had to admit, but Starlight wasn't fazed at all
"So? That's normal around here, you know. Not everypony is a unicorn. It's like the bowl at the dinner table. It's not a big deal unless you make it one."
Blue nodded but the blush wouldn’t fade
“This is all so strange. You can do everything just by thinking about it, and I don’t even know what I can do at all.”
Starlight chuckled and pointed to her flank
“Well, obviously you can fly with those wings. And if we go by your cutie mark, I bet you have a talent for weathermaking.”

“My cutie whatnow?”
Starlight pointed at the tattoo on her flank and Blue blinked confused
“Oh, that? I just thought someone painted that for decoration.”
“Nope. That’s a cutie mark. Everypony gets one eventually, they are a sign for your special talent or ambition. Like mine, it means I’m good at magic.”
She pointed at the starburst on her own flank
“And it’s not painted, it appears magically. So even if you’d get injured, it will grow back with your coat.”

Blue watched the raincloud mark on her flank more closely
“So in essence, it’s like my ID and my job description for everyone to see.”
“Well, it could be. It’s not always as clear and it’s not necessarily your job. It’s a special talent, something in which you excel, so most ponies make a job of it.”
“Huh. So I’m practically destined to be a water maker.”
Starlight giggled behind her hoof
“Weather maker, and as I said, you don’t have to be. But if you want, you’d first need somepony to give you some flying lessons. Well, maybe breakfast first of all, then a flying teacher.”

Blue looked out of the window and the high standing sun
“Shouldn’t it be close to lunch already?”
“Nope, why would you think that? The sun was just raised maybe an hour ago.”
“But… how is it already that high, then?”

Before Starlight got more confused, Princess Twilight who came from another corridor saved her
“Princess Celestia raises the sun in this world, Ocean Shore. She puts it up into the right position very quickly and sets it down faster than you’re familiar. Same with Princess Luna and the moon, by the way. You’ll get used to it.”

Blue turned around to greet Twilight and smiled when she saw her sister walking next to her. Apparently, they had similar problems with showers, since Spring’s mane was also a little damp still
“Hi sis. How was your first night as a horse?”
“It started kind of weird, but then I slept like a rock.”
“Yeah, same here.”

They chatted a little as they followed Starlight and Twilight through the castle to a dining room, where they met Cadance, Spike and Sunset Shimmer again. They had obviously been waiting for them, since the table was full of breakfast treats. As soon as everyone was seated, they dug in, only with less awkwardness this time, as Twilight and Cadance behaved a lot less princess-like as the night before.

Cadance and Spring Meadow walked along a little dirt path behind the castle. Twilight had told them that she’d found no signs of their doppelgängers anywhere, so Spring took the chance to see more of this place while Princess Cadance made sure she didn’t get lost, and also got some more questions out of her.

“When did you decide you want to be a nurse, Spring Meadow?”
“Well, I wanted to become a doctor really, since I was little. I wanted to help other people when they were sick, but I didn’t know how. First aid and all is nice, but it’s not always enough. Since I couldn’t become a doctor, I went for the next best thing, which was nurse training.”

“And you would like to keep this profession?”
At this Spring looked up to the taller alicorn
“If that’s a thing here, I would. But I guess you can just cast magic spells and heal everything anyway, why would you even need nurses? And even with that, since I don’t have a magic horn, would I even be allowed to be a nurse?”

Princess Cadance watched her now, with some concern
“Well, for starters, magic has its limits, even alicorn magic. Nopony can just cure every disease with the right spell. That usually only works if the disease is magical itself, and that’s very rare.”
“Oh. I didn’t know that.”
Cadance smiled kindly
“I wouldn’t expect you to know. That’s why we’re talking, so you can learn all you need if you wish to stay in Equestria.”
“I do. I really do. Even if I couldn’t be a nurse anymore.”
“And why wouldn’t you?”

“Well, I don’t have a horn for starters.”
“Many doctors and nurses are earth ponies like you, Spring Meadow.”
“Really? The way I understand, earth ponies are farmers and labourers and such. You know, like workers in an ant hive. Keep everything going but try to reach too far and you’re put back into place.”

Cadance froze in her step and put a wing on Spring Meadow’s back, which made her stop as well and look at the disturbed princess
“Spring Meadow, I won’t lie to you, there certainly were times when earth ponies were seen as… commoners or peasants. But those times are long past. Today, every pony can seek out their path to happiness as they see fit. So if you want to be a nurse, nopony in Equestria would keep you from it.”
Spring Meadow seemed reassured, but not fully convinced
“Still, without a magic horn to help…”

“Spring Meadow, I’ve been born without a horn and I grew up in a village of earth ponies. You don’t need magic to put on a bandage or fix a potion. All magic in Equestria is worthless if you don’t know how to fight back a fever.”
Spring looked down at her hooves
“All my knowledge is based on human medicine though. I don’t even know if it’s compatible.”
“Then our first step would be to find out just that. Would that be something you like, Spring Meadow?”

She looked back up at the princess and nodded
“Yes. Yes of course. If it means I could stay here with Ocean, I’m willing to learn everything I need.”
Cadance still had that kind smile for her
“Then I believe I know where our first stop should be.”

Blue flapped her wings and fluttered straight up, until she was hovering under the ceiling. She then leaned to her side and flew a sharp turn, just like Twilight had demonstrated
“Very good. A little stiff, but since it’s your first day with wings, it’s astounding what you can already do.”

Blue grinned and flapped her wings some more, doing a few turns in different directions, as if she was dodging some invisible obstacles
“I guess I’m finally good at something.”
Twilight laughed gently but nodded
“I’d say so. With some more refinement, you could probably start at the local weather patrol if that’s what you want.”
“Well, Starlight put the idea into my head. It’s a job based around flying and I seem to be good at it, so sounds like a good idea, right?”

Twilight nodded and landed back on the floor, Blue next to her with a good form
“Yes it does, though there are other jobs that involve flying. The postal service relies heavily on pegasus mailponies as well, for example. I’m sure there will be something that suits you, Ocean Shore. After a couple of flying lessons.”
“Sure. When can we start?”

Twilight smiled and shook her head
“I can give you a few pointers, but I think you’d benefit more from a more experienced flyer. Fortunately, I know one of the best flyers in Equestria.”
“Oh? And who would that be?”

On cue, Blue felt a sharp breeze from behind her and a familiar voice along with it
“Somepony mention… me?”
Blue just rolled her eyes out of instinct
“Shut up, Dash.”

She heard a thunk behind her as hooves landed on the crystal floor of the castle with some force behind them
“Wow. Rude much?”

Blue turned around and saw… Rainbow Dash. No doubt about it. The same prismatic hair, maybe a little longer, the same sky-blue colour, the same confident stance, the same cocky voice. But at the same time, she was not Rainbow Dash as she knew her. She ended up staring at the unfamiliar familiar pegasus pony and just now realized what she had said on pure instinct
“I… you… what… how…?”

She blushed hard when both Twilight and the pony Rainbow Dash laughed at her stuttering
“Sheesh, I know I’m awesome like that, but keep it together, will you? I thought you humans were made of tougher stuff.”
Blue blinked confused and turned to Twilight
“Wait, so you told her? What about ‘keeping it a secret for now’?”

Twilight giggled and flapped her wings once
“Well, my friends are the exception, obviously. I'd never keep secrets from them. Besides, Rainbow Dash can help you with your flying.”
“You betcha. We’ll have you breaking records before you can say ‘parasprite parade’.
Blue just blinked more
"What's a parasprite?"

Both Rainbow Dash and Princess Twilight chuckled
"Doesn't matter. What really matters is that we get you in the air as fast as possible. Come on, show me what you got."

Blue watched that other Rainbow Dash for a minute. There was a challenge in her voice, like she knew from her friend in the human world, but the eyes didn't match. This Rainbow Dash didn't have that burning rivalry and that urge to win at any cost, even if it meant going against her friends. Instead, she smiled encouragingly at Blue, like a coach or a teacher might. She really seemed interested in helping first, showing off could wait until later. She was so much like her Rainbow Dash, just maybe a couple years older and more mature.

After a minute of pondering, Blue returned that smile with a smirk of her own and stretched her wings. A couple of flaps and she was airborne again. She flew up to the ceiling again and went for a dive, catching herself with a hard flap before she got too close to the grounds. She then performed some sharp and swift turns and even a slow spin. She alighted again in front of Rainbow Dash with a hard thud of her hooves on the floor. She was still smirking, even as she had to catch her breath after this exercise.

"How's that?"
Rainbow Dash smirked right back
"Not bad, for your first day. You're almost good enough for junior flight school."
Blue's grin instantly turned into a scowl
"Oh yeah? Well, what do you know? You're just big talk and no game like always."
Rainbow Dash now seemed to get angry as well
"What do you mean, like always? We've just met!"

Blue's scowl faded and instead she now looked confused. Even though she knew that this Rainbow Dash wasn't the one she'd grown close with, for a moment it just felt like she was. The resemblance was just so uncanny and ever their personalities nearly matched.

Princess Twilight noticed Blue's expression and decided to step in
"Actually, Rainbow Dash is one of the best flyers in the land and she's part of the Wonderbolts, the most famous flying squad of Equestria. She knows her flying, that's for sure."

Rainbow Dash had that smile again and winked
"How about we take this outside and then I'll show you what I've got? The weather is perfect for flying. Twilight, you're coming along too."
Princess Twilight nodded eagerly, but Blue hesitated
"What happened to the 'stay inside'-rule?"

Twilight just smiled
"It doesn't seem that you have any counterparts nearby, so everypony you meet will just assume you're new in town, which is true after all. And with Rainbow Dash and me around, we can make sure you won't get lost."
Blue hesitated for a moment, but then just shrugged it off. Nopony knew her, there would be no rumours and no blame from the other world waiting for her. This would a fresh start on a clean slate
“So, let’s go already!”

Spring Meadow followed Cadance to one of the bigger buildings in town. It didn’t look any special from the outside, but once she was inside, Spring immediately knew that this was a hospital. It had the same sterile scent with a hint of disinfectant hanging in the air, in the waiting area she saw ponies with that same uneasy expression humans had too whenever they had to visit a hospital, and there were busy ponies running around with clipboards. The only difference, except that it was all ponies instead of humans of course, was that the nurses didn’t wear much of a uniform, instead they all only had white caps with a red cross. She saw a stallion (Male horses are stallions, right? Right.) with a doctor’s coat and a stethoscope as well.

Cadance walked up to the reception and almost shocked the nurse sitting there out of her fur. The small mare dashed around the counter to bow to the pony princess. Cadance didn’t wear a crown or anything and she had asked Spring to just call her Cadance, but it seemed that this whole princess thing really was more than just an honorary title. Pony-Celestia and Pony-Luna sure made more of a regal impression, but Cadance and Twilight had just acted like normal people at breakfast.

Once the mare had recovered from meeting a princess, they talked and Spring Meadow got a better look at the small mare. She had white fur and a pale pink mane that was bound up into a loose bun. Spring also noticed that she didn’t only have the red cross on her cap, but also as her flank mark. As Spring glanced around, all the nurses had a variation of a red cross on their flanks, probably instead of name tags. Spring looked at her own flank and frowned. Where Blue had a cloud and Starlight Glimmer had stars and sparkles, she had flowers in red, yellow and a light blue colour. They were all spring flowers, arranged in a slightly heart-shaped bouquet, and they looked very nice on her lime green fur. Like a spring meadow for Spring Meadow. She really liked it, but she’d change it for a job as a nurse, of course.

Princess Cadance finally turned to Spring and invited her closer with a nod of her head
“Spring Meadow, meet Nurse Redheart. Nurse Redheart, this is Spring Meadow. She's new in Ponyville and she's very interested in the work you do here in Ponyville Hospital. Maybe you could give us a tour?”
“Oh, absolutely Princess Cadance! It's nice to meet you, Spring Meadow.”

Even though the nurse was clearly fawning over Cadance, Redheart still had an honest smile for her, which Spring felt herself return on instinct. The mare didn't seem suspicious of her or angry that she was competing for the attention of the princess. She was also a pony without horn or wings, just like herself.

Redheart led them through some corridors with patient's rooms and explained the basic stuff Spring already knew, so she only listened halfway and tried to get a closer look at things. Despite everything being pony-sized, this wasn't too far from what she knew of a human hospital. She saw the typical medical equipment, even if the plugs were missing. Probably everything was powered by magic, just like the lights in Princess Twilight's castle. If there was any difference, it would be that there were far less screens and more paper files instead.

“So, what brought you to Ponyville and our hospital, Spring Meadow?”
Spring blanched at this question since she didn't really had thought of a backstory for her presence, but Princess Cadance came to her aid
“Spring Meadow comes from a rather small village far west. She's been helping ill ponies there as well.”

Redheart smiled more and didn't even question her for a second
“Ah, so you are the town healer. I've heard that's still more common in the smaller rural towns.”
Spring shook her head with a blush
“I, um, I was just helping people whenever I could. I never finished my training so I'm not a real healer and nowhere close to a doctor.”

Redheart just giggled behind her hoof
“I'm sure you did great! If you're a town healer at your young age, you must know a lot already. So let me show you how we work here in the hospital.”

The nurse led them down another corridor while talking
“As a healer, you need to be able to do a lot in general, but here we have different departments that all specialize in a certain field, like the foal's ward for our youngest patients or the intensive care unit for emergencies.”

Spring Meadow nodded and glanced into the rooms as they walked through the foal's ward. She was used to see a lot of crying children in a hospital, but here she saw a lot more smiles in general, especially from the nurses. Every pony she saw seemed to have a more positive attitude in general.

“We also have specialized jobs. Nurses like me take care of the general needs of our patients and assist the doctors who perform treatments that are more difficult. For example, I'm allowed to give out regular herbal potions to the patients, but our doctors handle more complex medication. That said, we only have half a dozen doctors here in Ponyville Hospital, compared to big clinics like in Canterlot we are rather small.”

Spring nodded again and listened attentively. She remembered something she had learned from Cadance earlier and chimed in
“What about magical treatments?”
“Oh, we have a unicorn doctor and two nurses for those, but most of the time we try to shift the patients with magical diseases to more specialized clinics, since Canterlot is just a short train ride away. Any reason why you're asking about magic, Spring Meadow?”

Spring found herself blushing and stammering again, only to have Princess Cadance save her once more
“Spring Meadow comes from a village with mostly earth ponies. In fact, her sister is the only pegasus pony from there.”
“Oh, I see. So you’ve not come in contact with magic a lot.”
Spring Meadow shook her head rapidly
“Never. It’s all a bit overwhelming to be honest.”

Spring didn’t know if she could physically blush any harder as Redheart laughed at her. Then she heard Cadance chuckle as well and looked a little closer. Redheart was not laughing at her at all
“Trust me, I know what you mean. When Princess Twilight moved to Ponyville a few years back, there were more magical shenanigans than I was happy to deal with. And she wasn’t even a princess back then! When she became an alicorn, it just dialled up a notch.”

Sunset Shimmer had explained a few things about unicorns, alicorns and magic after breakfast, but Spring didn’t really get any of it. To see that Redheart as a regular hornless pony had similar problems felt good, in a way. Magic was all around in this world, but it was a bit like high-tech at home. Spring Meadow didn’t exactly know how a computer worked, but she was still using it a lot during the job. Redheart probably didn’t know how the ultrasonic was powered exactly, but she could still use it anyway.
Spring felt her blush fade a little as she joined with a polite chuckle of her own.

Redheart stopped when she noticed another nurse walk up to them, visibly nervous because of Princess Cadance. She excused herself for a moment and the two nurses huddled over a patient’s file the younger nurse carried in her horn-glow. Spring Meadow got curious and took a closer look when she saw an X-ray picture as well, she wouldn’t ever have imagined that ponies could have that kind of technology, when she suddenly frowned
“There’s a fissured fracture. Right here.”

She pointed at the spot on the image and both nurses blinked surprised. They took a closer look at the X-ray image, but a voice behind them answered
“That is correct.”
They all turned towards the new voice and Spring recognized the stallion doctor she had seen before. He looked at her with some interest, almost to the point that he ignored the alicorn princess who stood next to her
“And what kind of treatment would you recommend for this?”

Spring easily slipped back into a professional mind-set and looked at the X-ray image again
“Well, it doesn’t look like a complicated fracture, so I suppose a cast to keep it stable for a couple of weeks should suffice and painkillers for the first two weeks. If the pain is still present after that, there might be a slight displacement we can’t see on X-ray. In that case, the patient needs an operation most likely.”

Every pony around her just watched as Spring rattled down medical facts like it was nothing. When she was done, both nurses looked at the doctor who, after a minute of thinking, nodded in affirmation
“I agree. Nurse Redheart, Nurse Rhyme, would you please prepare everything? I’ll be there with you in a minute.”
“Of course, Doctor.”

The nurse with the horn, Nurse Rhyme, quickly sprang into action and trotted off. Redheart nodded but turned around for a shy smile towards the princess and saw Cadance beaming back at her
“Thank you very much for the tour, Nurse Redheart.”
“It was my pleasure, Princess Cadance.”
Nurse Redheart bowed her head before she followed the younger mare.

Once they were out of earshot, the doctor turned towards Spring and Cadance again
“I was not expecting a royal visit today. I hope you find everything to your liking, Your Highness.”
He focused back on Spring
“And I certainly didn’t expect a visit from another colleague. My name is Lucky Clover, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Doctor..?”

Spring immediately blushed furiously once again
“Um, Spring Meadow. But I’m not a doctor! I’m not even a real nurse! I just picked up things here and there.”
“Really? Because it sounded like you knew very well what you are talking about, and clearly more than a typical village healer would know.”

Spring never got a chance to recover from blushing, especially when Princess Cadance joined in the chuckling
“Have you been eavesdropping, Doctor?”
The stallion just ignored that and instead held his clipboard with another medical file under Spring’s nose
“Can you tell me what this is, Miss Meadow?”

And she could, after a quick glance
“That’s a full blood count.”
Doctor Lucky Clover just grinned “And?” so Spring took a closer look
“Um, iron level seems to be a little low and blood sugar is absurdly high. And I don’t know what that means.”

She pointed at some words at the bottom of the file. The doctor just laughed heartily
“I can assure you, everything is in order with this patient. You see, he’s a unicorn and their use of magic burns through a lot of calories, hence the high blood sugar. And those are enzymes that are typical for unicorns as well, but living in a village of earth ponies, I assumed you would not be familiar with them.”

Something about the way he said that make her feel almost sick, so Spring took a few steps backwards, away from the stallion.

Princess Cadance noticed Spring’s uneasiness right away and took a step closer to her. Her wing spread out to hover protectively over the smaller mare, but she still had a friendly smile for Lucky Clover
“So you have been listening in, I see. Since you know about Spring Meadow already, maybe you’d like to tell us a bit about yourself now, Doctor?”

Lucky Clover now bowed his head to the princess, just like the nurses had done earlier
“Of course, Your Highness. You have to forgive me, but if there’s one weakness I can’t control, it’s my curiosity. As I said, I’m Doctor Lucky Clover, and I am a general practitioner here in Ponyville Hospital. I’m also the head of the hospital for almost five years now.”

Princess Cadance nodded but Spring Meadow cowered under the princess’ wing as soon as she heard that. He’s the CA and I just made a fool of myself on our first meeting. I’ve already messed up any chance I ever had with him. She felt her chest tighten up and cut off her breathing.

When Cadance realized this, she turned to the stallion again
“Then I believe you are the pony we need to talk to, Doctor. Perhaps after you’ve taken care of your patient, you have some time for us?”
Lucky Clover immediately got the hint and bowed his head
“Of course, Your Highness. Please excuse me.”

Cadance waited for him to be out of earshot before she leaned her head down to Spring Meadow
“Are you alright? Do you want to step outside for a moment?”
Spring Meadow could only nod and Princess Cadance quickly guided her back outside with her wing covering her protectively.

Once outside, Spring Meadow could finally breathe normally again, but she stayed close to the taller pony who took her to a bench where they could sit
“Is everything alright, Spring Meadow? Did something scare you?”

Spring shook her head and cowered under the wing Cadance kept around her, trying to fight back her desperation. Cadance waited for her answer, so eventually she had to say something
“I already messed up.”
“What? What makes you think that, Spring Meadow?”

Spring shook her head. She would not have a nervous breakdown in front of a princess, so she forced out a calm voice
“I just messed up in front of the head in charge. I couldn’t answer all his questions and I made a mistake. He’ll never hire me as a nurse after that.”

The wing around her flexed into something like a hug and Princess Cadance spoke softly
“Why do you think that? You showed him that you already know a lot and you helped Nurse Redheart with her problem. One little mistake won’t make much of a difference.”

“You don’t understand.”
Spring’s voice was desperately close to a sob
“In every hospital I worked, the doctors always demand perfection. If you mess up even once, they report you and berate you, especially when you’re new. They don’t think too high of nurses. I already messed up any chance I ever had of becoming a nurse in this world, too.”

Spring Meadow didn’t quite cry, but she sounded so desperate that Princess Cadance pulled her into a quick hug. She tried to protest, but the princess wouldn’t let her
“Calm down, Spring Meadow. Just take a few breaths, nice and easy.”
Spring did so for a minute or two, then found Cadance looking directly into her eyes
“There, much better. Now why don’t you tell me what’s really on your mind?”

Her first instinct was to lie. Make up something that would get the princess off her back. However, something in the way Cadance looked at her made her stop. With a deep sigh, she answered her question truthfully instead
“It’s Blue. I have to make this work. If we have to go back into the other world, they will take her away from me! I can’t live without her, she’s only got me and I only have her and ever since my parents…. since they… we only have each other left! So I have to convince you all to let us stay! I need to get a job and show that I can do this! I need to make this for Blue! I have to make this work, I have to!”

Princess Cadance listened quietly and spread her wings over the smaller mare when she saw some tears in her eyes. Even though Spring didn’t seem to be overly proud, nopony would like to be seen in a moment of weakness like this.

Once Spring had calmed down at least some, Cadance tried to talk to her
“It sounds to me that the world you come from is a very harsh place to live. Especially for two young ma-… women like you and your sister.”
Spring shook her head with a bitter expression
“You have no idea.

Spring Meadow didn't give any further explanations and Cadance didn't want any if she was honest. All she heard last night and seeing Spring Meadow break down like this gave her more than enough reasons to know she'd never want to visit that other world. It also made it very clear that she didn't want to send Spring Meadow and Ocean Shore back. She could tell how much they cared about each other and depended on each other, so there was no way she would send them to a world that would separate them, not even if her aunts would recommend it.

For now though, she had something more important to do. Spring Meadow was still devastated about her meeting with the doctor, and she needed a boost to her self-esteem. Luckily, Cadance knew exactly how to do this.

As soon as Spring Meadow had her tears at bay, she guided her back towards the hospital.

Blue touched back on the ground a little harder than she had intended, but she stayed on her hooves, nonetheless. She was breathing hard by now, no wonder after the workout she'd just been put through. Rainbow Dash might be the best flyer of this world, but she was also a slave driver. She was determined to push Blue to the breaking point, but Blue wasn't going to give her that satisfaction. And, she had to admit, somehow between all the drill sessions, she had learned a lot.

It was the strangest thing so far, stranger than having four legs or a castle that runs on magic, but she felt really good with her wings. She only had them for a day, but they felt so natural already, like she always had them. Especially when she was focused on some flight manoeuvre, they just moved the way she wanted it and she didn't even have to think about it. Instead, she just felt great, especially when Dash told her she'd pulled off some stunts Princess Twilight couldn't do for weeks after she got wings. It was just like Starlight Glimmer had said, apparently she was a natural at this.

Rainbow Dash had gone through a lot of different flying techniques with her, and Twilight had added in some advice as well, so Blue had quickly found her limits. She wasn't very fast, compared to Rainbow Dash, when it came to straight flying, but neither was the princess. She could do all the dives and turns Rainbow demonstrated and even when Dash had somehow produced a strong gust to through her off loop, she had recovered quickly, even quicker than Twilight. She also had more endurance than Twilight, who had dropped out after a few repetitions to catch her breath. Then again, Twilight was taller than her, so maybe she also had to lift more.

Blue's greatest strength so far was her agility. No matter how many spins and flips Rainbow made her do, she could deliver, and with each successful trick, she grew more confident in her wings. When Rainbow took her to some forest and had her fly through the thick wood, she weaved effortlessly between the trees and dived under the branches. In narrow space, she could even keep up with Rainbow's speed.

She was nowhere perfect yet. She knew that and Rainbow kept reminding her with her usual quips, like calling her a newbie all the time. But despite that, she knew she could do this, with a little more practice.

And even if she wasn't perfect, she had tons of fun. Flying was like the thing she didn't even know she was looking for, until she found it. In the air, she felt a kind of freedom she never had before. Even though this was supposed to be hard training, she barely felt it because with each new spin or trick, she felt that freedom. She imagined that this had to be something like people called a 'runner's high', just with wings. And the thought that she might even score a job out of this was like the icing on the cake.

Like the cake she could totally eat all by herself right now. It's been hours of training and even if she didn't want to stop, she was running low on fumes by now. Rainbow Dash noticed that as well, of course, but she didn't mock her for it. Instead, she landed next to her and Princess Twilight joined them as well.

“So, that was pretty good for your first day. Not every day I see a pony power through a full session with me. Of course I was going easy on you.”
Blue just rolled her eyes
“Sure you did, Dash. And you definitely didn't grace that last tree over there.”
Twilight started to giggle while Rainbow Dash chose to ignore Blue's biting sarcasm
“I have no idea what you're talking about. Anyway, how about we head back and see…”

“Rainbow Dash! Hey, Rainbow Dash!”
Blue frowned when she heard that familiar squeal of a voice. It sounded almost like... oh no. She turned around like the others and saw a small orange pony with a purple frizz for hair buzz towards them. Instead of flying, she was riding on a scooter and used her wings to go fast. The sight of a pony on a scooter should have surprised Blue way more than it actually did, but that was mostly because she was busy glaring at the intruder.
“Rainbow Dash, I saw you flying up there, you looked so cool!”

Of course, it was Scootaloo. Or, the pony version of Scootaloo probably, but with the same obsession on Rainbow Dash as the girl Blue had seen at CHS. She couldn't help but get angry when she remembered how far that obsession had driven the girl, to the point she would slander everyone at school as Anon-A-Miss, just so she could blame Sunset Shimmer. And all of it just because Scootaloo wanted more time with Rainbow Dash.

Blue felt a hoof on her shoulder and turned to Princess Twilight. She looked very concerned as she watched her and softly shook her head. Blue took a deep breath and tried to look less angry. She noticed that she had flared her wings aggressively as well and forced them down to her flanks before she looked back at the orange pony girl.

Scootaloo had missed her reaction entirely, of course. Blue would take any bet that she hadn't even noticed anyone beside Rainbow Dash.

Dash was grinning and enjoyed the attention, even if she looked a little bashful
“Yeah, you know, I was teaching a few basic manoeuvres to my new friend here.”
“Huh?”

Finally, Scootaloo turned her head and acknowledged the other two ponies next to Rainbow Dash. She looked over Twilight, but when she saw Blue, she only had a sore glance for her
“Don't you know that Rainbow Dash is the best flyer in all of Equestria? Why should she waste her time teaching you basics when she could do awesome new tricks instead?”

Blue's wings instantly snapped back open, and her glare was back full force. Before she could say anything she would regret later, Rainbow jumped in
“Hey now Squirt, nothing wrong with brushing up the basics every now and then. Everypony has to start with that at some point.”
Scootaloo nodded rapidly and her wings buzzed excited
“Of course Rainbow Dash! You're so right!”
After she gushed that out, she turned back to Blue with a mean smirk
“You're lucky Rainbow Dash agreed to train with you, new girl! You obviously need any help you can get. I mean, how old are you, new girl? Shouldn't you know the basics by now? You must be hopeless.”

Blue gritted her teeth and took a menacing step towards Scootaloo
“The fuck did you just say?”
The orange filly was still completely oblivious and only had that condescending smirk for her
“Don't worry, Rainbow Dash is the best and coolest pony, she can even teach a lost cause like you!”

Blue could almost hear the snap as her fuses burnt through. Somehow, she managed a low growl as she closed in on Scootaloo who finally caught up on the angry blue pony in front of her. Too bad for her that it was too late by now
“How 'bout I smash in your teeth with that bloody scooter and you try saying that again, you little piece of shit!”

Scootaloo tried to back away and stumbled, just as Blue got ready to jump at her and...
“Ocean Shore! Don’t do it!”

Blue froze up when Princess Twilight yelled at her from close up. She turned around and the look Princess Twilight shot at her cooled her down like a truckload of ice. She looked back at Scootaloo who stared at her from the ground with pure fear in her eyes, and Rainbow Dash stepped between Blue and filly. She had her wings spread just like Blue and Scootaloo cowered behind her protector.

Nopony said anything for a moment. Blue couldn't even move. She had been so close to ramming her hoof into a pony she just met. If Twilight and Rainbow Dash hadn't been here... Blue flinched when she heard a muffled sob from Scootaloo.

She did the only thing she could think of. She flapped her wings hard and shot into the sky. When she was above the treeline, she just flew into whatever direction she was facing, as fast as she could
“Blue, wait!”

She ignored the call from the ground and just flew away.

Spring Meadow thought she would die from embarrassment. That in itself wasn’t something unusual, she had had moments like that back in the human world before. However, here in the magic dimension of princesses and talking ponies, for the first time she wondered if it was actually possible.

Princess Cadance had taken her back to the hospital, but not to the patient rooms she’d seen before. Instead, Nurse Redheart led them up some stairs and to what had to be the office tract of the hospital, all while fawning over the princess. Redheart didn’t mention their sudden departure with any word, nor did she say anything about the fact that Spring Meadow’s eyes were still red from crying.

They followed Redheart to an unmarked door at the end of the hallway. Instead of knocking, Redheart just headed straight in, followed by Princess Cadance. They didn’t act like this was out of the ordinary, so Spring just slipped in behind them and took her place next to the princess again. She didn’t hide under the taller mare’s wing like before, but she still felt better sticking close to the princess. Cadance had already saved her some embarrassment once, hopefully she would do so again.

The office, as it turned out, belonged to Doctor Lucky Clover. He didn’t seem too bothered that ponies walked into his office unannounced, but he looked surprised to see her again
“Your Highness, Miss Spring Meadow. I was under the impression that you had already left.”

Spring Meadow gladly let Cadance take over who answered with a practiced smile
“We just stepped outside for a minute. But now, I would like to get back on that talk I mentioned earlier.”

Princess Cadance turned her head to smile at Nurse Redheart who still watched her in awe. She wasn’t really sending her away, but Redheart got the message anyway
“Oh! I just realized I left the reception vacant. I better go back there.”

The doctor waited silently for Nurse Redheart to leave before he addressed the princess again
“So, how can I help you, Your Highness?”
“Before I get to that, there is something I would like to ask.”

Cadance turned her head so she could look at the Doctor while watching Spring Meadow as well
“How was your first impression of Spring Meadow, today?”

Doctor Lucky Clover now focused his attention on Spring as well, and Spring’s head immediately dropped down. She didn’t really want to hear it, but she didn’t want to anger Princess Cadance either. If she was to stay with Blue, she needed consent from the princess, and that meant she had to face the music.

“Well, to be honest, Your Highness, I don’t believe a word you told me about Spring Meadow.”
Spring’s ears clamped down against her head from instinct, but she could still hear the doctor speaking
“A simple village healer wouldn’t have known anything about an X-ray-machine or how to read a blood count. They know about herbal remedies, maybe the odd potion here and there, and how to dress wounds, but rarely more.”

He stopped talking long enough for Spring Meadow to dare and look up at him again
“I’m very sure I’m talking to a trained professional. And going from your diagnosis earlier, a very competent one at that. Isn’t that right?”
Spring tried to just stay silent and wait, but a nudge from Cadance’ wing had her cede and answer instead
“Trained, maybe but… I’m no professional. I am… I was a nurse-in-training.”

Lucky Clover nodded, but he still carried a rather thoughtful expression
“That would explain some of it. But it also throws up more questions. As in, how would you not recognize a typical unicorn’s blood count when you saw it? Any hospital in Equestria would teach their nurses if…”
“There weren’t any unicorns where she comes from.”

At this point, Princess Cadance decided to intervene before Lucky Clover could dig any deeper, much to Spring Meadow’s relief
“Doctor, what I am about to tell you might sound unbelievable, but I need to ask you to hear me out. Even if it won’t make much sense at first.”

To their surprise, the doctor just had a wry smile for them
“Princess, with all respect, but since Twilight Sparkle arrived in Ponyville, I’ve seen an attack by an ursa minor, I’ve seen the town almost devoured by parasprites, changed to absurdity by Discord, the ascension of a new princess and an entire castle sprouting out of the ground. I think in Ponyville terms, unbelievable is a far stretch for me.”

Spring Meadow was back at fearful staring, as she barely understood half the things the stallion sad, but Princess Cadance responded with a chuckle
“I see what you mean. Very well then. Just one more thing.”

She sat up a little straighter and taller as she fixed the doctor with a stern look. Any mirth she had shown just moments earlier was suddenly replaced by an aura of royal authority, not unlike what Spring Meadow had seen from the Princess Celestia on the night before. Lucky Clover also noticed the sudden change and focused on the princess with all of his attention
“What I’m going to tell you now is not for anypony else to know. You are hereby sworn into secrecy by royal decree. You are not to speak of anything of this with anypony, except the four ruling princesses and Spring Meadow herself. Do you understand and accept this, Lucky Clover?”
The doctor didn’t just nod, instead he got on his hooves and bowed down formally, with a tone of his voice to match
“Yes, Your Highness. I understand and accept these terms.”

Spring watched with equal parts of awe and anxiety how the informal conversation between the two ponies turned into a formal decree, only to change back in the blink of an eye
“You see Doctor, Spring Meadow is not of Equestrian origin. While she possesses a whole lot of medical knowledge, she’s not familiar with ponies at all. And by that, I mean ponies in general, not just unicorns.”

Despite what he said earlier, Lucky Clover couldn’t quite grasp what Princess Cadance tried to explain
“But that makes no sense. If she studied medicine, she would naturally learn about ponies in general. How else would she know enough about the structure of a bone to diagnose a fissure?”
“Unless, Doctor, she didn’t learn this from studying ponies, but a different species with enough similarities.”

Lucky Clover seemed to consider this for a moment, but quite went back to shaking his head
“Impossible. The closest to Equestrian ponies would be the inhabitants of Saddle Arabia, but their medical state of the art is not advanced enough to include X-ray-machines. Gryphons, as far as I know, don’t even have the concept of general medical support in their culture, they have local healers instead of hospitals with doctors and nurses. Unless…”

He threw a strange look at Spring Meadow that made her feel even more uneasy
“She wouldn’t happen to be a changeling by any chance?”

Spring Meadow, who had been out of the loop of conversation for a while now, didn’t like the way that Lucky Clover suddenly treated her more like a study subject than a person. This was probably why she sounded a lot angrier when she finally decided to join in
“She doesn’t even know what a changeling is. But maybe you could ask her about it. Just an idea.”
Lucky Clover nodded and knocked his hoof on his desk
“Very well. If you’re not a changeling, then who are you, Spring Meadow?”

Spring glanced to Princess Cadance who nodded her approval
“Ever heard of humans?”
The doctor stared at her for a moment, before he broke into laughter
“Humans! Priceless! For a moment, you got me Miss Spring Meadow.”

He kept laughing until he noticed that neither Spring nor Cadance had joined in, which left him utterly confused
“Don’t be silly, you can’t be a human. They are just myths. They are not real.”
By now, Spring just lost any patience
“You know if I told anyone at home that I had a medical discussion with a talking magic horse, they’d sent me to a mental asylum before I could spell ‘parallel universe’. For humans, talking ponies and magic are just myths, let alone magic ponies who live in houses and have hospitals with X-ray-machines… how do you even use the machine without hands?”

The doctor blinked rapidly as he tried to take everything in, but he only latched on the last word
“Hands? You mean the claws humans have on their forelegs?”
“They’re called arms. And it’s not claws, they are called fingers. They are opposable extremities that can be moved individually through a series of muscles. Each finger consists of four bones that are connected to the carpal bones that form the base of the palm, which is connected to the radius and ulna by a joint called ‘carpus’ or ‘wrist’. The names of the bones are…”

Spring Meadow kept rattling down information about hands and fingers for a while. Princess Cadance got lost right at the start, but she could tell that Lucky Clover wasn’t. He had lost all of his scepticism and now listened attentively to Spring’s explanation. He would probably have listened for hours if Spring hadn’t stopped at some point.

The doctor blinked as if he had woken up from a deep sleep and shook his head
“This is unbelievable. Everything you said, it makes perfect sense. Nopony would make up anatomical details like that for a mythical species, unless… humans are real?”
He looked back at Spring Meadow
“And you are one of them?”
Spring Meadow looked down herself and her strange body
“Well… it’s complicated I guess.”

Princess Cadance now took over again and explained something about magic portals and mirror worlds to the doctor. He didn’t seem like he understood much of it, but he knew better than to question a princess, especially when Cadance mentioned Twilight Sparkle as well
“This is uncanny. A whole other world we know nothing about. But, if you’re from that other world, why are you here now?”

Spring Meadow looked down at the floor since she didn’t have a good answer for that and Princess Cadance replied for her
“That is not important right now, Doctor. Spring Meadow is here now, and she is a pony, that’s all that matters.”
“Right. Of course, Your Highness.”
“And do you think a pony like her could be a welcome addition to your hospital, Doctor?”
“With how much she knows already? She would be a great addition! I’d hire her on the spot!”

Spring’s head just jerked up again and she stared at the stallion in open disbelieve
“Seriously?”
“Of course! We just have to find out how what you know about humans translates into pony and then we… oh, I see… that might be a little more complicated.”
“Which is why I told you all this, Doctor Lucky Clover.”

Princess Cadance addressed the stallion again
“When Spring Meadow stays here in our world, she needs assistance to adapt to our ways, especially when she wants to keep being a nurse. Since you are the only one who knows about her true origin, that task would fall to you.”

Spring realized what the princess was asking of him, and so did the doctor. He thought about it for a few minutes in which Spring Meadow didn’t even dare to talk.

When he replied, it was like their tense discussion never even happened and he was back at the carefree levity Spring had seen from him before
“Well, I do like a good challenge every now and then, Princess. If this is how it goes, I’m up for it.”

Princess Cadance shot a wink towards Spring Meadow before she turned back to Lucky Clover
“I’m glad to hear this, Doctor. Please know that this is all just a plan for now. Princess Twilight will get in contact with you about it soon. Until then, I expect you to keep everything we said to yourself.”
“Of course, Princess Cadance. And I guess I’ll see you around soon, Spring Meadow.”

Princess Cadance giggled gently as she led the still baffled former human out of the hospital again. Spring just followed mechanically, and even as they reached the castle again, she wasn’t sure if she really understood what just happened.

Chapter 15

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Blue had more or less just dropped out of the sky as soon as her adrenaline ran out. She had barely noticed the rough impact on the ground, and she hadn’t even bothered getting up since then. Even if she could figure out where she was, there was no reason getting back anyway.

She messed up again. Not even in magic pony land could she last more than a day without fucking it all up again. She had nobody to blame but herself. Story of my fucking life.

This had been literally her last chance, for her and for her sister. Why couldn’t she keep her temper in check just for once? She had told the princesses everything and she had promised it wouldn’t happen again. They wouldn’t forgive her that kind of relapse, not so soon after making that promise. They’d see her as a threat to their world and just dump her back through the portal. The only hope she had left was that maybe Spring Meadow was allowed to stay. Her sister would be better off in this world and better off without her messing up everything.

Blue didn’t know how late it was by now, but it couldn’t be much longer until nightfall. She wondered why she even cared. I should just stay here where I can’t mess up anymore. Maybe for once I’m lucky and a magic monster shows up and eats me.

As usual though, she wasn’t lucky. She heard a rustling and a shadow passed over her. Next thing she knew, a pair of purple legs filled her field of vision. She didn’t even bother looking up.

“Are you okay, Ocean Shore?”
Blue pressed her eyes shut
“Only judges and parole officers call me Ocean Shore. Which one are you?”
She heard a sigh from Twilight as the taller pony sat down on the ground in front of her
“Neither, I hope. But that really depends on you now.”

All Blue could do was nod
“Are you going to lock me up or are you throwing me back through the portal? Doesn’t matter I guess. I promise I won’t make a fuss.”
“Ocean Shore! Look at me!”

Blue angled her eyes up to Twilight’s face and even though she had a stern expression, the princess didn’t look angry somehow
“I’m the Princess of Friendship and I want to give my friend another chance. But you’re making it really hard right now.”
On instinct, Blue’s pony ears flopped down, and her wings twitched
“I’m sorry, Princess.”

Twilight looked at her and held her eyes with her own
“What you said to Scootaloo back there. When you threatened to hurt her. Did you mean it?”
Blue hesitated for a moment. She could probably soften the blow by telling the princess what she wanted to hear. She knew what probably was the right thing to say. Problem was, it was far away from the truth.
“Yes. Every word of it.”

Princess Twilight’s expression didn’t change at all. She just acknowledged Blue’s sincere confession with a nod
“Why did you feel so strongly about it? Was it because your Scootaloo was Anon-A-Miss?”
Blue flinched and looked away
“No. I mean, it’s part of it, but not all. Anon-A-Miss, that still gets my blood boiling. But all the other things she said…”
“What other things?”
Blue closed her eyes again and her voice turned a little shakier with each word
“Like, ‘New Girl’. I’ve been ‘New Girl’ all the time when we moved around every few months. I always hated it when people didn't even bother to learn my name. Or when they said I’m ‘hopeless’ when they didn’t even know me. They also said I’m only a ‘waste of time’ when not even teachers wanted to bother with me.”
Blue gritted her teeth and clenched her eyes shut, even if it didn’t help hide the angry tears
“Bitter Leaves called me ‘lost cause’ all the goddamn time.”

“He was the human who tried to get you back into a prison, right?”
Blue nodded again, which made some of her tears drip down from her muzzle
“He also set things in motion so Spring would lose her job at the hospital. And he’s behind the people who tried to separate us. He hates people like me who don’t deserve a second chance. He used to tell everyone that ‘as long as he keeps lost causes like her behind bars, he was doing society a favour’. When she called me a lost cause as well, I just…”

Words just tumbled out faster than she could think, along with more tears that dripped down to the ground. It wasn’t an excuse. There couldn’t be an excuse for this, not even in magic pony land. Especially not in magic pony land where everything was butterflies and rainbows filled with cotton candy. It was stupid to think she’d ever have a chance here.

Princess Twilight didn’t say anything for a while, but when she did, her voice still wasn’t as angry as Blue would have expected
“I’m pretty sure Scootaloo didn’t mean anything. She probably didn’t think about what she was saying at all. But that doesn’t make her words any less hurtful for you.”
Blue dared to look up. Twilight was standing again, towering over her with a thoughtful expression
“I’m not okay with how you reacted towards Scootaloo, Blue. But I think I can understand why it happened. I can’t just ignore this either, I’ll have to discuss it with the other Princesses once we’re back at the castle.”
Blue dropped her head down towards the ground immediately
“I guess it’s the best place to lock me up, in some cell in the dungeon.”

Blue felt her head being lifted up by a hoof and she was looking at Twilight again. What she saw wasn’t anger, but pity
“I never said I would put you in a cell, I just said we’ll be going back to the castle. I don’t know what it is, but something always makes you assume the worst in every situation. You can’t just assume things from me, or from Scootaloo, if we don’t mean any harm to you. If you want to stay in Equestria, this is something you will have to learn, Blue. You have to listen to what ponies tell you without seeking a hidden threat behind every word.”

Blue didn’t look away. There was some hope in what Princess Twilight just told her, but even as she tried to see it, there was like a fire alarm ringing in her head, telling her not to trust those words.

In the end, she shook her head with an angry snort
“I’m not sure I can do it. That’s a lot harder than it sounds, Princess.”
“Then you have to try and practice. Otherwise, you’ll end up in more fights anypony can ever win, Blue.”
At that, Blue could only laugh, and she hated how bitter it sounded even to her
“Story of my fucking life.”

“You didn’t come here to keep going on with the same life you had before, Ocean Shore. You are here to change, literally and figuratively, so you better start right away.”

Blue looked down, at her own hooves. Somehow, seeing these new limbs seemed a lot stranger to her than the first time. Still, she knew they were hers, just like the wings on her back now. Change didn’t just happen like that. She had to want to change for anything to happen at all. And if there’s anything I want, I want to change. Even if it’s hard.

She got back on her hooves and rubbed the remains of tears from her muzzle. Her wings flared up from her back, but she folded them down to her flanks again. It wouldn’t help to run away.

Blue looked at Twilight again and faced her expectant look
“What do I have to do?”

Twilight only indicated a nod, but she was smiling again. Not the bright smile she had when she welcomed Blue and her sister on the first day, but it was a start at least
“First things first, I suggest you apologize to Scootaloo, and to Rainbow Dash. They should already be at the castle by now. Then, you’ll have to figure out yourself what has to happen next.”

Blue nodded. She already had an idea what that meant
“Which way is the castle again?”
Twilight’s smile grew a little and Blue was blinded by a flash of purple light for a moment. Suddenly, they stood in the entrance hall of the castle.

“Take the stairs up from here and you should run right into them, Blue.”
Blue blinked but shoved away the surprise for now. Maybe, she would get a chance to ask about this later
“Right. On it.”

Halfway up the stairs, she could already hear some shouting, so she followed that to some kind of meeting room. As she got closer, she heard some of the argument.

“She tried to hit me! Why are you even defending her, Rainbow Dash?”
“I’m not defending her or anything! I’m just saying, maybe you’re not totally innocent on that one.”
“What? She acted like a jerk! Why do you like her better than me?”
“It’s not that, Scoots! Maybe she’s a jerk, but some of the things you said were just as mean. No wonder she ticked off.”
“Mean? I just said she’s a worse flyer than you, and it’s true!”
“I was there Scoots, and that’s not how you said it. Even if it’s true.”
“So what? Now I’m responsible if that jerk can’t take the truth?”
“Scoot, you called her a lost cause and a loser. How did it feel when Diamond Tiara called you that back then?”
“I hated that… but it’s not the same! Diamond Tiara was just mean and everything I said was…”
“…just as hurtful, even if you didn’t mean it. Blue doesn’t have friends to fall back on like you did. She’s new in town because in her old home, everypony was mean to her. She never got a chance to fly before and the first filly she meets calls her a loser. Great start, right?”
“I never meant it like that…”
“And how is she supposed to know that? She doesn’t know you, or me, or anypony. So she just took everything you said as it sounded, and boy did it sound mean to me.”

Blue stayed in the doorway and looked at scene in front of her. Scootaloo was slumped on the floor, just like Blue not so long ago. The fact that it was a hard crystal floor and not cold, wet forest ground barely made a difference. And just like Blue, Scootaloo needed somebody to talk some sense into her. Rainbow Dash looked angrier than Princess Twilight, but they both let it go for the sake of the pony they had to lecture. Blue hesitated on the doorstep, until Scootaloo started talking again
“I’m sorry Rainbow Dash. I never meant…”

Scootaloo trailed off, but Blue got it. She knew what the young pony wanted the say, because it was the same for her. Maybe they were not as different as she had thought.

“Yeah. Me too.”
Both Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo turned around when Blue chose that moment to reveal herself. She was past the doorstep now, but only two steps. As she had expected, Rainbow Dash immediately stepped between her and Scootaloo with her wings spread out in a way that meant ‘angry’ and ‘protect’ at the same time
“What are you doing here? You really got a lot of nerve showing up again after what you did.”

Blue let her head slump down, so she ended up staring at her own hooves. Of course, despite everything she had just said, Rainbow Dash was loyal to her almost-sister Scootaloo. How could she not? They’ve known each other for years and Blue was just an intruder from another world. But she still had to try at least
“I just want to talk. I want to apologize”

Unseen to Blue, Scootaloo was watching her closely from behind Rainbow Dash. Rainbow was watching too, but with anger in her eyes and her voice
“Well, we don’t want to hear it! So why don’t you just go back where you came from and leave us alone!”

Blue clenched her eyes shut and her ears flopped down instinctively. Rainbow Dash had every right to be angry at her, of course, but she had dared to hope the good time they had before would mean anything. She should have known better, but here she was anyway, and she sounded like she was about to cry
“Please, I just want to talk. I don’t want to hurt anyone.”
“Oh yeah? You have a really weird way of showing it.”

Blue didn’t know what else to say, so she just said nothing. She knew that if this was her Rainbow Dash, there was no way she could convince her right now. She would need something short of a miracle too…
“Okay.”
Both Blue and Rainbow Dash threw their heads around to stare at the small pegasus. Scootaloo just looked at Blue and said again
“Okay. Let’s talk.”

“Scoots, you don’t have to…”
“I know, Rainbow Dash. But…”
Blue took a deep breath and nodded. She knew why Scootaloo couldn’t say it, because she couldn’t either, so she just mumbled a “Thanks” under her breath.

Apparently, that was already too much, because Rainbow Dash flared up her wings again
“Now wait just one sweet second. If you think I’m going to leave Scoots alone with you, then…”
“Rainbow Dash! Please!”
Blue turned her eyes back towards the floor. Maybe she couldn’t convince Rainbow, but Scootaloo could, and it worked.

With a defeated sigh, Rainbow turned back towards Blue and her anger returned. She shoved Blue hard towards the wall farthest away from Scootaloo. Blue let it happen and glanced up at the angry mare for what had to come next
“Listen chump, if you try anything like you did before, I’m gonna make you regret the day you ever set a hoof into Ponyville. You got that?”
“Yeah.”
Rainbow Dash glared at her for a minute longer and then stormed out of the room. Both Scootaloo and Blue flinched when the door slammed into the lock.

They both stayed silent for a while. Blue had said she wanted to talk, but now that she had the chance, she was having some trouble finding the right place to start. Instead, it was Scootaloo who said something first
“You’ve never been flying before today?”

Blue just shook her head. She knew she had to come up with some backstory eventually, but right now, she needed all her wits just to remind herself to keep breathing
“What’s it like, flying?”
Blue just shrugged and her wings rustled at her sides
“You’ve got wings. You tell me.”
“I wish I could.”

Scootaloo turned away when Blue stared at her and instead looked out of the window, towards the clouds
“My wings are too small. The doctor said they didn’t grow along with the rest of me. Maybe they’ll catch up one day, or maybe not.”

Blue took a deep breath and slowly walked towards the window. Not being able to fly must be like not being able to walk for a human. Probably worse, since everything she’d seen from Rainbow Dash, the whole pegasus life revolved around flying and flying skills.

She didn’t know how to respond, but Scootaloo still had things to say, so she listened
“I always wanted to fly with Rainbow Dash, but I never could. I can walk on clouds just fine, I just can’t fly. But it’s your first time, and you’re already flying with Rainbow Dash.”

Blue reached the window by now and sat down next to Scootaloo who was still watching the clouds. Scootaloo didn’t sound angry like Blue had expected, what she heard sounded more or less like resignation. Scoot was just a small filly, a young girl by her standards, and that made it sound so wrong. Blue felt like she had to say something now, something encouraging like she knew either Rainbow Dash would say, or something wise and profound like Princess Twilight or maybe Miss Celestia might say.

Too bad she couldn’t think of anything like that. Instead, she just went with the thing that seemed natural to her
“Shit. That just sucks, dude.”

Scootaloo turned her head and stared at her. She wasn’t scared anymore, now she just looked surprised. She probably wasn’t used to people swearing around her because she was still a young filly. Blue knew better though. Blue knew Scootaloo wouldn’t like being treated like a young girl, because she hated that as well when she was younger. So, she’d keep swearing
“It fucking sucks.”

Scootaloo grinned, almost gratefully. Blue’s swearing wouldn’t help her deal with her small wings any more than before, but it felt good that a though pony who was even cool enough to be a friend of Rainbow Dash acknowledged her problems. Even if it was just by cussing.

They both turned back to the window and stared at the few clouds that hovered over the castle, just barely out of reach. It wasn’t a comfortable silence, and Blue was the one who broke it
“Listen Scootaloo, I just wanna say…”
“Yeah. Me too.”
“Cool. Thanks.”

There wasn’t really much more they had to say, at least to each other. Blue knew this was far from over, so she appreciated that at least with Scootaloo, she could keep it simple. In that regard, they were very much alike.

Instead, she got back to something that had stirred her interest before
“So… you can walk on clouds?”
Scootaloo turned around to stare at her
“Uh, yeah? So can you. Duh.”
Blue’s wing twitched when Scootaloo started laughing again
“Wait, don’t tell me you didn’t know that? What kind of pegasus are you that you don’t know that?”
Blue felt a twinge of anger, but nowhere as bad as before, so she could deal with it this time
“You know, for a pony who can’t even fly herself, you’re far too cocky, you little hypocrite.”
“Hey! Don’t call me things I don’t even know what they mean!”

Blue rolled her eyes, but with a smirk
“How about we give it a try instead?”
Scootaloo didn’t understand at first, until Blue pointed at the clouds outside, and her face lit up in a smile
“Alright! I mean, if you think you can do it, that is.”

Blue only laughed more when Scootaloo tried to hide her excitement. She tried to sound cool, but her wide smile clashed heavily with that. That kid just spends too much time around Rainbow Dash.
“Let’s do this.”

Blue fumbled with the window to get it open and already spread her wings for take-off, but then remembered something
“Oh, right. Hop on.”
Scootaloo’s face lit up even more when she climbed on Blue’s back. It felt weird for a moment, but Blue shook it off and spread her wings again
“Hold on tight, squirt!”

She put more power into her flapping as before but found that it wasn’t necessary. She barely felt Scootaloo’s weight, and she could still manoeuvre just fine. She didn’t go for any stunts with a passenger though and steered straight for the biggest cloud of the bunch. She flew a wide turn so she was hovering above it, unsure if it was safe to just land. Scootaloo however just hopped down with no concern at all and stood safely, the cloud just barely dented under the filly. With a few careful flaps, Blue lowered down until she stood on her four legs on the foamy surface.

“It’s warm.”
“Well, yeah. What did you expect?”
Scootaloo laughed when Blue lowered herself down until she was lying on her belly, with her legs tucked under her. She sunk in just a little, like on a very soft mattress, but immeasurably more comfortable. She wouldn’t fall through the cloud. She just knew this instinctively and felt safe. Combined with the surprising warmth, Blue could have just closed her eyes and dozed off up here.

Scootaloo squatted down on the cloud as well and watched as Blue experienced sitting on a cloud for the very first time. It wasn’t really that different from watching a pony who had just received their cutie mark and now tested out their new special talent. Speaking off…

“Hey new girl, can I ask you something?”
Blue frowned but was far too comfy to get up and get angry like before. Scootaloo still noticed and remembered a few of the things Rainbow Dash had told her
“Sorry, but I don’t think I ever caught your name. I probably should have asked about that earlier, huh?”
Blue rolled her eyes, but her frown faded. At least the filly was trying now.
“Just call me Blue.”
“Just… Blue? What kind of name is that?”
“You’re one to talk.”

Scootaloo took her breath for an indignant response, but only let out a long sigh instead
“Sorry. I did it again, didn’t I?”
“Kinda. Don’t worry though. What did you want to ask?”
“Oh, right. Um, so I was wondering… if today was your first time flying, how did you get your cutie mark?”

Blue was far too comfy on the cloud to worry right now, so instead of making up an elaborate background-story, she just shrugged and stuck to the truth
“I dunno. It was just there at some point.”
“Huh. That’s odd. Normally, getting a cutie mark is a very special moment. It doesn’t just happen like that.”
Blue shifted a little on the cloud so she could look at Scootaloo
“And you’re like the expert on butt marks or what?”

“Well, yeah. See that?” Scootaloo turned to show off her own mark, which was a tricoloured shield with a lightning bolt on it.
“I’m a Cutie Mark Crusader. I’ve helped tons of blank flanks getting their cutie marks and even helped grown-up ponies figuring out theirs.”

Blue had no idea what a ‘blank flank’ was but finding out more about her mark sounded like a good idea. However, before she could ask Scootaloo about it, something else in the sky caught their attention
“What’s that?”

Scootaloo looked up and saw something big in the sky, heading directly towards them. She could make out a few pegasi as well. Since the thing came from Canterlot, she had an idea
“That looks like Princess Celestia’s carriage. Huh, that’s strange, I didn’t hear anything about a visit from the Princess. Twilight usually makes a big deal out of this.”

Blue could think of a few reasons why the princess would visit and a few more why Twilight Sparkle would try to avoid attention for this. Unfortunately, she couldn’t be picky about what kind of attention she would get today.
“Hey Scootaloo, let’s get back to the ground. I have to talk to the princess.”
“Huh? You mean Princess Celestia? Why?”

Blue just nodded but didn’t answer, but Scootaloo saw how nervous she suddenly was, so she climbed on her back without any fuss. Blue spread her wings and glided down towards the castle doors again, just as Princess Celestia and Princess Luna climbed out of their carriage and headed for the castle doors.

“Wait! Please!”
Both alicorns stopped at the door and watched as Blue landed close to them. Scootaloo hopped of her back and bowed down like anypony would, but Blue just ran up to the princesses without any decorum
“I need to talk to you!”

Luna’s eyes met hers and like the other day, Blue got the feeling that she was looking into her rather than at her. Princess Luna didn’t seem to like what she saw, because she was frowning
“And it seems to be something very important as well. Could it be why Princess Twilight asked for our presence tonight, Ocean Shore?”
Blue bit her lip and nodded. She kept her head low, unable to face Luna’s stare right now
“Probably. I… there’s something I need to tell you. Before you talk with Twilight. Please.”

She didn’t really make a good job of selling herself, but the royal sisters just shared one of their sideways glances and nodded
“I’m sure there is a room inside we can borrow. I have a feeling that this is nothing you would like everypony to hear.”
Blue nodded, with her eyes still held low and her ears flopped down
“Thank you, Princess.”
Blue followed them inside, but a call had her turn around at the door

“Wait! What’s going on? Are you in trouble?”
Blue forced a confident smile for Scootaloo who was staring at the scene before her with wide-open eyes
“Don’t worry kid. Hey, can you do me a favour? Can you find Rainbow Dash and tell her ‘Thanks for the lesson’ from me?”
Scootaloo didn’t really look less worried at that, but nodded anyways
“Sure. But why don’t you tell her yourself?”
Once again, Blue didn’t answer and just nodded
“Thanks. See you later, kid.”

With that, she walked through the door into the castle and wordlessly followed the two princesses into what seemed to be an unused office. Celestia and Luna watched her closely, so she took a deep breath and started talking.

It took her a while to explain everything that happened, from the actual thing over her talk with Twilight to her sort-of-apology to Scootaloo. She didn’t dare looking at the princesses when she was finished. They didn’t say anything for a while and Blue just kept staring at the floor
“I suppose that does indeed explain why we were called in today. But there is one thing I still want to know.”

Blue nodded and turned her head slightly towards Princess Celestia, even if she kept her eyes cast down
“Why was it so important to you that we have this conversation before we talked with Twilight Sparkle?”
“Because… because she would have kept out some details. She would have tried to make me look less bad. I don’t deserve that, and you should know the truth before you make your decisions.”

Blue swallowed down the lump in her throat and waited. The two princesses said nothing for the longest time, until Princess Celestia spoke up again
“Very well. You can be sure we will consider what you told us today. You may leave now, Ocean Shore.”
Blue nodded and got up and turned towards the door, when Luna’s voice stopped her
“Wait!”

Blue turned her head and finally looked at the princesses. Neither of them seemed obviously angry, but Luna was staring at her with those eyes again
“You made a promise to us. You didn’t even last a day before you broke it. I think we deserve an apology from you for this, at least.”
Blue just shook her head, eyes back on the floor
“There is no good apology for it. But, for what it’s worth, I’m sorry Princess.”

Celestia acknowledged this with a nod and asked with a somewhat softer voice
“Is there anything else you need to tell us, Ocean Shore?”
Blue clenched her eyes shut so she wouldn’t cry in front of the princesses and nodded again
“Just one thing. This is my fault. Please don’t pin this on anyone else. Don’t punish my sister for my mistakes.”

When Spring walked through the hallway back to her room, she still didn’t know how to feel. It was still weird dealing with four legs and a lack of hands, but only when she thought about it. Back in the hospital, she had almost slipped back into some kind of routine, at least when she talked with the doctor about the patient.

At the same time, walking around with a princess was not normal at all, especially when all the people around them bowed to her. Add that to her breakdown in front of said princess and that unreal talk with the doctor… she really didn’t know how to feel.

A part of her told her she should be thrilled. She had the support of one of the most important people in this world and she had impressed the doctor with all the things she knew. Heck, she even already got a job if she was allowed to stay, at a hospital where she could finish her nurse training, maybe even add to it. She had all the reasons and more to be happy right now.

But then, there was also the far bigger part of her that constantly warned her. Princess Cadance had no good reason to just help her out of the goodness of her heart, she probably had some ulterior motive behind it. If she wasn’t careful, she might end up in some political quarrel between Princess Cadance and the other princesses. Doctor Lucky Clover was too quick to agree on being her guide, who knows what he had in mind for her behind Cadance’ back? If he kept his promise to keep quiet in the first place. Spring didn’t know if there was something like the FBI in magic horse land, but if word got through that she was a literal alien from another dimension, she and Blue could end up as lab rats for some crazy scientist.

Thinking about Blue snapped Spring Meadow out of her mountain of worries, for now. They still nagged at her from the back of her mind, but she hadn’t seen her sister since breakfast and the need to check up on her was stronger. And maybe, Blue would have some good news as well, despite everything. God knows that Blue really deserved a break from all the shit that had been going on in their lives recently.

When she reached her room, she immediately knew something was terribly wrong. Blue sat by the window… moping. With her new body, it was more obvious than ever. Her pony ears were flopped down, the wings hung down limp at her sides and her whole posture was just wrong. Blue had been through an unhealthy number of troubling situations in her life, but Spring Meadow had never seen her like this. Blue would get angry. She would scream, drown herself in deafening music and maybe even throw around some furniture. Or she would run away somewhere to let off some steam. One day, she’d been gone for three days and Spring still didn’t know where she’d been. But even through all that, she’d never seen Blue mope like this before.

This could only mean one thing. Something had gone awfully, terribly, catastrophically wrong. In a dash, she was at her side. While her worries went into overdrive, her pony body acted on instinct. Her hooves wrapped around Blue and as she leaned in, she nuzzled the top of her head. Blue, following her new pony instincts just as much, pressed in against her.

They stayed like this for a few minutes when nobody said anything. Spring felt the wetness where Blue’s head was pressed against her, which caused her grip to grow a little firmer still
“I’m sorry, Spring… I messed up again…”
“Blue, you didn’t. It’s just this new body and…”
“I did! I know I did! There’s no one else to blame this time.”

Spring, without realising, switched back to their first language
“Shut up! I know that’s not true. You’ve never done anything bad without any reason!”
“There was no reason! I just got mad and I tried to hit her! I would have beaten her up if Twilight hadn’t stopped me!”

Spring just held her sister for a while longer
“Who was it? What did she say?”
“Scootaloo… she…”
“The girl who framed Sunset?”
“No! That's just it. She's just a little girl... little filly who never did anything like it, but that didn't stop me. I was so angry, and when she said some stupid things she never meant, I tried to beat her up.”
“But you didn't?”
“No... Princess Twilight stopped me in time.”

Spring just held her sister even closer
“We can't change what happened, but we can still make something out of this. We could run and try to blend in somewhere else and...”
“Spring. I already confessed. To Celestia and Luna.”
“What? But Blue, why? We could have found a way.”
“No! Not we! I messed this up. You don't have to run away or anything. This is just on me.”
“Blue, shut up. Like I would ever leave you.”
“I'm serious! You stay here and have a good life for once and I'll just... I dunno.”
“How can you even say something like that?”

They kept going back and forth and neither of them even realized that they had gone from mumbling to loud shouting. Since they were still talking in their first language, nopony could understand what they were talking about, but it clearly drew some attention.

“Hey guys? Everything okay with you?”
Blue looked up and stared at Sunset who was standing in the door. The unicorn looked at her with pity in her eyes, but right now it was more than Blue could take
“Do I look like I’m fucking okay?”

Spring pulled away from Blue when she started yelling and Sunset walked into the room. A red horn glow closed the door behind her
“Twilight told me what happened. I just want you to know…”
“Just, shut up Red! I don’t wanna hear it!”

Spring and Sunset shared a glance and it only ticked off Blue more
“Stop fucking with me like this. I know I messed up. I didn’t even last a fucking day.”
“Blue…”
“Shut up! Just go and live a happy life here! You deserve it, and I don’t want to make everything miserable for you, like I always did.”

Blue would have probably gone on with her yelling, but suddenly something hit her head and made her jump on her hooves with an angry shout. She noticed a red glow and another pillow from the bed hit her straight in the face. A third one came flying, but she managed to deflect it with her hoof
“Quit it!”
“You quit it! What’s gotten into you, Blue? It’s not like you to get all whiny.”
“Oh yeah? What the fuck do you know?”

Sunset was now glaring at Blue and soon they stood muzzle to muzzle
“I don’t know, huh? You think I don’t what it’s like when you suddenly have a strange, new body? Or what happens when you’re suddenly forced to face all the bad stuff you’ve ever done? You really think I don’t know what it’s like to have a slip-up?”

Blue shook her head and her ears flopped down again
“I… no, I… I’m sorry, Sunset. I know you’re right. But, this time… I really tried. I really tried but I can’t do it.”
“Blue, you can’t just change in one day. Nobody is expecting that from you.”

Blue blinked away some tears, and now Spring and Sunset closed in on her again. Somehow, as a pony, it felt less strange. She knew if they were humans, Blue would have struggled against having someone sit so close they touched her, but right now she didn’t. Spring noticed as well and followed her instinct to lean her head against her little sister
“Blue, we came here so we wouldn’t be separated. So either we stay together, or we leave together. But you can’t push me away.”
Sunset nodded along
“I know it’s really hard right now, but you can’t give up from one set-back. You told Princess Twilight and Princess Celestia. I know they will give you another chance.”

Blue closed her eyes and her wings twitched
“How many more chances will I get, though? And how many more will I need?”
“Ponies are big on forgiveness. You’ll get more if you need them.”
Spring nuzzled her sister, following her pony instinct
“You don’t have to go through this alone.”

They stayed together like this for a while, and even though nobody said anything else, it made Blue feel better. Before soon, there was a knock at the door and Spike the dragon poked his head in
“I’m sorry, Ocean Shore? Twilight and the others want to talk to you in the throne room.”

Blue gave a deep, gusty sigh, but stood up and followed Spike through the castle. She seemed okay and had picked herself up, but anyone who knew her longer than a day could tell she wasn't back to her normal confidence. Her tail kept lashing nervously with each step and her ears twitched at any sound her hooves made on the crystal floor.

As they were getting closer to the throne room, Blue heard voices long before she could make out any words. She still recognized that high-paced rant as Twilight Sparkle, her human friend also got that whenever she was excited or agitated. From the sound of it, the pony princess wasn’t in the best of moods, and that was enough to get Blue worried again. Sunset could see and walked up until she was right next to Blue, Spring Meadow took her other side moments later. Before Blue could appreciate their support, they reached the door and walked in after Spike.

Twilight was agitated, even though her rant was over by now. Still, the way she looked at Celestia and Luna wasn’t all that pleasant. Twilight stood in the middle of the room, probably so she could pace around while she talked, if the human version was anything to go by, while the two senior princesses had retreated to their throne-seats at the map-table again. They both had that forced-neutral expression Blue knew from parole officers or judges. They both really didn’t like being here right now, but they forced themselves not to show it. Even a ranting Twilight wasn’t enough to shake their façade, although Princess Celestia did a slightly worse job on keeping up her cool that Princess Luna was.

As usual, Blue glanced around as soon as she entered the room and saw Princess Cadance was here as well, but she had chosen the far side of the room instead of joining Celestia and Luna at the table. She looked majorly pissed, or at least as majorly pissed as a pink pony with a heart on her butt could look like. However, that seemed directed mostly at the two royal sisters. In fact, when she noticed that Blue and the others were here, she even managed a quick smile in their direction.

Time seemed to tick slower as usual while Blue tried to read the room and figure out what was going on. The four alicorn princesses clearly disagreed on something, and it looked like Cadance and Twilight were on the same side. If that smile from Cadance was anything to go by, that side was Blue’s side. That could be good or bad, but in the end, it didn’t change the fact that she had royally fucked up. Didn’t take me long for that. Guess now it’s time to face the music.

Blue took two steps forward, so she’d stand by herself, leaving both Sunset and Spring Meadow behind. She messed up and now she’d stand up for it.

Princess Celestia addressed her first, with that same neutral tone she had earlier
“Thank you for coming, Ocean Shore. We would like to talk to about what happened today. Considering that it’s a delicate matter, maybe it would be best if we only talked with you first. Perhaps Sunset Shimmer and Spring Meadow could wait outside while we…”
“No!”

Princess Celestia found herself interrupted by Twilight Sparkle who even flared out her wings in emphasis
“They are guests in my home and my friends. I won’t tell them to leave. This matter concerns all of them.”

Celestia’s expression wavered a bit as she responded calmly
“Twilight Sparkle, you have already had plenty time to vent and convey your concerns to us, and I would rather not start another hour-long discussion. However, I hope you can understand that…”

As Celestia tried to start one of her famous long-winded answers, this time it was Cadance who cut her off short
“If you won’t listen to Twilight anymore, then you’ll have to listen to me. Spring Meadow and Ocean Shore came to us because the other world threatened to separate them. I’ll not just stand there and let you do the same, Auntie.”
At this point, Spring Meadow was right back at Blue’s side and probably glaring just as much.

Princess Luna who had been silent so far, now decided to speak up
“We have no intention to separate them. But we must address this matter in a proper way. Ocean Shore threatened a young filly on base of nothing but a misunderstanding. This is simply unacceptable.”

Twilight and Cadance backed up quickly
“She regretted it the very next moment.”
“And she apologized, properly.”
“She also confessed to both of you out of her own intend! That has to be worth something.”
Luna nodded, but her expression didn’t change
“It does. And I want to believe that Ocean Shore will stay true to her promise this time. But she made a promise to us before and broke it before even a day passed.”

Twilight was about to rant again, Blue could tell from the look on her face, but before she could, her muzzle was held shut by a red glow that belonged to somepony’s magic. Blue turned around and stared at Sunset Shimmer, just like everybody else, who kept her red magic glow in place as she talked
“Blue just got here. She has to deal with a new body, a whole new world and more things that you could even imagine right now. And I can tell from experience that’s not easy, on top of getting interrogated by four ponies she barely knows.”

Sunset, now sure that Twilight wouldn’t interrupt her, let her magic go and looked at Princess Luna
“When I was suddenly a human, I was confused and did some bad things. And even when I decided to change, I still slipped up a lot at first. But my friends understood and forgave me. They helped me get past that. Shouldn’t we do the same? When you returned after 1000 years, I’m sure you had some trouble adapting at first as well.”

Princess Luna held Sunset’s gaze, but her expression softened up. She nodded and shared a glance with her sister, who replied in kind, before she talked again
“As I was saying, we do not wish to separate Ocean Shore and Spring Meadow, but we want to make sure that this incident wasn’t more than just a slip-up.”
Celestia picked up from Luna and continued
“We believe that everypony can change if they want to. But Ocean Shore is not a pony like the others. Therefore, we would like to wait until we make our final decision.”

Both Celestia and Luna turned to look at Blue and her sister, who hadn’t said anything yet
“We would like to give you the chance to experience life here in Equestria, without any of us restricting who you meet and what you do. Show us that you can adapt to our world.”
“Think of it as a trial period, for us as much as yourselves. We will ask Princess Twilight to watch over you here in Ponyville. She will tell us how you fare, and then we will decide. And meanwhile, you get to see if you can be happy in this world just as much. In three moon’s time, we will meet again.”

Blue just stared and probably looked ridiculous with her mouth hanging open like that. She had expected a swift, harsh punishment, but instead she got this. Two ponies she barely knew just defended her without any good reason except that they wanted to believe in her. And even the two royal sisters, who were still angry at what Blue had done, even they didn’t think about punishing her. At least, not right away.

“Does that mean I’m on probation or something?”
Princess Celestia looked at her, frowning
“I would not want to call it like that. It sounds like we were just waiting for you to do something wrong. I would prefer ‘trial period” for now.”
“As do I.”

Princess Luna stepped forward from the table so she could me the two former humans eye-to-eye
“We won’t be hovering around you and watch your every step, but that does not mean we aren’t willing to help if necessary. Princess Twilight offered her castle for a home and if you stay in Ponyville for now, she will be close if you need anything. She will also be able to contact sister or me when our help is needed.”

Blue was still too baffled by all that happened. She couldn’t think of anything to say, so she just nodded. Princess Luna returned in kind and turned to Spring Meadow next
“Princess Cadance also told us that you already made some arrangements at the local hospital. We fully support those plans as well. If there is anything you need, please don’t hesitate to ask us.”

Blue bit down any comment and just nodded. There was still enough tension in the air that she didn’t want to talk right now. The others seemed to feel the same way, so after a minute of awkward silence, it was Spring Meadow who spoke up
“It doesn't make any sense. Why would you just let everything slide? There has to be a catch.”

Princess Twilight, who had been just as baffled as Blue but had recovered more quickly, now addressed Blue’s sister
“I understand that’s how you’ve come to expect it, but this is not the human world. This is Equestria. You can trust us.”
Princess Celestia got up from her seat
“I believe we said everything that needed to be told. In that case, we will now…”

“WAIT!”
Everypony, even Princess Celestia, startled at the sudden call and the blur of colours that burst in through the doors. Blue blinked a couple of times and the blur took the form of Rainbow Dash who stood in between her and the princesses
“I know I was angry and yelled at her, but that doesn’t mean you have to banish her!”

Blue just stared at the mare while behind her, the princesses fell apart. Twilight Sparkle rolled her eyes at her friend, but she was smiling. Meanwhile, Cadance and Luna both tried to hide some chuckling, though Cadance didn’t do a very good job of it.

Only Princess Celestia didn’t look amused and sighed out
“Why does everypony think I’ll banish them if they do something wrong? I swear, it happened one time a thousand years ago, but everypony acts like I do this every day.”

Everypony started laughing that that, not because it was very funny (at least for Blue it wasn’t), but mostly because Celestia failed to fake a pout in her voice. Princess Luna laughed hardest and returned to her sister’s side, with a wink
“You should leave acting to those ponies then, sister. You’re terrible at it.”
Rainbow Dash looked from pony to pony, utterly confused that her heroic entrance only caused laughter
“Can somepony tell me what’s going on here?”

While Twilight pulled Rainbow aside and brought her up to speed, the other princesses gathered around Blue and Spring Meadow
“We will return to Canterlot for now. We both wish you the best of luck for your future and I hope in three months, we will meet again under more fortune circumstances.”

Blue turned around to look at Spring Meadow. Her sister was staring back at her and she still looked confused and unsure, but not as devastated as before. Sunset Shimmer next to her gave her an encouraging smile and nodded as soon as their eyes met.

Blue took a deep breath, and then nodded as well. It might be tough, but she could do it. She had to.

Chapter 16

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Blue and Spring Meadow followed the pony who ran the complex into the apartment. They had declined on Princess Twilight's help to find a place to stay, since they both agreed that they couldn't stay forever as guests in the castle. If they wanted to show everybody everypony, dang it. Why is this so hard? If they wanted to show everypony that they were serious about living in Equestria, getting their own home was crucial.

The stallion had been nice and showed them the big complex in a quiet part of town. The large building had four floors and there was a park nearby. The walk to the town centre would only be about ten minutes, less for Blue when she would fly. They had only met friendly ponies so far and everything was quiet, no yelling from the neighbours, no loud traffic, no trash on the hallways or stairs. It was almost too good to be true.

Once inside, Blue immediately got antsy. The apartment was huge in comparison to what they had left behind. The rooms had high ceilings, wooden floors, and clean, white walls. The apartment was in the middle floor at the corner of the building, so they had big, clean windows facing south and east, which meant lots of sun.

There were five rooms and they even had furniture already. Two bedrooms with beds, dressers, and a small desk each, a big kitchen with a dining table, even if any chairs were missing. Though that's maybe because ponies don't really need chairs. Gosh, this is still strange. The largest room was the living room and the only room with furniture to sit down on, namely a couch and some armchairs. There was even a small fireplace and this room had rugs spread out. Probably for sitting down as well. They look kinda comfy. The last room was an office or a study, with a larger desk and empty bookshelves. Blue didn't even try to hide her grin when she saw that her sister's eyes visibly lit up.

The apartment also had a bathroom with both a tub and a shower, both bigger than they were used to, again fitted for pony needs.

The estate pony barely even noticed their baffled expressions and just kept talking
"We've just recently gave it a fresh coat of paint, and of course you can change any of the furniture. If you want, I can tell you a few names of ponies who can help you with that, since you're new in town."

All in all, it was almost too perfect to be true. It wasn't luxurious compared to the homes Blue had seen before, but from where they came from, this was without any doubt the nicest place she'd ever lived in. If we can actually afford it, that is.

Spring Meadow thought the same as she listened to the estate pony, but finally interrupted with the mother of questions
"This is all very nice, Sir. But how much would it cost?"

He took Spring's directness with a smile
"Well, I won't lie to you, the rent is probably a bit higher since this whole complex is newly renovated. All utilities included you'd end up with 150 bits."

Blue's eyes opened wide. He can't be serious. I've paid three bits for coffee and a cupcake at the bakery. How could this be so cheap?

Spring Meadow again had the same thoughts as her sister and needed to clarify
"That's... that's the rent per week, I assume?"

Now, the stallion looked confused
"Who pays rent weekly? No, 150 bits per month of course. Per week, that would be excessive for a place like this."

Blue and Spring looked at each other. They didn't need words to know what the other was thinking. Even if this place had a catch, with a rent that cheap, they could easily work around just about anything.

Spring Meadow nodded and turned back to the stallion
"How soon could we move in?"

He smiled and reached into his saddlebag
"I have the papers with me. If you want, we can finalize it right here and I'll give you your keys."

Blue stared at him
"You mean, you'd just let us in? No background check, no insurances or anything?"

He just stared back
"No? Why would I do that? Didn't you tell me you worked at the hospital and you were trying out with the weather patrol? That's good enough for me."

Spring picked up the contract with her mouth and placed it on the kitchen table. She studied it thoroughly but couldn't find any clauses or catches. Meanwhile, Blue checked the kitchen more closely, but she found nothing wrong. The cabinets weren't broken, the magic ice box was working and there was water running out the faucet. In fact, she was pretty sure she had never seen water that clean coming out of a faucet ever.

Their eyes met again and with a nod, Spring picked up the offered quill and scribbled her name under the contract, then Blue did the same.

The stallion smiled and rolled the parchment up again
"Excellent. And here are your keys. If you need anything else, feel free to come to me for it. I actually live in the same complex, on the upper floor."
Blue and Spring Meadow received a key each and smiled friendly as the estate pony left them in the apartment.

They just stood there, looking at each other, still baffled by their stroke of luck to find such a place. Then they moved and explored their new home.

Just one week later, they sat at the kitchen table and stared at each other in disbelief. On the table in front of them was a small pile of golden coins, even though none of them was able to tell how that had happened.

They had paid their rent already. The pantry was stocked up full and so was the fridge. Spring Meadow had even bought a few books on pony medicine for her job at Ponyville Hospital. They had everything they needed for the next couple of weeks, plus some extra, and there was still money left.

They looked at the bits suspiciously. Something had to be wrong. There was no other way. But no matter how long they searched or thought about it, they couldn’t find it. It made Blue nervous and her wings twitched to show it.

They must have been sitting like that for an hour, when they heard a knock at the front door, followed by the sound of somepony walking in. They had learned about that during their first days in Ponyville. Nopony kept their doors locked and everypony just stepped right in when they were visiting and expected others to do the same. Knocking was considered polite, but optional.

They turned their heads towards the door when Princess Twilight walked in with a cheerful smile and carrying a gift basket in a cloud of her magic
“Hey you two, sorry for popping in unannounced. I know you didn’t want to throw a house-warming party, but Spike and I wanted to at least give you a little something to…”

The princess trailed off when she finally noticed the looks on their faces
“Is something wrong?”

Spring Meadow was the first to find her voice and answer
“That’s what we are trying to find out. Just look at this.”

She waved her hoof at the bits on the table, and Twilight just blinked
“I don’t understand. Is something wrong with these bits?”
“Why are they still here?”

Blue’s wings kept twitching and Twilight carefully set the gift basket on the kitchen counter before she took a seat at the table as well
“I think I’m missing something here. Why don’t you tell me what happened?”

Blue nodded and started
“I got my first pay from the weather patrol. I took it to pay the rent right away, so we could be sure that was taken care off, even if it was a few days early.”

Twilight listened attentively, but she clearly still didn’t understand, so Spring Meadow continued
“I got my salary the same day and we bought groceries. Heck, we bought so much we probably won’t have to go shopping for a month.”
Twilight allowed herself a little smile
“Well, you just moved in, so I guess your cupboards were all empty anyway.”
Blue shook her head
“That’s not it, Princess. Something is going on and we can’t tell what it is.”

Twilight gave up and sighed frustrated
“But, what has all of this to do with those bits?”
“They’re still here. We spent so much and there is still money left. That’s not normal. I’m worried.”

Blue nodded along with her sister, as Twilight shook her head
“Why are you worried about that? Shouldn’t you be less worried with some bits to spare? You could save them up for when you want to buy something big for your new home. Or you could treat yourself for a nice dinner once in a while.”
“Princess.”

Blue stood up and began pacing up and down the kitchen
“We were lucky to find a place like this so cheap. Now we even have some bits to spare. Can’t you see? Something terrible is going to happen soon, and just sitting here and waiting for it is killing me.”

Twilight noticed how desperate Ocean Shore sounded and Spring Meadow didn’t look much better. Slowly, the princess began to understand what was happening, so she asked in a soft voice
“Why would something bad happen to you?”

This time, Spring Meadow replied
“Because it always does.”

The lack of hope in her voice sent shivers down Twilight’s back as she continued
“Whenever things are starting to work out, something turns up and everything falls apart. Somebody decides you don’t deserve it and takes it away from you. So it’s best not to let your guard down at any time.”
Blue nodded and kept pacing
“We know it’s coming. We know we can’t stop it. We’re just waiting for the fucking hammer to drop down.”

Twilight took a deep, calming breath. Blue’s swearing was the last clue she needed, and she knew she had to be very sensible about this with the two former humans.

She tried to keep her tone neutral as much as she could
“I guess that has happened to you before?”

Spring Meadow nodded. Unlike Blue, the older sister seemed calm, but to Twilight, she appeared to be unnaturally far from things. As if she had disconnected herself from everything or else, she might break down.

Blue on the other hoof got even more agitated, and angry. Her ears folded back aggressively, and her wings tensed up
“More often than I care to recall, Princess Twilight. Like every single fucking time something even remotely good happened.”

Twilight almost flinched back from the bitterness in Blue’s voice. Even though they had left the human world behind, they still lived by its rules, as harsh and unforgiving as they were.

Carefully, Twilight dared another question, trying to get them thinking about something else
“How is your job with the weather patrol, Ocean Shore?”
“It’s fine.”

Blue stopped pacing. She wasn’t even annoyed that Twilight had used her full name, she was too surprised
“More than fine, it’s great, I guess. My flying is getting better each day and it’s cool to change the weather by moving around clouds. The others are still teasing me a bit, but they had Rainbow Dash as their captain for the longest time. I guess that rots you for life.”

Blue managed a chuckle and Twilight giggled along
“Oh, remind me to tell you the story of how the whole town once pranked Rainbow next time.”
“Will do, Princess.”

Blue sat back down at the table and Twilight turned back to Spring Meadow. As she had expected, the mare hadn’t noticed anything they talked about, Spring had just completely detached herself from everything around her. It was a coping mechanism and Twilight hoped she could pull Spring Meadow out of it
“Spring Meadow?”

The mare in question blinked and focused on Twilight, even if she didn’t look at her directly
“Yes, Princess Twilight?”
Twilight smiled kindly as she asked
“How is your work in the hospital coming along? Do you get along with everypony else?”
“Yes Princess. It’s working fine. Once you get a hang of doing things with your hooves and mouth, it’s not that different from what I’ve been doing for years now. Well, except for the obvious differences I guess.”

Twilight giggled and nodded, she knew both human bodies and pony physique well enough to tell that there were some confusing differences you wouldn’t expect on first sight
“That’s great to hear, Spring Meadow. So, there are no difficulties for you?”
“Well, I wouldn’t say that. I still have my troubles, but everybody… everypony is being very patient with me. The doctor gives me assignments each week so I can catch up on pony anatomy and extra appendages. Wings are still confusing.”

Blue smirked and flapped hers once
“Don’t say no before you tried it, Sis.”
“Pass. I like my hooves on the ground, thank you very much.”

Twilight and Blue giggled some more, and there was even the ghost of a smile from Spring Meadow. Twilight, always eager to help when it came to studying, chimed in
“If you need help with your assignments, feel free to ask me. I’m not a studied medic, but I have a lot of reference work at my library, and I’ve read up on wings in particular.”

Spring Meadow’s smile faded and she let her head hang down in unease
“Thank you for your offer, Princess Twilight. But I already bought all the books the doctor recommended to me. You don’t have to waste your bits on me.”

“Spring Meadow, please look at me.”

Spring reluctantly raised her gaze to the princess, only to be surprised. Twilight had a warm smile on her face and kindness in her eyes
“I completely understand that you want your own copy of those books. I have personal copies of my favourites as well. But remember, I promised I’d help you get settled into your new lives. Since you need those books for work, I would have paid for them of course.”

Spring’s ears folded against her head as it dropped in shame
“I didn’t dare to ask. I didn’t want to push my luck or your patience.”

“Spring Meadow. Please.”

She looked at Twilight again, but her expression had not changed. If anything, she looked even kinder
“Ever since you arrived here in Ponyville, has anypony treated you badly?”
“N-no Princess Twilight.”

Twilight turned her head to include Blue into the conversation as well
“Have any of your co-workers ever said something really mean or ill-minded to you?”

Blue shook her head after a moment of thought
“No, not really. It was all just some teasing in good fun.”

Twilight nodded and looked around the clean, well-lit kitchen
“This place is very nice. Did you have trouble getting it?”
“No. Not at all.”
Twilight just kept smiling
“Are there any problems with it? Did you have troubles finding furniture?”

She kept glancing between Blue and Spring as she bombarded them with questions
“Is your work too hard? Did anypony give you any trouble? Are you having complications with Equestrian food? Is there anything wrong at all?”

Blue and Spring looked at each other for a long while, but then finally shook their heads
“No. No on all of those. Everything seems to be fine.”
“That’s because, Spring Meadow, everything is fine.”

Twilight gently put her hoof on the older siblings’ shoulder, a gesture she knew was more common on the other side of the portal
“I know you’ve only been here for a short while. And I know that life in that other world has not been very kind to you. But please, don’t let your perception from one world cloud your view on this world.”

Blue stood up and sat next to her sister. Spring was still staring at Twilight, but her hoof reached out to hold Blue’s. Instinctively, Blue’s wing spread and came to rest on Spring’s back.

Twilight smiled as she watched and slowly pulled back
“There is nothing out there to get you in this world. And even if there was, you wouldn’t face it alone. Enjoy this new life of yours for what it is, not for what you fear it might become. And if life seems too good to be true, let me tell you why: It’s because you deserve it.”

At this, tears leaked out of Spring’s eyes and she leaned against her sister, who did just the same. Twilight kept her kind smile, but she was watching very closely. She saw no signs of desperation, but instead a great amount of relief. Satisfied, she nodded and stood up
“I think you two need some time to let this sink in properly. I’ll just let myself out.”

Spring Meadow sent a grateful smile towards Twilight, before she threw her hooves around her sister.

Twilight’s smile grew a little softer still. She levitated the gift basket on the kitchen table, next to the pile of bits, then she left quietly.

Chapter 17

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The sky was busy this morning since Cloudsdale was passing by to drop off all the weather supplies Ponyville would need for the next few weeks. It was summer, so the schedule was mostly clear (literally), but a few summer rains had to be settled in.

Blue worked with a group of other pegasus ponies to move the clouds out of the way until they were needed. These weren’t the usually white clouds that formed naturally or got blown over from the Everfree Forest, these were heavy, industrial rain clouds. It was hard work to get them moving, but Blue didn’t complain like some of her co-workers. She didn’t mind a bit of physical exercise every now and then.

Although there was some groaning, everypony was in a good mood. Like any ponies, the weather patrol of Ponyville enjoyed their work a lot and took pride in a job well done, so everything was settled by the time noon rolled around. The mare in charge was going over some lists while everypony had their lunch break. As usual, Blue didn’t talk that much, but she laughed with the others when somepony told a funny story. She’d been hanging out with them for a few weeks now, but she still didn’t feel comfortable enough to share her own stories. Not that the others minded much, they seemed okay with Blue being quiet at work and they didn’t exclude her for being new or anything.

They were about to get back to work, when the captain called her over

“Hey Newbie! Got a special job for you!”

Blue rolled her eyes and the others chuckled, but it didn’t bother Blue as much anymore. She was still new after all, so of course she’d get the newbie-jobs. And she knew by now that the captain didn’t mean anything when she called her like that. Nicknames were a big deal in the weather patrol, so much that Blue didn’t even know her real name, since everypony called her nothing but ‘captain’ even off work.

When she flew over, she saw a few of the rain clouds had been separated from the lot by the captain and as she expected, they were to be her job

“Okay Newbie, there’s a rain shower scheduled in one of the farms today. I need all hooves on deck here, so you’ll be on your own for this one. You think you can handle that?”

Blue glanced over the clouds again, then nodded. They weren’t too many and these ones were already prepared as well, she’d just had to spread them out and give them a good kick to make them rain.

“Sure. Where you need these?”

The captain grinned when Blue jumped right at the challenge, as she had expected. She pointed towards the western part of Ponyville

“There’s a big apple orchard that ordered those clouds, called Sweet Apple Acres. You can’t miss it. There should be a mare waiting for you called…”

“Applejack. I know Sweet Apple Acres. I’ll deliver these clouds and then I’ll be right back to help.”

The captain grinned even more at that, even though Blue didn’t get the joke, but she just waved her off

“Nah, don’t worry about that. You got your work cut out for you with that for today. We’ll deal with the rest ourselves.”

Blue glanced over the couple of clouds again. They weren’t really that many, so she didn’t want to come up as lazy, but if her patrol captain basically told her to take the rest of the day off…

“Well, if you say so Cap. I guess I’ll be off then.”

“Great! Say hi to Applejack for me!”

“Will do.”

Blue corralled the rain clouds together and waved to the others as they called their goodbyes. With her new task in sight, she picked up her pace and headed towards the orchard.

The flight didn’t take too long, and Blue flew towards the big red farmhouse that stood in the middle of the big orchard of apple trees. She had been at Sweet Apple Acres in the human world, but this one seemed even bigger. Maybe that was because she was a little pony now, though.

She didn’t have to search long and as soon as she was in sight, a familiar voice called out to her

“Hey there, partner! Over here!”

Blue waved her hoof and dived down towards the earth pony Applejack. She had met the mare before at Princess Twilight’s place, but they hadn’t really talked that much. Like the human girl, Applejack in Equestria was very down to earth and a bit stubborn, maybe the pony was just a bit more ‘grown-up’ than her human counterpart.

Blue landed in front of her, and they bumped hooves, a typical greeting between casual friends. Blue knew that hugs and all this was a big deal with good friends, but Blue didn’t think she reached that level of intimacy with this Applejack yet.

Since they both weren’t the ponies for small talk, Blue just pointed at her clouds

“Okay, where do you need those?”

“Well, you see Sugarcube, we kinda need a good shower for all of our trees. But we’re already harvesting the first batch from the eastern parts, so maybe I was thinking you could leave that part until we’re finished, maybe?”

Blue grinned, for multiple reasons. She got now why the captain told her that this was her only job for today, she probably knew that Applejack was very specific about her orchard and her watering plans. Blue could just spread all the clouds out evenly and set them off and be done for it, but she was pretty sure Applejack would appreciate it a lot more if she’d keep her plans in mind.

The second reason why Blue had to grin was Applejack herself. Blue knew from the human girl that she didn’t just call anyone ‘Sugarcube’, so it was kinda nice that Applejack already felt some kind of familiarity with her, so she’d consider her worthy of that little affection. Also, Applejack didn’t beat around the bush with what she wanted or tried to trick her or even take advantage of her, just because she was new around town. Honesty was big with ponies, but for Applejack it was more than just that.

Back in the human world, Blue might have tried to get something out of a deal like this, even if it was just a bag of apples from the farm. Today however, she didn’t even feel the need to think about that

“Sure, no problem.”

Applejack smiled and tipped her hat

“Thank ya kindly. If ya don’t mind, I’ll get back to work then, if you need anything just give me a holler.”

And with that, both of them went to work.

Blue went back into the air and started to spread out her clouds for a good shower. There was something of an art behind how to place the clouds next to each other, so the rain would be just right. Weather pattern seemed to be a good way to describe it, as Blue could almost see the connection between each cloud, like she could see a magnetic field around them and how it reacted when she put them in a certain order. Of course, she didn’t really see it, the captain told her that this was her pegasus instinct that made her get a good feel for weather magic, but even she admitted Blue had an exceptional feeling for it, better than most trained veterans. Especially working with rain clouds just came very easy for Blue.

Not even an hour later, she had all of the orchard covered, except for the part where she saw three earth ponies kicking trees to get apples fall into prepared baskets and barrels. A swift kick to one of the clouds set up a chain reaction, just like she had planned, and the drizzle began, not too hard but more than enough to soak the trees and the ground beneath them.

She flew a quick lap around her work to double-check that everything was right before she headed back to the eastern orchard. Applejack had stopped her work and climbed onto a hill and now watched Blue’s work with critical eyes. Obviously, she was satisfied with what she saw, and she beamed as Blue landed next to her

“Good job, Sugarcube. That was as fast as Rainbow Dash could do it during her best days.”

Blue laughed and took the compliment with a small nod. Rainbow Dash, former captain of the weather patrol and now full-time member of the Wondercolts, was kind of a living legend among the pegasi of Ponyville, so being compared to her was high praise.

Blue glanced around and noticed that barely any trees had apples left, but nearly all the barrels were full now. Applejack followed her look and nodded

“We’re making good progress, but we still need to get all the apples back to the farm. You think you can wait that long? I know Rainbow Dash always used that time for a nap.”

At this, Blue looked back at Applejack and her siblings in the distance. They didn’t seem exhausted at all, but there was still a good number of barrels and baskets left. Applejack basically had just told her it was okay to slack off, but somehow that didn’t really sit well with her. So instead, she just asked

“Need any help with that?”

Applejack looked at her, more than a little sceptical

“Are you sure? I mean, no offense, but those are some big barrels for a small pony like you.”

While it was true that Blue wasn’t as tall even in a world of little ponies, she still didn’t really get behind that reasoning

“They’re not that big. I’m sure I can carry them.”

“Well, maybe, but the thing is, Sugarcube… they’re still heavy. So, you probably can’t fly with them.”

Applejack looked down at the ground like she had just said something embarrassing, but Blue surprised her when she just laughed

“Lucky me, I still got four of these to help me.”

She waved a hoof in front of Applejack’s face, who now looked even more confused

“You mean, you wanna walk? I mean, of course you can, but are you sure?”

Blue rolled her eyes and walked over to the nearest barrel. She had no trouble lifting the barrel, but it took her some effort to get it placed on her back. After a moment of hesitation, Applejack stepped in

“Let me help you with that, Sugarcube.”

Loaded with a basket on each side and a barrel on their backs, Applejack and Blue made their way back to the farmhouse. Blue didn’t know if Applejack slowed down because of her, but she could keep the pace. The only difference was that Applejack could easily balance stuff on her back, since she’d been carrying things like that all her life. Blue had to use her wings every now and then to keep the barrel from falling over.

She noticed that Applejack threw a weird look at her whenever that happened. Just like she had looked surprised when Blue lifted that barrel, she now also almost couldn’t believe when Blue just dumped her first load by the farmhouse and just turned around to get another one.

Blue tried to act like she didn’t notice, but at some point, it was just too much. She could feel herself getting angry again, but instead of going for a rant, she just turned her head and looked at Applejack

“You know, if there’s something on your mind, just spill it. I’m not gonna punch you or stuff.” At least, I don’t want to.

Applejack tilted her head to her side, which Blue had learned was the pony way to shrug

“If I’m completely honest, I don’t even know where to start. Well, I do actually, but I don’t know if I should. I know the lot of you can be a tad sensitive about that.”

Blue frowned, something about Applejack said ‘the lot of you’ rubbed her the wrong way

“What do you mean?”
Applejack slowed down and hesitated, but then she just took a deep breath and got out with everything

“I mean, I know pegasus ponies can walk just fine, it’s just usually, they don’t. It’s always a pain to get them carry anything when it means they can’t fly. But you just did it.”

Blue grinned and shook her head

“I never even thought about it. You needed help and I can carry some apples, so why make a big fuss out of it?”

Applejack shrugged and laughed in clear relief that Blue didn’t feel offended

“I have no idea myself, but most the pegasus ponies I know act weird when they can’t fly.”

Blue grinned and glanced around. The two other Apple siblings were out of hearing reach, but she still leaned in and whispered

“Half the pony stuff is still weird to me, no matter what.”

Applejack blinked confused, but then they both laughed together

“Ya know, for a while, I completely forgot that you’re from that other world with the weird humans and all.”

Blue just grinned along and nodded

“I’ve been grounded for 16 years. Don’t get me wrong, flying is ‘totally awesome’ as Rainbow Dash would say, but I don’t need it 24/7. Plus, my sister is an earth pony too, so when I’m with her, I don’t fly anyway.”

Applejack nodded along but didn’t go any further into it as they had now reached Big Macintosh and Apple Bloom. The last crates of apples were now loaded into two carts which both Big Mac and Applejack pulled one each back to the farm, while Apple Bloom and Blue shared the last few baskets between them.

Blue walked next to the filly who, like her sister before, watched her closely, but mostly out of curiosity. When they got closer to the farmhouse, the path got muddy since Blue’s rainclouds still drizzled down, but none of them cared the least about getting a little wet. Apple Bloom grinned when Blue just stepped right through a big puddle of mud with no concern at all

“You don’t seem to mind getting a lil’ sweaty and dirty.”

Since Blue couldn’t find even a trace of malice from the filly, she just shrugged her wings

“It’ll wash off. And a bit of physical work never hurt anypony.”

Blue smiled, proud that she had remembered the right pony-word for once, and Apple Bloom went with it

“That’s what I say! Not that it ever worked on Scootaloo, that old lazy feathers.”

They chuckled and kept following behind the carts, when Blue noticed that Apple Bloom suddenly seemed very interested in her backside, for some reason. She didn’t really know what to think about that, when the filly spoke up again

“Hey, can I ask you something?”

“Um, sure. What’s up?”

Apple Bloom threw another glance down Blue’s flank and suddenly, she understood what Apple Bloom was looking at

“So Scoots told me you never flew before you got to Ponyville, so I was wondering, how did you get a weather cutie mark if you never did that before?”

Blue’s smile dimmed down a bit, but she just shrugged again. She hadn’t really come up with any better explanation, so she just stuck with what she told other ponies before
“I dunno. It was just there one day.”

“Huh. Is that so?”
Blue rolled her eyes and couldn’t hold back an annoyed snort
“I know you think you’re an expert on cutie signs, but there’s really not much to it.”

“Cutie Marks.”

“Huh?”
Blue turned to the filly who was still watching her attentively
“They’re called ‘cutie marks’, not ‘cutie signs’.”

“Whatever.”

Blue tried to ignore Apple Bloom, but like with Applejack before, something in the way she looked at her got under her skin
“What you’re staring at?”

“I was just wondering. Everypony in Equestria calls them ‘cutie marks’, so wherever you come from must be really far away.”

Blue sighed and just shrugged noncommittal
“I guess.”

Apple Bloom stayed silent for a few more minutes, but after a while she started asking again
“Where you’re from, what was it like there?”

“Different.”
Blue tried to keep it with that simple response, but something urged her to add something more
“Harder.”

Again, Apple Bloom fell silent for a couple minutes, only to break it soon after
“I guess that kinda makes sense then.”

Blue, who had been looking at her hooves for a while now, turned her head to Apple Bloom
“What do you mean?”

Apple Bloom, like Applejack, was used to being honest with other ponies. Unlike her sister though, Apple Bloom sometimes took that honesty a bit too blunt

“Well, you’re kinda grumpy as soon as I mentioned it. I saw you smiling earlier, but now you look like you’re mad.”

Blue felt mad too, angry mad. As much as she tried, thinking about the stuff that happened and why she had to leave still got her angry. So angry that she felt like lashing out at Apple Bloom for pointing it out. A few weeks prior, she might have, but today she was at least able to keep it down. Even though she still gritted her teeth and her wings gave an angry flap without her noticing.

While she was trying to fight back her anger, she almost missed what Apple Bloom said next

“I’m glad you’re here in Ponyville now!”

Blue’s head snapped back to the filly who now had a beaming smile
“You are? And why?”

“Because you don’t have to be grumpy anymore. You can fly now, you got fun things to do, and you can joke with others.”

Blue thought about how to reply, but she never got the chance since by now they had reached the farmhouse and Apple Bloom hurried over to help the others store the harvest in a cellar. Blue just stood there and watched for a couple minutes as they worked together, with some playful teasing mixed in like most siblings would do.

With a start, Blue remembered that she had some work left as well and spread her wings to get back into the air. She focused on her task and soon had her clouds rain down on the rest of the orchard, but somehow what Apple Bloom had told her wouldn’t leave her mind.

I don’t have to be grumpy anymore. I’ve never been anything else really. If I just gave up on that, would I really be myself?

Today had been a good day, so far. Her work, even as a trainee, was rewarding, she got along with her co-workers and with the Apples. But she still wasn’t feeling like she belonged with them, not really. Applejack pointed out she behaved different than other pegasus ponies. Apple Bloom noticed that she still had that lingering anger inside her. Were they all just expecting her to let go of all of that and be someone completely different? Blue wasn’t sure she would like that.

She knew she wasn’t perfect, like Princess Twilight or Starlight Glimmer or anypony she met, really. She had many flaws ponies could see easily, as shown by the Apple sisters. And her flaws weren’t just tiny things she could get rid of either. Blue knew she had gotten into many unnecessary fights back in the human world, but she was kind of proud of it. In some way, it defined her as the mare she was today.

“Thanks a lot, Ocean Shore.”

Blue was pulled out of her thoughts by a voice from the ground and flew down towards Applejack. Like her, the mare didn’t seem to mind the rain much and she was smiling, so Blue didn’t even get angry that she called her by her full name.

“Say, I know it’s a bit early, but how would you like some dinner? The whole family’s coming together, you could join right in.”

Blue almost considered, for a moment, but she still didn’t feel ready for that. She felt a lot less annoyed about it than she would have earlier this week, she realized

“Um, thanks but no thanks. I promised my sister we’d have dinner together tonight.”

Applejack’s smile faded for a second as if she could sense the little white lie, but then it was back full force since she didn’t seem to mind

“Alright then, but you’re welcome to come back on that offer, you hear?”

Blue smiled and nodded, knowing full well that she probably wouldn’t, not anytime soon

“Sure, thanks. Hey, um… if you need some help with farm work again, I’m in if you need me.”

Applejack just grinned back, with nearly the same smile as Blue

“I’ll keep that in mind, Ocean Shore.”

Applejack turned around to head inside the farmhouse, but Blue’s voice stopped her
“Blue.”

“Beg yer pardon?”

Applejack looked at her, clearly confused, but Blue didn’t meet her gaze, she only shrugged her wings
“My friends always called me ‘Blue’, you know, back…”

Blue didn’t know how to finish that sentence. ‘Back home’ didn’t seem right anymore.

Applejack either didn’t get the implication, or she didn’t mind, because she was back to smiles in an instant
“I understand. Well Blue, don’t be a stranger, you hear me? And say hi to your sister for me!”

“Sure. Um, see you around!”

“Take care.”

With nothing else to say, Blue took off again and flew back towards town. She was dry again by the time she reached their home, two hours before her sister’s shift would end.

She thought about going out and doing something else, but ended up just lying on the couch and thinking about what a weird day this had been.

Chapter 18

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Spring Meadow arrived at the hospital ten minutes early, as usual. There was always something to do, even if Ponyville wasn’t a big city and everypony was nice, things like accidents still happened. Broken legs and sprained wings were more common in Equestria, maybe because here ponies were still doing many things by hoof that humans used machines for already. Also, stuff like colds and stomach bugs still existed even in a world full of magic. In other words, working at the hospital never got boring.

She walked inside and immediately was greeted by Nurse Tenderheart at the reception. Even if work was busy, everypony always had time for a little chat or a quick hug at least. Spring Meadow wasn’t fazed by that anymore, she got used to ponies being more touchy-feely than most humans very quickly. Also, she didn’t cringe anymore that most of the nurses were called something-heart. She smiled back to Tenderheart and headed to the backroom to change, which meant only putting on her white cap with a red cross on it.

She chatted with Redheart and Sweetheart as they checked where they were assigned to today, and Spring Meadow smiled. She was still switching through the departments of the hospital to get used to everything, and today she would work at the foal’s ward with Nurse Redheart. Redheart was the head nurse and the one with the most years in Ponyville Hospital as well, Spring Meadow always learned a lot when they worked together.

As they walked into the station, Redheart checked the patient files. Luckily, only a few foals were stationed, but there were some appointments and walk-ins as usual

“So, Zipporwhil had her wing sprained and needs her bandages changed. Do you think you can take care of that?”

Spring Meadow nodded with confidence. She had been practicing proper wing care for a while now so she would quickly catch up on treating pegasi and their completely new form of appendages. Also, she had been assigned with tasks like that more often. Some of those things were usually done by doctors in the human world, but things were different in Equestria. Nurses here did a lot more than Spring Meadow was used to, but she had faced any challenges successfully so far. Changing some bandages would be no problem at all.

She walked into the room with an impatient pegasus filly waiting for her, while her father sat by the window. Spring greeted them both and then focused on her patient

“How are you feeling today, Zipporwhil?”

Even if this task was easy, Spring Meadow was determined to do it right. Ponies depended on her to perform any treatments flawlessly and she was not going to take their health for jeopardy.

Once the filly had confirmed that she was feeling fine and that her wing didn’t hurt, “just itch”, Spring Meadow nodded and asked her to lie down on the patient bench

“I’m going to take off your bandage now, then we’ll have a look. I’m not that perfect with wings yet, so if something hurts or I accidentally pull a feather, tell me right away, okay?”

The filly smiled and agreed, while her father nodded along. Spring Meadow had quickly learned that honesty went the far mile with ponies. They didn’t mind an ‘inexperienced’ nurse performing treatments, as long as she was open about it.

Spring Meadow steadied Zipporwhil’s wing with her hooves and worked to loosen the bandages with her teeth. It only took her a few seconds, instead of the odd minute or two from her first week. Once she had the end of the bandage pulled free, she switched to her hooves and carefully unwrapped the wing. She made sure not to pull too hard and slowed down when the feathery appendage twitched from time to time. Blue had explained to her that wings were very sensitive and that they twitched when some of the feathers weren’t properly aligned, so Spring Meadow patiently waited each time it happened.

Once the bandage was off, Zipporwhil sighed in relief and flexed her wing a little

“Does it hurt when you move it, sweetie?”

Spring Meadow asked the filly to spread her wing all the way and took a closer look. She bent the wing carefully, always making sure not to tweak any sensitive spots, and asked Zipporwhil how she felt each time. The sprain had mostly healed, but she needed to keep her wing still for another few days to be sure.

Spring Meadow wrote down a few things on the medical chart, mostly to give Zipporwhil a chance to flex her wing a little more and time for a quick preen of her feathers.

As gently as she had undone the bandage, Spring Meadow reapplied a new, clean one. Zipporwhil held perfectly still like the sweet filly she was and thanked Spring Meadow before she hopped down from the examination bench. Her father thanked her as well and they both left the hospital in a good mood.

Nurse Redheart, who had been watching from besides the door, nodded approvingly and with a big smile for Spring Meadow, which she returned wholeheartedly. Then it was time for the next patient.

Only a few hours later, Spring Meadow rushed through the halls and into another treatment room from which she could already hear shouting and crying.

Inside, she saw a young colt bawling his eyes out while his mother and another nurse tried to calm him down. As soon as she stepped closer, Spring Meadow knew exactly why the colt was crying and she didn’t blame him one bit.

His right foreleg was obviously broken and stood out in a weird ankle. Spring Meadow noticed right away that it was an open fracture with dislocated bones. She had seen something like this before, albeit back in the human world, but she knew that the pain was some of the worst. For the sake of the young colt, they had to do something immediately and couldn’t wait for a doctor.

Fortunately, Spring Meadow had updated her anatomy classes to pony recently, so she knew what to do. She walked up to the young colt who held his injured leg against him and very gently took hold of it with her own hooves

“I know it hurts sweetie, but you have to let me see. I promise I’ll be careful, okay?”

She smiled at him with her best ‘big sister’ smile and when he saw it, he calmed down a little at least. Still sniffling, he reluctantly stretched out his leg and Spring Meadow held it steady with her hooves while taking a closer look at it.

The mother let out a sharp gasp, as the bone was visibly poking through the coat. Pony legs were different that human legs, but the general build of bone, sinews and muscles was similar enough. Spring Meadow looked up at Nurse Rhyme, but the unicorn mare was clearly out of her depth with this, so she took charge for now.

“What’s your name, sweetie?”
“G-green Daze.”

Spring Meadow nodded and adapted a smile

“I’m not going to lie to you, Green Daze, what we’re going to do next will hurt really, really bad, for a moment. So I’ll need your help, okay?”

The colt looked up at her, and Spring kept her smile in place. She knew how important it was to stay positive, especially with young foals. Green Daze wavered a little when she mentioned pain, but Spring’s smile kept his imminent fear at bay

“What can I do?”

Spring smiled proudly at the brave colt and explained what would happen next

“I’ll count to three, and on three I need you to scream as loud as you can. Can you do that for me?”

Green Daze looked at his hoof and back at Spring Meadow. He still had tears running, but he nodded. His mother circled her hooves around him for a squeeze and kept them in place for reassurance.

Spring Meadow focused back on the broken leg in her hooves and took a deep breath

“Ready?”

Green Daze nodded and bit his lip as he stared at his leg

“You don’t have to look, just close your eyes.”

Green Daze followed Spring Meadow’s suggestion immediately

“Okay. One.”

The colt shivered a little and his mother held him tightly.

“Two.”

Next to them, Nurse Rhyme got ready to hold Green Daze if necessary. He took a deep breath in and his whole body tensed up. Spring Meadow had been waiting for this moment

“Three!”

At the same moment she shouted out the last number, she twisted the leg with a quick yank of both her hooves. She heard a snap as the bone was realigned, but only barely since Green Daze was now screaming.

The young colt screamed with all his might, but the pain he anticipated never came, at least not as bad as he had expected

“Huh?”

He opened his eyes and looked up at Spring Meadow’s big grin

“You did great, Green Daze. Took it like a real champ.”

She still held his leg steady and Nurse Rhyme magically lifted a pair of splints and some bandages in position.

“Now, it’s very important you hold your leg still for a while, so we’re going to make it so you don’t move accidentally.”

Green Daze watched as the bandages wrapped around his leg and checked to see that his mommy was just as surprised as he was

“That was it?”
“That was it. The doctor will come take another look at you and you’ll get a cast, but you already braved the worst.”

She smiled at him and he returned it gratefully. His mother almost cried in relief, still hugging her foal as he nuzzled in a little. It was a heart-meltingly cute sight.

Spring Meadow stepped away and let Nurse Rhyme take over. Then it was time for the next patient.

After a last check on the colts and fillies who would have to stay overnight, Spring Meadow climbed up the stairs to the offices. Her shift was over, and Doctor Lucky Clover had asked her into his office before she left. When she had been working in the human world, she had always been drop-dead-tired at the end of her shifts, but today she only felt pleasantly worn out. Princess Twilight had explained it with her being an earth pony, so Spring Meadow had a higher endurance and stamina by nature. Also something about being able to pull strength directly from the earth, but that was too hocus-pocus for her.

Spring knew though that this was only half the truth. In general, her job as a nurse had not changed a lot going from human to pony, but the world around her had. Even under stress, ponies remained calmer than humans did and even if work was busy, there was always somepony who made sure she took a break and ended her shift on time. Also, ponies didn’t seem to know the term ‘none of my business’ at all, since all the nurses jumped to help each other in a blink when needed, just like Spring Meadow had done as well.

She reached the door and was admitted in before she even stopped knocking. Doctor Lucky Clover had been waiting for her, but judging his expression, he had some good news to share. He was one of the inner circle, as in he knew that Spring Meadow had once been a human. While everypony else knew she came from a faraway place, he knew that she had been living in a different world altogether. He knew all of it from Princess Twilight and he would determine if Spring Meadow would be allowed to continue working as a nurse once her trial period was over. Of course, he also helped her adapt and catch up on pony medicine.

He took a seat behind his desk and Spring Meadow sat down on a cushion in front, smiling at how familiar sitting like a pony had become after only a month or so. At times, she was still very conscious of all the changes.

The doctor stacked up a few papers before he focused on Spring Meadow

“I’ve just read Nurse Redheart’s recommendations. She is very pleased with you overall, but it seems you shined the most whenever you worked at the foal’s ward.”

Spring smiled and agreed

“Kids are great, no matter what species.”

With a chuckle, Doctor Clover nodded and continued

“I’ve talked with some of your patients and I heard nothing but praise, same from the other nurses. And your last assignment was very well done.”

He tapped his hoof at the stack of papers and Spring Meadow kept smiling. At first, scribbling with her mouth had been nearly impossible, but by now, she had regained her neat writing. Her assignments helped her practice this skill further while at the same time getting her medical skills on par with the other nurses.

“So for this week, I’ve decided to up the difficulty a bit.”

He passed a book and a few papers to her. Spring glanced at the title and frowned

“Endocrinology?”
“I know it’s a little higher brow than typical nurse skills, but I think it’s important that you get a good overview at least, if only to learn about differences for ponies.”

Spring Meadow nodded and stood up again to leave, but Doctor Clover motioned for her to sit.

“You’ve treated a colt with a broken leg today. Tell me about it?”

Spring tilted her head

“You mean Green Daze? He was a walk-in, he fell down when climbing a tree and his mother took him here right away. He had an open fracture and his shin was dislocated.”

The doctor nodded and watched her closely

“How did you know?”
“I’ve worked in A&E in the human world, I’ve seen it before.”

He nodded again, but his eyes stayed focused on her

“Why didn’t you wait for a doctor to arrive?”

Spring held his gaze unwavering

“I’ve seen it before, and I know how much it hurts. I was able to help right away and so I did. I didn’t want Green Daze have to suffer any longer.”

Doctor Clover instantly was all smiles again and nodded

“Good answer. And well done, of course. Right diagnosis and correct treatment, but you also dealt with the whole situation very well. Nurse Rhyme was severely impressed.”

Spring Meadow had the grace to blush a little

“Thank you, Doctor.”

She stood up again, and so did the doctor this time

“I’ll see you again tomorrow then. Remember, if you need anything you can always come to me.”

“I know, thank you Doctor.”

Spring Meadow was on her way out when somepony called out her name. She turned her head and saw Tenderheart, Sweetheart and Rhyme gathered by the exit, all off duty

“We were just on our way to dinner, and maybe a drink or two after. You want to join in?”
“You’ve been working here for a month, it’s high time we invited you. We do this at least once a week, you know?”

Spring Meadow blinked surprised for a moment. On her old job, her colleagues never invited her after work, there had always been some competition between them. She almost accepted right on the spot, but something stopped her. They had all been nice to her, too nice in fact. What would they want from her if she joined them now? Maybe they wanted to lure out some embarrassing secrets out of her and used them against her later.

An image came to her mind and it was Princess Twilight smiling at her. She had had the same smile as Tenderheart right now.

“Sure, I’d love to come.”

The three mares smiled brightly and together, they left the hospital and walked towards the town centre.

It was a nice and quiet evening. They walked at an easy pace with no haste and talked easily. Spring Meadow was the topic of conversation at first, how she liked Ponyville so far and how it was different from the place she lived before. She only gave sparse answers, which was fine since it gave the others more chances to talk instead.

They arrived at a small outdoor café for dinner. Spring Meadow only ordered a glass of water at first, but after some prodding from the others she caved in and enjoyed a full meal like them. The place didn’t look that special, but the food was delicious.

After dinner, they headed to Ponyville’s best (and only) bar, run by a mare named Berry Punch. Spring Meadow had heard of this place before and she knew why it was popular.

Berry Punch apparently had a special talent in finding the perfect drink for anypony just by looking at them. It had something to do with cutie marks, but Spring Meadow guessed that this was just a story.

However, when they sat down at their table, Tenderheart winked and pushed away the menu, as did the others. A mare from behind the counter, Berry Punch probably, came over and asked them what they wanted to drink, but Sweetheart just grinned

“Surprise us!”

The other two giggled and Berry Punch smiled. The mare looked at each of them for a moment, the longest at Spring Meadow who felt somewhat uneasy, but then she left without another word.

The easy chatting started again and even if Spring Meadow didn’t say much, she really felt accepted by the other three who made an effort to include her.

When Berry Punch returned with their drinks, even Spring Meadow was somewhat excited. There were four fancy drinks in tall glasses, each with a different colour and decorated with tiny umbrellas and fruit. Rhyme’s drink was sparkling like soda, but the others looked like cocktails Spring Meadow knew from the human world.

Berry Punched placed the last one in front of her with a wink and then left them to enjoy. They took some time to just look at the drinks, guessing what they might be, but Sweetheart couldn’t wait long and took a sip through her straw

“Mmmh!”

Her blissful expression made the others giggle and Spring Meadow tried hers as well. The drink smelled awfully sweet, but when she took a sip it had the most pleasant taste she had ever had. She couldn’t even tell what was in it, she definitely tasted peach but everything else just blended together into the perfect taste. If there was any alcohol in it, it couldn’t be more than a dash, since she didn’t taste it at all. The drink was smooth and cool when it ran down her throat but felt warm in her tummy and it left a very pleasant tingle on her tongue.

She blinked when she heard the others laugh and realized that she must have been phased out for a moment, probably with a goofy grin, but their laughter was kind and friendly, so she joined right in.

They talked about their drinks and tasted each other’s, but even though none of the drinks were bad, Spring Meadow definitely liked hers best.

They didn’t get buzzed, not from one drink and not with barely any booze in it, but their conversation now seemed lighter, easier even for Spring Meadow. She talked a bit more about herself, what books she enjoyed and so on. She couldn’t really tell them about her favourite movies, ponies were still way behind humans on that department. She also couldn’t tell them about the strange craving for a chicken sandwich she had last week. So, she stuck with talking about work, most of the time.

The others didn't seem to enjoy that topic too much, so at one point, Rhyme asked her

"So what do you do after work?"
"After work?"
"Yes, you know, when you get home."

"Oh, right. Well, um, my sister isn't big with chores, so I end up doing most of the housework."
"Let me guess, you're the big sister?"

Another round of chuckles broke through, but Rhyme's curiosity wasn't stilled yet

"You can't just do work and housework every single day. What else do you do?"

Spring rolled her eyes, but with a smile

"Well, I sink a lot of time into my weekly assignments, probably more than I would need. But I want to learn as much as I can to become a better nurse."

The other three exchanged a glance and seemed confused

"What sort of assignments do you mean?"
"From Doctor Clover. For my nurse training. Didn't you get them as well when you were new?"

They all shook their heads and Sweetheart explained

"Redheart gave me some books to read, but I never had to do anything at home for the doctor. He's giving you a special treatment."

Spring Meadow flinched involuntary and pulled back from the others. As soon as Sweetheart had said that, she was reminded of how her last colleagues had reacted, how they had accused her of brown-nosing with the doctors to cash in favours. After a while, she had been on her own, as none of the other nurses nor the doctors helped her anymore, all because of some rumours.

She flinched again when she felt a touch on her shoulder. Tenderheart had placed her hoof around her and like the other two, she had a reassuring smile for Spring Meadow

"I think it's great you're working so hard even when you're not on duty. It shows how much being a nurse really means to you."

Sweetheart and Rhyme nodded with emphasis, and Spring Meadow found her voice again as she blurted out nervously

"I'm not trying to upstage you, I promise! I just want to know how to help when somebody is hurt!"

She was babbling again, mixed in with some half-finished apologies, but suddenly she had to stop. Tenderheart wrapped her other hoof around her as well for a hug and Rhyme was around the table to join her. While the two held her, Sweetheart spoke to Spring Meadow in her most soothing voice

"We know that, Spring Meadow. We see it every day. You really don't have to worry."

Spring took a deep breath. For a moment she felt even more afraid, it was so unfamiliar that others reacted this friendly and positively towards her. But then, the smiles from the others reached her and her anxiety just melted away. These ponies had seen her for a while now and even through this hiccup, they were here to support her still. She was in Equestria and not on Earth anymore.

Spring Meadow opened her eyes again and looked at the three mares around her. Their smiles were kind and reassuring, she had nothing to fear from them. Her own smile broke through, small and shy, but they just affirmed with a nod. They went back to their seats, but Tenderheart scooted a little closer to her, Spring could reach her hoof easily if she needed. Rhyme floated Spring's drink towards her with magic and before she could blush from embarrassment, Spring took hold of the glass with her hooves and took a big gulp, ignoring the straw this time.

The others giggled, but with no ill mean, and Spring could smile again

"Thank you."
It was only a shy mumble, but she knew they heard her since their smiles stayed kind and friendly. When Spring said nothing else, they went back to chit-chat and gave Spring a moment to recompose. They didn't ignore what had happened, but Spring had the impression that even after an embarrassing moment like this, they didn't think less of her.

After a minute and another, more moderate sip of her drink, she joined back in. It wasn't as awkward as she feared it would be and another minute, she could laugh with them again.

They sat together for another half an hour, nursing their drinks between stories. When their glasses were almost empty, Berry Punch brought another round none of them had ordered, but none of them protested either.

Spring Meadow took a sip from her new favourite drink when she heard a familiar voice from behind her

"Nana Schwesterherz, und das soll gesund sein?"

She laughed, most of all from the confused expressions from the other three. With a big grin, and without turning around, she answered loud and clear it the same language

"Ruhe da hinten auf den billigen Plätzen!"

She turned around and joined into the roaring laughter from her sister. Blue looked happy, she looked like this far more often than ever before. Spring Meadow saw her relaxed posture and the carefree and sincere smile. The way Blue grinned back at her, Spring realized that she had to have the same smile as well.

"Was machst du denn hier, Blue?"
"Das Gleiche wie du nehm ich mal an."

Spring saw the small group of pegasi, probably from the weather team. They had the same surprised expression as all ponies whenever they heard Spring and Blue talk German with each other. They quickly got over it though and greeted Sweetheart and Rhyme as they joined them at their small table, apparently the nurses and some of the pegasi knew each other as well.

Spring sat down next to Blue and frowned a little when the others ordered from Berry Punch

"Aren't you a little too young for drinks in a bar, Blue?"

As expected, Blue rolled her eyes and the others chuckled

"Seriously, Sis. I'm not a filly anymore."

Spring froze for a moment when she noticed that Blue had used the pony term without even thinking about it, but then she smiled softly

"Kann schon sein, aber du bleibst immer meine kleine Schwester."

She put her hoof around Blue's shoulder and Blue leaned in a little with a grin

"Mich wirst du so schnell nicht los."

They laughed and the others joined in quickly, fascinated and curious by the foreign words

"What kind of language was that? What did you say?"

Spring Meadow just winked to Blue who blushed a little

"Just a little talk from sister to sister."

More laughter filled the room, but Rhyme was still curious

"That sounded so interesting. Can you say something else? Please?"

Spring and Blue looked at each other. Spring noticed again how happy Blue looked, not a single worry on her mind and none of her usual walls up anymore.

She grinned and started to sing a song she just felt would fit perfectly, and Blue joined in after only a few words

Schau dich um und dann in dich hinein
denn jeder braucht den Platz zum glücklich sein
wir laden dich und deine Leute ein
um heute da zu sein wo man sich liebt,
in der Stadt die es nicht gibt.

Sind endlich dort wo Harmonie regiert
am Ort wo Recht und Ordnung deplatziert
weil das mit Regeln eh nicht funktioniert
hat man kapiert das hier die Liebe siegt,
in der Stadt die es nicht gibt.

They all laughed together before the questions started, most of which remained unanswered as Berry Punch came to Spring Meadow's rescue at the perfect time and brought drinks for the pegasi. The conversations quickly went to lighter topics and Blue joined in quickly. Spring watched her little sister as she argued about something with the stallion next to her, but always smiling and without any anger. Tenderheart touched her hoof and Spring looked up, returning the smile.

Joining in with the mares had been a good idea. Maybe her friends would invite her again next week. She was looking forward to it.

Chapter 19

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Blue and Spring had arrived at the station long before the train was due. Spring paid for two tickets and Blue watched anxiously, her wings twitched nervously every few seconds. She had taken the day off from the weather patrol today and Spring Meadow had switched shifts with Tenderheart, so they were both free from work. Nopony had asked any questions about it. The few ponies at the station didn’t seem bothered by the two sisters either. Everything looked normal, just two mares on their free day and taking a trip to Canterlot. Tomorrow, they would be back at work and life would just go on as usual.

Nopony had an idea that this day might be the last for Spring Meadow and Ocean Shore as ponies.

Three moons had passed since Blue and Spring had first entered Equestria through a magic mirror. One week of getting used to entirely new bodies, another of learning the way of life in this new world. Two more weeks of constant change, from finding jobs to moving into a new home, each day with something new to learn and new ponies to meet. After that, a period of settling in. Waking up in the morning and not feeling weird with hooves. Settling into a peaceful routine and making some friends for both of them. Visiting Princess Twilight Sparkle and Starlight Glimmer at the castle a few times.

Then last week, a letter from Canterlot with a royal seal on it.

Blue and Spring didn’t talk at all when the train carried them towards the big city by the mountain with the white fairy tale castle engraved into the flank of the mountain. Their whole time so far had been nothing short of a fairy tale, so the castle fitted right in, both unreal but at the same time so normal that nopony on the train even mentioned it.

They took the busiest streets through the city and towards the royal palace. They did so on purpose, since every delay was welcome and good. Blue pressed her wings tightly against her flanks so she wouldn’t even think of flying off. Not that she would leave her sister alone anyways.

Even the longest walk couldn’t last forever though, and soon they arrived at the great entrance. Spring Meadow showed the letter and they were let in, then a guardspony led them through the palace. Blue glanced left and right, but she didn’t care much about architecture or the pieces of art that decorated every hallway. Instead, she was watching the ponies. Every hallway and every room was bustling with ponies. Some of them had uniforms, like guards or maids with their typical hats, many ponies also wore some vests which Blue guessed meant that they belonged to the palace staff, others were clearly nobles and wore crests on their clothes and jewellery. She even saw a few creatures that were not ponies at all, like a group of griffons and a big, towering yak. The other ponies treated them with great respect and Blue couldn’t help but wonder if they would be as friendly if Blue would walk around them in her natural form.

No matter how different the ponies looked like, they all smiled. From the big bubbly bursting grin she knew from Pinkie Pie to a slim, satisfied smile, Blue could see all variants of smiles. She thought back of the first day she had walked through Canterlot High when she thought all those smiles had to be fake. She didn’t believe that anymore. Maybe that was a good sign.

If ponies were smiling, it meant they were happy. If they are happy working in the palace, then it meant the princesses were nice ponies and they liked working for them. It matched up with everything Blue heard from anypony, even from Princess Twilight. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were the kindest, nicest, and most benevolent ponies that ever existed. They would never make them leave or kick them out or anything, right?

But then, Blue also knew Sunset Shimmer. Sunset had seen Princess Celestia’s angry side and she knew that the princess didn’t like if anypony questioned her authority. She didn’t know what this meant for Spring Meadow and her.

As Blue followed the guard towards some meeting room, she found herself hoping. It was surprising even to herself. Back on Earth, when she had been faced with a big decision like this, she’d always assumed the worst and she had always been angry. She had acted like she didn’t care, she had always just shrugged and said “Whatever”, but inside she was boiling. Pinkie Pie and the others, they had seen through it after a while and called it “the face” whenever she worried about something so much that she got angry.

Spring didn’t do much better. When Blue got angry, her big sister would instead just pull back into herself. She would find someplace where nothing mattered to her and nothing could touch her. As Blue watched her sister, she could tell that Spring Meadow was about to go to that place again. Unlike Blue, Spring didn’t dare to hope.

The room they ended up in was rather small and unassuming, which was fair since their mere presence in Equestria was one big secret. It would have caused too much commotion if they used the throne room, as two regular ponies like Ocean Shore and Spring Meadow weren’t important enough to get a private audience with the Princesses. Blue looked around to pass time and to distract herself from the nervous jitters. The room had big windows for light and was tall, there was a big wooden table in the centre and comfy cushions to sit. Three of them were bigger, one white and the other two purple and blue, so they probably belonged to the Princesses. Like the hallways, this room had paintings on the walls and some potted plants as well. Even if it was a small room, it was still a very nice room. Blue smiled and took it as a good sign.

They were early, of course. They were excited, nervous, and scared, so of course they were early. After a few minutes, there was a knock on the door and one of the maid ponies they had seen earlier walked in. She brought a cart, like the ones Blue knew people used on trains or such, with everything to fix any kind of drink, even coffee or tea.

She smiled, of course, and was very friendly. They chatted about the weather, about the palace and the princesses. They got a cup of their favourite tea each and sipped on their cups as the mare set up more cups and teapots on each seat and left a few snacks. The biggest platter with slices of cake was placed directly in front of the princess’ seats and the maid gave them a knowing wink.

All in all, she had only been there for a couple of minutes. Blue still felt better, somehow. The mare was just another little sign, like the many others she had seen all over Equestria. This world was different, so she could hope. She had good reasons to hope. She wanted to hope. And with time, she would help Spring Meadow start to hope and smile too.

The door opened as Princess Twilight stepped inside and immediately drew them both into a hug. Blue smiled and just surrendered to her fate, but Spring Meadow squirmed a little, she still thought that it was weird that a princess would just hug random ponies.

As expected, Twilight took her seat on the purple pillow next to Blue

“How did you guys get here? I was at your home this morning, but you were already gone.”

Spring stayed silent, so Blue rolled her eyes and answered instead

“We took the train of course. Canterlot is kinda far to walk, you know?”

Twilight giggled, of course, and playfully swatted her wing towards Blue

“I know that! What I meant was, why didn’t you wait for me? You could have taken the carriage Princess Celestia sent for me.”

Blue just laughed

“Yeah right. Me, on a royal carriage? As if.”

Princess Twilight giggled again and turned towards Spring Meadow, and her smile froze. The older of the sisters barely even looked conscious. Spring Meadow was just staring straight ahead into nothingness, her eyes were empty and dull. Twilight had seen this before, but never as intense as today. Spring Meadow was always careful, hesitant, and almost suspicious, as she had learned that even the best things could turn bad eventually. However, Twilight had seen a more positive attitude from her during the last weeks.

Today however, she saw nothing of this. Spring Meadow looked like there was no hope left, that she couldn't even dare to hope.

Before Twilight Sparkle could say anything though, an almost hidden door in the back of the room opened and Princess Luna walked in, followed closely by Princess Celestia. They both took a deep sigh and Princess Celestia muttered under her breath

“Budget meetings have to be the worst part of the job. I thought they would never find an end this time.”

Blue watched anxiously since the royal princesses didn’t seem in the best of mood, but Celestia’s face brightened up as soon as she saw the platter of cake and Luna caught Blue’s eyes for a quick wink. The two tall alicorns took their seats to greet their guests

“Welcome to Canterlot Palace, Spring Meadow and Ocean Shore. Please, help yourself to some snacks.”

Both Luna and Twilight giggled when Celestia followed her own invitation and picked up the biggest slice of cake with her magic, and even Blue had a grin despite being nervous.

While Celestia was busy, Luna took over and looked at the two humans-turned-ponies in front of her
“How are you faring today, my little ponies?”

Since Spring Meadow barely even moved, Blue answered for both of them

“We’re rather nervous, Princess. It’s, um, we… we have a rather bad record with meetings like this.”

It was the truth, but it was still hard for Blue to say it. All her old instincts told her to play stuff down and act tough, but they wouldn’t help her much today, with the way all the princesses had looked right through her ever since they first met, so she stuck with honest, even if it was a little embarrassing.

Luna nodded but with a kind smile and Twilight Sparkle tuned in

“I can imagine this is very nerve-wrecking for you. There is a lot on the line for both of you, so let me start right away by telling you that you have nothing to worry about.”

Blue and Spring both blinked surprised and Blue felt dazed

“You mean…?”

Princess Twilight nodded with a bright smile

“We see no reason why you shouldn’t be allowed to stay in Equestria, if that is what you want.”

Blue turned to her sister, smiling as well, but her smile faded when she took in Spring’s expression.

Spring Meadow didn’t look happy at all, she looked more like she’d just received a death sentence. Princess Celestia addressed her with her gentle tone

“You seem very worried, Spring Meadow. Is something wrong?”

Spring blinked and stared at the three tall princesses in front of her

“What’s the catch? You could have told us that in your letter. Why did you order us here instead?”

Celestia and Luna exchanged a glance

“I’m not sure what you mean, Spring Meadow. There is no catch. And as for why we invited you to Canterlot, I believe that it easier to make your new Equestrian citizenship official here than to involve the mayor’s office in Ponyville.”

Luna looked directly at Spring Meadow before she added

“If that is what you want.”

Blue grinned almost manically

“Are you kidding? Of course we want, right sis?”

She stopped grinning when Spring still didn’t look any less worried

“I… I have some questions first, if that’s okay.”

Princess Celestia nodded patiently

“Of course. We have no intention to withhold any information from you.”

Spring chewed on her lower lip

“Are we allowed to go back, anytime?”

Princess Twilight nodded immediately

“Of course! You can access the portal through me at my castle so you can go for a visit to the human world if you like.”

“Yes, but… could we go back, for good, if we wanted?”

Blue couldn’t believe what she heard and glared at her sister

“Why would we? After we worked so hard to fit in here, I don’t want to go back! We’d just run into new problems again.”
Spring shook her head

“That’s not what I meant. What I want to say is… are we prisoners of this world, now?”

Blue and Twilight both looked a little shocked, but Celestia shook her head and Luna explained

“We understand what you mean, Spring Meadow, and the answer is no. While we would certainly encourage you to stay here, there is no obligation. Just like Sunset Shimmer could come back to Equestria whenever she wanted, you are free to do the same.”

Celestia nodded and added

“We’ve seen you change a lot recently, and not only physically. I understand that it was a lot to take in, especially for you Spring Meadow. It is wise that you wish to keep your options open, but you should also think about what is best for you.”

Spring sighed deeply and glanced at Blue

“Thank you, Your Highness. And I think we’re both happy to stay if you’ll have us.”

“Most certainly.”

Covered in golden magic, some official looking papers appeared on the table, but Blue stood up and spread her wings

“Just a second.”

Blue turned around to glare at her sister

“You don't want to stay?”

Instead of answering, Spring Meadow chewed on her lower lip again and by that told Blue everything

“You really don't. But, why?”

“Blue, it's not like that, it's just...”

“If it's not like that, then why ask something like that?”

Spring took a deep breath and turned around to fully face her sister

“Blue, bitte versteh doch...”

“Nein, ich verstehs eben nicht! Wieso? Wieso ausgerechnet jetzt?”

Princess Twilight watched as the two former humans kept talking in their foreign language. They’d done so before while they were staying at her castle, but it hadn’t sounded that harsh before. She had guessed that, back then, they were sharing some private words, which was fine of course, but this time they were locked in a heated discussion. Blue’s voice grew louder and louder, and her wings flared up as she got more and more angry while Spring Meadow could barely meet her sister’s eyes.

Twilight glanced nervously at the two other alicorns in the room. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna watched the scene in front of them with practiced calmness and patience. Twilight was sure they, just like her, couldn’t understand a lick of it, but very well read the expression of the former humans.

Blue was angry and Spring was worried.

Blue was angry, a lot, and not always for good reasons. Twilight knew that Blue had been angry as a human as well and she had talked with Sunset Shimmer about it. They both agreed that it was a coping mechanism. They couldn’t talk about it with Blue though, since she would either play it down, or get angry. Except from the first slip-up, she didn’t threaten ponies or turn to violence anymore, but sometimes, when she was in a bad mood, her snarky remarks could sound meaner than she meant them. Pinkie Pie called it ‘grump-fensive’ and Rainbow Dash’s opinion swayed between ‘jerk’ and ‘hothead’.

Despite Blue knowing the girl’s counterparts, or maybe because of it, Blue didn’t get along too well with Twilight’s best friends at times. When they did however, they all agreed that Blue was a reliable friend who tried her best to be helpful and didn’t shy away from hard work or getting dirty. Maybe their friendship wasn’t as deep as between the six of them, but any of the element bearers would put in a good word for Blue when Twilight asked for their opinions.

Blue never had a good outlet in the human world, as Sunset had told her, but here in Equestria, Blue had taken the pegasus way for herself and found flying for that purpose. On the weather patrol, she did her part well and then helped the others, which made her some workplace-friends who slowly turned into regular friends as well. When there was no hard work to be done for the weather, Blue also picked up odd jobs here and there, even ones where she couldn’t fly. And sometimes, she would just fly for the heck of it, often for hours. After that, she usually wasn’t angry or grumpy anymore.

Spring Meadow was worried a lot, even when she had no reason to be. Spring was thriving in her job in Ponyville Hospital and the doctor sung her praises the last time Princess Twilight had asked about her, but Spring Meadow was never satisfied with her own accomplishments. There was always something that could have gone better, something that might go wrong, something she was afraid she didn’t prepare for properly. Like with Blue’s anger, her worry was a coping mechanism. Unlike Blue, it made Spring withdraw from other ponies. She had fewer friends and spent less time in town with other ponies. She had not picked up any hobbies besides studying and on the few occasions she had visited Princess Twilight in her castle, she had shown phases when she still behaved more like a human than a pony. Spring Meadow struggled far more in that regard than her sister.

Spring Meadow had been through a lot of struggle and misery in her life, even though she never told Twilight any specifics. She had learned to never take anything for granted and always assume the worst. Blue had learned that she had to struggle for anything good to happen and that when she wasn’t willing to fight for it, she’d suffer from it.

It came down to what Twilight saw right in front of her right now: Spring Meadow worried a lot, mostly about Blue. Blue was angry a lot, mostly when her sister was worried. Seeing Blue angry made Spring worry more, and it just kept going in circles.

If this was another friendship problem, Twilight would have a few ideas on how to help. But from her earlier interactions with Spring Meadow and Ocean Shore, she knew it wasn’t that simple. They were sisters at first and not necessarily friends, so some sisterly quarrel was to be expected. However, they had a different intensity to it than Twilight had ever seen between Applejack or Rarity and their younger siblings, or even between Shining Armor and herself. It was hard to tell when they crossed the line between quarrel and downright fighting, especially when you had to consider their human background as well (which Twilight tried, of course).

Right now, they were clearly fighting and probably throwing obscenities at each other, in front of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, who were now throwing looks at her as well. Twilight’s ears flopped down in shame, like always when she felt like she failed her fellow princesses, but a subtle shake of Celestia’s head told her it wasn’t that. The two former humans were still at it, so Celestia leaned over to Twilight so she could ask without being noticed

“Does that happen a lot between them?”
Twilight shook her head and whispered back

“Not like that. I mean they are sisters, and sometimes, um…”

She glanced past Celestia at Luna, who nodded in response

“Sisters sometimes just argue. I believe we know a thing or two about this.”

“Indeed. Perhaps enough to step in now, what do you think, Luna?”

“It’s like you read my mind, sister.”

Twilight felt the sudden rise of magic moments before a bright flash filled the room. When she opened her eyes again, there was an unnatural silence, as Princess Luna and Princess Celestia had vanished, along with Blue and Spring Meadow. Suddenly feeling exhausted, Twilight let her head sink on the table in front of her

“Dear Celestia, what a day.”

-*-

Spring Meadow didn’t really enjoy being magic-zapped around, especially without any warning. When she got her bearings again, she found that now she was in some kind of garden, or more like a small park. There were some trees for shade and even a small pond. Beds of colourful flowers spread a nice scent and the sun was warm and bright on this wonderful day. The grass she was standing on had to be the softest she'd ever felt under her hooves. Something about this scenery immediately got to her. Here, closer to nature, she felt calmer than she had all day, and definitely calmer than locked up in a small room with three princesses. If she had been alone, she might have just laid down on the grass and enjoyed the peace and quiet of this place.

Of course, she wasn't alone, since someone had brought her here. Spring turned around and found Princess Luna watching her, with a feint glow around that big horn of hers, confirming Spring's suspicion that the princess had been the one who had zapped her here.

Luna looked at her and before Spring could even move, Luna responded to the question Spring didn't get the chance to ask

“Ocean Shore is fine, Spring Meadow. She is with my sister right now, just as you are with me.”

Spring nodded, but she didn't really feel relieved by what the princess had told her

“So you are interrogating us now, even though you said you had made your decision already.”

The princess shook her, with an understanding smile on her muzzle

“I can assure you that it is not like this. My sister and I just thought that Ocean Shore and you could use some time to cool down. I didn't understand much of your discussion, but your sister seemed quite angry.”

Spring closed her eyes and she felt her ears flop down

“That's happening a lot recently. I don't understand why. We... our life here is better in so many ways. Blue finally found the thing she's really good at and she can thrive now, she's so much happier and more relaxed whenever I see her. But as soon as we talk, she gets angry at me. I don't know if it's all the changes, or if it's because of me.”

Maybe it was the soothing nature that surrounded her, or Princess Luna's calm presence, but Spring Meadow just poured her heart out at this moment. The older, wiser princess didn't say anything for now and just listened. Unaware that her human counterpart had done the same for Spring Meadow and Ocean Shore in the other world. Back there, Spring often shared her concerns with the woman, concerns she didn't want to share with her little sister, so maybe it just felt right to do the same now, as a pony as well

“Maybe it would be better if Blue stayed here with Princess Twilight and I'd go back. She gets along so well with everypony now. If it's me who's getting her angry, maybe I should just leave. Maybe she doesn't need me anymore.”

Now that Spring Meadow fell silent, Princess Luna found it the right time to say something

“I truly doubt that this is the case, Spring Meadow. Your sister kept telling me that she wanted for you to be happy. She felt guilty as she believes she's the reason you had to endure so many hardships in the human world. She wants you to have a fresh start here, even more than she desires this for herself.”

Spring shook her head and frowned angrily

“It's not her fault! It's never been her fault! She didn't make us move around all the time. She had such a hard time settling in but every time, I had to pull her out again. Of course, she would be angry! But she's never been angry at me before.”

Luna tilted her head and listened attentively. She had not heard much of the two former humans’ past and she was sure that not even Twilight Sparkle or Sunset Shimmer knew any of this, although clearly, it's had to be on the young mare's mind

“Spring Meadow, if Ocean Shore has never been angry at you, what makes you think she is now? Perhaps she's angry at something else entirely.”

“Then, why is she yelling at me? I keep asking her if something is wrong, but she keeps exploding into my face. I'm just worried that something is troubling her, but she won't tell me.”

Spring's frown grew deeper, but the mare next to her stifled a giggle behind her hoof. At some point, Princess Luna had chosen to sit down on the soft grass, and reluctantly, Spring followed her example. She wasn't angry that the princess found humour in her worries, she was more confused than anything, so Princess Luna tried to explain

“You sounded very much like my own sister right now. She's also often concerned about my well-being, even though both of us are hundreds of years old.”

Spring joined in the little giggle from Luna this time, but the alicorn princess sighed softly soon after

“It annoys me at times. Sometimes, it seems like I will never grow up in her eyes. To her, I will always be a helpless filly.”

At this, Spring looked away and recalled the last couple times she and Blue had talked. Now that she thought about it, she had been asking Blue about her troubles a lot. Almost every time. She was just trying to take care of her. In the human world, Spring had to work double-shifts and night shifts and weekend shifts and left Blue to deal with a lot of stuff on her own. Blue couldn’t cook, but she usually ended up doing all the shopping. When there was trouble at school, Blue had to handle it by herself. Spring simply never had the time to get involved, because there was always a rent to pay or bills reminding her that she couldn’t slack off on work.

She would have asked all those questions back then, but now that she had free time for a change, she actually did it. Blue knew she was only taking care of her, right? Blue had to know that Spring only wanted to be there for her now, after so many years when she couldn’t. She didn’t think that Blue was helpless or looking for trouble or anything.

Princess Luna watched her closely and Spring got that eery feeling again that Luna could see more than just her expression. Almost as if to proof it, Luna just talked like she had heard everything Spring had been thinking

“Blue is neither helpless nor weak. But did you ever tell her you know that?”

“No. At least, not clearly enough apparently. I just want her to know I’m here for her. I want to make up for all the times I couldn’t do that.”

Luna nodded calmly

“I understand. But your sister isn’t used to this and she’s quick to second-guess ponies’ intentions when they do something she doesn’t understand right away.”

Spring Meadow sighed and slumped down into the grass which felt far more comfortable than she deserved right now

“I really need to talk with her about all that…”

“Perhaps. But, not now. As a little sister, I know how it feels to get smothered by an older sibling. And to be fair, you look like you could use some rest just as much.”

Spring Meadow just nodded along. She felt like she just had to close her eyes and she would go to sleep right now, with the soft grass under her and the little sounds of nature around her. Even the scent of the flowers helped her feel more at ease, so much that even talking to a princess couldn’t shake her right now.

Princess Luna seemed to know, because she didn’t say anything for a while and just sat down next to her. For a few minutes, they just passed in comfortable silence.

In the end, Spring Meadow felt the need to say something, not that the silence bothered her, but it seemed polite

“I’ve never been abducted before, but at least you picked a nice place.”

Next to her, Princess Luna just chuckled with a smile

“It is one of my favourite places in the royal gardens. I guess it appeals to my earth pony side, just like it does to yours.”

Spring Meadow sat up, just a little, so she could look at Luna

“Is that what’s happening? I always thought it was strange that a walk through the park would always cheer me up.”

Luna nodded and explained

“It is not unusual for earth ponies to have a greater affinity to nature. Some are energized by it, but it seems for you it has a calming effect. Maybe because that is something you have been missing for a while now?”

Spring didn’t mind that Luna’s question was a bit too personal, she was far too calm to let it bother her right now

“In the other world, there was always work, bills to pay and all that. And here, we had to find a place to stay, I had so much to catch up on my job and studying. I barely got a chance to stop and take a breath.”

“Then this is something you should change, be it in your original world or this one. It’s good to be active, but everypony needs some quiet time for themselves every now and then.”

Spring nodded and rested her head on her hooves

“That sounds really nice, right now.”
Princess Luna just smiled

“Then rest now, Spring Meadow. And when you feel ready, I’ll take you back to our respective sisters.”

Spring nodded again and closed her eyes. She didn’t fall asleep as she had feared, but she just soaked in the calmness of the place for a while. She knew she couldn’t stay hidden forever, but just for now, she allowed herself to enjoy this moment.

When the light faded, Blue suddenly stood on a cloud. Thanks to her work in the weather patrol, this didn’t feel strange anymore, but it was certainly weird that she was suddenly this high up. Even Canterlot and the palace looked small from up here.

She glanced around and found Princess Celestia sitting on the same cloud in a polite distance. She looked at Blue probingly, as if to see how angry Blue still was. And Blue still was angry, she wasn’t going to deny that, but she wasn’t angry at the princess, or the fact that she had been brought here without much of a warning. She was still angry at Spring Meadow and there was still an edge in her voice

“Why does she keep doing this? She’s treating me like a baby all the time. Like nothing I do is ever good enough for her.”

The princess took Blue’s outburst in stride

“That sounds awfully familiar, my little pony. Why do you think she’s doing this?”

Instead of calming down, Blue started paced up and down on the cloud and her wings flapped angrily

“Because she thinks I can’t do anything right. She thinks everything I do I will mess up unless she’s breathing down my neck. She never bothered keeping tabs on me when I got in trouble at school, so why can’t she just let me do my thing now?”

“So, you think that your sister doesn’t trust you?”

Celestia asked calmly, but to Blue, the words hit her like a brick. Was that it? Spring didn’t trust her after all?

Blue stopped pacing, and her wings folded back to her sides. At home, in their kitchen, they had a box hidden in the back of one of the cupboards. They kept all their bits in there, and Blue knew it. In the other world, money was always short, and Spring Meadow had kept close tabs on every dollar and cent they spent. She had never even asked Blue if she wanted her own student’s bank account.

Here in Equestria, that changed. Blue was involved with every decision and Spring didn’t keep her out of the loop. The money box was just one of many little things that changed.

“No. I’m sure she trusts me. But, I don’t know why she thinks I’ll just keep messing everything up.”

“Has she ever said that she does?”

Blue turned around and stared at Princess Celestia. Usually, this was the point where she would start to argue, but Celestia had no challenge in her voice whatsoever, and her expression was neutral and calm. It didn’t make any sense.

“Why are you asking this?”

Celestia let out a small sigh and turned her head to look at the palace down below

“As an older sister, you never stop worrying about your little sister. You see her grow up, watch how she grows strong and independent, and you’re proud of course. But you still feel responsible, and you still try to help, because that’s what a big sister should do. And then you learn that all your effort is not always appreciated. But of course, you don’t stop helping, you just try harder instead. You’re the older sister and you need take care of your little sister. Of course there’s some bickering along the way, every sibling knows quarrels like these. It’s nothing to worry about, just a little bit that’s left from the filly you’ve seen grow up. You’re the bigger sister, you should look past some harsh or mean words. Even if the bickering starts to turn into arguing. Until, suddenly, everything you say, in best intention to help of course, is taken as a challenge by your little sister. After some time, she just talks to you less and less, and when you talk, you only try to help, but she won’t accept it, so you stay quiet. Then, out of nowhere it seems, the first fight happens. You’re shocked of course, how could the sister you love so much say these things or even attack you? And suddenly, this fight is more than just a fight between sisters. Suddenly, the fate of a whole nation depends on the outcome of a fight with your own sister. And suddenly, you’re forced to do a terrible thing, you’re forced to hurt your sister, even if it is the last thing you ever wanted to do.

Then everything is over and your little sister, the one you love more than everypony else, is gone. You’ve never felt so alone ever before. And suddenly, as the world around you goes quiet, you realize something. All those times you talked, all the times you tried to help and do the right thing, all those words you said… but you never once told your little sister how much you love her, and how proud you are of the pony she has become.”

Celestia fell silent, still watching the palace in a distance, but something in the way she sat had changed. To Blue, it looked like the princess had just grown ten years older in the blink of an eye. Blue was unsure on how to react. She hadn’t expected a speech like this from Princess Celestia and she clearly hadn’t expected that a simple story could make her feel so conflicted. But that was the whole point, she realized. The story wasn’t all that simple.

Princess Celestia didn’t say anything, but Blue felt like she had to, if she wanted to understand. So Blue sat down on the cloud as well, in some distance still but closer than before, and spoke up in an unusual shy voice

“Is that what happened between you and Princess Luna?”

Celestia nodded, followed by her calm voice

“It didn’t happen all at once, in fact it took years to reach the boiling point. We were young still, but we were princesses, and we had the task to build up a nation and protect it. I buried myself in diplomacy and bureaucracy, but that meant I had little time for anything else. Since Luna rules over the night and I work at day, we only met twice a day for a few short moments. And when we met, we talked about the kingdom, our ponies, our duties… but very rarely did I give Luna the chance to talk about herself.”

Celestia turned away from the city so she could look at Blue now

“I know if you were to ask Luna, she would blame everything that happened on herself. She’s convinced that her actions led only to catastrophe and hate, and that she shouldn’t be forgiven. I think you might know a thing or two about how this might feel.”

Blue looked away for a moment, and her wings twitched. She had gotten into so many troubles before, that even now in Equestria, it was normal for her to blame herself on everything that went wrong. And every time Spring Meadow asked about her days, she couldn’t help but feel like her sister was just trying to find something she’d done wrong, again. It’s what made her so angry.

Princess Celestia didn’t push any further as Blue sorted out her thoughts. She waited for a few minutes before she continued

“Truth is though, Luna is not to blame. She did some bad things in the end and she even attacked me, but I know today that I could have prevented it months, if not years, in advance. If I had been more attentive to her feelings or if I had been more open with mine…”

Celestia didn’t finish that thought and ended in a deep sigh instead

“A big sister never stops feeling responsible. Especially when she’s so used that ponies rely on her so much. But because of that, sometimes, many times in fact, we are terrible at showing how we really feel.”

Blue nodded and stared ahead into the open sky. The last few times Spring had tried to talk to her came to her mind, and how she had blown up on her. Celestia said Luna blamed herself, when really, she was to blame. But when Blue mulled it over in her head, that didn’t feel right either. It’s not one side or the other, really. It’s both of us that messed up.

“Did things work out again between you and Luna?”

Celestia nodded, but her smile seemed a bit forced

“They did, but it took a lot of effort from both of us. We talk more and try to share more time together. I’m trying not to hover over Luna as much and I don’t double-check her work, even if I want to.”

Blue couldn’t help but giggle at this. From what she had heard from Sunset Shimmer, Princess Celestia had a knack for micro-managing everything and everypony around her from the background. To an extend she was even trying to do so with Spring Meadow and her right now.

“I guess I’ll need to talk more to Spring then. Emphasis on ‘talk’ and not yell.”

Princess Celestia joined in for a giggle this time, even though she still didn’t carry that smile

“Your sister and you have to make a difficult decision about your future. Make sure you take all the time you need for that.”

Blue shook her head at that

“I don’t think it’s much to decide. I want to stay, and I think Spring wants to stay too. We just need to tell each other that it’s for the right reasons.”

Princess Celestia now smiled, and Blue knew that kind of smile very well. She’s seen it from her sister when she went through with a plan, or with Twilight Sparkle when she was checking off something from one of her many checklists

“You’ve been planning this all along, haven’t you?”

If Celestia was surprised that Blue had figured her out, she didn’t show it

“We had intentions to talk with each of you, yes. But I didn’t expect the… let’s call it explosive start. In any way, I’m glad we got to speak some more, although I must admit, it was not only for your sake alone.”

Blue looked up at that last comment and something clicked. Celestia had been surprisingly open to Blue about her relationship with her sister. And still, there was something that seemed to weigh on her mind. If that thing was something she wanted to talk about with Blue, it wasn’t really a leap of thought on what she really wanted, at least not for Blue

“You want to ask me about Sunset, right?”

This time, Celestia looked surprised, but Blue only shrugged. She wasn’t the cleverest girl (or pony), but even she could figure things out. Because of that, Celestia decided to not hide her intentions any longer

“I do, very much so. I’ve been talking with her, but only a couple of minutes on the few times she visited, and Twilight Sparkle told me about some events, but you spent more time with her than she has. I hope you can help me understand Sunset better.”

Blue tilted her head, which was the pony-equivalent of a shrug

“She’s been your student for years, what could I tell you that you don’t already know?”

“Sunset Shimmer has changed a lot since she left my tutelage, for the better as far as I can tell. But both you and Sunset have chosen another world over the realm that was your home. This is something I can’t really wrap my head around.”

Blue laughed a little, but it wasn’t bitter as it had been three months ago

“I suppose that’s something we have in common.”

“And there is one more thing.”

Something about Celestia’s tone made Blue look back at her and for the first time, the calm demeanour of the princess showed some cracks

“Twilight Sparkle and even Sunset herself told me many things, but they only talk about the positive things that happened. I think they might believe they still have to convince me that Sunset had changed into a better pony, although I know this very well and of course I’m very proud of her.”

Blue couldn’t help but think that this talk about Sunset Shimmer sounded a lot like what she heard about Princess Luna before, but the next thing Celestia said forced her attention back to the here and now

“I am aware that life isn’t always easy and good. And I am aware that Sunset fell on hard times, but neither Twilight Sparkle nor Sunset Shimmer are willing to talk about this with me. I can understand their reasons and I won’t force them, or you, but I can’t deny that I wish I knew… that I could understand why… how it had come so far that Sunset… Sunset thought she…”

Princess Celestia started mincing words and Blue immediately knew what this was about. Maybe it wasn’t the most tactful thing to say, but if Blue would talk about this, she’d do it her way

“You want to know why Sunset tried to kill herself.”

Unsurprisingly, Celestia flinched when Blue hit right on the spot, and she seemed very uneasy

“I wouldn’t have said it like that…”

“But that’s what happened.”

Blue knew that there was probably some kind of rule about interrupting a princess, but right now she couldn’t care about something like this

“Sunset tried to kill herself. It’s a fact. You don’t like it, neither do I. But you can’t just pretend it didn’t happen if you don’t say it out loud. If you respect Sunset in any way, you have to accept that. Don’t sugar-coat it, but don’t blow it out of proportion either. If you really care about Sunset, you owe her that much.”

Princess Celestia stared at her for a moment longer as Blue waited for the message to sink in. When it did, Celestia didn’t look any less troubled, but more determined than before

“I would like to hear about it, so I can better understand Sunset.”

Blue frowned immediately

“I can’t tell you why she did it. That’s a talk you need to have with Sunset. I can only tell you what happened before, and after. I don’t claim I understand Sunset when it comes to that.”

Again, the princess nodded, and she seemed as serious about this as Blue

“Anything you’re willing to tell me, I’m willing to hear, Ocean Shore.”

Blue sighed and sat back down on the cloud. Oh boy, there’s my full name. Here we go again.

“Fair warning, I will get angry talking about this.”

“I understand. Please continue.”

With no more reason to stall anything, Blue just dived right in.

The sun had passed its zenith when Princess Celestia and Princess Luna suddenly reappeared next to Twilight Sparkle. After the youngest of the three princesses had been talked out of near-panic and informed that everything was going as planned, Twilight had moved into a small, private library that Celestia’s assistant had wisely prepared for her. With a good book, she was calm enough to spend a few hours waiting, even if she didn’t like the fact that Princess Celestia had kept her out of the loop once again. She was also still worried about her two friends, but of course she trusted Celestia and Luna enough to know that the former humans would be in good hooves.

Though it wasn’t very reassuring that they had reappeared without Spring Meadow and Blue

“Is everything alright?”

Princess Luna nodded and Princess Celestia even had a little smile

“I believe so. We gave them a chance to vent and offered some perspective. I’m sure they’ll make their decision soon.”

Twilight followed the other two princesses back towards the meeting room, both relieved and annoyed

“Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate all your help and I’m glad Spring Meadow and Ocean Shore are well, but next time you plan something like this, would it be too much to ask if you just told me in advance? I spent all morning worrying when you two obviously had planed this from the start.”

Luna threw a glance at her sister, who now had the grace to blush a bit, much to Twilight’s surprise

“We, um, that is I, that is… Luna and I had intended to talk with Spring Meadow and Ocean Shore, individually, yes. But I assure you, we have not anticipated their fight, or that it would turn out like this. I know it may look like it, but I promise I didn’t plan this over your head by intention, Twilight.”

Luna didn’t say anything, but she nodded, and they both seemed sincere, so Twilight could easily let her annoyance go

“I understand. So, um, what did you talk about? Anything I should know?”

Celestia blushed again, but this time Luna came to her sister’s aid

“We merely gave them some perspective, from one sister to another. And hopefully it was what they needed to clear out the air between them. At least it looks like they did.”

Twilight looked up and saw what Luna was pointing at. Spring Meadow and Ocean Shore were sitting in the meeting room again, and they were talking. Actually talking, not yelling, and they were looking at each other. Twilight couldn’t hear what they were saying, and she almost expected they were talking their own language again, but she could see the difference.

Spring Meadow had moved to one of the windows and seemed relaxed now, splitting her attention between the nice scenery and her sister. Blue was still at the table but lounged more casually than before. Her wings twitched and flapped every now and then, but not from anger. Blue just didn’t like sitting still for a long period of time, so she was fidgeting a bit. Blue didn’t look angry at all and she smiled at something her sister told her, right before the three princesses joined them once more.

They both sat up straight, but not as intimidated as they had been earlier this morning. Princess Celestia shared a glance with Twilight and Luna, and since they were both nodding in agreement, she was the one who addressed the two former humans

“Well then, Spring Meadow and Ocean Shore. Have you made your decision?”

Spring and Blue exchanged one final look, before Blue replied for them

“We have.”

Chapter 20

View Online

It was a lazy afternoon at Canterlot High School and only a few students were hanging around the school grounds. Summer break was closing in, finals were finished and only a few dedicated club members stayed at school longer than necessary. A few members of the gardening club finished some final work, but most of the students just lazed in the sun.

Because there was barely anyone around, nobody noticed the faint flash of colourful lights. A few looked up when a short girl with blue and green hair walked away from the statue, a bit unsteady on her feet at first, but after a few steps that was gone too. The girl reached into her book bag and pulled out an old-fashioned phone, but then put it away again when she heard some familiar voices nearby.

Following the sound of laughter, she headed to the seven girls who had sprawled out on the grass. The Rainbooms enjoyed their lazy day in the sun like everyone else it seemed. The girl from the statue walked a bit closer, unnoticed until she called out

“Hey guys! What’s up?”

The girls looked up with different levels of confusion, but the pinkest of the girls immediately jumped to her feet and towards the visitor

“Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh!”

Blue laughed and braced for impact, but was thrown over by Pinkie Pie anyway as she tackled her down with an enormous hug

“Good to see you too, Pinkie.”

It took Applejack and Rainbow Dash a whole minute to untangle Pinkie Pie from Blue, who took it with an amazing amount of stride, just like she accepted the fussing from Rarity and Fluttershy and Twilight’s bombardment with more questions than she could possibly answer.

Once things had settled down enough, Blue shared one final hoof-bump with Sunset Shimmer who had a giant grin, just like herself

“How does it feel back to normal?”

Blue just shrugged. She didn’t really feel ‘normal’ right now, after three months of living in Equestria as a pony, suddenly having feet and fingers again was weird. She also immediately missed her wings, but other than that?

“Feels like putting on an old coat.”

Sunset nodded, she was the only one of the girls who could understand.

Then, the questions started. Blue knew they had to come, and she kept smiling as she tried to explain. She certainly didn’t elaborate much and to Twilight’s dismay ‘I don’t know’ was the most common answer, but in time the girls had calmed down again. They fell into some easy chatter as they made their way to one of their favourite hangouts and Blue was brought up to speed on what had happened after she had left.

Officially, Ocean Shore and her sister had just vanished one day. The official report called the whole incident ‘mysterious’ as their home looked like they would have expected to return, all of their belongings were still around and there was even food in the fridge. It didn’t look like they had run away to another city or out of the country. Also, nobody had seen them leave, nobody had sold them a ticket for any bus or train. The police could reconstruct their last day as follow: Ocean Shore leaves home at about 7:30, heads to school as usual. Spring Meadow spent the day at home. Since she was unemployed at the time, she left at about 14:00 to pick up her sister after school. Multiple students and teachers had seen them leave the school, then just nothing.

That’s why Blue was wearing a hoodie and a base cap, borrowed from Rainbow Dash. If anyone who knew her got close, they would still recognize her, but to any passing stranger, she looked a little less like the girl who went missing some months ago. Blue doubted the police or anyone would still be looking for her, not with her background, but a little extra safety wouldn’t hurt.

They arrived at the fast-food joint and settled down at one of the tables in the back. The place was ideal, since it was packed with people and nobody stayed long, so nobody would notice them at all. As a nice side effect, it was also cheap, which was good since Blue didn’t have any human money anymore and couldn’t pay with the Equestrian bit she showed the girls

“Holy shit, is that real gold?”

“Yeah. Kinda unsettling to carry a fortune with me, but that’s just how it is over there. Ponies pay with golden bits or jewels, for larger sums. Apparently, since there’s so much magic, gems grow almost like trees and if you know where to look, you can dig up all you need.”

“Huh. Well that’s a thought. If you can just find gems, do ponies even have jobs over there?”

“Yeah. Sure. I mean, ponies like me still need money and I wouldn’t know for the life of me where to find gems. But, honestly, I think most ponies just have jobs because they like it.”

“What do you mean by that, Darling?”

“It’s, like, they do something they are good at and they enjoy it. They are all playing their part, so everything works out. Sometimes, it feels like ponies have no ego at all, just herd instincts, or something, everypony helping everypony all the time.”

Six sets of eyes turned to Sunset for affirmation, who immediately held up her hands defensively

“Whoa, don’t look at me. I always had an ego, even before I got obsessed with becoming a princess. I know what Blue means, though. Even if a task seems insignificant, ponies still enjoy it because they know it’s worth for the big picture. Like, taking care of the gardens isn’t a prestigious job, but if the garden looks nice, it makes ponies happy and if they are happy, they enjoy their jobs more as well and so on.”

Blue nodded and waved her arms, in a way she would have flapped her wings back in Equestria

“Yeah, just like that. It’s not like there’s nopony who’s aiming higher or isn’t satisfied, but they are not as ‘in your face’ with it like humans. It’s kinda hard to describe, you’d have to see it for yourself.”

“Well, maybe someday. And if I understood right, you now have one of those jobs as well, right Darling?”

“Yeah. I’m a trainee for the weather patrol.”

“The weather-whatnow?”

“Weather patrol. In Equestria, everything is magic, even the weather. They don’t have forecasts, they have an actual schedule for it. Pegasus ponies like me take care of it.”

“And how does that work?”
“Basically, it’s pushing clouds into the right spots at the right time. I don’t do much more yet. But I get to fly around all day and get paid for it. It’s cool.”

“Whoa, hold on a sec. They pay you just for flying?”

“Duh, Dashie. We got jobs like that too, remember? Like a pilot.”

“Yeah, but flying a plane is… meh. Not at all like having your own wings and soaring through the sky.”

Blue laughed with the others as Rainbow and Pinkie Pie kept going back and forth for a while and took another swig of her milkshake. Just like Spike (the dragon, not the dog) had told her, things tasted different as a human. After tasting some creations from Pinkie Pie (the pony, not the high school student), Blue couldn’t help but feel like this one tasted rather bland. Then again, comparing any kind of food to either Pinkie Pie’s was a high standard.

They kept talking about some other stuff soon. Blue told them about her new apartment and Ponyville. Twilight kept asking about magic and stuff, so Blue told her about the Friendship Castle where Princess Twilight and Starlight Glimmer lived, since she couldn’t really explain magic. Instead, she talked about flying and learning to fly. Eventually, and after some hesitation, she also told them about the second day and her run-in with pony Scootaloo. There was that awkward silence after that.

Then Pinkie Pie asked about Spring Meadow and soon they were all laughing again when Blue tried to describe how they both tried (and failed) for a whole day to write with a quill between their teeth. In the end, Blue had sneaked out to Rarity for help and made her promise not to tell Princess Twilight

“It’s so weird they still use quills and ink to write and use those ancient steam locomotives, but at the same time there’s also ice boxes and stoves like we have here. Spring said that the hospital she works at is about as high tech as the ones here.”

“Huh. That’s a strange thought. Do they have cars over there?”

“Nope. Don’t really need them, I mean a third of ponies can fly, another can lift heavy things with magic and the last third can run for hours without getting even a bit tired. It’s all hoof power and wing power over there.”

They kept talking like this for most of the afternoon. At some point, Applejack and Rainbow Dash brought over multiple trays with food and new drinks for everyone. The others had no trouble helping themselves to a burger, except Blue who watched anxiously. Even Pinkie Pie picked up on how odd this seemed

“What’s the matter, Blue? You’re not hungry?”

Blue shook her head and shrugged

“No, it’s not that. It’s just… you know.”

“Oh Darling, don’t worry about the money. We can cover you for today.”

“Yeah, dig in! We even picked up some of your favourites!”

Rainbow grinned and waved one of the burgers in front of Blue’s face

“Come on, you know you can’t resist your favourite bacon burger.”

As soon as the scent hit her nose, Blue made a face and turned away

“Um, thanks, but I’ll pass. I’m really not hungry.”

“Yeah right, as if that ever stopped you from eating.”

Rarity who had seen the grimace from Blue, pulled Rainbow’s arm away to get the burger away from Blue

“Is something the matter, Darling? I know greasy burgers are not that great of a meal, but you look like you’re going to be sick.”

“Yeah. I mean no. I mean… ugh…”

Blue struggled for the right words, but Sunset at the other side of the table was the one who got what was happening

“Girls, what she’s trying to say is that she’d rather have a veggie burger instead.”

“Huh?”

The girls looked from Sunset to Blue who nodded defeated and back to Sunset

“But, why? You used to love these. You always made fun of Fluttershy eating veggie burgers. Why?”

Again, Sunset came for help

“Because she’s a little pony now, Dash. Ponies don’t eat meat in general, but cows? That’s just too close to home.”

“Huh? I don’t get it.”

Blue’s head sunk into her hands as she tried to explain

“Where I live, there’s a big dairy farm nearby. I sometimes chat with the cows there.”

“Wait, what? You talk with cows?”

“More like, they talked with me first. They’re a nice bunch and I was new in town, so yeah.”

“Oh my gosh! Cows can talk over there?”

Sunset nodded in response

“Everything with hooves can talk in Equestria. Cows, sheep, yaks, deer… and even animals who can’t talk are more sapient and intelligent in general. So we don’t eat them.”

Blue sighed and shrugged

“It’s like, imagine someone would have you eat a monkey or something. It’s not really like eating a human, but close enough so you wouldn’t.”

Applejack nodded slowly and chimed in for the first

“Okay, I get that ponies don’t eat meat. But you’re not a pony, at least you’re not now. Are you telling me that you’re going native or something?”

Blue stared at her for a minute with a look the girls had never seen on her before, just to shrug again

“Maybe I’ll just have some fries.”

Everybody shared some weird glances as if they weren’t sure how to react, before Rainbow just shrugged it off and grabbed one of the burgers

“More for me I guess!”

She took a big bite and chewed obviously loud with a goofy grin

“Mmmh! This is like the best burger I ever head! You have no idea what you’re missing out on Blue.”

She kept going like this even as everybody rolled their eyes

“Come on Dash, cut it out.”

“Yeah. It’s not nice to tease her.”

“Oh please. Blue’s a tough girl, she can take it.”

Blue just grinned and smacked Rainbow's back when she went for another bite, causing the athlete to start coughing

“You bet your butt I can!”

That did the job, and everybody was laughing again. They talked a bit about this and that while they were eating, things that happened in this world while Blue had been away. Blue listened idly as she snacked on some fries. She'd only been gone for a little more than three months, but everything the girls told her seemed so far away already, she found that she barely cared at all.

The others noticed that, of course, but since Blue wasn't bothered by just listening, they kept going for a while like this, until all the food was eaten, and they had run out of things to say. Fit to form, it was Applejack who put to words what everybody was thinking

“I guess there's a reason you came back today. You didn't even take the time to give Sunset a message in her book.”

Blue nodded and closed her eyes. This wouldn't be easy, but there was no reason dragging it out endlessly

“I've decided to stay in Equestria. For good.”

As she had expected, the others were mostly surprised, to varying degrees

“So, you're really going native?”

“You don't want to come back ever?”

“You'll just leave everything behind?”
“Even us?”

Blue slumped down in her seat but nodded

“I've never been better. I know I never talked much about my feelings and stuff, but it never felt right. I never felt right. Even with you guys... ugh, no, that's not what I meant to say, you guys are great and I'm gonna miss you like crazy, but...”

Sunset put a hand on her shoulder and when Blue looked at her, she knew that Sunset understood

“You found a place where you belong. At least for now. So that's where you want to stay, even if it means giving up a few things, like burgers and computers.”

Blue winked and smiled back at Sunset

“Or magic and hayfries, right?”

Sunset giggled along with her, and the other girls seemed more at ease now as well

“So you're going to stay a pony forever?”

“Forever? I don't know. I can't plan that far ahead. I want to stay there now. I've got a home, a job, a few friends, and Spring Meadow on the other side of the portal, so that's where I'll be for now. Who knows how things change in a couple of years?”

Rarity and Fluttershy nodded and shared a sideways glance

“Who knows, indeed. I wanted to wait before I tell you this, but... I'm planning to apply to some fashion schools in Europe. I'll probably leave the country after graduation.”

Fluttershy looked down, shyly, and mumbled

“And, um... I want to become a veterinarian. There are lots of great colleges for that, but none in Canterlot. So, I'll have to leave the city.”

Rainbow looked downright distraught, and Twilight nervously twiddled her thumbs, but Pinkie Pie was ready

“Guys, just because we won't see each other every day doesn't mean we stop being best friends!”

“Pinkie is right!”

Applejack nodded firmly and smiled at all the girls

“We'll find a way to stay in touch! And I want you all to know that you'll always be welcome at Sweet Apple Acres when you're around! 'Course I'm gonna stay and take care of the farm after graduation.”

Sunset put her hand in the middle of the table

“We're connected, by the magic of our friendship. That's a bond that can't just be broken, not by distance and not by time. I know we'll always be the best of friends!”

Blue rolled her eyes and Rainbow faked a gag at how sappy this all sounded, but of course they put their hands in the middle as well to join with the other girls in their promise.

As their hands touched, there was a faint glow around each of their hands, in the colours of the girls' geodes, as the magic of friendship flared up briefly. They didn't transform all the way, but their hair changed to pony manes with their pony ears poking out. The girls looked at each other and giggled, until Sunset stared at Blue.

Blue's hand glowed as well, in a dark blue, darker than Rainbow Dash's cyan magic but different from Twilight's purple. After spending so much time in Equestria, Blue easily recognized the glow as magic and before she realized it, the glow washed over her as well. Her hair grew longer and changed to her frizzy mane-style and her pony ears swivelled happily. She laughed as she even felt her wings again, for a moment at least. Then, the glow vanished, and the girls changed back, even though they were still staring at her. Blue had come in contact with their magic before, but this was the first time she had 'ponied up' with the others.

Sunset and Twilight looked at each other and immediately started throwing theories around, which bounced off everybody else, so they just let them have their moment and started laughing. Rainbow tried to tease Blue by mentioning that her wings were bigger and therefore better, but Blue just ignored her teasing with a knowing smile.

Fluttershy had not stopped watching Blue, neither had she stopped smiling. When Blue looked at her, she leaned in so Blue could hear her quiet voice over Sunset's and Twilight's rambling

“You're really happy over there, aren't you? I'm glad you found a place where you can be yourself, Blue.”

Blue said nothing and just returned the smile to Fluttershy, but before she could reply anything, Rarity herded them out of the fast-food joint, as their transformation had drawn some attention from the other costumers.

They laughed again once they made some distance and Pinkie had a great idea

“How about a slumber party, tonight? Blue, you can stay for one night, right? For old times' sake?”

Blue laughed and nodded when Pinkie pointed her pleading puppy eyes at her

“Sure, one night is okay. Um, Sunset, you think I could borrow your journal? I want to get a message to Princess Twilight and ask if she can forward it to Spring Meadow.”

Sunset nodded and scribbled down a short message while Pinkie Pie skipped and danced around her in joy.

The slumber party wasn't as big as they'd hoped, since Rainbow Dash, Rarity and Applejack couldn't join in on such a short notice. They still made the most out of it, in Pinkie Pie's room where they could be as loud as they wanted without disturbing anyone.

Pinkie Pie, true to form, was the most excited and active, but also crashed down rather hard after guzzling down dozens of sugary sodas and soon she was snoring on her bed while the others talked quietly for a while longer.

Fluttershy and Twilight retired soon after, but Blue didn't feel tired yet, so she sat down by the window and stared outside. The night sky in the human world looked completely different than in Equestria, but at the same time it was pleasantly familiar.

Blue was so lost in the view that she completely forgot that she wasn't alone until Sunset spoke up next to her

“Makes you feel almost nostalgic, right?”

Blue glared at Sunset for sneaking up on her, but there was no real force behind it. After a moment of thinking, she nodded and whispered

“Yeah, a bit. Do you feel it too when you look at the sky?”

Sunset agreed with a nod and answered quietly so she wouldn't disturb the sleeping girls

“Sometimes a bit, sometimes a bit more. It's better since I've been visiting. I've got a better idea of myself now, you know?”

“Yeah. I understand.”

And she did. Ever since she'd put in the effort in Equestria, she felt more like herself than before. In this world, she always had to struggle and fight, so she knew barely anything else, but now, that had changed.

“Hey, if you're staying in Ponyville, we can meet up again. I plan to keep visiting Princess Twilight and Starlight Glimmer.”

“And me, I hope. So, you're going to stay here in Canterlot?”

Sunset nodded, watching the stars in the night sky

“I'll go to Community College here in town. I want to become a teacher. Like Celestia.”

Blue smiled, and it wasn't her usual grin, it was an honest smile. She didn't even have to ask which of the Celestias Sunset meant, it was clear to see.

However, thinking about it brought a small frown to Sunset and turned into a shy glance at Blue

“So, um, so how is everypony doing? Any... news from Equestria?”

Without a word, Blue held out her hand for Sunset to grab. Sunset needed a moment to understand, but then took her geode in one hand and reached out to Blue with the other.

Since Blue knew Sunset would never ask by herself, Blue tried to focus on the few occasions she had met with Princess Celestia and her visit to Canterlot Palace.

Sunset's eyes glowed in a white light for a few moments and Blue could only guess what she saw, but soon Sunset let go of her hand with a small gasp

“She asked you about me? She still cares about me?”

Blue nodded firmly

“And seems like you for her as well.”

“Yeah. I guess so.”

Blue kept her eyes on Sunset and for some reason could figure out what she was thinking

“Hey Red.”

Sunset looked up at her, still a bit lost in her own feelings

“You know, maybe she's not your Mum, but she's still important to you. I think you should go see her, and if it's only for closure.”

At this, Sunset grabbed her own arm to herself and looked away, ashamed

“But, what would Principal Celestia say? She might think I was replacing her with her pony counterpart.”

“Hey. She'll understand why it's important for you. She'll want you to let go of all this emotional clutter. She is your Mum, after all.”

Sunset, after a moment, started to smile and looked up at Blue again

“I think you're right. I'll talk to her, as soon as I see her!”

“You better. Otherwise I'll have to drag your sorry flank all the way to Canterlot.”

Sunset's smile turned into a full-blown smirk

“Aww, you'd do that for me? I'm touched, Blue. I didn't know you felt so strongly about me.”

Blue just brushed off Sunset's teasing with a smirk of her own

“Dude, I'm a little pony now, with pretty wings and I live in rainbow-fairytale land. If I'm not able to show feelings now, I never will be.”

That was just too much for both of them. Sunset started giggling which grew into laughter when Blue joined in, and it would take minutes for them to stop.

Breakfast was rather uneventful (for Pinkie Pie standards, at least), and the girls decided to take a stroll through town. Blue still had some time to kill before Princess Twilight would open the portal for her and the weather was nice enough.

Rainbow Dash joined them soon, but Applejack and Rarity texted that they were busy. Blue shrugged off her disappointment, they had their stuff to do, and it wasn't like she was never visiting again. At least they promised they'd be at the school in time.

They kept talking about their plans for the future a bit more, no surprise since the girls were in their last year of high school and graduation came closer with each day. Blue listened and shared some encouragement, but just like yesterday this seemed so far off from her. She didn't really feel like she was missing out though, she had never seen herself in college but rather going for a job right away. She just hadn't expected that this job would be in a different world.

Without any hurry, they took the streets that would lead them towards CHS, and Blue kept looking at the stores they passed. She'd been in lots of them with Rarity and the closer they got the more memories came back to her. For a girl who had been moving around constantly as a kid, Blue had never felt any nostalgia for the places she left, but she had it now for Canterlot here in the human world. Maybe because in this city, for the first time, she had some people she would actually miss once she left. Blue chuckled at her own thoughts. Get a hold of yourself. It's not like you'll be gone forever.

Pinkie Pie, out of all of them, seemed to pick up on Blue's mood and started retelling some of the stories they'd had together in these shops and the cafes around, and soon everybody was laughing and chipping in funny memories. It felt like Blue had never been gone and when she watched the girls, her best friends, laugh and chuckle, it didn't feel like leaving any more either. She liked that idea a lot.

Eventually though, the street brought them to Canterlot High School. Blue watched the familiar building, lost in some memories for a few minutes. At the statue, the two remaining friends were waiting for them already.

Blue frowned when she noticed several paper bags next to them

“What's this all about?”

“Why Darling, can't you guess? We got you some parting gifts.”

Blue shook her head at that idea

“Girls, I don't know what you brought, but I'm pretty sure I'm not gonna need it. I'll have hooves again in a couple of minutes, remember? So, I don't need any clothes and stuff.”

Rarity chuckled and shared a wink with Sunset

“Don't you worry. I'm sure we found something you will enjoy. We received help from an expert, after all.”

Blue looked between the girls who were all smiling now, before she sighed and checked one of the bags.

As soon as she did, her jaw dropped to the floor

“No way!”

They girls cheered when Blue broke into one of the biggest smiles they had ever seen on her. Inside the bag were music records. Old vinyl records like they were still common in Equestria. Blue checked the artists and titles and couldn't help gushing

“Wow, you got all the good ones and even some of my favourites! Where did you get those?”

Rainbow had a smug grin

“There's this DJ store in the mall who still sells them. Vinyl Scratch gave me a hint, so we checked it out for you. But that's not even the best! Check the other one!”

Eager to see, Blue checked the second bag and actually gasped in surprise

“No. Fucking. Way!”

She browsed through another stack of vinyls, these ones visibly older, but Blue didn't care at all. These were all records of songs she had grown up with or learned from her sister, and songs she had shown the girls as well, all German songs, most of her sister's favourites even

“How on earth did you get your hooves on those?”

All the girls, sans Sunset, laughed at the Equestrianism, but were eager to explain

“You know the girl from the schoolbook club, Photo Finish?” Blue nodded, she had recognized the photographer's accent right away and they had spent free periods talking German with each other.

“Well, turns out she still has some family in Germany, so she pulled some strings and got them sent over.”

Pinkie Pie nodded and chimed in

“We were going to send them over for your birthday, but now they're even better as a gift!”

“A little something to remind you of us, Darling.”

“And a lil' pick-me-up just in case you'd feel homesick.”

“Do you like them, Blue?”

Blue's genuine squeal of joy was all they needed and as they were laughing, they all join into one last big group hug that lasted for minutes.

Too soon though, Sunset's bag started buzzing and she pulled out a glowing magic journal. She checked the message and nodded to Blue

“Princess Twilight is ready for you now.”

Blue nodded and pulled each of them into one last hug, for now

“See ya, pony girl!”

“We're gonna miss you!”

“Always keep your chin up, you hear me?”

“Have a wonderful time, Darling.”

“And lots of fun!”

“And don't forget to write!”

Blue laughed and shared a final fist bump with Sunset

“See you real soon!”

“You bet your tail on it!”

With her gifts in hand, Blue turned towards the portal and started walking. She could feel the magic already and the swirling colours appeared to clear her passage. Behind her, the girls cheered and called their goodbyes.

Blue looked back and with a final wave, she stepped into the lights. A few seconds later, the lights faded, and Blue was gone.

For now, at least.

Author's Notes:

So this is it. This was the ending point I had in mind when I started writing this all those months ago.

So many people read this story and left a comment or a thumbs up for me, thank you so much for everyone who did!

I'm very pleased that I actually made it so far with this story, in spite of all the setbacks and doubts I had at first.
However, this is not the end for Blue and Spring Meadow yet.

While I was finishing my "main story", I came up with some ideas that didn't really fit in, but I think are too good to just dismiss. So, I'll put this story's status to finished, but I'll be adding a few extra chapters as soon as I get around finishing them up, so if you're interested you might want to keep an eye out for those later this year.

I'd love to hear what you guys think of the ending, and the story as a whole, so feel free to leave a comment or a quick message.
Again, thanks to everyone who joined Blue and me on this journey, you guys are awesome!

Bonus Arch, part 1: The storm

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It’s so strange. A few months ago, I couldn’t believe I was suddenly in a world full of magic and flying ponies, and now it’s almost boring, in a way.

The work in the weather patrol wasn’t the most exciting line of work, most of the times. For Blue, it was routine by now, therefore she had plenty of time to let her thoughts wander like this while she flew from cloud to cloud to do her thing.

Occasionally, she waved when one of her co-workers flew nearby, but this was a one-pony-job and they had their own share to do. Clearing up the sky in time for the festival that was about to happen the next day. Everypony in Ponyville was excited and the prospect of a free day tomorrow made everypony try and finish their tasks as quickly as possible. That, and cloud-busting was not a hard job to begin with.

Blue was almost finished in fact and just flew another loop to check her section, just in case. After that, she’d most likely help Cloud Chaser pick up the slack. He was a great guy and tons of fun to hang out with, so Blue didn’t mind at all giving him a hoof.

However, something caught her attention when she turned for the Everfree Forest. The place was creepy enough that most ponies stayed the heck away from it, and the weather patrol was no difference. It also had some ‘wild magic’ in it that made the clouds move on their own, which was a scary prospect for most pegasus ponies, even if Blue didn’t really get it. Even so, what she saw right now gave her a pretty good idea.

From the forest, she could see a huge bulk of clouds, black and angry clouds like in a thunderstorm. They formed quickly and the large mass grew into a massive storm front that started to move towards Ponyville, of all places.

Unsure what to do, Blue gave a loud shout and a few of her co-workers flew over, but their questions on what was wrong died down as they too saw the storm that was still growing.

“Somepony please tell me that’s something normal, right?”

Blue didn’t get an answer, but the worried faces told her all she needed to know. This was definitely not normal, and it meant trouble.

Cloud Chaser immediately chased off to get the captain, while the others hovered over the edge of the Everfree Forest and started mumbling among themselves. Blue got that they were worried, but she really got more by just staring at those black clouds. She could feel seething anger from them, and she knew instinctively that they meant trouble. She didn’t see any lighting bolts yet, but she knew they would be coming soon. She didn’t know how she knew, but she was absolutely sure.

Lucky for them, the captain arrived barely five minutes later. Unlucky for them, she frowned more than all of the others combined, which in turn made the others worry even more. Blue just gritted her teeth and waited for the hammer to drop

“It’s too late to stop that storm now. I don’t know why, but it’s building up way faster than normal, so it’s too dangerous to interfere right now. All we can do is hope it won’t grow even bigger.”

Blue glanced around and saw ears drop all around as now. A storm like this could be dangerous on its own, but of course it would also mean a disaster for tomorrow’s festival.

Blue felt that familiar anger again, like always when life threw another boulder into her way. This time however, she knew what she had to do: Put that anger into something where it would be useful.

“So how are we gonna deal with this?”

Blue didn’t care that everypony was staring at her now, instead she kept glaring at the storm clouds that just kept growing bigger and bigger. As such, she was completely surprised when the captain called out

“We won’t.”

This time, she joined the others when the stared at the captain in disbelief or some, like Blue, in annoyance

“We can’t just let this storm roll over Ponyville and do nothing!”

“I’m not saying we do nothing! But as it is, we can’t do anything to stop it. As long as the Everfree magic is still going, if we did something now, it would just push back harder. We’d only make things worse.”

Blue wasn’t very satisfied with that and went back to glaring at the storm. Somepony else asked what most of them were thinking

“Then what are we going to do now?”

“You’re all going to take a rest.”

Blue’s eyes snapped back at the captain, as did most of the others

“What? We can’t just go and do nothing! Everybody is still out preparing for the festival!”

“Yeah, town is packed with visitors, too. We can’t let all those ponies down!”

“And we won’t. We’re not doing nothing. Nopony can stop this storm from reaching Ponyville at this point, so we’ll do all we can to be ready when the hay hits the fan. And that means I’m gonna need all of you in tip-top-shape when it happens. So you’re going to get home, grab a snack, take a nap and prepare for a sleepless night, cause when this storm hits town, we’ll have our work cut out for us.”

Once the captain put her hoof down, so to speak, most of them saw reason and flew off in small groups. The captain called out to a few to get the mayor informed and sent a pony to Princess Twilight as well.

A few minutes later, only Blue and the captain were left. Blue must still have burning rage in her eyes, because she heard a sigh from her side

“I know you wanna jump right in and do something, but that’s not happening, Newbie. Your heart’s at the right place, but sometimes you need to wait for the right moment or else you’ll just be in over your head.”

Blue gritted her teeth, not so much because she called her ‘Newbie’, but because she hated nothing more than feeling helpless and angry at the same time

“There must be something we can do!”

“There is, and we’re already doing it. We need to be prepared. I know you’re angry, it’s written all over your face. You don’t have to stop being angry. Let it build up a little more, and in a few hours, you can use it to beat the living crap out of this storm.”

Blue couldn’t help but grin, even if she knew this was no time for jokes. As such, her moment of mirth didn’t last too long, before she turned to glaring again

“There must be something I can do!”

The captain watched her in a strange way, which reminded her a bit of Black Belt had sometimes looked at her, especially when she was beating all her frustration into a punching bag

“You got a sibling who works at the hospital, right?”

“Yeah, my sister. Why?”

The captain nodded and pointed back towards town

“Then you better give her a heads-up as well. Just in case.”

Blue stopped glaring for a moment, and turned to look at Ponyville

“That bad, huh?”

“Not if we have something to say about it.”

Blue looked over to see that the captain was glaring at the storm as well, just like she had a minute ago. But unlike Blue, she kept her anger under control. Blue threw one last glare at the storm

“You can count on me, Cap.”

“I know, Newbie. Now get lost. You’ll know when it’s time.”

Blue nodded and flew off towards the hospital. She flew as fast as she could, but she still noticed ponies on the streets running around and trying to gather everything and everypony inside. It wasn’t a real panic, but it definitely wasn’t the usual busy activity down there. Everypony was moving slightly faster, more urgent.

Shit’s going to hit the fan, alright. But it’ll take more than a freak storm to take me down.

Blue didn’t take that nap, she was too tense to get any sleep, so she spent the whole time staring out the window. Her sister didn’t come back from the hospital, even though her shift had to be over by now, so all she could do was stare and brood.

As soon as she saw another pegasus cross the sky in direction of the Everfree Forest, she more or less jumped out of the window and followed. She didn’t know if this is what the captain meant, but she knew that she’d go crazy by just sitting at home waiting any longer.

As it turned out, she wasn’t the only one. Half of the weather patrol was arriving or already there, plus some other pegasi Blue had seen around town. Usually, they didn’t recruit ponies for weather jobs, but this was obviously a ‘all hooves on deck’-situation, so everypony came to help. Even ones Blue hadn’t expected.

“Yo Dash! Thunderlane! What gives?”

A few ponies glanced up, but Rainbow Dash just laughed and waved her over. The others were keeping a bit of distance to her, since Rainbow was not only a national hero and a member of the Wonderbolts, but also the former weather patrol captain. Still, Blue and her got along fine without any fancy ranks. Part of it was that Blue already knew a Rainbow Dash before, but the two ponies just clicked as soon as they first met pretty much, so Blue had no trouble joining her with a casual hoof-bump. Thunderlane got the same treatment, he had only recently joined the Wonderbolts and was still getting used to things, but he had been a weather pony before that as well.

“Wow, we really have to be in deep shit for the famous Rainbow Dash to come and get her hooves dirty.”

Thunderlane glanced between them, most likely because he wasn’t used to ponies casually swearing like Blue did. Rainbow had a throwback as usual, but today she looked uncharacteristically serious

“Hey, cut me some slack, I might be a Wonderbolt, but I’m still the most kick-flank weather pony this town has ever seen.”

Blue chuckled a bit, but it died in her throat when she looked at the storm that had grown even bigger and angrier in just a couple of hours. By now, the whole sky was filled with dark storm clouds and a strong wind, more like a storm breeze, pushed them towards town. Blue even saw lightning flashes coming out of them, first just a few but quickly they became more and more frequent.

Rainbow Dash seemed tense. Even Blue got that was not a good sign. Rainbow casually talked about fighting dragons, changeling queens and all sorts of monsters and villains that threatened this whole world. How could a storm, even a massive one like that, shake Rainbow out of her cool?

Blue had to do something. A close friend would know what bothered Rainbow and find the right things to say. A semi-decent friend would maybe give her the chance to vent about whatever was bothering her. A casual friend would at least say something positive to encourage her.

Too bad Blue didn’t have any of those options. So instead, she did what she knew always worked with Rainbow Dash: Needle her and get her ego going.

“And here I thought Ponyville was all sunshine and rainbows. If anybody had told me about things like that before, I would have thought twice before moving here. Or join the weather patrol. What a downer.”

“Hey!”

Rainbow snapped back into a glare

“Don’t you just go and pin this on Ponyville! Or the weather patrol! We’re awesome, and it’ll take more than a freaky storm to change that!”

Blue grinned, but not only her. Rainbow Dash was talking way too loudly, almost yelling, so of course the others heard her as well. They were looking at her as they listened, and a few even called out some affirmations. Soon enough, Rainbow Dash wasn’t talking just to Blue anymore, but to all of them

“And we’re the Ponyville weather patrol! No matter who’s captain, no matter what kind of storm there might be, we can take it! Because we’re awesome like that!”

Blue grinned and joined in the shouts of “Yeah!” from all around. She only wanted to shake Rainbow out of her funk, but any Rainbow Dash at her best was bound to push everyone, or everypony around her to their best as well. Some things just never changed.

Now riled up by Rainbow, their former captain and idol, all the pegasus ponies faced the storm, but this time with confident expressions. Only Thunderlane threw a weird side-glance at Blue for some reason, but that changed when something happened. Blue focused on the mass of clouds and felt it. She didn’t know how she felt it, but she knew what it was even before the captain called out

“It’s starting. Get ready, everypony. We’re in for one heck of a ride.”

Everypony called out their commitment, as did Blue, right before they dived into the mountain of storm clouds.

Two hours later, and Blue yelled in frustration. Granted, they kept the worst away from Ponyville so far, but that storm wasn’t showing any signs of slowing down. Everypony did their best to get the rainclouds under control, but with very little success so far.

Blue glared at the heart of the storm and frowned. She didn’t grow up with this, but the weather had somewhat made sense to her from day one. Maybe because she had a weather-related cutie mark, maybe because her pegasus instincts were new to her and so she paid more attention to them. Right now, Blue couldn’t give less of a fuck about the why, she only cared about how she could use this to her advantage right now.

She had been on storm duty before, but those had been scheduled storms with a clear plan in mind. She knew that for a regular pony-storm, there was a certain pattern in which the clouds had to be arranged. It was a little bit like knitting, just with clouds and weather magic instead of string. Point was, there was usually a clear system behind pony-made storms.

This one had no system at all. It was just a mess, like if someone had just thrown together a metric shit ton of broken fishnets and haphazardly rolled them together into a tangled chaos with no real start and no real end. And now the ponies of the weather patrol were fiddling with a few loose strings they could grasp, but they never really got anything done because the biggest bulk had so many knots, no matter where they pulled or pushed it only made the knots tighter. Even Rainbow Dash with her super-speed couldn’t do anything, no matter how many times she crashed into the centre, she just bounced off with barely any impact. It seemed like that tangled mess was more than just a net, it was a fucking trampoline or something.

Blue glared and focused on the storm-bulk that was closest to her. We can’t untangle this shit, but there’s more way than one to open a knot.

She charged right at the knot with her forehooves stretched out in front of her. As usual, she felt some resistance that she knew was weather magic, but this was different. This time, the magic seemed to push her, like it wanted to push her away. Fuck that, gonna take more than that to stop me.

So Blue kept pushing back with all her might. Her wings worked hard to catapult her forward with each flap, but she also pushed with all her anger. She gritted her teeth and kept pushing against the resistance, and she could feel she was causing a dent, at least. Come on, just a little more!

Then suddenly, something snapped, and Blue pushed through. She could practically feel the tear she caused in the weather magic as she charged through the clouds with all her built up speed. Luckily, she could catch herself quickly and fly a turnover, just to see what had happened. The knot she’d seen was broken up, and finally she could feel different layers of weather magic. It was still a tangled mess, but now she knew this was something they could deal with. The others noticed as well, since suddenly the lightning bolts stopped altogether.

Rainbow Dash shouted something at her that Blue couldn’t hear through the wind, but she heard some cheers going through the crowd. She flew over too them with a grin plastered on her face

“You did it!”

“Great job, Newbie!”

“YEAH!”

Blue laughed and shared a hoof-bump with Cloud Chaser, but the captain’s voice had her quickly snap back to attention

“No time to celebrate yet. We still got work to do.”

The others gave a quick salute and dived right back in, but Blue got called out before she could follow them

“Blue, I need you over here!”

She glanced at the others who made some progress now that the biggest knot was gone, so she turned around and flew to the captain instead

“What’s up?”

As soon as she turned around, she knew what was up. She might have opened one knot, but around her, the storm was still raging. The captain waved at the clouds and asked what Blue knew she would ask

“Whatever you just did… can you do it again?”

Blue looked around and focused. She tried to think about all the ponies down in their houses who were still worried, maybe even scared. She thought about the fillies and colts who would miss out on the festival. She felt herself get angry again.

She could see more knots, all around her, and she knew what to do

“Fuck yeah I can!”

The captain nodded and shouted out over the storm

“Okay Blue, do your thing. Everypony else, follow her lead.”

Blue didn’t even wait for anyone to respond, she just dived head-straight towards the nearest weather-knot and pushed. It took a little more effort, but soon that one broke as well. This time, Blue didn’t stop and charged at another one. And another one. There still were dozens left, but now she knew what to do.

She didn’t even realize that for the first time, the captain had used her real name.

Blue didn’t even know how many hours she just kept working through the storm with the others, everything was a blur of anger, adrenaline, and exhaustion. She was running low on fumes, but it was worth it. The storm was down to just heavy rainfall and the weather patrol and her could handle it finally. After Blue had opened up more holes, they finally untangled the mess, and everything was back under control.

Still, their work was far from done and Blue wasn’t going to drop out as long as she could still fly. Everypony around her was tired and nopony was talking anymore, but they knew they were on the last stretches, so everypony gathered the last of their strength and pushed on.

Suddenly, she heard a scream close to her and her head snapped around. She couldn’t see too much in the rain, but she saw a brighter shape plummet down towards the ground.

She didn’t think at all. She was just running on adrenaline. She tucked her wings close against her flank and went for a nose-dive into the dark. It was the middle of the night and most of the sky was still covered in clouds, but she could see the shape still.

Blue had almost reached it when she suddenly saw something else. A tree. She was plummeting straight towards a tree. In a split-moment of clarity she knew she could either reach the screaming thing, or dodge the tree, but not both. She braced for impact.

A moment later, the thing, a pegasus colt with a blue-greyish coat, was in reach of her hooves. She grabbed him, pulled him close against her as she curled up in mid-air and tried to turn the colt away from the tree she was about to hit. She felt the first impact and a sharp pain ran through her wing. She hit a couple more branches, which thankfully broke her fall, before she landed on the ground flank first.

She was just lying there for a minute, catching her breath, and gritting her teeth together to help ignore the pain. The cold rain helped dull everything down, except in her right wing, but enough so she could sit up and open her eyes again. She was still holding the colt in her hooves and looked down. Blue let out a sigh in relief when she couldn’t see any visible bruises on him, and she shook him carefully

“You okay buddy?”

He opened his eyes and nodded, obviously he had no idea what just had happened. He looked around to get his bearings, but when he noticed he was still on top of Blue while she was sitting in wet dirt, he quickly jumped out of her hooves and on the ground

“Sorry.”

“Eh, no biggie. Did you get hurt?”

He shook his head and stared wide-eyed at something next to Blue, but before Blue could say anything else, they heard a voice from above. Blue didn’t get what it said, but the colt must have because he shouted back.

Two pegasi landed next to them, followed by three more, and finally Blue recognized the voice

“Rumble, are you okay? What in the name of Celestia are you doing out here?”

Blue rolled her eyes when Thunderlane started fussing over his little brother and tried to get back on her hooves while the colt explained

“I wanted to help you! Everypony is out to help and I’m a pegasus too!”

Blue laughed when the two brothers started going back and forth but winced when another surge of pain ran through her chest. Immediately, somepony was beside her again

“Oh my gosh, Blue, are you hurt?”

Blue tried to push them away, but in the end had to accept that they were helping her back on her hooves, and she could look down herself. She was covered with mud and there was a gash on her left leg, no big deal. Her ribs hurt a little, probably from the impact, but all in all she felt fine. She was about to say so, but the three pegasi, including the captain, stared at her right side from some reason. She turned her head and saw that her right wing stood in a weird angle, and by now realized the throbbing pain.

“Oh no! Blue, your wing! This is awful!”

Blue rolled her eyes and shrugged

“It’s fine. Barely even hurts, no need to make a fuss.”

“But it looks like it’s broken, or worse!”

“You need to see a doctor! We need to call an ambulance!”

Blue, before she could get angry again, just walked a few steps away from them and looked at the sky, and the few remaining clouds

“Save it. We still got a job to do, remember?”

They were all looking at her like she had just grown a few extra heads, so she turned away and spread her wings. She winced and realized that had been a mistake. The rain had dulled down most of it, but as soon as she tried to move her wing, the pain was back, and she bit her tongue so she wouldn’t scream.

A hoof on her shoulder stopped her from trying again, and the captain shot her best glare at her

“You’re not flying anymore tonight. You’ll get your flank straight to the Doc and have that thing looked at.”

“I’m not gonna bail out of work just because of a little…”

“Blue.”

Blue shut her mouth immediately when she heard the tone of voice

“You did enough. You pulled more than your weight already, we’ll take care of the rest.”

Before Blue could say anything else, everypony except Thunderlane and Rumble got back into the sky, leaving her with the captain and the two brothers

“Now, you’re gonna wait right here while I get an ambulance and…”

Blue rolled her eyes again, but not as angry anymore

“Seriously, I can still walk fine. I don’t need a fucking ambulance.”

The captain stared at her for a minute, but then nodded

“Fine. Thunderlane, you make sure she actually gets there, understood?”

Thunderlane gave a sharp salute and picked up his little brother onto his back

“And you’re coming right along, you little pest.”

“Hey, why me? I’m not even hurt!”

“Because I said so, that’s why! What were you even thinking, trying to fly through a storm like that?”

Blue sighed and walked down the path back towards town, a bit slower than usual because her leg hurt a little, but she wasn’t going to tell Thunderlane that. As they walked, the rain grew less and finally stopped, unlike Thunderlane’s rambling as he scolded his little brother, to the point Blue couldn’t take it anymore

“Geez, cut him some slack, will you? At least he’s shown that he’s got guts.”

“Guts maybe, but not much brains to go along with it.”

Rumble did probably the best thing and didn’t say anything, least to give his brother even more fuel, but Blue shot him a wink when Thunderlane wasn’t looking. She had done her own fair share of stupid at his age, and most of the stuff way worse than that.

It had to be around two in the morning when they reached the hospital, and the storm was completely gone by then. Everything was still a little wet, but nothing the morning sun couldn’t take care of. With no point to drag things out even longer, Blue sighed and walked in, only to have the first nurse that saw her start fussing around. She just closed her eyes and hoped she could get out again soon.

She didn’t get out. Instead of a quick bandage for her leg and a quick look-over, Blue was sent into an examination room, together with Rumble. They both sat on one of the beds and Rumble was looking as miserable as Blue felt

“Man, this sucks…”

“Yeah, tell me about it.”

Blue chuckled a little and glanced over to the little colt

“Why are you even here? I thought you didn’t get hurt.”

“I didn’t. But my big brother told me I needed to have a doctor look me over.”

Blue just laughed

“That’s not too bad. Trust me, could be way worse.”

“Oh yeah? What worse than your brother sending you to the doctor?”

Blue didn’t even have to answer, as in that moment the door opened and a stern-looking mare with a nurse hat walked in. Rumble watched as the nurse completely ignored him and kept glaring at Blue for a whole minute before she said anything

“Hello, Ocean Shore.”

“Hi Sis.”

Rumble’s eyes flew wide open and suddenly he knew how things could be worse. Like, if your older sibling is the doctor.

The mare turned to smile at Rumble for a moment

“I’ll be right with you, sweetie. Just a minute.”

Rumble watched as the two sisters (even though they didn’t look anything like sisters) talked with each other. They were talking in some foreign language that Rumble couldn’t understand, but Blue’s face told him enough. She was clearly unhappy at having her sister fuss over her, but she answered all questions and held still when the nurse checked her legs. Rumble winced when the nurse cleaned the gash or Blue’s leg with an alcohol wipe, but Blue didn’t even flinch. She didn’t even care when the nurse poked and pulled her wing. She only winced and bit her lip when the nurse popped the wing back into the proper angle, but she was back to stoic when she got a bandage after that. They kept talking in that weird language, but Rumble didn’t really mind. He watched as Blue got another bandage on her hoof, then the nurse turned to him and started talking normal again.

“Now sweetie, let’s make sure everything is alright with you, okay?”

Rumble nodded and just followed along. The nurse was very friendly and patient with him, she didn’t seem as gruff as she had with Blue. He didn’t say anything though, since he wanted to get out of the hospital as fast as he could, so he just did everything the nurse said. After a couple of minutes, she seemed satisfied and told her that her brother was waiting outside.

He threw a glance to Blue, but she was just staring at the ceiling and didn’t even notice it, so he just waved shyly and then rushed out of the room.

Blue must have fallen asleep at some point, because suddenly it was morning and the sun was shining. She allowed herself a satisfied grin but groaned as soon as she tried to move. She felt stiff from laying awkwardly all night with her wing in a splint. She looked herself over and saw a couple more bandages, which seemed weird since she didn’t even remember getting hurt more than her wing. But since her coat was now clean as well, she guessed that probably somepony had given her a more thorough check-up while she’d been out from the painkillers the doctor had prescribed her last night.

The door opened and to Blue’s relief, her sister walked in instead of a nurse she didn’t know. It was a short relief since her sister looked like she hadn’t slept all night. Blue knew that Spring Meadow would never let anypony see this, but here with just Blue, she slipped up a little.

Of course, Spring Meadow had more than enough reasons to be angry at her even without that, so Blue just looked down at the floor next to her bed, waiting for the scolding that was about to happen

“How are you feeling, Blue?”

That was not the harsh tone of voice Blue had expected, so she dared look up again. Her sister seemed tired and a bit irritated from being up too long… but not really angry. Maybe a bit grumpy at most.

She was also staring at her, which meant she was waiting for the answer to the question Blue had almost forgotten already

“I’m fine. Just a bit sore. Wing hurts a little.”

Blue didn’t like talking about herself. It was easier with her sister when they could talk in German and nobody would understand them, but even then, she didn’t like it much. Spring Meadow knew and just nodded, then she walked around the bed to take a closer look at the wing once more. Blue sighed in relief when she undid the bandage and she could feel air on her feathers again, but winced since even trying to spread her wing just a little bit hurt.

Spring Meadow frowned but didn’t say anything. She moved the wing with her hooves and stopped whenever Blue winced when she reached a painful spot. After a while, she started talking again

“So, nothing’s broken but it’s sprained. You need to keep it still for a couple weeks, but you won’t need a cast. Your leg is still swollen and needs rest, and your bruised your ribs a bit. We’re keeping you in for today at least.” Spring turned around and now, for the first time, looked at Blue again “Other than that, just a few little cuts and bruises, nothing bad. Just stay in bed and take it easy.”

Blue nodded and mumbled

“Yeah. Sure.”

She looked away from her sister before she pressed out

“Sorry you had to patch me up again.”

She heard a sigh and looked up when Spring Meadow walked around the bed so she could look at her again

“It was never having to patch you up, and you know that. At least you didn’t get into a fight this time.”

Blue could grin a little at that

“Yeah, imagine that, me doing the right thing for a change.”

“Blue, stop that. I don’t want to hear you say things like that.”

And Blue stopped immediately. She was still sore, and Spring was tired, it really wasn’t the right time for that kind of talk. Instead, she glanced at her now freshly bandaged wing. She once had her arm broken as a kid, but compared to that, a sprained wing was nothing.

Spring Meadow followed her gaze and nodded

“All things considered, you’re lucky ponies are very resilient. A human might have broken their neck from a fall like that.”

Blue chuckled weakly

“It wasn’t really a fall, more like a crash landing. I’ve been practicing that kind of stuff in flight training.”

“I know. I just didn’t realize until last night how dangerous your job really is.”

Blue frowned at her sister

“Don’t tell me you want me to quit?”

She glared at her, but Spring Meadow just shook her head

“No, don’t worry. I mean, of course I’m a bit worried, but I don’t think you could do a job without at least a bit of danger. I can’t even imagine you being cooped up behind a counter or a desk eight hours a day.”

They both could laugh at that idea, and Blue felt okay enough for a little quip back

“I mean, it’s not like your job is that healthy. How long have you been working now, two days straight?”

Spring smiled mildly but not angry

“I had a nap in between. And technically, I’m already off duty. I just came to check on you.”

Blue rolled her eyes and waved with her good hoof

“And now you’ve seen I’m fine, so get lost already! And don’t you even think about just holing up at home until your next shift! Go have fun at the festival, or I’ll have to sick Pinkie Pie on you!”

They both laughed and Spring Meadow stepped closer to the bed so she could hug her sister. Blue usually wasn’t into the touchy-feely stuff, but with Spring she could manage.

At the door, Spring turned around and winked

“Try to get some rest while you still can.”

Blue tilted her head confused

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You’ll see once visiting hours start.”

With that, Spring Meadow left the room and left Blue to wonder.

Blue had finished her hospital breakfast maybe an hour ago and was starting to get really bored. She heard music and more and more voices through the open window on the other side of the room, so she could guess that the festival had started by now.

Despite being cooped up in this room, unable to even move her wing or get up on her own, Blue smiled. The guys had managed to stop the storm and save the festival, and she’d done her fair share for that too. Of course she knew that it was just a festival and another one would be just around the corner, but everypony had been excited about it. And she had done something so they wouldn’t be disappointed. Even if she couldn’t enjoy the festival, it still felt good.

Her ears perked up when she heard some commotion by the door, and before she knew it, there was a big explosion of streamers, balloons, and confetti. She blinked and suddenly the room was fully decorated, and a hyperactive pink menace bounced up and down beside her bed

“Surprise! Welcome to your very own “Get well soon!”-party-surprise! Were you surprised? Were you? Were you?”

Blue just burst into a laughing fit and tried to nod, but her bruised ribs made laughing hurt quite a bit, so she ended up wincing in pain.

Thankfully, Pinkie Pie wasn’t the only visitor and another familiar voice chimed in

“Pinkie, Darling, can’t you see she’s still hurting, the poor dear! Please, do be gentle!”

Pinkie shot a worried look at her but Blue just help up her good hoof and grinned

“Great surprise, Pinkie!”

That got Pinkie smiling again and as they bumped hooves, Blue noticed that behind Rarity, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Twilight and even Spike walked in, giving the room a rather cramped feel.

“Hey guys, what you’re doing here? Shouldn’t you be out there and get the party going? Twilight, don’t you have a speech to hold or something?”

They all laughed when Princess Twilight blushed at this, but they kept focusing on Blue

“We just wanted to see how you were doing, Ocean Shore.”

“Yeah, we heard from Thunderlane what happened and…”

“And we thought it’d be nice to pop in for a visit.”

“And we brought you some treats, so even if you can’t come to the festival, you’ll at least get some out of it.”

Applejack grinned and held out a plate with some freshly made apple fritters

“We figured it had to beat hospital food at least.”

“Oh hey, sweet!”

They all laughed as Blue bit heartily into one of the fritters, which only had Pinkie Pie bounce on the spot again

“Oh, speaking of sweets, I also brought some caramel apples, chocolate strawberries, cinnamon nuts and…”, Pinkie stopped for one big breath as she pulled all the treats out of thin air it seems, including the last one which was almost as big as herself

“Cotton candy, freshly spun of course!”

Blue stared at the mountain of pink cotton candy that was literally just dumped on top of her while everypony else was chuckling it up, except Twilight Sparkle

“Pinkie Pie, I know you mean well, but Blue is still recovering so she needs to make sure she gets a well-balanced diet with lots of vitamins and fluids, fresh produce and…”

“Yo Princess!”

Blue waved her hoof in front of Twilight’s face to get her attention before she drifted off into full lecture mode

“Twi, I got a sprained wing. I know you can’t help worrying, but you don’t have to, okay? I’m not fatally ill, so stop acting like I am.”

Princess Twilight frowned for a couple of seconds, but then Twilight Sparkle’s face softened into a smile as she nodded

“I understand. But you know we’re doing all this because we care.”

“Yeah, gotcha.”

Blue threw a look around the now fully decorated and candy-stacked room

“And I think I can make it through the day with all of this, really. So why don’t you go and enjoy the festival now? AJ, Rarity, your sisters have been talking about nothing else for weeks, and I’m pretty sure ponies are just waiting for Pinkie to get things rolling.”

Blue glared, but all her friends could see that there was no force or anger behind it as she waved them towards the door

“I’ll be fine, okay? Just go.”

The seven friends shared a knowing look and nodded, then stepped forward one by one for a quick hug before they left.

Rainbow Dash was the last one in the room, and she turned around when the others were outside

“Hey Blue.”

Blue sighed and rolled her eyes. Rainbow acting weird like this would mean she wanted to talk about some feely stuff, but she was really bad at it. Fortunately, Blue had experience with that from another Rainbow Dash one world over, so she just cut the awkward moment short for both of them

“It’s really not a big deal, Dash. I’ll be fine with a few days grounded.”
“Well, you shouldn’t be fine with it. I was out there and I’m faster than you. I could have caught Rumble without crashing, or I could have stopped you from hitting that tree.”

“But you didn’t. And it’s okay, really. I know you would have if you could, but you didn’t and it’s fine. I don’t blame anyone, especially not you. It’s just part of the job.”

Rainbow nodded once, still a bit uncertain but at least somewhat reassured, so Blue went for the thing that always worked with Rainbow

“Besides, I’m made of tougher stuff than some soft pony-pants.”

“Oh yeah? You think you’re tougher than me, too?”

Blue grinned and Rainbow grinned back

“As soon as you got flight clearance, I’m gonna give you another flying lesson, Wonderbolt-style. We’ll see how tough you’re after that. You’ll never even get close to hitting a tree ever again!”

“Do your worst, Dash!”

They bumped their hooves together to seal the deal, and finally Rainbow Dash felt good enough to leave.

At the door, she hesitated for a moment

“Oh, um, should I send in the others now?”

“The others?”

Rainbow opened the door a bit further and Blue saw an actual line of ponies waiting outside. She just groaned and sank back into the pillows. This is going to be a fucking long day.

Way past noon, Blue finally shooed out the last visitors. She could have maybe expected some of her co-workers from the weather patrol, but not all of them. The nurses made sure there were only two or three ponies in her room at the same time, so Blue had to take the whole ‘fussing over her wing’-routine a dozen times.

To some part, it was nice to know that everypony seemed to care enough to pay her a visit, especially with the party going on in town, and she took the chance to share the load of candy she’d gotten from Pinkie Pie with her visitors (which was good, since she could never have eaten all of it by herself). On the other hand though, Blue’s patience was limited, especially when everypony treated her sprained wing like a life-threatening disease or like she had to spend the rest of her life in a wheelchair or anything.

So when the last group finally left, Blue had to press her pillow against her face and just scream out her frustration. One of the nurses poked her head in, with an amused expression, and winked

“There’s just two more waiting for you.”
Blue groan and waved her hooves helplessly

“That’s what you said about the last ones! Can’t you just send them home and tell them to come back tomorrow?”

The nurse giggled, but her expression didn’t really carry it

“I could, but I really think you want to see those two today. I promise I’ll send anypony else away after that.”

Blue sighed and slumped back into the bed, it wasn’t like she had much of a chance

“Okay, fine, send them in I guess.”

Blue closed her eyes and kept them closed until she heard hoof-steps walking in. When she looked up, she knew why the nurse insisted on seeing those two today instead of later.

Rumble, the colt she had caught before anything bad could happen, was staring at her bandaged wing with wide eyes, and looked like he might start to cry. Thunderlane stood next to him and didn’t know what to say.

Blue waited for a minute, but when nopony said anything, she just decided to get over with it as fast as she could

“Yes it will fully heal, no it doesn’t hurt much, yes I’m sure and no, I don’t need anything from you to get me. They’re just keeping me in for safety, mostly. Anything I missed?”

Thunderlane smiled at least, and he nudged his brother closer to the bed, so Blue waited for Rumble to say something

“I’m sorry you got hurt because of me. And I’m sorry you can’t fly anymore because you’re hurt.”

Blue wanted to roll her eyes and just wave it off, but she could see that Rumble really felt bad, so she forced a smile

“Don’t worry, kid. That’s all part of the job. I’m glad you didn’t get hurt.”

Rumble looked like he wanted to say more, but since he didn’t, Thunderlane spoke up instead

“It goes without saying, but Rumble is grounded for sneaking out in the middle of the night, and he’ll never try to fly in a storm like that again. Isn’t that right, Rumble?”

The colt nodded and Blue rolled her eyes

“Geez, don’t sweat it kid. I’ve done way worse when I was your age.”

Rumble nodded, at least a little calmer now, and of course a bit curious now as well. Before he could ask anything about what Blue might have done, Thunderlane sent him out and told him he was allowed to go to the festival now. He didn’t need to be told twice and ran off with an awkward ‘Goodbye’ to Blue.

When they were along, Thunderlane turned to Blue

“I think I never really thanked you yet, for saving my brother. I owe you big time.”

“You don’t owe me squat. You think I would have just let the fella hit the ground?”

“No, of course not. But you saved my brother, when I couldn’t, and…”

“And nothing. You would have saved him if you’d saw him first, but I was there instead. You would have done the same thing. You’re not to blame for anything and you don’t owe me shit.”

“But…”

“Just shut up!”

Thunderlane backed away and Blue felt bad for a moment, but after a whole day of being pitied, she just couldn’t take any more

“Look, I get what you want to say, but just save it. I did my job and there’s nothing else to it, so don’t act like this is such a big deal. I’m glad the kid is okay, and I hope he learned his lesson, and now can we please stop talking about it!”

Blue groaned frustrated and Thunderlane laughed softly

“I guess being cooped in here doesn’t make it better, huh?”

“No, not really. But it’s not your fault either.”

“Isn’t yours, too. But you’re still stuck here.”

He looked around the room that was still decorated from Pinkie Pie and now plastered with flowers and get-well-cards as well, and he nodded

“So, I’m gonna leave you to it. But, you know, if you want some company later…”

Blue groaned and waved towards the door

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll send a memo. Now get lost!”

Thunderlane nodded and headed straight for the door

“See you later, Blue.”

“Are you still here?”

They both laughed a bit, and when the door close, Blue could finally sink back into the bed and enjoy some quiet time.

Bonus Arch, part 2: Perspective

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Blue had to stay two more nights at the hospital, which meant she also had to endure two more days of visitors. Luckily, she didn’t have to go through the whole pity party from the first day again, and to be honest, they made getting through the day without being bored to death much easier.

The bruises on her ribs were mostly healed, enough that the doctor said she could walk again, if she kept things slow and easy. The gash on her leg was almost gone by now, so she only had to keep the bandage on her wings. Blue patiently listened to the nurse who basically told her the same things as the doctor, but all the nurses had been very friendly, so she didn’t want to give them a hard time. Also, the nurse kept things short, since she rightfully suspected that Spring Meadow would keep a close look on Blue at home.

When Blue stepped outside, she breathed in the warm summer air and looked at the shining sun in a clear sky. Being cooped up in a small hospital room, she really had missed this a lot. The only thing better would be to jump into the air and feel the wind in her feathers, but that would have to wait a few more days.

Blue took the long way through town as she walked home, which meant she walked by the market. Since it was already close to noon, that meant a lot of ponies saw her as she slowly walked down the streets, and they all saw her bandaged wing of course. Everypony gave her a friendly smile or waved, even ponies Blue didn’t even know, so Blue forced herself to return the gesture with a nod at least.

She didn’t stay and chat with anyone, but she soon heard the whispers behind her back whenever she passed a group of ponies. She didn’t hear what they were saying, but she saw from the corner of her eyes that everyone was watching her by now. For a moment, her vision got blurry and instead of the market, she was in a long corridor with lockers and classroom doors and the ponies turned into high school students.

The thought made her clench her eyes closed and grit her teeth.

“Hey Blue! Whatcha doing here all by yourself?”

Blue had gotten so used to Pinkie Pie appearing out of nowhere, she didn’t even flinch anymore. As she opened her eyes again, she saw her pink friend right in her personal space, but from the corner of her eyes she could see the other ponies had stopped watching her and whispering about her, so for this time, she could let that pass.

She turned her attention to Pinkie Pie and forced a smile

“Just walking home. Just got released from the hospital, so I thought I’d take the scenic route, you know?”

Pinkie Pie nodded along and started walking next to her, so Blue just followed along, even though she noticed that Pinkie was not going the right direction

“It’s just a perfect day for a nice walk through town! The sun is shining, the birds are singing, you can just walk and enjoy while you’re walking where you need to go. Not that there’s anything wrong with walking just because you like to walk!”

Blue rolled her eyes and followed Pinkie who was steering right towards Sugarcube Corner it seemed

“I guess so. Also, you said ‘walk’ half a dozen times just now. What’s wrong?”

“Nothing! Why would anything be wrong? Nothing wrong with two friends walking down the street, on a nice walk when it’s perfect weather for walking and…”

“Pinkie!”

Blue interrupted her a bit harsher than was necessary, not to mention polite, so Pinkie flinched a little. To Blue’s surprised, Pinkie Pie looked guilty now, like she had been the one who was impolite. She leaned in so she could whisper

“I didn’t know what else to do! You were making the face!”

Blue blinked confused, but then her eyes opened wide, and she whispered back

“How would you know about the face?”

“Just a hunch. It sounds like something you would say.”

Blue took a deep breath, more like a sigh, and forced her voice to calm and even

“Yeah, I guess I would. Now spill. What’s the big fuss all about?”

Pinkie Pie perked up, but just a little, as she kept whispering

“You seemed so upset you had to walk and couldn’t fly anymore, so I thought maybe I could cheer you up, but Rarity said I should be tactful and not mention walking, and I tried really, really hard but…”

Blue couldn’t help but grin at that point

“But the more you tried to avoid it, the harder it was, right?”

“Um… kinda…”

Blue shook her head but kept her little smirk

“Okay, first thing: I’m not upset because of my wing. I don’t mind walking at all. Alright?”

Pinkie nodded and perked up more, but just a little

“But, um, if you’re not upset, why did you make the face?”

“I’m not just upset. I’m freaking pissed. Not about my wing, but about the fact that everybody is staring at me and talking behind my back. They don’t know me at all, they have no idea what happened, they are all just making up fucking stories about me and then they’re going to spread them around and nobody will give a flying fuck anymore about what’s really going on and…”

“But they’re not!”

Pinkie interrupted Blue’s rant with a shout that was loud enough to turn all heads towards them, or maybe they had started watching when Blue started swearing, Blue didn’t really know or care right now. She just stared at Pinkie Pie

“Then why are they talking behind my back like that, huh? This is just like back in… before I came here.”

She hoped Pinkie would understand what she meant, and she did, but now Pinkie Pie was looking at her with something dangerously close to pity for a moment, before she fell back into her usual silly grin

“Oh, you old frowny-cake. That’s not it at all! Everypony knows what happened and how you got hurt while saving the festival for everypony!”

“Um, that’s not really what happened…”

“The only reason they’re talking with each other and not you is because you’re walking through town all grumpy-faced! I’m sure if you’d crack a smile, they’d be all over you and thanking you and…”

“I’m glad they don’t!”

Pinkie Pie completely fell out of loop when Blue interrupted her, and her eyes went so wide that Blue felt compelled to explain herself

“I don’t want any big fuss about it. It was bad enough in the hospital, but I don’t want anyone to treat me any different. And I absolutely don’t want anypony to throw me a freaking pity party!”

That last part had a sharp edge in her voice from her lingering anger, so much that even Pinkie Pie’s ears perked up. Suddenly, she didn’t seem very interested in getting to Sugarcube Corner anymore

“Oh, um, you know what, I totally forgot I promised to… um… oh! To help Fluttershy today! Yes, totally! I was just on my way there! Hey, you should totally come with me! Not that you have to, but it would be so much more fun than lame old Sugarcube Corner right now!”

Blue narrowed her eyes suspiciously

“You’ve planed a pity party for me, haven’t you?”

“What? Me? Pshh, nah, I mean why would I? Even though parties are fun and a great way to show how much you appreciate somepony and want to cheer them up and…”

“Pinkie!”

Pinkie’s ears flopped down

“Okay, so maybe I planned a tiny, teensy little party for you. But if you really don’t like it, we really should go to visit Fluttershy. Since she lives out of town, you’re less likely to run into anypony there and you maybe can stop making the face.”

Blue sighed deeply and tried to push out all her lingering anger as well. Pinkie Pie clearly only had the best intentions, she just didn’t know that Blue wouldn’t like a party right now. And her backup-plan would mean she’d be out of the eyes of everypony, at least for a while.

She felt a lot calmer after a few deep breaths, and nodded to Pinkie

“Sure, let’s go visit Fluttershy. Better than sitting at home all day long.”

She turned around and walked roughly into the direction of the Everfree Forest, and tried her best to ignore Pinkie Pie waving sings to somepony behind her back, although her good wing flapped when she heard ‘abort mission’ from somepony.

Soon enough, Pinkie Pie was bouncing next to her, which was her typical way of walking, and babbled about something that Blue didn’t really pay much attention to. As long as she was with Pinkie Pie, everypony else had no reason to stare at her. And like Pinkie had said, when they reached the outskirts of Ponyville, they didn’t even run into anypony anymore, so Blue could practically feel ‘the face’ fade away.

She kinda felt bad for snapping at Pinkie Pie the way she had, but as usual, she didn’t really know how to explain herself, so she just didn’t say anything. Pinkie kept babbling and smiled like there had never been anything wrong or awkward, but Blue knew that if this Pinkie Pie was just a little like the Pinkie Pie she knew, then Pinkie would remember. Pinkie Pie rarely ever forgot something and when she thought she messed something up, she had that tendency to chastise herself over and over to the point of depression. Like that one time when she had brought Blue a muffin with rainbow sprinkles when Blue hadn’t asked for any. Blue hadn’t thought anything of it, but Pinkie Pie had carried it around for a whole week until she finally collapsed in tears, during science class.

Blue definitely didn’t want a repeat of that. Even if that meant she had to say something.

“Hey Pinkie.”

“And then I said 'Silly Rarity, just because the colour doesn't match the hat doesn't mean...”

“Pinkie!”

“Yes Blue?”

Blue took a deep breath when she finally caught her attention. She had the need to say something, but now that she could, words were very hard to get by, suddenly

“About earlier when you... I wasn't really, you know, and... what I was trying to say... you know I'm not mad at you or anything, right?”

Pinkie Pie nodded but stayed uncharacteristically quiet, which meant Blue had to go on with it

“And, you know... it's not that I hate parties or anything. Especially yours. I'm just very, very bad at dealing with surprises. Okay?”

At this, Pinkie Pie just tilted her head to the side and looked at Blue

“So, does that mean if I told you before, you would have liked a party?”

“A regular party, yeah. Probably. A pity party? Never. I wasn't kidding when I said I hate those.”

Pinkie Pie nodded and looked deep in thought for a few minutes, so much that Blue could almost hear the gears running in her head

“So does that mean, if I was planning a different party, like say, a birthday party...?”

Blue grinned and shrugged her good wing

“Yeah, no problem with that. I usually know months in advance when my birthday is coming.”

They both laughed and Pinkie finally seemed back at her usual, bubbly self

“So, birthday parties are okay, but what about other kind of parties? Beach party? Garden party? Oh, it’s getting close to your 4-months-2-weeks-3-and-a-half-day-aniversary of…

“Don’t push it, Pinkie.”

“Birthday party it is!”

“Oh… um, Happy Birthday! I didn’t know that was today… I would have gotten you a little something at least…”

Blue and Pinkie looked up surprised and found Fluttershy standing right in front of them. They had been so deep in conversation that they hadn’t really noticed that they were already by Fluttershy’s cottage now.

Before Fluttershy could go into the second act of her ‘shy and apologetic’-routine, Blue shook her head and waved her good wing

“Nah, don’t worry. We were just… don’t worry about it, okay?”

Pinkie Pie nodded along and Fluttershy looked between them, and then decided that it wasn’t worth getting into, so she just smiled

“If you say so. Um, does that mean the gathering in Sugarcube Corner…?”

Blue shrugged and tried to look less annoyed than earlier with Pinkie Pie

“Meh, I’m not feeling like meeting tons of ponies today, you know?”

Fluttershy nodded, probably feeling very similar about that

“Um, in that case, would you like to come join me inside? We could have a nice little tea party instead.”

Pinkie Pie grew worried and waved frantically behind Blue’s back when Fluttershy said the p-word, but Blue just shrugged and nodded

“You know what, that sounds like just the thing right now. Thanks, Fluttershy.”

Fluttershy smiled and turned around to lead them into the cottage, while Pinkie Pie just stared at Blue with a surprised expression

“But, you said you didn’t like surprise parties!”

Blue shrugged her good wing and sighed

“Yeah, I know. But, come on, it’s Fluttershy. Who in their right mind could get angry at Fluttershy?”

That did the job and had Pinkie Pie smiling again, as well as Fluttershy (who Blue could only guess if she heard her or not), so Blue just smiled along. It wasn’t even a forced smile.

Soon Blue was seated on a comfy armchair with an extra pillow for her bandaged hoof. While she was sitting, Pinkie Pie produced some pastries, even if Blue wasn’t really sure how she got them into the cottage without her noticing. Fluttershy flew in from the kitchen with a frilly tea set that Blue wouldn’t even want to be in throwing-distance off and served them each a cup of tea that smelled like roses or something girly.

Blue’s smile grew a little more strained, but she tried to not let it get to her

“Would you like some milk for your tea? Sugar? Or I could fix you a slice of lemon if you want?”

Fluttershy’s smile had Blue swallow down the snarky comment she had, instead she just nodded

“Um, some sugar would be nice. Thanks.”

“Coming right up!”

While Fluttershy poured her tea and added sugar and even fucking stirred for her, Pinkie Pie put some of the pastries in a plate for her and set everything within reach. Then the two of them just stood there and looked at her like they had to feed her

“Do you need anything else? Maybe another pillow for your back? If you don’t like the tea, I could make something else, maybe coffee or hot cocoa or…”

“NO! It’s fine, really, so just sit down and stop fucking staring at me.”

Pinkie Pie wilted down and Fluttershy turned away from her, scared by her angry call, so Blue immediately felt bad and pinched her brow with her good hoof

“Listen, I appreciate the sentiment, but I don’t need you to treat me like a baby or an invalid or whatever. I can pour my own fucking tea and I don’t need a dozen pillows or any big fuss.”

Blue looked down and sighed

“I hate it when people make a fuss about me.”

“What’s a ‘people’?”

Blue rolled her eyes, but Pinkie’s question was innocent enough

“People, ponies, whatever. I hate when anyone acts like I can’t handle my own stuff.”

Blue didn’t dare to look at first, but the clink of porcelain when Fluttershy set down her cup had her look up again. Fluttershy didn’t seem angry or scared, from the looks of it, she seemed calmer than before

“You know, I think you got it all wrong. But that’s okay.”

Blue glanced at Pinkie Pie who said nothing for a change and let Fluttershy have the stage, so she turned back to her

“And what did I get wrong?”

Fluttershy smiled and waved her hoof at the table with tea, the pastries and the whole room

“All of this? I would have done the same even if you weren’t hurt. For you or for any of my friends. I don’t need a special reason to do something nice for my friends.”

Pinkie Pie nodded and chimed in

“Making a friend smile is more than enough! We’re not doing it to make you feel bad!”

“On the contrary! We just want to have a nice afternoon with you. And when we offer to do something nice for you, it’s not because we think you can’t do it, it’s because we simply want to do it. There doesn’t have to be any other reason.”

Blue just stared at them, wide-eyed and mouth hanging open. Then she looked away, feeling even worse for yelling at them earlier, but Fluttershy touched her good hoof. Their eyes met, and Fluttershy still smiled. Because she understood how hard this really was for Blue, but she didn’t mind. Even if Blue had a slip-up along the way.

“You don’t have to be strong and hard all the time, Blue. It’s okay to let yourself be weak for a little while.”

Blue nodded, and sighed deeply. And felt a huge ton of tension fall off her from one moment to another. After all that happened the last couple of days, the storm, the hospital, all those visitors, and the ponies in town, it felt good to stop caring for a while and just relax. With her friends who wouldn’t mind at all.

Pinkie Pie nudged the plate with pastries a little closer towards Blue before taking a cupcake for herself, while Fluttershy poured in tea for Pinkie and herself. Just like nothing had even happened. It gave Blue another moment to compose herself.

Finally, she took her cup for a sip. Despite how much it smelled like roses, it tasted pretty good after all.

“Hey guys? Thanks.”

Pinkie Pie chirped a “You’re welcome!” through her cupcake and Fluttershy just smiled like before, like she understood all the things Blue wanted to say but didn’t have the right words.

Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie started chatting about something, Blue didn’t even pay much attention, but the whole underline tension that had been there since she sat down, was suddenly gone. Well, maybe not entirely gone, but it wasn’t as present anymore. It was just three friends hanging out, nothing more really.

The tea party went on without any other hick-ups. Fluttershy was a perfect host, but of course she was also the Element of Kindness, so she couldn’t help fuss over Blue a little more than was necessary, like she would with a hurt animal. Blue on the other hoof managed to accept the little extra fuss, because she knew Fluttershy would probably do the same for Rainbow Dash if she was sitting in her place with a broken wing. They found a balance between them without saying anything, and Pinkie Pie kept them entertained with stories about all the ponies she had met during the last couple of days.

By the time Blue and Pinkie Pie said their goodbyes and walked back into town, Blue figured it had been a good day after all. Sure, not being able to fly sucked, but it wasn’t really that bad. Having her friends fuss over her was not what Blue really wanted, but it wasn’t that bad either. Pinkie Pie didn’t seem to mind walking a bit slower, and Blue could accept that little bit of consideration, now that it wasn’t as ‘in your face’ as before.

It was still a strange concept that these ponies she’d only known for a little while would care about her like that. Even stranger, that the ponies in town who didn’t know her at all would feel bad for her just because she got hurt. Blue wasn’t great at dealing with attention, because any attention usually meant bad attention before, from teachers, bullies, social workers, principals, and so on. She would have never imagined that getting positive attention would be even harder to deal with.

When they reached town, it wasn’t as crowded as it had been earlier today, but there were still enough ponies hanging around. Instead of making ‘the face’ again, Blue this time forced herself to look at them first instead of jumping to conclusions. They were watching her, still, but nobody started pointing at her. There was some mumbling behind her back when she passed, but no sign that they were badmouthing her.

Then she made eye contact with somepony, and they waved at her. They even smiled. So she waved back. It wasn’t an obnoxiously long wave. It wasn’t some embarrassingly odd moment. They waved, then they walked past each other, and nothing bad happened.

Pinkie Pie grinned at her like a filly in a candy store who just had been told she could have anything she wanted, for free. On instinct, Blue just acted like nothing had happened, it was just that natural for her, and Pinkie went along with it. Maybe Blue could get used to this, but it wouldn’t happen in a day. Pinkie knew this, but she wasn’t worried. She’d gotten Blue to smile once, and she could do it again. There wasn’t any need to hurry what would happen all on its own, after all.

Cloudsdale was a breath-taking view for anypony, but especially for Blue who was still overwhelmed by this whole magical world. An entire city made of clouds that circled over Equestria and brought weather to every region and inhabited by pegasus ponies.

There was a residential district with tall cloud buildings, stores, and shops, but Blue wasn’t here for sightseeing. The captain had sent her over as her first ‘assignment’ after her accident. The doctor had deemed her good enough to fly, but apparently, she still needed ‘flight clearance’ from the higher-ups in the weather central, which meant going to Cloudsdale.

So that’s where she was headed, without any delay. Despite not having any reason for it in this world, she still hated government appointments and all that stuff, so she just wanted to get over with it as quickly as possible.

The place wasn’t hard to find and soon enough, she was sitting in some generic waiting area. If it hadn’t been made of clouds, the place could have been in any office building on Earth and not stand out. It was so uncomfortably familiar that Blue couldn’t help but feel antsy.

Lucky for her, she didn’t have to wait too long. The secretary was friendly and took her to some office in the back. The guy in the office was friendly, asked her how she felt and how the flight had been, made a few notes on a form she had to sign, and that was it. She saw a long report about the night of the storm and the accident, which she had to confirm and sign as well.

And that was it. Blue almost felt annoyed that she had to fly to Cloudsdale for this, but she was more relieved that the appointment had gone smoothly.

Until she heard a loud yell from some other office. Her ears perked up for a moment, but she shook her head. Nah, that’s impossible. I must be imagining things.

She walked back towards the exit, but as she was about to wave her goodbye to the secretary, she frowned and called her back

“I’m sorry Ocean Shore, but something else has come up. Something doesn’t match up with your paperwork on our end, and I’m afraid we need your help to figure this out.”

Blue immediately felt a cold shiver running down her back. She knew that Princess Twilight and the other princesses had fudged her official paperwork a bit, so it wouldn’t seem like she just appeared out of nowhere at the age of sixteen (even if that was true). However, she didn’t know what they had done exactly, so if someone asked the wrong questions and she gave the wrong answers, she might get not only get herself into trouble, but Princess Twilight as well.

Trying to not show any if it, she walked up to the secretary’s desk

“What’s the problem? Something with the stuff from the hospital?”

The secretary shook her head

“No, that’s all fine. There seems to be a problem with your pre-employment examination.”

Probably because I never had one. Shit.

“And, um, what’s wrong?”

She pushed a few papers around so Blue could see and tapped on one line

“Looks like you never had your psych evaluation.”

Blue frowned and tilted her head

“That’s a thing?”

“Yes. It’s standard procedure for any weather worker, in fact. So you never got by your branch in Ponyville?”

Blue, mad at herself for her slip-up, shrugged her wings, feigning ignorance

“Nope, can’t say I do.”

“Hm. Well, as bad as that is, you are lucky. You can get it done right here with us, today in fact. Unless that’s a problem?”

The way she looked at her told Blue that she didn’t really have a choice, so she shook her head

“I guess not.”

“Good. I’ll be right back.”

Blue only had to wait for about another ten minutes, before she was sent to another office. Since the secretary wasn’t with her this time, she instead knocked on the door. Only to get yelled at from the other side

“Get your lazy ass in already. I ain’t got all day!”

Blue froze up for a moment, but not from fear. She froze up from surprise, but mostly, from anger. She could feel her blood boiling and the edge of her vision turned red. She recognized that voice, and she had hoped she would never hear it again. No fucking way.

She threw the door open with more force than was necessary, and to her disappointment she didn’t hear the loud bang she was hoping for, because the wall was made out of clouds.

And to her bigger disappointment, she immediately recognized the stallion who was glaring at her.

It had to be Bitter Leaves, sitting behind a tiny desk in a tiny office. There was no doubt about it. She had recognized the voice but didn’t want to believe it, until she saw him. She was gritting her teeth and her wings flared up aggressively. She was ready to just charge at him and deck him with punches, but somehow managed to hold herself back in the last moment. Chill. It’s not him. He just looks like him.

Bitter Leaves didn’t notice any of Blue’s attempt to calm herself

“Took your sweet time. Get in and close the door behind you. Take a seat.”

Blue gritted her teeth so hard it hurt, but she did as she was told. He might not be the same guy she knew, but he sure acted like him. Maybe being a jerk was just something he was born with.

“Let’s not beat around the bush: You know why you’re here and frankly I don’t know why I’m even wasting my time on you. You broke the rules and I’d be doing the world a favour if I just kicked you out of the weather patrol for good.”

Blue’s wings snapped open with an angry flap that blew most of the papers on the desk into every direction, but she didn’t see that as she glared at Bitter Leaves with all her might

“What the fuck? Are you serious?”

Bitter Leaves glanced at her, taking in all the signs of Blue’s rage, and ignoring them

“You’re angry a lot, aren’t you? Somepony like you who can’t keep her cool doesn’t belong in my weather patrol.”

“Fuck you, asshole. You don’t know shit about me. What gives you the right to judge me?”

Blue tried, really hard, to keep her anger in check, but it was near impossible. The way he talked, the way he acted, him paying judgement on her without even talking to her, it was just all so familiar. All her angry feelings she thought she had let go came back with the force of a freight train and she wanted nothing more than to punch this pony until there was nothing left that would remind her of his face.

Bitter Leaves didn’t know about Blue’s inner fight, instead he started getting angry himself

“I’m the one who’s in charge! I’m the one who makes that decision! And I don’t care what your patrol captain said in her report! I know exactly what kind of pony you are. You think you’re a big shot, the hero of your little town, and you’d do anything for the next big thrill, even if it puts ponies in danger. Not on my watch you won’t!”

Blue gritted her teeth so loud that he had to hear it by now, but by some miracle she kept herself from shouting. Still, what Bitter Leaves said rubbed her terribly the wrong way, and she couldn’t let it stand

“That’s not what happened!”

He leaned back in his chair and crossed his legs in front of his chest

“And I’m just supposed to believe that? I know wannabes like you. You’d say anything to save your own neck. Maybe you’d even keep it together for a couple of weeks. But then you’ll feel that itch again, that urge to do something ‘heroic’. So that ponies would come and admire you some more.”

Blue, frustrated and angry, slammed her hooves on the desk

“Stop talking like you know me! You’ve never met me before today! You don’t know shit about me! I never wanted to be a hero! I never asked for it. I just saw that colt falling and I reacted. Should I have just let the kid hit the ground?”

Bitter Leaves watched her fit of rage, unimpressed, and kept staring at her while she tried to get her breath back to normal.

“Sit down, newbie.”

“Fuck you! I don’t wanna hear any more of your…”

“Sit! Down!”

Blue slumped into the chair and kept glaring, her wings still flared out aggressively. Something had changed in the way Bitter Leaves looked at her, and she didn’t know what to think about it. Another minute passed, and then he started talking again, dangerously calm this time

“Why did you join the weather patrol?”

“Why do you even care?”

“Just answer the damn question, for Celestia’s sake!”

Blue’s glare didn’t fade, but she stopped shouting at least

“No real reason. I was looking for a job and a friend recommended it to me. I picked it up quickly, and so I stayed with it. End of story.”

“Who was that friend that recommended you, that even your patrol captain just accepted you without any entrance exam?”

Blue’s glare turned icy cold behind a smug grin

“Her name is Princess Twilight Sparkle. I’m sure you’ve heard of her.”

Bitter Leaves’ eyebrow rose, but Blue was too confident this time, so he didn’t even bother questioning it.

Instead, he slumped back into his chair

“Do you know how many trainees come to me every year? Who want to become the next Rainbow Dash, or the next Spitfire or the next Wind Rider?”

Blue shook her head

“I’ve never even heard of them before I arrived in Ponyville.”

“Bull. You’re telling me you never heard of the Wonderbolts? Every little pegasus dreams of becoming the next big star or hero as soon as they pass their first flying exam.”

Blue rolled her eyes

“I grew up in a place where nopony could fly. Including me. I’ve never heard of Wonderbolts or weather patrols or fricking Rainbow Dash before Princess Twilight introduced me. This is not some steppingstone to be a stuntpony for me, it’s just a job.”

Bitter Leaves’ eyes never left her, and reluctantly he nodded

“Yeah, maybe. Those trainees I mentioned? They do stunts like you, just to prove themselves. They are so eager to be the next big hit. Some are so overeager that they cause problems, just so they can be the ones who swoops in and saves the day. Just like you did.”

“I didn’t cause that fucking storm. And I didn’t make Rumble fly after his brother just so I could save him. How sick do you have to be to do something like that?”

Bitter Leaves glared turned harder than stone from one moment to another

“That’s why I’m here. To make sure sickos like that don’t get into positions where ponies’ lives depend on them. Or where they get access to lighting storms just so they treat it like a toy and play around with it.”

Bitter Leaves turned around and leaned down to pick up some of the files Blue had blown off, and suddenly Blue felt sick to her stomach. Right where his left wing should have been, all Blue could see was a rough stump with just a few feathers. It didn’t look fresh, in fact it looked like this injury was very old.

Blue didn’t say anything when Bitter Leaves turned back and put the wing out of her view again, glancing at the report he had picked up

“Your captain says you figured out a way to neutralize the storm, and that it had to do with you being angry.”

Still lost for words, Blue just nodded as Bitter Leaves slammed his hoof on the desk, but not as hard as he had before

“That’s a dangerous talent. Especially if you have no idea what you’re doing.”

Blue looked down, away from Bitter Leaves

“I just did it. There wasn’t really much more to it. And besides, nopony got hurt.”

Bitter Leaves hoof slammed on the desk again, loud enough to make Blue snap up

“Nopony got hurt, huh? Then what’s this?”

He pushed another report into the centre of the desk so Blue could see it as well

“Grade three sprain of the right wing, multiple minor sprains in the outer ligaments, three bruised ribs, grade two sprained left-front hoof, several cuts and bruises… you call that nothing?”

Blue stared at the report and shook her head

“Well, not but… that’s… that’s just me. Nopony important got hurt.”

“Keep saying stuff like that, and I’ll make sure you’ll never fly for the weather patrol again!”

Bitter Leaves glared at her full force again, but Blue was rendered speechless

“It’s my job to make sure nopony gets hurt doing their job. Including the weather ponies themselves. If you value your own health so little, how can I trust you to take your job serious? What if on the next storm, you do the same thing again and get hurt really bad?”

Blue couldn’t help but glance at his right wing, or rather what remained of it, but she shook her head

“I didn’t do it on purpose. No wait, that came out wrong: I wanted to save the colt, and I wasn’t trying to get hurt, but we were gonna hit that tree, so I’m glad it was me and not him.”

Bitter Leaves watched her closely for a full minute, but somehow Blue wasn’t as annoyed anymore.

When he finally looked away from her, he still acted like a jerk, but again, it didn’t bother Blue as much as before

“Get lost, newbie. And if I ever get a report like this about you again, I’ll ground your ass for life. Got that?”

Blue didn’t trust her words right now, but her wing flexed to a quick salute. That seemed to be all he needed, since he started sorting his papers and completely ignored her.

Blue thought about saying something, but she decided not to push it. If he was anything like her, he wouldn’t enjoy having his past brought up by total strangers. So she made it back to the door instead Just as she was about to close the door behind her, he called after her
"And newbie? You might want to look into some anger-management classes. Might save you some embarrassment for the future."

She turned around to look at him, but he was already back at his papers and didn't even bother looking up. With no good reply for what he just said, Blue finally opened the door, but not before getting another glance at his right wing, or rather what remained of it. She felt shivers running down her spine.

I wonder what happened. I wonder if that’s the reason he acts like this. I wonder if anything ever happened to Bitter Leaves on Earth that…

Blue shook her head and forcefully stopped her train of thought.

“It’s not the same. That jerk just acted like a dick and went out his way to make my life miserable. I won’t make excuses for him just because his counterpart is not as bad.”

She turned around and walked back to the secretary to pick up her paperwork, then left. She had planned to do some sightseeing around town, but she wasn’t in the mood for that anymore. She ended up just flying down some random street until she saw a little diner on a corner. Deciding that would be better than just flying around aimlessly, she landed on the cloud street and walked in.

The bell at the door chimed on her entrance, and she heard a voice from the back telling her to pick a seat and that somepony would come take her order in a minute. Blue found herself a small table in the back that would allow her to watch outside, but she wasn’t really paying attention to anything. In her mind, she was still busy processing all that had happened.

“What can I get you, hon?”

Blue looked up, and did a double take

“Milk Tea?”

The mare laughed and shook her head a little

“Is that what you want to order, or do we know each other?”

Blue blinked and shook her head

“Um, no, I… uh, I’ll just have some coffee, please.”

“Sure thing, hon. You’d like something with that? Maybe a bite to eat?”

Blue glanced through the diner and just now realized how familiar it looked, so she couldn’t help but grin

“Hm, how about a grilled cheese?”

The mare chuckled and winked at her

“Ah, so you have been here before, huh? Hey Grilled Cheese! Fire up one of your specials for me, will you?”

The last call towards the kitchen was answered by a familiar voice that made both Blue and Milk Tea laugh again.

Feeling a lot less awkward, Blue ended up staring outside again, watching ponies fly by through the busy street, even though the diner was almost empty and very calm. It made for a welcome contrast to the office, so Blue just let her thoughts wander for a while.

“First time in Cloudsdale for you, is it hon?”

Blue glanced up as Milk Tea put down a mug in front of her and tucked the tray under her wing

“What gave me away?”

“You have that wide-eyed look like everypony who sees the city for the first time. Can’t say I blame you, Cloudsdale is a great place after all.”

Blue chuckled politely with Milk Tea

“You’ve been living here for long?”

“All my life. I’ve visited other cities, like Canterlot, but somehow this place is the only place that feels right, you know what I mean?”

Blue nodded absently, eyes back on the outside

“Yeah. I know what you mean.”

“And what town is that for you, hon?”

Blue laughed at the rather elaborate way of asking where she lived

“Ponyville.”

“Ah, I see. Moved there because of all the stories, huh? Rainbow Dash, Princess Twilight, all that stuff.”

Blue grinned and shook her head

“Not really. I moved there with my sister. She’s an earth pony.”

“Ah, pity. So she’ll never see how great Cloudsdale is.”

Blue just shrugged her wings at that

“Ponyville is a nice town, too.”

“Oh sure, I never meant it like that. Enjoy your coffee, hon, I’ll be right back with your food.”

Milk Tea walked back towards the kitchen again, not noticing how Blue watched her. She seems nicer than her counterpart. I wonder how she would react if she learned about my past.

Blue laughed to herself and shook her head. Milk Tea would either not believe her or freak out if she knew a human was sitting in her diner.

It’s not the same. It’s just familiar. And I’m not the same anymore either. I don’t have to keep comparing everything all the time.

It didn’t matter that she knew Milk Tea, Grilled Cheese or even Bitter Leaves from before. They didn’t know about her past, they only saw the mare she was today. And that was okay. Maybe she’d see them again, or maybe not, but it was up to her in the end. She didn’t have to prove anything, to them or to herself.

Blue took a sip from her coffee and smiled. It was probably the best coffee she’d had in Equestria so far. Okay, maybe I will come back here sometime. Maybe.

Bonus Chapter: Spring Breakdown

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The weather schedule called for ‘partially clouded sky’, so the weather patrol was on their wings to keep up with it. Of course, ‘partially clouded’ meant ‘mostly sunny’ to some, like Pinkie Pie who was hosting a garden party that day, and ‘a good chance for rain’ for some others, in this case Applejack because her orchard could always use a little more rain than scheduled, somehow. The Ponyville weather patrol knew all those little quirks and how to work around them, since this was far from the first time they had to deal with it, nor would it be the last time.

Blue was on the fly to Sweet Apple Acres with a good bunch of clouds for the farm, when suddenly something unexpected happened. She felt like an electric jolt go through her body and then an insistent tingle in her butt. She turned around and saw her cutie mark was going wild, it flashed like crazy and that was what caused the tingle. Not only that, but she also heard a chime with each flash, which reminded her of a cell phone notification.

Since she didn’t really know what this was, Blue decided to better not stay in the air. Cutie marks were magic and if hers went wild, she would rather not risk her flight magic freaking out while she was still flying.

She landed somewhat near the big farmhouse, close enough for Applejack to notice her and walk over

“Morning Blue! How’s it going?”

Blue didn’t really know how to answer that, instead she turned around to show her still flashing and chiming flank to Applejack, who eyes went wide as soon as she saw it

“Well, I’ll be… seems like you’re getting called by the cutie map, Sugarcube.”

“Cutie whatnow?”

Blue had given up on learning all the magic macguffins in Equestria, but the way Applejack acted it seemed like whatever was happening wasn’t too out of the ordinary. At least it didn’t mean immediate danger, since Applejack even took the time to explain

“You’ve seen that big round table in Twilight's throne room? That’s actually a magic map of Equestria made by the tree of Harmony. And sometimes, the map calls out ponies to missions of one kind or the other.”

“Missions… as in, like, military missions?”

Applejack leaned her head to the side

“Nah, more like friendship missions. The tree knows there’s trouble and sends out a pony who’s got what it takes to deal with whatever it is. And when that happens, your cutie mark acts like that.”

Applejack pointed at Blue’s mark who felt the tingle increase, as if the reminder was a little more urgent now

“And, what do I do now?”

“Well, I’d say you best get to Twilight’s castle right away. The map will tell you where to go, and I’m sure Twilight has something to say as well. Off you go, Sugarcube!”

Blue wanted to say more, ask more questions, probably argue that she wasn’t the right pony for a friendship mission, but the flashing and tingling urged her to get moving. So she did.

The flight to the castle didn’t take very long, not enough for her thoughts to untangle, and Princess Twilight was already waiting for her at the door

“Ocean Shore! I was expecting you. Your first friendship mission, isn’t it exciting?”

Blue landed on the doorstep and glanced at her still flashing cutie mark

“Yeah. Exciting is one way to call it.”

She followed Twilight into the throne room and Twilight flashed her horn once, which made the table in the middle change into a giant and absurdly detailed map of Equestria. As Blue walked closer, the flashing from her cutie mark intensified into a small ball of light that floated up to the magic map. A moment later, the light changed into a miniature version of her cutie mark that now pointed to a spot on the map.

Princess Twilight watched it all curiously

“Amazing! It looks exactly the same as with the others, even though you come from the other world. I guess it doesn’t make a difference for the Tree of Harmony.”

Blue watched anxiously while Twilight started taking notes

“So, um… this is something normal that just happens to everyone?”

“Hm? Oh no, it’s very special! The Tree of Harmony very rarely chooses a pony for a mission. At first, it only sent the girls and me to friendship quests, since we are the Elements of Harmony, and it only sent us in pairs. But nowadays, it keeps picking other ponies just as often. Starlight Glimmer was the first one besides us to be sent on a task, and she was the first one who was sent all by herself too.”

Blue stared at her own mark that hovered over the map

“Um, Twilight? Do you really think it’s smart to send me on a friendship mission? I mean… I’m not really that great at these things and don’t really know if I can, you know, do that.”

Princess Twilight immediately put her notes away and walked around the map-table so she could stand next to her nervous friend. Blue turned around and looked at her when she felt Twilight’s hoof on her shoulder

“Blue, everpony is nervous about their mission. I was too. And I also thought I wasn’t the right pony for the task. But everypony eventually figured it out. It might not seem like it right now, but the map chose you, and for a very good reason. Believe in yourself, and you’ll know what to do. I believe in you!”

Blue stared at the princess for a whole minute. She would never admit it but hearing that from Princess Twilight really meant a lot to her. After the minute, she realized she was staring and turned away, blushing deep red

“Um, thanks Princess… so, um, what’s this mission anyway?”

Twilight smiled and knew better than to tease Blue at this moment, so she also turned to the map

“Hm, it’s nearby. Just a short flight into the Everfree Forest, in fact. I don’t think there’s any particular landmarks in that part, but I’m sure you’ll find out if you go there.”

Blue nodded and studied the map so she would not forget where she had to go. In her head, all the dangerous stuff she heard about the Everyfree Forest ran wild, but she knew that the forest wasn’t as dangerous during daytime, and she wouldn’t even have to travel very deep. She wasn’t really scared of the forest, but still very nervous about this mission.

Princess Twilight must have seen it too, since she put her hoof on Blue’s shoulder again

“Remember, the map chose you for a reason. And even if it chose only you, there’s no rule that says you have to do this on your own. If you feel like you need help, you can ask anytime.”

Blue nodded and took a deep breath

“Thanks Twilight. Um, I guess I better go check it out right away.”

“That sounds like a good idea. Good luck, Blue!”

Before she could start to second-guess herself, Blue spread her wings and rushed out of the castle. A quick loop, and she was flying right at the Everfree Forest.

It didn’t take too long reach the forest and the spot the map had shown her. Blue didn’t see anything out of the ordinary, but she wasn’t really sure how exact the map location was, so she decided to do a quick fly-over just in case. From the air, everything looked normal, so she decided to land and explore the forest ground as well.

Before she found a clearing where she could land, something zoomed towards her with high speed and a loud scream
“INCOMING!”

Blue barely managed to dodge the blue thing with a familiar voice, before her brain caught up

“Rainbow Dash?”

She looked at her friend who was still yelling and flinging through the air, like from a really bad spin out. Rainbow Dash apparently couldn’t control her flight as her attempt to slow down ended up in a sharp turn that had her plummet back towards the ground

“Whooooooaaaaah!”

Blue didn’t really have time to wonder, she just moved instinctively. With a quick dash, she intercepted Rainbow’s crash course and managed to catch her friend before she hit any trees. She smirked and helped steady her friend in the air

“Yo Dash, even Wonderbolt training can’t help with everything, huh? What happened out there?”

Blue realized that something wasn’t right when Rainbow Dash didn’t have a cocky comeback for her. Instead, Rainbow seemed to have trouble staying in the air. She wobbled dangerously like she was drunk or something, and she frantically flapped her wings, which made her gain and lose height instead of hovering on the spot like Blue was.

Worried, Blue took a closer look at her friend, but her wings seemed fine, from what she could tell, and she couldn’t see any signs that Rainbow was hurt. She didn’t look dizzy either, Rainbow’s eyes just darted around quickly in near panic, as if she didn’t know where she was somehow

“Hey Dash, you okay? What happened?”

Rainbow could barely focus on her, mostly because she was bopping up and down in the air. She stammered out a few words, that didn’t make sense at all

“Cruise ship… rainbow laser! Storm… evil magic… quicksand… plant monster! How did…?”

Blue couldn’t understand anything, and Rainbow looked like she totally lost it, so Blue deemed it was time for some drastic measures.

She took hold of Rainbow’s shoulders and shook her hard while screaming at the top of her voice

“For fuck’s sake, keep it together Dash! Calm your tits, woman!”

That seemed to do the job. At the very least, Rainbow Dash was now looking at her, mildly annoyed and still confused

“Hey! What gives? Who do you think… wait… Ocean Shore?”

Blue was about to chew her out for using her full name, but something seemed off about her. The way she looked at her like she’d never seen her before, how she almost couldn’t stay afloat, calling her by her full name… and now that Blue took a closer look, she even looked slightly different. Perhaps a bit younger?

Wait a minute… could she be?

The way she moved her wings like she never had flown before. And that she didn’t she didn’t seem bothered by her human expression. Blue decided to take the shot and ask.

“Rainbow Dash?”

Dash blinked confused and waved her hoof in a strange way that didn’t fit to how a pony would move

“Yeah, obviously. Is that really you, Blue?”

Blue couldn’t help but laugh and stared at the high-school-student-turned-pony

“Yeah. Wow. How did you get here, Dash? Did you sneak through Princess Twilight’s portal?”

Rainbow flailed her hooves in a way that looked weird on a pony but made sense to Blue as a former human

“I just told you! There was the plant monster and quicksand and then Sunset pushed me… Sunset and Twilight! Fuck, I completely forgot about them!”

“Sunset and Twilight are here as well?”

Blue just finished the questions, when she heard another scream from below, somewhere in the forest

“WE’RE PONIES! WE’RE PONIES!”

Blue rolled her eyes with a dry chuckle

“Yep, that’s Twilight alright. We better go check it out I guess.”

She let go of Rainbow Dash and started her descend, but a panicked shout had her turn back

“Wait! How am I supposed… whoa…”

Rainbow’s wing had gone back to frantic flapping, and she was wobbling dangerously in the air again, without Blue’s support. Blue just sighed and shook her head

“Stop thinking about it. Just, let your wings do their thing.”

“And how am I supposed to do that?”

Rainbow seemed more confused than annoyed and barely made and progress towards Blue on her own, so Blue had to fly back and steady her again

“Just don’t think about it. It’s, like, riding a bike. It’s all muscle memory, it just happens if you let it. Just think about following me instead.”

Rainbow gave her a shaky nod and started wobbling again when Blue let go of her, but she managed to stay afloat. When Blue turned around for a slow descend, Rainbow managed to follow her, barely

“There you go. Now let’s find the others.”

It wasn’t too hard to find them. Blue just followed Twilight’s panicked screams and Sunset’s magic-babble that sounded through the otherwise quiet forest. When Blue found them, they were standing at a small pond and Twilight just had an uncharacteristically snarky remark for Sunset

“Sorry, I didn’t listen, BECAUSE WE’RE PONIES!”

“Sheesh. The way you say that, I almost feel offended.”

Twilight turned around and stared at Blue who landed right in front of them. Rainbow Dash’s landing behind her was a bit rougher and she impacted on the ground with a bit too much force, but Twilight barely noticed it as she was just staring at Blue with wide open eyes.

Sunset and Blue both rolled their eyes and started laughing at the same time, before they met with their typical hoof-bump

“Yo Red, fancy meeting you here in the middle of nowhere.”

“Same back to you, Blue!”

They laughed and Twilight’s eyes grew to the size of serving bowls

“Ocean Shore? Blue? Is that really you?”

Blue laughed and flared her wings a bit to show off

“The one and only!”

“Hey, that’s my line.”

“Shut up, Dash.”

Blue and Sunset started laughing, as did Rainbow Dash, and it was enough to get Twilight out of her daze as well. Once that happened, she rushed forward to pull Blue into a hug

“Oh Blue, it’s so good to see you! We all missed you a lot!”

Blue laughed and hugged back

“Yeah, so much that you went looking for another portal, apparently. And what’s that about a plant monster?”

With Rainbow Dash and Twilight calmed down for now, they and Sunset took turns explaining all that happened. Blue just shook her head at Rainbow’s desperate search for a new magic disaster, but got quiet once Rainbow Dash mentioned a storm just appearing out of nowhere in the other world

“Wow. And then you just accidentally found this portal around the next corner?”

Sunset nodded

“And a plant monster guarding it, or something. Maybe it just passed over through the portal at some point. Luckily, the portal led to a deserted island where the thing couldn’t hurt anybody.”

“Yeah, remember how scary those things were at the Friendship Games?”

Both Sunset and Blue shot a glare at Rainbow, but it wasn’t really necessary. She realized how insensitive she’d been as soon as Twilight dropped her head and her pony ears flopped over in shame

“Twi, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…”

“You think I did this?”

Sunset got back on her hooves and put her hoof on Twilight’s shoulder

“No, of course not.”
“But, I could have. When I was Midnight Sparkle, I just randomly opened portals everywhere without even thinking about it. It could have been me.”

Sunset shook her head
“You would have never transformed into Midnight Sparkle if I hadn’t brought magic into this world in the first place. Before that, the portal would only open every thirty moons, and only for three days. But ever since I brought Princess Twilight’s crown to Earth, I shook everything out of balance. I’m sure these random portals in the middle of nowhere are my fault too.”

Not it was Sunset’s turn to look guilty, but only for a moment before Blue swatted her wing at her

“Ow! What was that for?”

“Stop being such a guilt-junkie.”

“Excuse me?”

Blue just rolled her eyes and let out an annoyed snort

“Stop acting like every single bad thing in the world is your fault. So you brought a magic crown to Earth, and you used a pendant-thingy to absorb magic. So what?”
“Now we have magic going haywire on Earth and apparently random portals opening and…”

“So we deal with it! Like you did before. Camp Everfree? Juniper Montage? Wallflower Blush? Ring any bells?”

Both Sunset and Twilight looked away, not convinced

“That was different. All of them accidentally got in contact with magic and they were overwhelmed so…”

“So nothing! Twilight, you got into contact with magic on accident too.”

Twilight shook her head

“But I was looking for it! I built a device and even when you guys told me it was dangerous, I still kept using my device.”

“So you made a bad choice. Big deal. You needed help at some point. Big deal. I mean, you wanna know how many times I fucked up before I got things straight? And I didn’t even have magic shenanigans as an excuse.”

Twilight stared at Blue for a moment, but her ears perked up, meaning that she was starting to see what Blue as getting at. However, Sunset spoke up before she could

“Blue’s right, Twi. You don’t have anything to be sorry for anymore. You didn’t know about magic, but I knew everything about it and still acted totally irresponsibly.”

Blue’s head snapped around to glare at Sunset, but Rainbow was faster this time

“Whoa whoa whoa, slow down here. Maybe you knew magic existed and all, but did you really know what would happen when you put on that crown? Because it looked like you were surprised and overwhelmed just as much.”

“Dash, it’s not the same…”

“It totally is! You just don’t want to see it because you’re you and you hate forgiving yourself. You forgave Twilight and even Wallflower in an instant. Heck, you even forgave me after that MyStable mess.”

“But that was…”

“Different? Bull! Shit!”

Suddenly, Rainbow looked over at Blue

“Wait, can I even say that here or is it racist or something?”

And just like that, the weird moment was broken when Sunset and Blue started laughing, with Rainbow and Twilight joining in soon after.

“How about we all agree we messed up at some point, but we’re doing better now?”

The other three nodded and Blue flapped her wings to gain some altitude

“Great. Then how about we take care of that portal business now?”

Sunset and Twilight looked at each other

“We don’t know the first thing about how this portal works. Maybe it’s on a thirty-moon-cycle like the mirror used to?”

“That would make sense. But it’s not like we can just visit that island every two-and-a-half years just to check.”

Blue shook her head

“You guys know this is just a quick flight away from Ponyville, right? I could keep tabs on it, or we could tell Princess Twilight and ask what she thinks.”

Blue hadn’t told them about her cutie-map-mission thingy, but at this point she didn’t think she needed to anymore. Obviously, she was called to this place to help out her friends from the other world, and that must have been the ‘you’re the right pony for the job’-part that Applejack and Princess Twilight had mentioned.

Just like Princess Twilight had told her she could ask for help if needed. And since she was the expert on weird magic and portal-thingies, it was a no-brainer to go to her. Plus, she’d get her friends out of the Everfree Forrest and away from any danger that might still be hiding in there. Bonus points, she’d get to see Princess Twilight’s freak-out when they suddenly appeared in her castle.

“But, what about the others? Shouldn’t we at least get a message to them?”

Twilight turned back towards the cave with the portal, but Rainbow Dash waved her off

“They’ll be fine! They’re on that cruise ship, remember? Besides, this is our one chance to learn more about this world! About ponies! About magic!”

That last point had Twilight’s eyes light up and her pony ears perked up from excitement

“You really think so?”

Rainbow and Sunset shared a glance before they nodded

“Sure thing! This could be our mini-vacation-adventure!”

Blue laughed when Twilight let out a giddy squeak and flew a little higher

“Next stop, Ponyville! Let me find a clear path for you.”

The walk through Everfree Forest was uneventful, much to Blue’s relief. She knew Sunset and her could probably deal with most forest creatures, but she really didn’t want Twilight and Rainbow to freak out when they had just arrived in Equestria.

As they reached the edge of the forest and saw the first few houses of Ponyville, Blue stopped and spread her wings to get her friends to stop too.

“Um, listen… I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to just waltz through town.”

“Huh? Why not?”

Blue sighed and turned to Rainbow Dash and Twilight

“Because you look like a famous hero of Equestria and you look like the princess before she became an alicorn, with glasses. If anypony notices us, they’ll freak out, or ask questions, or think you’re all changelings or something.”

Sunset nodded and rubbed the back of her head

“Yeah, that would be bad. And I’ve been around a couple times too, so ponies might recognize me. So what’s the plan?”

Blue pointed to the Castle of Friendship in some distance

“I fly ahead and warn the princess, you follow as fast as you can. Stealth mission, okay?”

“Leave it to me!”

Sunset and Blue bumped hooves, then Blue took off. She turned around to say something more, but Sunset and the others had already vanished it seems

“Huh, she’s good. But not faster than me!”

A few minutes later, Blue was at the caste entrance, but her friends were nowhere to be seen

“What’s taking them so long? Dammit, shouldn’t have left them…”

She fluttered her wings to gain some altitude and a better view, just when Sunset and the others fell out of a nearby barrel

“Oof. Hey, watch that pokey end of that horn!”

“I will if you take your mane out of my eyes.”

“Whoops, sorry. That was me!”

Blue laughed and flew down to help untangle the mess of limbs and hooves

“Why didn’t you just teleport, Sunset?”

Sunset blushed and sighed

“How do you think we ended up in that barrel?”

“Wow. I thought you were supposed to be good with magic.”

“I’m rusty. Give me a break.”

They all laughed, and Blue led them the few last steps to the castle

“This is gonna be so good.”

The others chuckled and followed Blue into the entrance hall, where they saw the princess and Spike, trying to hang up a picture.

“Yo Princess. Guess who I found?”

“Blue? You’re back already? How did your mission…”

Princess Twilight turned around and stared at the three visitors

“Sunset Shimmer! What are you doing here? Rainbow Dash, and… other me? Wait, why are you coming from the front door and not from the mirror?”

Before anypony could say anything, Princess Twilight let out a giant gasp

“You found another portal between our worlds?”

Sunset and the others shared a glance, and Sunset shrugged

“Well, she figured that out, faster than I expected.”

“Oh, I like her.”

They laughed and Princess Twilight pulled them into a hug, while Blue stood next to Spike

“So, guess your first mission was a success, huh?”

“Looks like it. It wasn’t even that hard.”

“Told you so.”

Spike tried to squirm away when Blue gave him a noogie, which had all the others laughing as well

“Sunset and the others decided to stay a little while, why don’t you join in as well, Blue? We have so much to catch up on.”

“Sure, why not? Thanks Princess.”

Since Twilight kept asking and pleading, Princess Twilight took them to the throne room where she could show the magic map of Equestria, and while the Twilights and Sunset went on with some magic-babble, Blue and Spike showed Rainbow Dash some places they had been to. In the end though, everypony was listening to Spike as he told them about his hilarious visit to the Dragon Lands.

“And that’s the last time I ever visited a dragon wedding!”

Everypony laughed, and Princess Twilight had a great idea

“We need to celebrate Blue’s first friendship mission! We could order Mrs Cake’s famous chocolate fondue, but that takes twenty minutes.”

“That’s fine, Princess. We’re not in a hurry.”

Sunset and Rainbow Dash nodded along, so Blue shrugged her wings and nodded as well

“Sounds fine to me.”

The fondue, as expected, was delicious. After they had finished, Princess Twilight showed off some mementos from her adventures with her friends, and Blue chipped in some details since she had already been around for a couple of them.

Like when Princess Twilight unrolled a sceptre-like staff from a banner

“This is from our battle with the Storm King. He nearly took over Equestria when he trapped the other princesses and stole their magic with his staff.”

She pointed at a large sceptre-like staff and Blue shuddered when she remembered

“Those were a few crazy days. I was hiding with Spring Meadow for most of it, like the rest of Ponyville, but I heard they put ponies in cages and in chains all over Canterlot. Luckily, Princess Twilight and the others pulled through in the end.”

Twilight and Sunset listened fascinated, but Rainbow just kept staring at the banner as if she’d seen a ghost

“You okay, Dash?”

“Guys, I think I’ve seen this before. Back on the cruise ship, I swear I saw that symbol flashing in the sky and in the water.”

Sunset, Blue and Twilight looked at each other confused, but Princess Twilight was clearly nervous

“When you saw this symbol, there wasn’t any thunder or lightning accompanying it, right?”

Dash and Sunset looked at each other

“There definitely was thunder.”

“Oh dear.”

Blue, like the others, caught on that something was wrong, but before she could ask Princess Twilight had one of her famous panic attacks

“So maybe we didn’t seal all the Storm King’s magic away and some of it escaped to your world and is now creating a giant magical storm that threatens your world, but please please please, NOPONY FREAK OUT!”

Blue jumped on her hooves immediately

“Shit! You mean, this has been going on and we’ve been sitting here wasting time?”

“We need to get back to our friends!”

“We have to save them!”

Blue and the others nodded and rushed out towards the doors, but Princess Twilight teleported in their way

“Wait! Take this! You can seal the magic storm with it, I’m sure!”

Sunset nodded as Princess Twilight passed the sceptre to her counterpart, but Blue only got more impatient

“Come on guys, we gotta get going. Who knows how big that storm has already grown while we’ve been stuffing our faces!”

She was about to spread her wings and dash off, but Princess Twilight put a hoof on her shoulder to stop her

“Blue, maybe it’s best if you stay here.”

“What? Are you out of your freaking mind, Princess? I’m not gonna leave my friends hanging.”

“I know how you feel, but you finished your mission, didn’t you? You found your friends and lead them here, your cutie mark flashed and everything. Now it’s their task.”

Blue glared at the princess, with a glare that was uncomfortably familiar to Sunset and the others, as it meant Blue was about to explode

“Fuck you! I won’t let you tell me what I can do and what not! And I don’t care about what your stupid map says! Besides, my cutie mark didn’t even flash and…

“Wait, it didn’t? But I thought your mission was… oh dear.”

“Oh great. What is fucking wrong now, Princess?”

Princess Twilight twiddled her hooves

“Maybe it’s been a teensy bit premature to assume your mission was already over. You see, when your mission is completely, your cutie mark would flash again, like when the map called you, signalling…”

Blue stopped Princess Twilight’s rambling with a hoof to her mouth

“We don’t have time for a lecture right now. Come on guys, let’s go already.”

Sunset nodded and her horn glowed brightly

“Gather around everypony!”

Blue, who had an idea of what was going to happen, grabbed Dash and pulled her closer to Sunset who was taking hold of Twilight’s hoof, just before there was a bright flash. Suddenly, they were back in the Everfree Forest, where Blue had found the others

“Whoa, was that…?”

“Teleportation spell. I’ll tell you all about it, but first we need to get back to the portal.”

Blue flew ahead and could already see the lights from the magic portal glittering in the back of the cave. Without any hesitance, she dived right into the almost-familiar tunnel of rainbow lights.

A second later, she crashed hard on the other side and got on her hands and knees

“I’ll never get used to that fucking…”

Whatever she wanted to say next died in her throat when she saw the storm clouds in the sky and the near-constant flashes of lightning

“Bloody hell.”

She heard a sound behind her and managed to jump out of the way before Rainbow and the others landed roughly on the sand next to her

“Oh, my head.”

“Why is everything spinning?”

“Keep it together girls! We have a job to do.”

“Right!”

They rushed to the beach and Twilight held out the staff

“Okay everybody, grab on!”

Sunset and Rainbow did so immediately, but Blue hesitated, until Twilight called her out

“Come on Blue, we need everybody’s help!”

“Right.”

As soon as they touched the staff, Blue could feel the magic building up and a beam of light shot at the centre of the storm. And then nothing happened.

“Um, isn’t something supposed to happen now?”
“Shouldn’t the storm magic get absorbed?”

The girls looked at each other confused, but Blue kept staring at the storm above them

“It’s too much. Too much magic. Probably all tangled up as well. Fuck, if only I had my wings, maybe I could do something.”

“Um guys… what’s the cruise ship doing over there?”

“What?”

Rainbow Dash and Twilight span around to where Sunset was pointing.

“Holy shit, you think the storm blew it here?”

“I think it did more than just that. Look, it’s sinking! And everybody is still on board!”

As if on cue, more lightning bolts shot down from the sky towards the ship and they heard screaming, which had Rainbow Dash snap out of her stupor and back into action.

“We need to help them! It’s time to pony up!”

Sunset and Twilight nodded, but Blue only frowned

“And what am I supposed to do? I can’t even get to the boat.”

“Duh, that’s why we pony up. So you get your wings!”

Blue glared at Dash and shook her head

“I can’t pony up like you! I don’t have a fucking geode, remember?”

“Sure you can. You just need a little kick-start.”

Sunset nodded and held out her hand

“Remember the diner? I know you can do it, Blue. You’re our friend, and you have the magic of friendship, just like us!”

Rainbow and Twilight joined hands with Sunset and smiled encouragingly at Blue, who sighed and finally joined in as well

“I hope you’re right. Here goes nothing!”

Their hands touched, and the three geodes flared up with light and magic that travelled down to their hands. Blue felt a familiar tingle and the light flared up, forcing her to close her eyes for a moment. When she opened them again, she was hovering a foot about the ground, with her wings flapping to keep her in the air.

“It worked! Fuck yeah!”

The others chuckled a little, they had their magical outfits as well as their pony extras, while Blue ‘only’ had her mane and wings back without any costume change. Most importantly, when she looked up at the storm, she could sense the weather magic like back in Equestria, and she knew exactly what to do.

“Okay guys, you help the others on the boat, and I’ll deal with the storm.”
“Are you fucking nuts? You can’t deal with this all by yourself!”

“Get real, Dash. I don’t have super speed, or levitation power, I can’t save those people on the ship. But I know I can handle this.”

Rainbow Dash wanted to keep arguing, but Sunset came to back Blue up

“Dash, she’s a pegasus and a weather pony. She’s been trained to deal with this kind of stuff.”

“Have any of you seen that storm? It’s suicide for her to go alone and…”

Rainbow stopped abruptly when Blue grabbed her by the collar of her outfit and pulled her towards her with an angry expression.

“What the…?”

It looked like Blue was going to punch her next or something, but before Rainbow could even finish her question, another lightning bolt hit the beach. In the exact spot where Rainbow had been standing a second earlier.

Rainbow gulped and Blue let go of her again

“Okay, point taken. But are you sure you can stop this all by yourself?”

“Fuck no. It’s way too big. But I can slow it down until you get everybody to safety and find the others. Maybe with all Elements of Harmony, the staff has enough juice to absorb the storm.”

They heard more thunder, lightning and screams came from the ship, so Sunset finally stopped the argument

“It’s our best bet. We’re running out of time. Good luck, Blue!”

Blue nodded and shot straight up into the sky.

It felt different that in Equestria, but similar enough for her pegasus instincts to sense the weather magic. And since Blue was already majorly pissed that there were so many people in danger on that ship, she could easily see the biggest bulks of magic, like knots in the weather magic. She charged right at the biggest one and ripped it apart.

Satisfied, she could feel the tear she caused, but it was just a drop in the ocean, so she went right for the next knot. And another one. And another one.

Below her, she saw that Rarity had activated her magic as well and constructed a lifeboat, while Twilight levitated people inside, and a blue blur that could only be Rainbow Dash brought more and more people to them.

Gritting her teeth, she turned back towards the storm clouds and started busting the out-of-control weather magic even harder. Somehow, it was way more exhausting that back in Equestria, no matter how hard she tried. Blue noticed a strange glow around her, and suddenly realized what was happening. She may have ponied up with the others, but she was running on borrowed magic, and it was running out pretty fast.

Luckily, her friends worked well together, and Rarity already lowered the full lifeboat into the water so they could make the short distance towards the island. Everybody was safe, so Blue pulled together everything she had and dived right into the centre of magic with all her strength.

She could feel how the magic reacted to her assault, as it condensed in front of her to fight back, and she could see the symbol again, from Princess Twilight’s banner. This had to be it, the heart of the storm had been revealed, but Blue wasn’t strong enough to break it.

Blue kept pushing with all her might, but she turned her head towards the beach where the others were gathering

“Sunset! Now or never!”

She didn’t know if Sunset had heard her or not, but the girls grabbed the staff and Twilight pointed it at the symbol. Another beam of light, bigger and brighter than before, shot out of the staff and towards the heart of the storm. Right through Blue.

She felt the heat from the light and clenched her eyes closed, but a moment later she realized that the light was not burning her or even blinding her. While the light broke the magic of the storm, she could feel that her own magic was replenished, and her wings flapped with full power once more.

The storm magic still fought back, and Blue could almost hear the roar, like an angry scream. They were so close, all they needed was a little more. Blue, running purely on adrenaline and magic, shot forward and hit the heart of the storm with all her strength.

Something shattered, and with one final roar of thunder, the storm started to fade. Like a vacuum cleaner, the light from the staff sucked in all the Equestrian weather magic and that freaky storm magic as well, back into the staff. Barely a minute later, the sky was clear and sunny again, and any trace of the storm had vanished completely.

Blue grinned and turned around just in time to see her friends cheering down at the beach. Some other people were pointing up towards her as well, so Blue waved before she flew down towards the beach. Not without adding in a few extra twirls and loops though, which had the crowd cheer and Rainbow the loudest of them.

She touched ground in a perfect landing, and her wings faded from her back as the magic ran out, its job done. Blue wasn’t too disappointed, especially when the girls ran towards her and pulled her into the middle of a group hug.

Most people where still too disorientated by all that had happened to ask questions and the staff from the ship was doing their best to calm everybody down, so nobody noticed the girls slip a little deeper into the tropical forest of the island to catch up.

Once everybody had been brought up to speed (and after what felt like a dozen more hugs), Blue turned towards the beach where the people were gathered

“So, what are we going to do now?”

“Good question, Darling. I assume it’s fair to say that the ship won’t be getting us out of here. For the time being, it seems were stuck on this island.”

The girls nodded, except Sunset

“Well, I guess we could all go through the portal here and then back through Princess Twilight’s mirror portal which would take us back to Canterlot High.”

Rarity, Pinkie Pie and Applejack, who had not seen Equestria yet, looked thrilled at the idea, while Fluttershy seemed kind of scared by the idea to visit a whole new world, and Twilight and Rainbow already started talking about the cool things they had seen.

However, Blue shot that plan down quickly

“Are you crazy? How would you explain passing through a magic dimension to all these people? And even if you can, somebody’s gonna talk and the whole world would learn about your little secret.”

Sunset blushed and rubber her arm

“Oh yeah. That might not be the best idea. But, maybe if it’s just us…?”

“And how would you explain that? I’m no expert, but when a ship sinks, isn’t there like signal and somebody sends out rescue crews and all that shit? If they can’t find you, they’ll declare you missing on sea, and when you suddenly appear back home, people will wonder how you got there.”

The girls sighed in unison, but relented

“You’re right, Blue. Bad idea.” “I was so excited to see pony world!” “I guess it can’t be helped.”

All Blue could do was shrug

“Sorry girls. I don’t like being a spoilsport.”

“Nah, you’re right with everything you said. Still kinda disappointing.”

They heard someone talking through a megaphone, asking all passengers to confirm that nobody was missing, and Rarity shook her head

“I suppose we should go back to the others now. Before they really declare us missing.”

She pulled Blue into a final hug, as did the others

“It was so nice seeing you again, Darling! I hope next time, we can meet without a magical catastrophe.”

“Although you totally kicked ass today!”

“Are you going to get home safely?”

Blue returned all the hugs and nodded

“Yeah, I’ll just hop into the portal and get this back to Princess Twilight.”

Sunset handed the magic staff to her and was the last one to hug her

“Thank you so much for your help, Blue! We couldn’t have done it without you!”

“Glad to help, Red! Now I’ll get lost before anyone sees me and asks stupid questions.”

The girls called their goodbyes as Blue ran back towards the portal and hopped right in. A flurry of lights later, and she was catapulted out in Equestria once more, but this time she could catch herself with her wings before she hit ground.

“Phew. Feels good to be back.”

Just as she was about to leave the cave, she felt a tingle run through her body and she heard a chime. A look on her flank showed her that her cutie mark was flashing again, finally confirming that her friendship mission had been successful.

A grin on her face and the magic staff in hooves, she took off and flew straight back to Princess Twilight’s castle. She for sure had one heck of a story to tell after today.

Bonus Chapter: Sisterhooves Social

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Spring Meadow yawned softly, not because she was tired, but because her last task for today was rather boring. It was a slow day at the hospital (which was a good thing, since that meant nopony fell sick or got hurt today), so she’d agreed to help Tenderheart and Rhyme file in all the paperwork so it could be put into the hospital’s archive. Not the most exciting job, but with Rhyme and Tenderheart, she’d at least have somepony to chat.

Rhyme immediately took Spring’s yawn as an open invitation to start chatting, while she was putting lids on the full boxes with the help of her magic horn.

“So, got any plans for the weekend?”

Tenderheart grumbled something about Sunday morning shifts, which had Rhyme and Spring giggle. Even though Tenderheart wasn’t too thrilled about working on a Sunday, they all knew she wasn’t too bothered by it. Spring thought back to the times when she had been a nurse-in-training at Canterlot in the human world, when she had to do double-shifts on a regular basis and nearly every weekend as well, just to barely make need’s end. Compared to that, working in Ponyville Hospital was a breeze, especially since she also had nice colleagues on top of it all.

Said colleagues were grinning at her by now, so Spring Meadow knew she must have been staring at the wall again, lost in her own thoughts. It didn’t happen as much anymore, but when she slipped the others would always tease her about it. All in good fun, of course.

Spring Meadow blushed and ignored the tittering from the other two as she finally answered Rhyme’s question

“I’ve got nothing planned so far. But there’s going to be nice weather, so I’ll maybe take a stroll through town. I heard there was going to be a festival this weekend.”

Rhyme and Tenderheart nodded, glad to hear about the weather. Ever since Spring Meadow’s sister had started working for the weather patrol, Spring Meadow always knew the schedule ahead of time. Rhyme seemed especially excited about it

“Oh, of course, I should have figured you’d be going to the festival with your sister!”

Spring froze up at that, and Tenderheart tilted her head, oblivious to Spring’s near panic attack

“With her sister?”
“Of course! Don’t you know what festival this is? The Sisterhooves Social!”

Tenderheart laughed and shook her head

“I completely forgot. I still remember last time, when Big Mac dressed up so he could compete with his little sister. Has it really been a year already?”

Rhyme and Tenderheart laughed heartily but stopped abruptly when they heard something hit the floor. The file Spring Meadow had been holding had slipped out of her hooves, and now the sheets of paper were scattered all over the floor.

Spring clenched her eyes closed and tried to apologize, but she only got a few words before her voice failed her. She didn’t dare open her eyes again, afraid of what she might see when she looked at her colleagues. She felt as if paralyzed in fear.

Until a pair of hooves pulled her into a hug and held her. Spring felt her stiff limps loosen up enough that she could peek open one eye, and see that it was Tenderheart who was holding her

“Easy now, Spring Meadow. Take a deep breath, okay?”

Tenderheart inhaled deeply and Spring found herself following her example, holding her breath for a couple of seconds before they slowly exhaled together. While Tenderheart held her and Spring tried to get her breathing back to normal, she noticed that the papers glowed and floated back into the file, then into one of the boxes. She turned her head and saw Rhyme who had taken care of her mess and now smiled calmly at her.

She needed a couple of minutes before she felt safe enough to trust her voice again

“Thanks.”

Tenderheart smiled and slowly pulled away from the hug, leaving Spring Meadow standing on her own hooves again.

“Don’t worry about it. I’m glad I could help.”

Spring turned around to thank Rhyme as well, but she was already back at boxing the last few files as if nothing had even happened. Spring picked up the nearest box, and for a few minutes they just worked silently.

Until Rhyme addressed her again

“So, you want to tell us why the Sisterhooves Social is such a big deal for you?”

She kept her tone casual, so that Spring could just deflect the question if she wanted, but Spring could also hear that barely hidden undertone which told her that Rhyme wasn’t just looking for a juicy piece of gossip, but really cared for her friend.

Spring smiled involuntarily. It still felt strange to think of her colleagues as friends, but Tenderheart looked at her in a way that meant she cared for her just as much as Rhyme did. So instead of acting like nothing had happened, Spring began talking instead.

“It’s really dumb, you know? I don’t even know if she’s into that kind of stuff.”

Blue was clearing out the skies for the weekend, and Cloud Chaser and Flitter were working with her. As usual, the work wasn’t too hard, so they had more than enough chances to chat. Naturally, they came to talk about the festival, since the Sisterhooves Social was the reason they were clearing the skies in the first place.

“Why you think she wouldn’t like it? I mean, it’s a festival, right? Everypony likes having fun at a festival.”

Blue rolled her eyes and busted another set of clouds

“It’s not like that. Festivals are okay, but she’s not the most social type on a good day.”

Flitter chimed in

“But wouldn’t that mean it’s the perfect opportunity to break out of her shell? I mean, it’s the Sisterhooves Social! It’s the perfect day for some sisterly bonding.”

Blue winced just at the sound of that

“Spring has never really been much of a bonding type.”
“What do you mean by that?”

Blue sighed and shook her head

“There’s been stuff like that before, you know? Excursions with the school, fairs and stuff… what’s it called? Family appreciation day? Spring’s never been a part of any of that.”
“Really? But, why not?”

Blue shrugged and tried to look like she didn’t care. She knew of course why Spring never had time for teacher-parent-meetings or school festivals or even a shopping trip to the mall. She had to work, sometimes two jobs, to get food on the table and keep the heat running. Even when they had lived in that girls’ hostel for a while, Spring had been fighting to become Blue’s legal guardian so they wouldn’t end up in an orphanage. She knew all that, but she wouldn’t ever tell Cloud Chaser or Flitter, or anypony about that.

Cloud Chaser seemed to know that he wouldn’t get any more out of Blue, but Flitter didn’t give up hope quite yet.

“You know, it wouldn’t hurt to just ask. I mean, worst case she just straight-up says no.”

Blue let out a laugh, but she hated how bitter it sounded even to her

“Worst case is we’ll be at each other’s throats and stop talking to each other for another week.”
“For another week?”

Angry about her slip-up, Blue flared her wings and flew over to the next set of clouds, kicking at them with more force than was necessary. Cloud Chaser and Flitter followed slower, and less certain than before. Still, Cloud Chaser picked the conversation up again after a minute

“You know you don’t have to go to the festival if you don’t want to. And you don’t have to go with your sister if she’s just going to be mean about it.”
“Hey, shut it. My sister is not mean about anything.”
“Really? It sounds like you two fight a lot.”

Blue gritted her teeth and swallowed down the angry lump in her throat. Cloud Chaser didn’t know better, so exploding in his face wouldn’t change anything. Instead, she grumbled

“Those fights are usually my fault. You know, bad temper and stuff.”

Cloud Chaser nodded and asked

“So you really want to go with your sister, but you’re not sure if she wants to come, because you never asked her before because reasons.”
“Pretty much, yeah.”

Cloud Chaser and Flitter looked at each other before they turned back towards Blue

“In that case, you should just ask.”

“But I don’t even know if she wants to go to a festival. She’s always been grumpy when she was talking about school festivals and things like that.”

Tenderheart nodded and pushed her box back into the shelf

“But you also said she’s been a grumpy teenager in general. She’s been at festivals before, right?”

“Yes, but only with her friends. That’s the next problem. Maybe she wants to go, but just not with me.”

Rhyme laughed and shook her head

“Sorry, but you can’t really believe that. Wasn’t the whole of moving to Ponyville so the two of you could stay together?”

Spring Meadow sighed and nodded

“Yes, it was. But things changed since we came here. She’s got a job now, and friends all over town and…”
“But she’s still living with you, right?”

Spring let out a deep sigh

“Yes, she is.”
“So that means something, right? She’s finally growing up, but she’s not growing apart of you. Maybe she’s got a new life now, but she clearly wants you to be a part of it.”

Spring looked between Tenderheart and Rhyme, still very uncertain

“So you think I should just ask her?”

“But what if she does say no? What if she really doesn’t want to go there with me, or at all?”

“Then you talk about it. That’s how these things work, you know? She says no, you ask her why not, and she explains. You understand each other a little better, and if you still want to go, you can always just meet up with your friends. Pretty sure Pinkie Pie and Applejack will be around, maybe even the whole six of them.”

Blue sighed again and nodded. They had sprawled out on the last three clouds in their section, but right now work was the last thing on Blue’s mind. Flitter chimed in once more

“And, you know, there’s still the chance she says yes. Wouldn’t that be great?”

She could say yes. We could go together and have a good time for once. Yeah, I think I’d like that.

Blue smiled to herself, but Cloud Chaser and Flitter noticed of course

“So, are you gonna ask her?”

Spring Meadow walked into the apartment and listened for a moment. It was quiet, so she knew Blue wasn’t home yet. Spring knew that her shift would still be a while, but work at the weather patrol was a bit sporadic at times, so sometimes Blue’s hours were all over the place. Not that either of them minded, of course.

Spring rummaged in the fridge, gathering things for a snack, when the door opened. Blue walked in and looked kind of surprised when she saw her sister

“Oh. Hi.”
“Hi Blue. You’re off early.”
“Yeah. Kinda. Slow day?”

Spring nodded and focused back on fixing her sandwich. Blue, like her, wasn’t the most talkative of ponies on a good day. Still, she stayed in the kitchen with her, so Spring got the impression that maybe Blue wanted to say something after all. But since she didn’t, Spring could at least give her a reason to stay, and make the situation less awkward

“Want one too?”
“Huh? Oh, sure. Thanks.”

Blue sat down at the kitchen table while Spring fixed another sandwich for her. Blue still liked cheese like she had in the other world, while Spring had switched to daisy sandwiches as her favourite snack once she had turned into a pony. Luckily, the fridge had enough of both.

Blue just nibbled on her snack, which told Spring that she wasn’t really hungry and just took the opportunity to hang around, just like she thought. Spring was hungry though, so while she waited for Blue to find the things to say, she made quick process of her sandwich.

She was almost finished when Blue finally did speak up

“So, um, you don’t work this weekend, right?”

Spring shook her head

“No, still free. Unless something unexpected happens.”

Blue nodded, and her right wing twitched. That storm had come out of nowhere back then, so it was a fair thing to say.

Blue took another bite, to buy some time, before she picked up the conversation

“So there’s a festival this weekend.”
“I know. The Sisterhooves Social, right?”
“Yeah. It’s a big thing over at Sweet Apple Acres. Most of the town will be there, I think.”

Spring just grinned

“Feels like they have a festival every other week, but they still get excited every time.”
“Yeah. Guess they do.”

Blue’s wing twitched again and she still didn’t know what she wanted to say, but Spring could at least guess that the festival was involved now. Which was enough for her to not press any further right away. Was it a good sign that Blue had thought about the festival, or a bad one? Should she tell her she’s been thinking about it too?

Finally, Blue bit the bullet and more or less blurted out

“You going?”
“Huh? I guess. Might be nice.”

Blue nodded and finally looked up

“We could go together, you know. Like, as sisters.”

Spring froze up for a moment, but she could almost hear Tenderheart’s voice chiding her in her mind

“Aren’t you going with your friends?”

Blue shrugged and nodded

“They’ll be there, I guess. But, I just thought, you know.”

She turned her head away, probably blushing, so she didn’t see that Spring was as well.

After a minute of silence, Spring finally replied

“Yeah. Sure.”

Blue’s head snapped back towards her

“Really?”
“Yeah. Could be fun, right?”
“Right.”

They smiled at each other, and let the awkwardness of the moment pass. They had never really had any big bonding moments as sisters before. But they also had never been ponies before. So much had changed already, so what’s another change on top of that all?

Saturday morning, Spring Meadow and Blue walked into the festival grounds late morning, like most of the ponies from town. Most of the fillies they saw seemed excited and dragged their older siblings to some activity or stall, but the older sisters all smiled as well, so the feeling was mutual.

And there were tons of things to do. Horseshoe throws, seven-legged-races, recitals and singing contests, all in all a lot of side contests and, of course, the big Sisterhooves Social main event with a talent show and an obstacle course.

Not that any of the two former humans cared too much about that. Spring Meadow wasn’t really the sporty type and Blue wasn’t very competitive either, so they just grabbed some festival foods and watched whatever caught their interest.

A few ponies who knew them waved or stayed to share a few pleasantries, but most of the focus stayed on the big competition. Applejack and her little sister where in a grudge match against Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo it seemed, and Pinkie Pie was commentating with Spike, which kept the crowd going.

Spring didn’t say much, which was normal, she and Blue never talked much to begin with, but Blue could see her smiling whenever she looked her way, so she guessed that her big sister had a good time. And so did she, even if they just walked around together. Still, all the events going on around them had her wings twitch.

“You wanna join in on something?”

Blue turned surprised to Spring who had a glint in her eyes just as much. Blue glanced around, but since this was an event for kids mostly, there wasn’t too much they could join in. Well, technically they could since they were sisters, but two adults going against foals didn’t seem like a fun thing to do.

“Yeah, kinda. But, you know.”

She waved her wing at a horde of foals that ran by, and Spring shook her head and pointed at a sign a few stalls over. Blue’s eyes widened and then she broke into a grin

“Seriously?”
“Yeah, why not? Come on, could be fun.”

Blue still grinned and followed her sister to the big tent that announced a hoofwrestling competition starting soon. As expected, there were no foals competing on this one, so they signed up as the seventh team of eight.

Half an hour later, a barrel was set up in the middle of the tent and Big Mac spoke up, his voice booming over the crowd

“Alright fellas, listen up. You’ll be going team versus team for the first round. If you lose a match, you’re out. Both of your team lose, team’s out and winner moves to the next round.”

There was a rather big crowd by now, who cheered when the first two teams met for the first match and bumped their hooves. The matches didn’t take very long, but each win called out another wave of cheers from the audience.

Blue and Spring were called up next, and their opponents were Daisy and Rose who ran the flower shop. Blue grinned while Spring gave them a super-serious look to throw them off their game. Either way, they didn’t last very long and both Blue and Spring won their match without breaking to sweat.

Only to be pitted against a pair of buff looking earth ponies in the next round. Spring lost her match very quickly, while Blue struggled to beat her opponent in a match that went almost for five minutes. Of course, that meant she had to go against Spring’s opponent next, who quickly finished her off now that she had run low on fumes. It didn’t matter too much though. Spring had been cheering her on throughout her match and they both laughed a lot. They dropped out in fourth place, which meant they wouldn’t get a ribbon, but neither of them cared much.

The competition didn’t last very long, and the crowd dispersed to the next event, along with Spring and Blue, who were still talking about their match

“I still can’t believe you beat her. That girl looked like she could lift a truck.”
“Yeah, felt like it, too. Guess I’m tougher than I look, huh?”
“Sure are. Though I always knew that.”

They laughed and walked on, now far more at ease than they had been before. Then Blue’s nose picked up something and she changed direction, leading her and her sister to a stall with an absurd number of pies, apparently fresh from the oven.

Spring grinned and nudged her

“Hungry?”
“Yeah, kinda. That match made me work up an appetite for sure.”

They laughed again and Spring addressed the pony at the stall

“We’d like one blueberry, please.”

However, the mare shook her head

“No can do, Miss. These pies are for our pie-eating competition that’s about to start.”
“Pie-eating contest?”

Before the mare could explain, they heard a voice from behind them

“Hey look at that big sis, looks like these guys wanna lose again!”

Spring and Blue turned around, just to see the team that had beat them at the hoofwrestling competition. They had their blue ribbons for winning pinned on, and a smug grin plastered on their faces.

Blue noticed the signs, her wings twitching and her body switching into a more aggressive stance, so she was about to just leave before she got too angry again. However, she was stopped by Spring’s hoof.

“You guys want a rematch? You can get it.”

Blue just couldn’t not grin when she heard that tone in Spring’s voice. It was a tone that had been missing for a long time. Everypony who knew her always thought she was the always calm, always collected big sister while Blue was the wild, out of control child with a knack for getting into trouble. And while that was true, Spring had just as much of a knack for charging in head-first, like back when she had been fighting to get custody over Blue while she was still only a teenager. Sure, she had toned down a bit over the last few years, but that drive was still there. After all, Blue hadn’t just picked that up out of nowhere.

So when the two just grinned at them, that was enough for her to go all out with Spring by her side

“Bring it on!”

By the time the pie-eating contest was about to start, about ten sister teams had taken their spots at the long table. Spring and Blue sat opposite of their rivals at the end of the table, all four of them grinning in anticipation. They even drew in an audience around them, and Blue grinned even more when she saw some ponies starting to bet who would win.

Granny Smith finally approached the mare who was handling the pies and nodded

“Listen up, youngins! Rules are simple: Everypony gets a slice and when it’s empty, you get a new one. The team with the most finished pies wins! Now, on your marks, ready, go!”

The mare, a unicorn, had just been waiting for the sign and placed a plate in front of every competitor with her magic. Blue dove right in and started with big bites, much bigger than she could do as a human but with her pony body she could almost swallow a whole slice in one go. She finished her plate at the same time as her opposite, and they received a new piece immediately. Spring followed soon after, while most of the other ponies were still busy with their first one. Spring and Blue shared a look and Spring nodded. This was about speed as much as endurance, so she paced herself through the next pie, just like Spring, while the other team kept scarfing down theirs.

At the sixth slice, it was only Spring, Blue and their rival team left. The other teams had all given up, but nopony left and kept watching the match for first. The other team was ahead by a count of two, but they had to slow down while Blue and Spring still kept going at the same pace. Soon they had caught up and while one of their rivals just stared at their full plate, Blue finished another one

“Next!”

The crowd got a bit antsy when Blue suddenly stopped and the other team could catch up, but luckily Spring knew exactly what to do. She slapped Blue on the back, and Blue let out a mighty burb, so much that the stack of plates in front of her started jiggling. A moment of silence, then part of the audience cheered even louder than before (except for Rarity who was fainting dramatically), especially when Blue and Spring set down their empty plates at the same time and screamed

“NEXT!”

The festival was almost over by now, all that was left was the talent show that finished the main event, so everypony gathered around the makeshift stage.

Spring and Blue also made their way over, but slower than everypony else, and leaning heavily against each other

“Oh… I can’t believe we ate twenty-four slices of pie…”
“What do you mean, we? I barely made it through eight, the rest is all on you.”
“Yeah, but guess what?”

They grinned at each other and raised their hoof, showing off their shiny blue ribbons

“We did it!”

They called out together and tried to bump each other’s hoof, only to miss and collapse against each other, which only had them laughing more.

They reached some of the backseats and watched in silence for a while as the sister teams performed and got scored. Blue felt like her whole body had to be made out of pie by this point, and wondered if she would ever be able to fly again.

“You think we gonna regret this tomorrow?”
“Nah. This was totally worth any aching tummy.”

Spring laughed and nodded, with that smile she had all day long

“Yeah, totally worth! Can’t wait to defend our title next year.”

Blue grinned, but it wasn’t the idea of defending her title. It was the thought that next year, she’d get to visit the Sisterhood Social again with her sister.

“You know, there’s another festival coming in like ten days.”
“Does that one have pie-eating contests as well?”
“Don’t think so.”
“Good. I don’t think I could take another one.”

They laughed and Spring put her hoof around Blue, a little bit like she used to do when they were younger

“So, you wanna go check that out together?”
“You bet your butt I do!”

And suddenly, Blue didn’t think anymore that having a festival every other week was that weird. And suddenly, Spring Meadow found herself looking forward to the next one.

Bonus Chapter: Music

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Blue woke up with a long yawn and stretched all her legs. She always enjoyed sleeping in, but this morning really put in a lot of effort to be perfect. The sun was shining into her bedroom, not so bright it would blind her, but warm and welcoming. Through the window, she could hear birdsong and if she listened closely, she could make out the sounds of the market in the distance.

Blue sat up and looked out the window. In moments like these, she realized how different life was here in Ponyville, compared to the one she left behind. Despite living here for almost half a year now, it still felt like a fairy tale. Or more like one of those animated cartoon movies for children.

The apartment was quiet, as expected. Blue had the day off, but Spring Meadow was already off to work and wouldn’t be back until later in the afternoon. Judging from her rumbling stomach and the sun, Blue’s guess was that it was still early enough to get some breakfast to start her day.

The kitchen had a box of cereal waiting for her, and Spring had left her half a pot of coffee from her own breakfast. Thanks to the magic coffee-maker-thingy Rarity got them as a gift, it was still warm and smelled like freshly brewed. Blue sipped slowly through her cup in between bites of breakfast. She didn’t really need coffee to wake up, at least not today, but she enjoyed the taste, nonetheless.

She glanced through the kitchen and saw the pots from yesterday’s dinner on the stove, as well as a number of dishes in the sink. In fact, the whole kitchen could use a good cleaning. Blue wasn’t usually the cleanliness type, but since they were not living in a dump anymore, even she felt the need to keep the place tidy. And since she had the day off, she could just take care of it without bothering Spring as well.

Finishing off her coffee, she got up and got started. Cleaning wasn’t her favourite thing in the world, but she knew she’d like the place even better once she was done. Before she dove into the dishes, she looked through the door into the living room. On a small table sat another gift from her friends, Pinkie Pie this time. It was an old fashioned ‘turn-the-crank-so-it-works’ record player (which wasn’t as outdated in Equestria), and next to it a stack of music records, more gifts but from a different set of friends this time.

Oh, why not? Might as well have some tunes while I’m working.
She chose one of the records and set the player in motion, loud enough so she could hear the song in the kitchen. She grinned when the guitars set in, and then finally dove into work.

Starlight Glimmer wouldn’t usually call herself a morning pony but compared to Trixie she always felt like one. They had had breakfast (and most importantly coffee), but Trixie was still kinda sluggish and yawning a lot, which had Starlight giggle
“Come on, it’s almost noon already. You can’t still be tired.”
Trixie, trying to hide her next yawn, struck a pose that had her cape wave dramatically
“The Great and Powerful Trixie, like any performer worth their names, is a mare of the night! It is in her famous shows when Trixie dazzles and amazes her audience late into the night.”

Starlight chuckled at Trixie’s over-dramatics as usual, but it was a well-meaning and kind-hearted chuckle. When she was with Starlight, Trixie had stopped being a showmare all the time and also mostly dropped talking about herself in third pony. She also very rarely wore her stage outfit anymore when they were just strolling through town, but today she had felt the need to show off her best side. Which meant she was going to show the Great and Powerful Trixie-routine a lot.

Starlight knew that some ponies, scratch that, most ponies found it annoying, but it helped Trixie be less anxious, so she rarely ever told her to quit it. Both Starlight and Trixie had kind of a bad record meeting new ponies, so Starlight wouldn’t want to take this little comfort away from her friend, since she was the one meeting somepony new today that Starlight already knew.

So Starlight just smiled as Trixie adjusted her magician’s hat yet again, and felt good enough for some friendly banter
“You didn’t even have a show last night. In fact, when was the last time you even performed in Ponyville?”
“Oh yeah? Tell me again, who needed a whole pot of coffee this morning all for herself?”
They glared at each other for a brief moment, before they both chuckled. With Twilight and the others, Starlight would never say something like this, but between Trixie and her, this was their usual spiel.

“Now then, remind Trixie, how much further do we have to go until we meet this Ocean Shore?”
“Not that far. We’re almost there.”
“And you’re sure she won’t mind us dropping in unannounced?”
“Nah, it’s her free day, I’m sure she won’t mind at all. She’ll be thrilled.”

As the two walked down the street, Starlight picked up something new that had her smile. The street was mostly quiet, but from one open window in the apartment complex, she could hear music, most likely from a record player. That wasn’t too unusual, but Starlight could easily recognize this music for what it really was. The heavy guitars and the drums’ aggressiveness didn’t match with anything ponies could come up with, but thanks to her brief visits through the mirror-portal, she could recognize the sound as the rock music she had heard in the human world.

She turned to grin at Trixie, but her friend looked very pale for some reason. She was about to ask what was wrong, but Trixie grabbed her hoof in a way that was very unlike her, so Starlight only got out part of her question
“Trixie…?”
“Starlight, is this… this wouldn’t happen to be from your friend? Please tell me it’s not?”
Trixie seemed distraught, which was something that happen rarely to never (invasions into the changeling hive excluded). Finally, Starlight managed to find her words again
“What’s wrong, Trixie? What’s the matter?”
“Don’t you hear this? What pony in their right mind would listen to such music?”
Starlight sighed, relieved that it was just one of Trixie’s dramatic reactions
“Come on, Trixie. Different ponies like different styles of music. I’m not a fan of guitars and rock music either, but…”
“It’s not the guitars, it’s… it’s just wrong. Just listen! Listen!”

That was so un-Trixie that Starlight now worried even more than before, and like her friend suggested, she listened more closely. This time, she heard past the guitars and heard some of the lyrics as well, more of a shouting really than real singing.

Cut my life into pieces
This is my last resort
Suffocation, no breathing
Don’t give a fuck if I cut myself bleeding

Starlight gasped and now understood Trixie. And worst of all, now she worried more than her before. She knew some of the story why Ocean Shore had left the human world, and of course she knew Sunset Shimmer’s story, and that both stories were intertwined at some point. If Blue was listening to this kind of music, would that mean…?

Trixie was staring at her, which meant that Starlight had zoned out for a moment, but she came back to it just to hear the next set of lyrics, that made all the colour fade from her face

Would it be wrong, would it be right?
If I took my life tonight?
Chances are that I might
Mutilation out of sight
And I’m contemplating suicide

Starlight’s eyes opened wide in fear. She had no time to explain to Trixie right now, she had to act before it was too late. Grabbing Trixie’s hoof tighter, she didn’t give much of a warning as she teleported them both into the apartment complex, right in front of Ocean Shore’s door. She barged right in without knocking, pulling Trixie after her into the loud room from which the music came. She heard an angry call from the kitchen, but she couldn’t bother with that now.

Her eyes scanned over the room, until she found the source of all evil: The record player. Before she could really think, she acted. Her horn flared up and a powerful blast of magic turned the record player into a million little pieces, finally stopping the atrocious sound.

Starlight allowed herself a breath of relief, but Trixie was looking at her in fearful confusion. Or maybe was looking at what was behind her, because Starlight could hear hoofsteps before somepony shoved her roughly, effectively throwing her over with another angry yell. Starlight was so surprised that she landed painfully on her flank, but the perpetrator wasn’t done with her yet. She angled her eyes up to see Ocean Shore with wild fury on her face and her hoof ready to strike down on her.

Despite her bravado moments before, now she froze up in real fear and closed her eyes, waiting for the impact. When it didn’t come, she dared to glance up again. Blue was still glaring daggers at her, but at least she had put her hoof back on the floor
“WHAT THE FUCK, STARLIGHT?”

Starlight winced as Blue screamed at her at the top of her voice. That anger that hit her was almost as bad
“I was just…”
“You were just what? You break into my home and blast my things…”
“I WAS JUST TRYING TO SAVE YOU!”

Starlight blurted out when Blue didn’t let her explain, but somehow it only made Blue angrier
“Save me from what? Are you out of your fucking mind?”

Starlight winced again under Blue’s continuous glaring, and finally her mind caught up on her surroundings. She could see that Blue’s hooves were slightly wet, and behind her she could see the kitchen through the open door. And the half-done stack of dishes next to the sink.
“You… you were doing dishes?”
“Yeah, so? What the fuck do you care? What has this to do with you breaking into my fucking home?”

Starlight knew that when Blue was swearing like this, she really was on the brink of an angry breakdown, so she had to thread carefully now. Sadly, Trixie didn’t know that.
“Of course it wasn’t you doing dishes! But that song, that record you were playing…”
“Shit, my record!”

Starlight and Trixie both flinched when Blue screamed again and headed to look at what was left of her former record player. Starlight and Trixie shared a worried look. If Starlight was anything, she’d be a powerful and capable mage, so they both knew nothing could have withstood the power of her spell. Blue also had to realize this as the biggest piece that was left of her record was just about the size of a bit.

For a moment, it looked like Blue was about to break into tears, but then her head whipped around to glare at her intruders again, her wings now flared in a clear sign of aggression
“What the actual fuck, Starlight! Why did you do that?”
Blue didn’t look like she was about to hit her, but Starlight knew that it would only take a wrong word for the former human to explode, and if the sinking feeling in her tummy was any indication, this time Blue was in the right to be mad at her.

Trying to save what she could, Starlight tried to at least lessen the blow
“I’ll get you a new player of course, and new records…”
“You can’t just replace this record, and you know it! It’s from…”

Blue stopped in mid-sentence and they both turned to Trixie, who suddenly seemed to get what this was all about
“Oh! It’s from that other world you told me about, is it?”
Starlight felt hot and cold at the same time when Blue’s glared burned into her soul again, and this time she knew right away that she had messed up
“So you didn’t just invade my home and trash my things, you also told ponies about my biggest secret? HER out of all ponies?”

Trixie let out an undignified huff and struck a confident pose
“Of course she did! Starlight would never keep secrets from her best friend, and everypony knows that the gr…”
“I swear if you say ‘The Great and Powerful Trixie’ now, I’ll break your face into more pieces than that record!”

That had Trixie shut up, if only for a few moments
“Why are you so rude? You should be thanking Starlight and Trixie for getting rid of this thing and stopping this terrible song!”
“I like that song! That’s why I played it! If you don’t like it, you can’t just come in and break it. I don’t give a shit about stage magicians, but that doesn’t mean I go to your show and mess up your stuff!”
“It’s not about this! But this song… we were worried why you’d listen to such a bad song!”

Blue gritted her teeth so loud that Starlight could hear it, but somehow she seemed to get that this was more than just a taste in music, even if Trixie did a bad job of explaining it
“That song… it was so angry, and it sung about… about…”
“About what?”
Usually, Trixie acted bold and confident, especially when she really wasn’t, but today she acted so meek when confronted, it had Starlight wonder
“You know! You heard it! It was about… about… trying to end things…”

Blue’s glare intensified and she took another step towards Trixie, but Starlight got that she wasn’t threatening her friend this time
“For fuck’s sake, say it!”
“You know what Trixie meant, so…”
“SAY IT! You have no right to lecture me about anything if you can’t even say it! Either you stop mincing words now and say it, or you can just go and never come back, you spineless little…
“SUICIDE! The song was about suicide! There, I said it! Happy now?”

If Blue was surprised by Trixie’s outburst, she only was for a second before she grinned. It was not a happy grin by any means, but at least her wings folded back now, even if Starlight still couldn’t say anything and felt shell-shocked

“I’m not happy, but that’s not the point. Why is a song about suicide so bad you have to disintegrate my stuff?”
Starlight and Trixie both stared at Blue, baffled beyond belief
“Because it is! It’s a bad thing, so there shouldn’t be songs about it! And even if there are songs about it, nopony should listen to them! Only ponies who think about it would listen to songs about bad things!”

Blue shook her head and glared, but it wasn’t at them anymore
“It’s just a stupid song! It doesn’t mean anything! I don’t even care about the lyrics at all, but even if I did care, it’s just a stupid song!”
“But… but if you like the song, that means… it means that… you’re thinking about ending it. Why else would you listen to a song like that?”

Both Trixie and Starlight winced when Blue started to laugh, but it was a dead, mirthless, and bitter laugh
“Yeah, right. I listen to a certain type of music, so I’m automatically a bad person. That’s what you like to think, right? A girl looks that way, listens to the wrong music, she must be a bad girl, a criminal, and it’s fair to judge her even though you never bothered to even talk to her and you don’t know a single fucking thing about her!”

Blue’s voice had grown louder and louder as she ranted on, so at the end she was more or less just screaming at the top of her voice. At least she wasn’t screaming at Starlight or Trixie directly, but Starlight could see how angry she really was. It felt so strange to see her maybe sometimes grumpy friend act this out of line.

Trixie, who had never met Blue before, didn’t have the comparison, and maybe that’s why she was bold enough to clarify
“So, that means you’re not… thinking about ending it?”
The glare Blue threw at her said enough, but she made sure they got the right message
“No. I’m not a fucking coward.”

Trixie and Starlight both let out a sigh of relief, but that only seemed to irritate Blue even more
“Wait, that’s what this is all about? What the fuck, Starlight?”
“I’m sorry! When we heard the song, I thought… I was afraid you might be… I panicked, okay? I didn’t want you to get hurt, or hurt yourself!”
“It’s a fucking song, Starlight! It doesn’t mean jack shit.”
“Yes it does! It’s such an angry song, and you’re angry and I know about Sunset and you and…”
“YOU KNOW JACK-SHIT ABOUT ME! I know you think you do, but just because we hang sometimes doesn’t give you the right to decide things for me! Or go around town telling everypony things about me because you think you know I wouldn’t mind!”
“That’s not what happened, I…"
“YOU THINK I REALLY CARE?”

And just when it looked like Starlight was getting angry and ready to shout as well, they suddenly all heard a strange crunching noise. Three heads turned around, only to find Discord, the spirit of chaos, lounged on the couch, with a bowl of popcorn on his lap. Not bothered the slightest, he idly threw another piece of popcorn up into the air and caught it with his mouth.
“Oh, don’t mind me, girls. I’m just enjoying the show. Please, do continue.”

While Starlight knew better than to go ballistic at Discord out of all ponies, Blue was far from being this reasonable. She shot another glare in his direction and screamed at the top of her voice
“WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS? WHY IS EVERYPONY JUST WALTZING IN FUCKING UNINVITED?”
Discord wasn’t phased the least and just swallowed another bite of popcorn
“Well, first of all the door was open. And second… do you really think it counts as a private conversation when you scream so loud that the entire town can hear you?”

Blue was looking like she was about to jump at Discord and start hitting him, to which he only laughed
“Oh, come now. This is the best chaos I’ve seen all month. Give me that, at least.”

While Trixie was trying to hold Blue back, Starlight now frowned at Discord
“You wouldn’t happen to be responsible for this, would you?”
“Moi? Your words wound me deeply, Starlight Glimmer. I don’t cause chaos anymore, but that won’t stop me from enjoying it when I see it. I thought you as a fellow reformed villain would understand.”
He acted all dramatically as if he’d actually been hit down, only to perk up the next moment
“In fact, I think it’s rather exceptional we all met here today. All of us reformed individuals in a way or another, am I right?”

He disappeared in a flash, only to reappear in the middle of the three mares to pull them into a hug
“Oh, we should do this more often! Maybe we should form a club and have weekly meetings.”
He snapped, and suddenly, before Blue could pull free and rage even more, they found themselves in what had to be a room of Twilight’s castle, although if it was, Starlight had not seen it before, even if the walls and floor told her she was right.

Starlight and Trixie found themselves sitting on a couch, Blue was sitting on some kind of beanbag seat and struggled to get up, while Discord stood behind a podium and knocked with a mallet
“I hereby call the first Ponyville reformed villain club meeting to order. First order of the day would be our typical meet and greet. I’ll start us off!”
Another flash, and Discord had summoned a flipchart with photographs of his ‘greatest hits’, so to speak
“Hi, my name is Discord, and a thousand years ago, I tried to bring chaos to Equestria but was rudely stopped and turned to stone. After that, I corrupted the Elements of Harmony and their bearers and turned Ponyville to the new chaos-capital of the world, only to be stopped again. Which finally made me rethink my position and join the side of ‘good’.”

Starlight and Trixie, who were more familiar with Discords antics, knew that there was no good way to stop him right now, so after a sideways-glance at each other, they agreed to play along and clapped while Discord staged a bow.

By this time, Blue had managed to escape her seat and flapped her wings hard to stay afloat so she could get right into Discord’s face
“Whatever bullshit you got planned, leave me the fuck out of it!”
“Oh, I know you don’t mean that. After all, why would you give up the chance to join a club as exclusive as ours?”

Another snap, and suddenly the room looked like a ballroom, with Discord in a tuxedo with a top hat and Blue, Starlight and Trixie in fancy dresses. And while Trixie admired hers, Blue tried to pull hers off immediately, but somehow it changed from being a dress and turned into some kind of straitjacket instead, effectively pinning her down.
“Get this stupid thing off me!”
Starlight laughed and used her own magic to help Blue out, before she turned to Discord
“I don’t know, I think this is a bit too fancy for a club like ours, don’t you think?”
Discord let out a dramatic sigh, but he finally nodded
“I suppose you’re right.”
A snap later, and the room looked more like a regular living room again, with Starlight and Trixie back on the couch and Blue on her bean bag, while Discord floated lazily in the air. Trixie looked like she was about to disagree, but then she saw that she was still wearing her dress, she grinned and made sure to show it off some more, which earned her a wink from Discord.

Blue on the other hoof was warily testing the seat that had trapped her before. It seemed safe now, so she reluctantly sat down, even if she didn’t look happy to be around.
“I don’t even fucking know why you dragged me here. I was never some crazy super-villain like you.”
Starlight and Trixie sunk down a little, but Discord only had a wink for Blue
“Oh? So you’re telling me you’re an innocent little angel?”

He snapped and Blue suddenly had a halo over her head, which she immediately waved away with her hooves
“Fuck no. I got a whole list of times I fucked up. Shoplifting, pickpocketing, fighting with people, a few broken arms, broken nose, the whole shebang. And I don’t know what Starlight and the annoying one ever did…” “Hey! Trixie heard that!” “…but I’m sure that’s not on the same level of trying to take over the world with bullshit-magic. Right guys?”
When Blue turned around to Trixie and Starlight Glimmer, she finally noticed their uneasy expressions.
“Guys?”

Starlight cleared her throat before she was able to say anything
“Before I met Twilight, I was the leader of a cult that tried to take everypony’s cutie marks away, so they’d be all equal, except for me. And when Princess Twilight stopped me, I was out for revenge and messed around with time magic and maybe destroyed Equestria a few times over when I messed with Twilight’s past.”
Blue just stared with her mouth hanging open while Trixie added
“And Trixie used a corrupted magic amulet to get revenge on Ponyville and Twilight Sparkle by driving her out of town and kinda enslaving everypony a teensy little bit.”

Blue just stared from villain to villain, waiting for a punchline that never came
“Seriously? You did that? And you’re still allowed to walk around freely?”
Starlight and Trixie nodded awkwardly, almost afraid, but Blue just laughed and shook her head.
“Fuck that. How long did they put you behind bars for it?”
“Behind bars?”
Neither Trixie nor Starlight seemed to understand what Blue was even asking.
“You know, prison? A judge that hands out a verdict and then you have to go to jail?”

Starlight blushed brightly and looked at the floor, almost ashamed
“Princess Twilight didn’t punish me at all. She made me her student after she convinced me that what I was doing was wrong.”
Trixie nodded, in the same sentiment
“Trixie had to apologize in public, but after that she was free to go.”
“Oh, come on!”

Blue threw her hooves up into the air, a gesture that made more sense back when she still had hands
“I got stuck in juvie for almost three months for something I didn’t even do, and you pull all that shit and all you get is a slap on the hoof and a lecture?”

While Starlight tried to stop Trixie from complaining that a public apology was pretty bad, Discord cleared his throat and leaned back in the armchair that materialized under him.
“Well, a millennium trapped in stone, but who’s counting? And I agree. We did get off pretty easy, all things considered. Just like you, which gives you even more reason to join our little club. Isn’t that great?”

With a snap of his claw, a banner appeared with their faces and Discord’s club name on it, although even Blue’s picture was glaring at Discord.
“I didn’t get off easy. I had to run away to another freaking dimension to get away from shit.”
Discord ignored the glare, and just leaned towards Blue with a maybe not so smug grin
“And once you did, didn’t you turn out better than ever? Didn’t all your struggles turn more bearable once you made that choice? As soon as you finally accepted Twilight Sparkle’s help, didn’t you finally manage to turn your life around, into something you could enjoy?”

Blue’s glare immediately vanished, and she looked over to Starlight and Trixie, who had that same smile as Discord. A smile she remembered from her friends in the other world, especially from Sunset Shimmer, whenever she talked about the magic of friendship.

All eyes were still on her, but her anger just faded away, and she admitted with a sigh
“Yeah. That’s absolutely what happened.”
Discord winked and produced his wooden mallet again.
“In that case, I think you really do belong into our little club.”
“Seconded!”
“Hear, hear!”

Discord hammered on his little podium with his mallet and the others applauded. Blue just rolled her eyes, but like her picture on the banner, she was smiling now.
“Never a dull moment with you guys, huh?”
“Oh, I would hope not!”

Discord changed the room back into the sitting room in Twilight’s castle, although he kept the banner, and everypony was sitting in their places again. Starlight, feeling that things were finally calming down again, felt even good enough to throw a little quip towards Blue.
“At least you didn’t steal a magic crown and turn into a demon.”
“Hey! Keep Sunset out of this!”

While Blue was glaring at Starlight, though with much less intensity than before, Discord immediately perked up with a dangerous glint in his eyes
“Oh! What a wonderful idea!”
He wiggled his fingers before he snapped, but the snap sounded louder than before and echoed through the room. Then, a hole in space opened just in the middle of the room, and Discord reached inside with his lion paw. Before anypony could ask what was going on, he pulled a very familiar, amber-coated unicorn out of the hole before it vanished
“Hey! What gives? What’s… why do I have hooves?”

Sunset Shimmer needed a moment to get on her hooves and looked around confused, especially when she realized where she was and who was with her. Meanwhile, Starlight and Trixie glared at the perpetrator.
“Discord! What did you do?”
“Whatever do you mean, my dear Starlight? We can't have our club meeting without our final member.”

Starlight and Trixie looked up at the banner that now suddenly had Sunset's face on it as well, but they kept glaring at Discord, so Sunset turned to Blue for help. Blue just cracked up laughing and shook her head.
“Hey, don't look at me! All I did was put on a record this morning!”

Sunset turned to the draconequus who just shrugged with an innocent expression
“Oh come now, don't look at me like this. When would we ever get a chance to meet like this, without a little help from yours truly?”
Sunset frowned, staring at her hooves
“I was in the middle of a class. What if someone saw what happened?”
“Oh, pish posh. Your professor won't notice if there are 80 students or 79 trying to stay awake during his lecture.”
Sunset laughed, looking a lot less guilty now
“True. And it's not everyday you get invited to a club as exclusive as the 'Ponyville Reformed Villain Club'.”
“See? She gets it!”

Discord smiled satisfied and pointed at Sunset, who was just rolling her eyes before she chuckled along with Blue, as they shared their usual hoof-bump for a greeting. Trixie also seemed okay to just go along with things, but Starlight wasn't willing to let this go so easily.
“How did you even get her here? Twilight needs a magic mirror, all kinds of contraptions and a magic journal as a conduit, but you can just open a rift between worlds whenever you feel like it?”
Discord shook his head, and suddenly seemed more serious than Blue had seen all day from him
“Oh, I can't pass over just whenever I please. Only when it would cause enough confusion and maybe a teensy bit of chaos. Compared to Equestria, that other world has far too many rules for me to breach in very often.”

Blue suddenly started laughing so hard that everypony stared at her.
“Oh man, this is too good. Discord runs on cartoon logic!”
Only Sunset seemed to get what Blue was going at, since she joined in the laughter, while Discord crossed his mismatched arms in front of his chest
“I most certainly do not! I'm the spirit of chaos! I'll have you know that I don't run by any logic!”
“You kinda do, though.”

Discord huffed and turned away as if insulted, so Blue and Sunset tried their best to stop laughing
“Sorry, we got it out of our system now. Back to the club meeting?”
“Oh, right! I almost forgot!”
He snapped, and suddenly his podium was back and everypony was sitting on couches again, Trixie next to Starlight and Blue next to Sunset, who had a spotlight shining on her.
“We still haven't finished our meet and greet! It seems like our newest member still has to introduce herself!”

All eyes on her, Sunset blinked twice as a flipchart with photos of her in her demon form, her Rainbooms-outfit and finally her angel-form appeared, but she shrugged and just went with it. It was kinda hard to argue with the spirit of chaos, after all.
“Uh, hi, my name is Sunset Shimmer, and I terrorized a high school in the human world for three years, then I stole a magic crown from Princess Twilight and turned into a raging she-demon, before Princess Twilight and her friends defeated me and showed me the magic of friendship. And now they and me kinda try to keep magic in the human world under control. Oh, and I kinda also met Blue in the human world and helped her move to Equestria.”

The others clapped politely, only Blue rolled her eyes
“Wow, I get mentioned along with your biggest villain scores. Thanks for that.”
Sunset just chuckled and nudged her with her hoof, and Discord snapped his podium out of existence and went back to floating lazily in the air.
“I knew you'd fit in just fine, Sunset Shimmer. Well, I believe that concludes the first point of order. And since just saying that word gives me itches, that's the last time we talk about having order in this club meeting.”

The ponies laughed and agreed, and Sunset turned to Blue
“So, I have to know. Which song put this all into motion?”
“Last resort.”
Sunset tilted her head and chuckled
“Really? That one is tame compared to... oh, I guess in pony terms, it's a touch off.”
“More like, a metric shit ton of off. Starlight totally freaked out when she heard it.”

Blue pointed at the mare in question, with a glare
“You owe me a new record player by the way!”
“Ouch. That bad?”
Starlight blushed but Sunset seemed to find it hilarious, so Blue kept going
“You have no idea. She zapped into my home and blasted my stuff into tiny bits. And then the annoying one...” “Hey! That's not my name!” “Sorry, the whiny and annoying Trixie...” “Eh, close enough.” “... whatever! She tried to tell me I'm a bad pony and they had to rescue me.”

“Rescue you... from a song?”
Sunset blinked and looked to Starlight and Trixie, before her eyes flew wide open
“Oh yeah. Ponies don't really sing about stuff like that, huh?”
“And humans do? How can you live in a world with creatures who sing songs about suicide?”

Discord seemed fine with watching for now, he even had his bowl of popcorn back, but luckily Sunset was there to keep the situation from escalating this time.
“I kinda like the guitars. Plus, that song is supposed to be edgy. It was kinda a hot thing back then.”
“And it was ways better than boy band music.”

Blue started singing something in a fake-squeaky voice and Sunset joined right in, but they both broke down laughing after just a few verses that sounded so corny that even Starlight Glimmer and Trixie couldn't help but chuckle.

“Oh wow. Humans are very strange creatures, aren't they?”
Blue, as the only native human in the room, took the job to feel insulted in the name of a whole species.
“Like there are no freaky or strange things in Equestria.”
She glared at Discord, who just nodded, not at all bothered
“She has a point. Frankly, I think it's silly to narrow any world down by needless rules, but short-lived mortal beings seem to cling to them in any dimension.”

Sunset and Trixie laughed, and Starlight shook her head
“I would have never thought that you'd be into philosophy, Discord.”
“I had a millennium in stone to think about stuff like this. I can't say I enjoyed it a lot, but it made the time pass.”

Blue grinned, getting almost familiar with the mixed bag that was this club, and went for a quip against the big bad himself.
“Next time you end up as a statue, we'll make sure we set up a radio next to you.”
“Oh, phew. Music is all about rhythm and harmony and order, it just doesn't do the thing for me. That's why I don't spend too much time around ponies who spontaneously burst into song at any given chance.”

Trixie and Starlight chuckled and grinned
“Oh really? Well, I'm pretty sure you broke into song too. A tiny glass of water, please?”
Discord huffed, but the ponies around him just laughed.
“That was different. It's obviously not the same when I do it.”
Blue chimed in, this time in defence of Discord
“Yeah, I feel you, man. Pony music gets kinda samey after a while.”
“Is that why you play records from the human world?”

Blue nodded to Trixie's question, as did Sunset
“Human music has far more variety. There's something for every taste. I bet even Discord would find songs he likes.”
“I highly doubt that.”
Discord still didn't seem convinced. Sunset threw a glance and wink at Blue, before she addressed him directly
“Well, I would love to show you, but I don't know how. It would be easy if we had access to the internet here, for a change.”
Blue grinned and picked up Sunset's plan, backing her up quickly
“Yeah, that would be, like, the most random thing ever! But I suppose it's never going to be possible without breaking every rule of magic and physic.”

Discord perked up immediately and prepared his fingers for another snap, but then blinked and smirked
“Oh, I see what you're doing. Very clever. I'll go with it, just this once.”

He snapped extra loud, like when he pulled Sunset into the room, and an image appeared, floating in mid-air so that everypony could see it. Starlight and Trixie just stared at it in utter confusion, but Sunset and Blue grinned and exchanged a hoof-bump, as the recognized the starting screen of an internet browser.

Discord reclined into an armchair that appeared behind him, with a smug grin.
“You have one song to convince me. But I doubt you'll manage to find music I would enjoy.”
“Challenge accepted!”

Blue and Sunset huddled together, but Sunset just grinned at Blue's suggestion and nodded. Blue, kinda going by Discord's random vibe, just reached in mid-air and suddenly had a computer-mouse and keyboard in front of her, pony-sized of course. Everypony watched as she clicked and typed in a few words, Trixie a tad scared, Starlight fascinated, Sunset with a grin, and Discord just bored.
“It's not going to work.”
“Oh yeah? Have a piece of this!”

Blue smashed the enter-key and the browser changed to a video player. A faint sound of an electric guitar started to play, and after that a few words that didn't seem to match together at all. Trixie and Starlight just looked at each other confused, before their attention turned back to the music video, but what was happening on the screen didn't match up with the music either. Sunset allowed herself a smirk as she watched Discord, and Blue grinned just along.

After a few seconds a hard, erratic baseline set in, together with more instruments, or just noises? It was hard to tell, especially when the voice in the background just kept repeating the same nonsensical lyrics. Starlight and Trixie were just lost, but Sunset bopped her head along and Blue waved her hoof kind of in rhythm, clearly enjoying herself.

Discord however sat up straight as soon as the music started, and when the music grew more and more confusing, chaotic, his face lit up like a Christmas tree, and Blue was almost sure she saw sparks lighting up all around him. He also had the biggest smile Blue had seen on him all day as he absorbed the music with full attention.

Sunset and Blue bumped their hooves together and screamed along when the song reached another climax.

The song only lasted a couple of minutes, but when it was finished Discord jumped to his feet and started clapping
“Oh, marvellous! Wonderful! So inspiring, so invigorating, so…”
He stopped and cleared his throat when he saw that everypony was grinning at him, and tried to hide the excitement from his voice.
“I mean, that wasn’t as bad as I feared. For music. It might be worth exploring some more.”

He could barely hide his smile when the keyboard appeared in front of Blue again. She and Sunset laughed even harder, joined in by Starlight. And even though Trixie was smiling along, she couldn’t help herself.
“Humans truly are strange creatures, if this counts as music for them.”
Sunset nodded vigorously and agreed
“Strangest creatures I’ve ever met. But don’t worry, that one was extreme even by human standards. Let me show you one that’s a bit more chill.”

She typed some words and a guitar-heavy song started playing instead. Starlight watched the video with the same fascination as before, while Blue rolled her eyes
“I knew you’d pick something like that.”
“So? That song is only one of the most sold singles in forever.”
Sunset crossed her hooves like she would cross her arms in front of her chest, a leftover gesture from being human just minutes ago, but Blue wasn’t looking for a fight and just nodded
“Yeah yeah, gotta respect the classics. Whatever.”
Sunset now shot a grin at Blue that looked very mean to everypony, except Blue who knew how to take it. Just like the glare she shot back to Sunset in return.
“Aw, what’s the matter? Is the song not edgy enough for you?”
“Fuck you, Shimmer.”

They glared at each other for a few moments, then started laughing. By that point, Trixie just gave up. She had been watching the exchange closely, but she just couldn’t figure either of them out.
“Is this a human thing, all this casual swearing?”
Blue shook her head and pointed at herself
“No, that’s a me thing. Get used to it.”
Trixie shook her head, and at least she tried to keep a friendly expression, although it still looked like she had tasted something bitter.
“It’s kinda rude, you know.”
Blue narrowed her eyes and suddenly there was a sharp edge in her voice
“Maybe I should try something else. I could start talking about myself in third person and give myself pompous titles. I’m sure that won’t get annoying anytime soon.”

Trixie huffed and adjusted her magician’s hat
“Trixie does that for the dramatic effect!”
She flounced her mane, but Blue just rolled her eyes at her
“Oh please. I’ve seen you go all out on the cashier at Bargain Barn’s last week. What’s dramatic about getting fucking groceries?”
“Everything the Great and Powerful Trixie does is…”

Trixie never got to make her point, because at that point, both their muzzles got held shut by a teal glow of magic that came from Starlight Glimmer
“Alright you two, that’s enough. We’re going to stop arguing now, or I’ll send you both into timeout. Just relax and enjoy the music.”

They both glared at each other for another half minute, but then Blue rolled her eyes and nodded along
“Sure, whatever. But I got dips on the next song.”

Sunset chuckled and magically nudged the chaos-magic-keyboard over to her. Trixie just adjusted her hat when Starlight released her magic and said nothing. Only Discord pouted, pushing away his by now half-empty bowl of popcorn.
“You always interrupt when they’re about to reach the good part.”
“Oh, shush.”

They all laughed and when Blue started the next song, everypony was listening quietly for a little while, before Starlight and Sunset started talking about the song. Blue and Trixie exchanged another glance, but Trixie seemed apologetic enough, so Blue kept it with a ‘water under the bridge’ gesture.

With the last bit of tension settled, Blue finally sat back and relaxed on her beanbag seat.

“I don’t get how you can be so into the lyrics.”
Blue addressed Trixie, both of them slouched on their seats, which meant that Blue was more or less lying and had her hooves stretched out. Her rear-right hoof bounced a bit in the rhythm of the song Sunset had picked, but the music was just background noise to her at this point.

“It’s the most important part of the song. The humans who wrote it put a lot of effort into them, and they represent the meaning of the song. I don’t get how you can like a song when you don’t even understand the lyrics.”
At this, Blue just shrugged.
“I never really thought about it. I just like the guitars on that one. Never listened to the lyrics besides the chorus.”
“Really? But, their words are so… powerful. The way they sing about loss… you can’t tell me that doesn’t touch you at all?”

Blue tilted her head and focused on the words for seemingly the first time.
I want to tell you that you’re all that ever mattered
Want you to know that for eternity I’m shattered
I tried so hard just to protect you, but I failed to
And in a prison of abandonment I jailed you

“Oh shit. Hey Sunset, why didn’t you ever tell me how depressing that song is? What the fuck, man?”
The others just laughed in a very non-teasing way and Sunset tried to explain.
“I always thought you knew. It’s one of your favourite songs, after all.”
“Yeah, but not because of that! I mean just listen to that guitar solo. That’s got enough power to push you against the wall, it’s awesome!”

This time, Trixie closed her eyes and listened more closely, and she nodded
“I agree. But it only puts more emphasis on the lyrics if you ask me.”
“I dunno. Maybe they picked lyrics that would match the music instead. You know, just find some words that rhymed?”

While Blue and Trixie were discussing things, they didn’t notice that Discord, Starlight Glimmer and Sunset Shimmer weren’t paying much attention to the music anymore. Instead, they were watching the other two, who had been at each other’s throat just a few hours ago, but were now talking about music amicably. Starlight and Sunset grinned to each other and even exchanged a hoof-bump when they were sure Blue and Trixie wouldn’t see it.

“Oh man, I think you’d get a kick out of rap music.”
“Really? Why would you think that?”
Blue nodded and waved with her hoof, in a gesture that made most sense to Sunset since it was clearly meant for hands, not hooves.
“There’s way more emphasis on lyrics and less on the actual music. Most of the time, it’s just some beats.”

“Trixie has heard the occasional rap song, and it was not very impressive.”
Blue rolled her eyes and laughed
“Yeah, not here in Equestria. Pony life is too happy and sunny. Rap is rough, more serious and stuff. About things like politics or problems in society and that kind of shit. Here, let me show you.”

Blue snatched the keyboard and fired up another song. While before, almost every song had had mainly guitars, this one was led by percussion mostly. Sunset grinned when she recognized the song, but when she was about to say something, Blue stopped her with a wave of her hoof.

Trixie had her eyes closed, probably to keep a better focus on the words. And while she didn’t freak out like the last time she had heard about violence and death on one of Blue’s songs, her ears dropped down and she looked uneasy. When the song finished, she just looked at Blue, visibly concerned
“That’s the world you’ve been living in?”
Blue blew air out of her nose, in a sigh that was frustration and anger to equal parts.
“Pretty much, yeah.”

Neither Blue nor Trixie said anything else, so Sunset decided to speak up
“That was a rather old song, more than 20 years ago. Some things in the human world have changed for the better since then. Admittedly, not all of them.”

She started another song, a more modern one from what Trixie could tell, but the sentiment behind the words was almost unchanged. At some point, Blue began mumbling the words along with the song, especially when the song conveyed the most anger.
“Did you listen to music like this a lot when you were still a human?”
Blue nodded absently, clearly thinking about it for the first time.
“Yeah. All the time. Maybe a little less after I met Sunset and the girls, but not by much. Figured angry music was better than letting my anger out on other people.”
The others nodded, but since Blue didn’t say anything else, neither did they. Blue knew what they had to be thinking, so she made an effort to slump on her seat and appear relaxed.

On earlier occasions, with other people or ponies, she used to get angry whenever somebody seemed to pity her. And while she still felt that anger grumble inside her, she knew better by now. She knew that the others were worried, but not because they pitied her, but because they cared about her, and no amount of arguing would change that.
“You guys okay?”

Starlight smiled, although she had to force it a bit
“I feel like we should be asking you that.”
“Nah. I’m okay. I moved on, you know?”

Three heads nodded, but Trixie hesitated
“You moved on, but a bit is still left, isn’t it? No matter how far you think you’ve come, there’s always a bit left.”
Blue sat up, and the song in the background changed to the next, but nopony was paying much attention to it. All eyes were on Trixie, who felt compelled to explain.
“It’s usually when I’m around Twilight Sparkle. I know, rationally, that I don’t have any reason to hate her. I can’t even say I dislike her very much, even though I don’t think we’ll ever be friends. But when I’m near her…”
Blue understood and finished Trixie’s sentence
“When you’re near her, it doesn’t matter what you know. You’re still feeling a little angry. You might know it’s not right, but in the moment, that doesn’t help.”

Starlight walked over to Trixie and put her hoof on her shoulder
“I didn’t know that’s how you really felt. And I invited you to the castle whenever you visit. I never wanted to put you in an awkward position.”
Trixie looked up and shook her head
“You didn’t! I might not enjoy being around Twilight Sparkle, but you’re Trixie’s best friend! That’s worth so much more than being a little uncomfortable around Princess Twilight.”

The two friends smiled and shared a long hug. At the other side of the room, Sunset rubbed a tear out of her eye, while Discord only rolled his eyes. Blue just shook her head
“If they start kissing now, I swear I’m gonna barf.”

Starlight and Trixie quickly pulled apart, with Starlight shooting a glare at Blue, while Sunset just started laughing. Discord on the other hoof looked thoroughly pleased with himself
“I knew putting together this club was a good idea.”
At that point, several items came flying at Discord from three colours of magic, and Blue just rolled on her seat from laughter.

When Princess Twilight walked through the entrance doors late afternoon, the castle was quiet, as expected. Spike would be out all day, searching for gems with Rarity, and Starlight would meet up with Trixie today. It was the reason why Twilight had decided to spend the morning at Sweet Apple Acres in the first place. She could see that Trixie’s and Starlight’s friendship was good for them, but there was always some lingering tension when Trixie and her were in the same room. So she made herself scarce, giving the two friends all the time they needed to bond. And going by their usual routine, by now Trixie would be bored of hanging around at the castle and she had pulled Starlight into town instead, for whatever activity that came to her mind. Twilight smiled to herself, she was very glad that Trixie managed to pull Starlight out of her shell, and she was very thankful for it. That’s why she didn’t mind forfeiting her home for a couple hours every few weeks.

Princess Twilight climbed up the stairs towards the library, already with a checklist of books she wanted to catch up on in mind, but then she heard a strange noise coming from one of the corridors. Which was strange, since the rooms in there were currently not used by her or anypony else. Intrigued, and frankly a tad worried, she followed the noise, which turned out to be music. She immediately recognized the music as human music, something Rainbow Dash and Sunset Shimmer had shown her on an earlier visit.

As she got closer, she also heard some voices singing along, even if only one of the voices seemed to know the song well enough to follow the tune. But why would Sunset Shimmer visit Ponyville on Starlight’s and Trixie’s meetup-date?

Carefully, Twilight nudged open the door to the room the music came from, just enough to sneak in a peek. It was all she needed, really.

The inside looked a bit like a bar and on a makeshift stage, she saw Sunset Shimmer going wild on a guitar that looked very close to the one she owned in the human world. Next to her, behind a drumkit, was Discord, with a ridiculous wig and a few additional arms to play the drums. She glanced over the banner that was set up over them, and it made her smile. In the middle of the room, the dancefloor if it really was supposed to be a bar, she saw Starlight, Trixie, and Blue. With Discord involved, Twilight knew better than to question her presence (it seemed just random enough, after all), but she was surprised to see her interacting with Trixie out of all people.

The song that came from some speakers in every corner of the room and Sunset’s guitar was loud and aggressive, just the kind of song Blue would enjoy, and she was shouting along the words of the song at least partially. Her focus was on Trixie though, who stomped to the aggressive rhythm and bounced her head, so much that her mane flew from side to side each time. And if Starlight’s dishevelled mane was anything to go by, she had been doing the same not too long ago. Blue’s mane was too short to really notice, but she was shouting at Trixie to encourage her it seemed, and Trixie really let herself go, a stark contrast to her usual, always self-promoting attitude.

The song reached its climax it seemed, and everypony sang along, though Sunset and Blue the loudest, something about lacking self-esteem and feeling angry.

Princess Twilight threw another glance over the club members who had not noticed her over the music, and decided that she should not interrupt, even though the urge was certainly there. If only to know how five personalities as big and different as them would match up with each other. That might even be worth a friendship report to Princess Celestia. Maybe she’d get some research done later.

Sunset laughed and shared a last hoof-bump with Blue
“I don’t know about you guys, but I had a blast.”
“Best club meeting ever. Same time next month?”
Discord pulled a face as Starlight suggested something that came close to an orderly ritual, but Blue came to his help
“Uh, how about… second Thursday after next Monday?”
The ponies laughed but Discord seemed pleased by the now totally random date, and staged a bow
“Ladies, it has been a pleasure, and I bid your farewell, as of right now, I’m…”

He never finished the sentence and just vanished in mid-sentence and mid-air, which seemed par for the course and had everybody chuckle.
“Huh, there goes my ride back home I guess.”
“No worries. I’ll go activate the mirror for you.”
Sunset and Trixie exchanged a hug before she left with Starlight, and Blue got into the air with a flap of her wings.
“Yeah, I should head home too. Better clean up the living room before my sister throws a fit. Unless Discord totally unexpected cleaned when he zapped us over. That would be so random.”

A zipper opened in mid-air, and Discords head poked out for a “Nice try” before he just vanished again. Blue laughed and shook her head
“Ah well, worth a shot.”
Starlight, who had been on her way out, pawed the floor and blushed
“I, uh, I guess that did happen. Sorry again for…”
Blue cut her off quickly
“Forget it. But you owe me a new record player, Glimmer.”

She didn’t give Starlight a chance to reply and waved to Trixie who had gone to finishing of the snacks Discord had summoned, before she went for the door that would lead her back to the entrance. The last tune still rang in her ears and she was almost humming as she took the left to reach the main staircase, so she only noticed the purple shadow as it approached her from behind.
“Good afternoon, Blue!”
She jumped startled, before she recognized Princess Twilight. She was about to return the greeting, but something was off. Blue knew Twilight Sparkle well enough to recognize that dangerous glint in her eyes. Either Twilight, human or pony, had that when they were in full science-nerd mode. And since this was the pony princess, it wasn’t much of a leap of thought that a friendship lesson was involved somewhere.

“Have you had a good time with your new friends?”
Blue rolled her eyes, though she was in too good of a mood to get really annoyed. But that still didn’t mean that she was willing to endure a friendship interview from the Princess of Nerdiness.
“See Twi, I’ll be real with you. I can’t tell you. It would violate like so many club rules.”
Princess Twilight gasped excited and summoned a scroll, furiously scribbling without taking her eyes off Blue
“You actually got Discord to follow some rules? How would you describe his position in your new club? Did he put any effort to strengthen his friendship or was he more passive in his approach? What part did Sunset…”

Blue silenced the princess with a hoof to her mouth
“Twi, I told you, I can’t say anything. It’s in the rules. The first rule about the club is, you don’t talk about the club.”
“What kind of rule is that? It doesn’t make much sense to…”
“Twi, listen! I’m already violating so many rules, but let me tell you the second rule of the club: You. Don’t! Talk! About! The club!”

Blue poked her hoof into Twilight’s chest for emphasis with each word, but she kept her face straight, utterly confusing Princess Twilight now.
“But, that doesn’t make any sense. Why would the first two rules be identical?”
“Shhh, Twi! If the others find out I told you, they’ll kick me out faster than you can recite the national anthem.”
“Equestria doesn’t even have a national anthem.”
“Exactly! So you understand, I can’t risk that! I better go now, before I get us both into trouble! What would happen if the Canterlot Free Press finds out that Princess Twilight broke official rules on purpose?”

It was enough to throw Twilight off loop for a moment, which was all Blue needed. Instead of heading down the stairs as planned, she jumped out a conveniently placed window and took flight. She laughed when she was outside and took course towards home. That was one of the best and most unusual days off she ever had, but she didn’t really mind. In fact, she was already looking forward to the next one.

School of Friendship - Chapter 1

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Blue watched the commotion in town from her perch on a cloud. Everpony was bustling around Princess Twilight’s new ‘School of Friendship’ and a lot of ponies from out of town had arrived. Well, ponies and other creatures. Blue saw a few changelings, a pair of dragons (not the huge kind, the more pony-sized kind like Spike), two hippogryphs and even some griffons. They were all headed to the huge area that Princess Twilight had designed as her new school, and Blue had even been inside for a tour with Starlight once. Starlight was pretty excited about being a guidance counsellor and Blue had to talk her out of a panic attack as well. Since Blue had tons of experience with all kinds of guidance counsellors, she knew Starlight would do a great job, and that panic attack only proved that, since she wouldn’t be so worried if she didn’t care about the students. And from the distance, both Starlight and Twilight looked calm enough, so Blue guessed she had been right.

The others were around as well, they would hold some classes in Twilight’s school and have their own students. Princess Twilight had carefully tested if Blue would be interested in teaching, but Blue had shot that thought down from the start. A (former) delinquent like her wasn’t cut for teaching and she didn’t feel qualified to teach anyone about friendship of all things.

The welcome ceremony came to an end, and everycreature headed inside, so Blue moved on as well. The weather schedule for today wasn’t very busy, but she still had her stuff to do.

A few hours later, she was finished and had even time to squeeze in a bit of flight practice (although she had no interest in becoming a stunt pony like Rainbow Dash, she liked learning new manoeuvres). She was just about to head home, when she heard something she hadn’t heard in a long while, but still recognized instantly. She glanced down and saw a few ponies, mostly pegasi, gathered around a young griffon. The griffon (now that Blue got closer, she saw that he was a boy) had his head held low and his claws dug into the ground. To everypony else, it looked like he might be scared or intimidated, but Blue knew better. She knew he was desperately trying to hold back, or else he’d explode in anger. How did she know? Because she had been in the exact same position before.

The ponies who had closed in on him all had that expression Blue knew very well, that infuriation mix of self-righteousness and arrogance. They all just knew they were right and had every right in the world to push in on the guy.

“We don’t need anyone like you here in our town.” “Yeah! Why don’t you just go back to your beat-down kingdom and leave us alone!” “We don’t want any rude griffons going to school with our children. You’re just a bad influence.”
Just hearing them had Blue’s blood boiling again, but she managed to keep her cool, mostly.
“What the fuck is going on here?”

She dropped down into the middle of the pack, right between the griffon and the unicorn with the biggest smirk, who was clearly riling everypony up. Blue didn’t know him, other than that she had seen him around town before, but he seemed to recognize her.
“Oh, hello Ocean Shore. We were just going to make sure this rude bully here knows his place.”

Blue rose her brow and looked over her shoulder at the mini-dude who hadn’t said anything yet. The unicorn backed away when she hit him with her glare full force.
“He doesn’t seem rude to me, unlike you.”
“Oh please.” The stallion quickly recovered and pointed at him. “He’s a griffon! They are all rude. Just like that Gilda who visited once. Haven’t you heard what she did?”

Blue had not, but some calls from the crowd brought her up to speed.
“She stole apples!” “She roared and yelled at Fluttershy!” “She threw a massive fit at Pinkie Pie’s party!”
Blue just glanced back at the griffon who had his beak clamped shut, and only glared at the others
“So what? The dude clearly isn’t Gilda.”

The unicorn stomped his hoof and had that shit-eating smirk again.
“But he’s a griffon! They are all trouble, and we don’t want them here!”
There were some affirmative calls from the crowd, but they quickly fell silent when Blue pushed in against the unicorn stallion
“So let me get this straight. You had one bad experience with a griffon, and now all griffons are bad. Is that how it is?”
He seemed less certain, but he still nodded anyway.
“Yes?”

The other ponies started mumbling among each other, so at least some of them had turned on their brains again, but Blue would make sure the lesson would stick.
“Hey Mini-Dude!”
She kept glaring at the prick in front of her, but she saw from the corner of her eyes that the griffon boy looked up now.
“Ever met any unicorns before running into this piece of shit?”
The guy in question obviously didn’t take the insult very well, but the crowd backed away from him now, especially when the griffon shook his head.

Blue faked a smile while still glaring daggers at the unicorn
“Congratulations! Going by your logic, every unicorn is a self-righteous prick with their head up their plot from now on. I’m sure Rarity and Starlight Glimmer will appreciate that.”

He stammered, now that more ponies from the crowd started glaring at him, and tried to defend himself.
“That, that’s not how it works…”
“You got that right, you little prick. Now listen up.”
She flared her wings and took one step closer, which had him cower on the ground although he didn’t dare look away from her.
“I see you treat anyone like that again, any creature at all, and the only way you’ll keep your shit-eating grin is in a pouch around your neck, because I will break out all your teeth one by one. Did you get that or do you need a quick demonstration?”

He shook his head almost comically fast, but Blue wasn’t in the mood for laughing. She just shot a glare towards the crowd that was still hovering around them.
“Same goes for all of you. Now scram!”

The jerk ran off the fastest, but most of the others followed close by. Only a few stayed long enough to mumble an apology towards the griffon, but not even a minute later, it was just him and Blue. She waited long enough so they’d all be out of earshot, then she hissed through her teeth.
“Damn I hate jerks like him.”

The griffon boy finally looked up, although Blue still noticed his claws dug into the ground and he looked as pissed as she felt.
“You alright, Mini-Dude?”
“That’s not my name!”
Blue laughed and folded her wings back to her flanks, the same time he pulled back his claws.
“I didn’t ask for your help! I could have taken them.”
“Yeah, I know. Doesn’t mean you should have, though.”

He was still glaring ahead, and Blue could almost tell what he was thinking word by word. She had been in his shoes often enough for that.
“Tough spot, huh? You beat the living shit out of the prick like he deserves it, you only confirm what he’s thinking, and you’ll never change anyone’s mind. You do nothing, and you give the guy a free pass to talk shit about you.”

He looked a bit weirded out that Blue could figure him out, but then he just turned away.
“Oh yeah? Like you would know any of it.”
“You’d be surprised.”

Blue grinned and it finally seemed enough so he would relax a little.
“Hey, word of advice? If that happens again in school, talk to one of the teachers. Or Starlight Glimmer. They’ll get it.”
He clammed up again, as expected and shouted
“I don’t need help from anygriff or anypony.”
“Yeah, I know that. But just because you don’t need it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t get it.”
“Huh?”

She grinned and pointed towards the school where more students had gathered to get to know each other.
“Guess what, Mini-Dude. If anyone comes to help you, doesn’t mean you’re weak. It just means you got friends. Isn’t that what this new school is all about?”
He looked like he didn’t really know how to respond to that, so he didn’t. Which was fair.

“My name is Gallus.”
Blue tilted her head as if in thought, then shrugged her wings
“Nah, I like Mini-Dude better.”
She laughed when he shot a way-less threatening glare towards her
“You’re one weird pony.”
“Figured that out pretty fast, huh?”

He rolled his eyes when Blue laughed again.
“Well, I gotta fly. See you around, Mini-Dude.”
“Yeah. Whatever. See ya.”

Blue took off into the sky, but she turned around to look after Gallus once more. She saw him approach one of the other students, a young dragon who stood all by herself, shunned by the mostly pony students so far. He raised his claw for a quick hello, then he leaned against the wall next to the dragon, and it seemed like they were talking.

Blue allowed herself a small grin, before she flew a loop and headed home.

Summer had turned into Fall and Blue had the day off. Since the weather outside wasn’t the nicest, that meant she lounged around at home instead. Usually, she’d meet up with Twilight or the others, but their ‘School of Friendship’ thing was still new and took a lot of time, so she didn’t really have any plans for today. Which was just fine as well.

She put on one of her music records and flagged down on the couch with a book. She wasn’t the most avid reader, but through Spring she had found a couple of books she could enjoy occasionally.

She was just about finished with the chapter when she heard a knock on the door. She waited for somepony to walk in uninvited (like most ponies did), but to her surprise that didn’t happen. Curious, she got up and opened the door, and found a familiar face.

“Hey hey, if it isn’t my pal Mini-Dude.”
Gallus rolled his eyes and didn’t respond to Blue’s teasing.
“Professor Rainbow Dash told me I’d probably find you here.”

Blue grinned, just because the fact that somepony would address Rainbow Dash as ‘professor’ still amused her to no end, and she nodded
“Anything Dash needs from me today?”
It wasn’t out of the ordinary for the girls to ask for help with their classes occasionally. Rainbow Dash had mentioned a trip to Cloudsdale at some point, maybe she was asking for pegasi who could chaperone.

Gallus quickly shook his head though
“It’s not like that. I kinda need some help for an assignment.”
Blue just stared at him for a moment
“You want my help for your schoolwork? Are you sure?”

Gallus just nodded and explained
“We’ve got to interview a pony from town and write a report on them.”
“And you want to do that with me, out of everypony?”
Gallus nodded, but kept his eyes cast down
“If that’s okay with you. I can ask somepony else if you don’t want to.”
“No, no, I’m just surprised is all. Um, come on in.”

Blue stepped out of the door to let the young griffon inside the flat, and into the living room. He looked irritated as he walked in, and Blue knew why. Inside the living room, her music was still playing from the record player, much louder that it would be comfortable for most ponies, but just like Blue enjoyed it. She headed to the record player and adjusted the small magic-crystal-thingy Starlight Glimmer had given her, to drop the volume from ear-shattering to background-noise.
“Sorry about that. Don’t stand around, grab a seat, get comfy. You want something to drink?”

Gallus nodded absently and sat down on the couch, while Blue grabbed two cans of soda for them. Blue watched, a little jealous, how Gallus used a claw to pop open the can, while she had to use a tool to do the same, like everpony else with hooves. Gallus didn’t notice at all, he was still hung up on something else.
“How come I didn’t hear the music outside? It was so loud, but I didn’t hear a peep.”
Blue laughed and pointed at the crystal-thingy
“Starlight gave me some enchanted gem for that. Basically makes it so the sound doesn’t travel outside the room, so I can play my record as loud as I want and it won’t bother the neighbours.”
Or anypony who walks past the building she added in her head.

“Oh. Um, cool. I didn’t even know that’s a thing.”
“Yeah, me neither. But Starlight is kinda a genius when it comes to magic, so she figured it out. It’s great to have a friend like her.”
Gallus nodded and asked
“How long have you been friends?”
“Um, less than a year. But it was a pretty turbulent year, so it feels longer. That, and Starlight and the others get drawn into all kind of whacky adventures, so yeah. Good times, though.”

Gallus nodded along and produced a notepad and pen, jolting down a few notes, which made Blue visibly uneasy
“Are you sure you want to write your report about me? I mean, there’s dozens of ponies who are more interesting and have more exciting jobs than me. Like Starlight.”
Gallus just shook his head at Blue’s reasoning and explained
“It’s supposed to be a report on a normal, regular pony, and none of the professors are normal. Regular. Ugh, you know what I mean.”

Blue laughed and nodded, since she could see that trying to write a report about Rainbow Dash might be a tad tricky, even without all of Rainbow’s showboating.
“Okay, I get that. But why me, then?”
Gallus put down his pen, so he could look at Blue as he answered
“You stood up for me, on my first day in town, before you even knew me. Nopony else has done that. That’s why I want to write my report about you.”
Blue rubbed the back of her head, uncharacteristically shy
“Geez, I didn’t know I made that big of an impression that day. Just did what I thought was right.”

Gallus nodded again and picked up the pen again
“So, is it okay if I ask you some questions?”
“Uh, sure kid. Just don’t expect a thrilling story from me.”
“Hey, if your story is boring, that’s less homework for me.”
They both laughed, and Gallus flipped to a page on his notepad where he had already prepared some questions
“How long have you been working as a weather pony?”
“Uh, about half a year now. I joined when we were moving to Ponyville, early spring. Just missed Winter Wrap-up by a few days, actually.”

“So you’ve only been here a couple months longer than me. Who is ‘we’?
“ Huh?”
“You said ‘we were moving to Ponyville’.”
“Oh, right. That’s me and my big sister. Spring Meadow. Works as a nurse in Ponyville hospital.”

Gallus kept writing, his attention on the notepad, so he didn’t notice Blue’s expression getting more and more uneasy. She didn’t want to lie to him, but he’d soon be asking questions she couldn’t answer truthfully. She had a half-baked story that Spring and her used, but it wouldn’t hold if Gallus went into greater detail. She didn’t like lying, but she couldn’t really tell him that she came from another world and wasn’t even a pony until a couple of months ago.

“And where did you live before?”
“Some backwater village. Far west. Outside of Equestria, even. Doesn’t even have a name on any map, as far as I know.”
Lucky for her, he didn’t question that. Unfortunately though, his next question threw Blue completely off loop.
“Are your parents still living there?”

Blue blanched, and looked down at her hooves. Her ears folded back, and even her wings hung down limp now.
“I don’t know. I haven’t seen my mum in years, and I never met my dad.”

Gallus looked up surprised, and when he saw how miserable Blue looked, he panicked
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to… you don’t have to answer if you don’t…”
“No, it’s fine kid. It’s just, not a really happy story.”

Gallus waited for Blue to go on, or to compose herself, but he dared asking another question
“What happened to your dad? An accident?”
Blue laughed joylessly and shook her head
“That would be a nice story, huh? Some tragic bullshit about my dad being ripped away from us way before his days and stuff. Truth is, he just left one day and never came back.”

Gallus eyes opened wide in surprise, and even though he didn’t ask, Blue knew he wanted to hear it.
“My dad never wanted kids. He begrudgingly accepted Spring when she was born, but he wasn’t ever a good dad to her. As soon as he learned that my mum was pregnant with me, he just bailed. Took all the money they had and fucked off. Bastard didn’t even leave a note or anything. Stupid coward.”

Gallus, unsure on how to react, even if Blue could see he clearly had an opinion on this, tried to stay somewhat neutral.
“That must have been difficult.”
“For me? Nah. Can’t miss what you never had. But Spring and mum, they took it pretty hard. Mum started blaming herself. A lot. And she started drinking. A lot. I was too young, so I never really noticed anything, but I was raised by Spring more or less, because she was out of it so much. Stupid bitch.”

Blue didn’t even hide how angry she was. She had not talked about her parents in years, but now that Gallus sat here and asked, everything was back again. Maybe because he didn’t know about all that shit, it was easier to talk to him.

He had stopped taking notes at that point and just listened. He could read her body language well enough, if Blue’s swearing wasn’t a big enough clue, and he asked
“Do you hate them?”
“Of course I fucking hate them. I never met my dad, but he just fucking vanished and left us to pick up the pieces. Maybe he never hurt me, but what he did was worse. And my mum is just a fucking coward. She kept it together for a while, but after a few years, she stopped caring about anyone but herself. She was drunk all the time, weepy drunk, and she’d complain and moan how bad she had it in life, blah, blah, blah. If it hadn’t been for Spring, she would have spent every penny on booze. Spring had to make sure we had food, or clothes, and she still had to make sure I’d go to school. She got cheated out of her childhood because of that weepy cunt. Not that I didn’t do my fair share to make things worse.”

Gallus didn’t say anything, which was probably best with Blue going on an angry rant. She realized how angry she was when she noticed how hard she was breathing again, and her wings were flared out. She forced them down, just like she forced a deep breath.
“Sorry about that.”
“It’s, um, it’s fine. Sounds like you needed a good vent.”

Blue shrugged, acting like she didn’t care
“I never think about them. No reason crying about what’s already long gone, you know? Yeah I hate them, but I can’t change things anyway.”

Gallus had stopped taking notes at some point, but now he glanced back at his notepad, trying to steer the interview back to things that wouldn’t make Blue angry.
“And how did your sister and you end up in Ponyville?”
Blue sighed and shook her head
“Dumb luck. Spring and me, we were bouncing a lot of places, but we never fit in anywhere. I got in trouble in any school I’ve been to. Fights, detention, you name it.”

Blue turned her head towards the record player, off all things.
“I was getting a criminal record as well. Got caught stealing a bunch of times. Got framed for stuff I didn’t do. People never cared, they just knew I was trouble and wanted me gone, and Spring too. Then at that last place, I met a couple of guys who cared. One of them had been as bad as me at some point. They got me, you know? And they wanted to help.”

Gallus, who had been quiet for a while now, the interview almost forgotten, asked without thinking
“How did you know? Why did you believe them?”

Blue laughed, but it didn’t sound as bitter as before
“I didn’t. I was way too stubborn back then. But they kept on trying anyways. Turns out, they were friends of Princess Twilight, and the one who had been bad before, she’d gotten help from Twilight. Help she didn’t think she wanted first, then thought she didn’t deserve, and finally had to accept. She had been through all that stuff, and she could help me get through it too. I’m a slow learner, so it took them ages, but once they got through my thick head, I got it. And for the first time, I had friends, and life didn’t seem so shitty anymore.”
Blue smiled, and Gallus found himself smiling along.
“I know how that feels.”
Blue nodded, allowing herself a grin. She hadn’t been watching too closely, but she had kept an eye on the young griffon whenever she got the chance and had heard about his unusual group of friends.

“I really miss them at times. I don’t get to see them as often anymore now that we moved to Ponyville.”
That, finally, caught Gallus off-guard
“Wait, you didn’t meet them here?”
Blue laughed and shook her head
“Nope. We met in that other place. I was starting to like it, with my friends at my side and all, but then my shitty past caught up on me. The girls helped me get in contact with Princess Twilight, and she helped us move here. For a real new start, this time, no strings attached. I guess you can see that things didn’t turn out too bad this time.”

They both laughed, Blue to get out of her grumpy mood, but from Gallus, it sounded awkward, almost forced. Maybe somepony else might have missed it, but for Blue it was obvious, and she thought she knew the reason why.
“You okay, buddy?”
“Huh? Yeah. Sure. Why? Stop asking already.”

That was way too defensive to be nothing, but Blue knew if she pushed now, she’d never get any answers. Instead, she said nothing and just waited for it to happen naturally.

She didn’t have to wait very long, and Gallus was fidgeting in his seed.
“Do you think about your parents a lot?”
Blue just shook her head
“I don’t think about them at all, really. Yeah I still hate them, and yeah I get angry talking about them, but other than that? They are not a part of my life, so I refuse to let them become an influence on me. Whatever it is they have done in the past or will do in the future. You know what I mean.”
“Yeah…”

Gallus didn’t say more at first, but his expressions told Blue everything. He was struggling really hard to keep it together now, and he was in war with himself if he should just spill, or keep hiding. Blue had been on that spot a lot in her last year at CHS, and she had learned that one way would help him feel a lot better than the other. But she also knew that he had to figure that out from himself, because that was a lesson he could only learn by himself.

Eventually, he caved in, and hesitantly tested how Blue would react.
“I know a thing or two about that from when I grew up…”

It was vague enough for him to back out again if Blue started to pry, or even worse if she started to pity him, but Blue knew there was only one way she could react.
“Fucking sucks, man. Bloody hell.”

Gallus looked up, surprised at first, then relieved. Blue didn’t try to pretend acting like a responsible adult would, because that’s not who she was. She knew she couldn’t change or fix anything, but she could at least acknowledge his problems, and show him that it was okay to be pissed about it.

“In Griffonstone, family is not really something either. Everygriff is kinda nice to you while you’re still a chick, but after that it’s everygriff for themselves. So you either get tough, or get lost. If I didn’t find anything to eat, my mom sure wouldn’t share her food with me.”

Blue nodded, and took a long drag out of her soda can. He still had things to say, and even if she wanted to say something, she knew he needed someone who would listen far more than someone who would give him pointless advice right now.

“… so when they started badgering me, I sometimes hid in the old library. Nogriff was taking care of it anymore because nogriff cared about books, but I started reading stuff. Because I was bored first, but later I’d go there all the time, you know?”
Blue nodded. She had had loud music to get away from stuff, but it wasn’t that different.
“I guess that’s why they picked you to go to Princess Twilight’s school, huh?”
Gallus blushed a bit, but he nodded
“I’m still a griffon, but I kinda liked books. I think most griffons just wanted me out of Griffonstone and if they could score points with Princess Twilight at the same time, they didn’t think twice to sign me over.”

Blue frowned and blew out her breath in an angry snort
“Their fucking loss. You’re one tough dude and you’re smart, and if they can’t see it, screw them.”
Gallus laughed again, far more at ease than when he had started talking
“I guess that’s one way to see it. Too bad I’ll have to deal with them in winter.”
“Huh? How come?”

Gallus pawed at the couch cushion, but this time he didn’t hesitate nearly as long before he spilled what was on his mind.
“Headmare Twilight wants to send us all home for Hearth’s Warming, so we can spend time with our family. I don’t think my family will be thrilled to see me, somehow.”
“Yeah, I guess.”

Blue waited for a moment longer, but Gallus didn’t say anything else, so she felt compelled to do instead.
“Have you told Twi? Or Rainbow Dash, maybe?”
He shook his head, and his wings twitched
“I don’t want to bother them with it.”
“Trust me, they’d want to know. And they won’t think any less of you for it. I know that’s what you’re thinking.”

He looked up, kinda surprised, but the look on Blue’s face was all he needed, and he grinned
“Yeah, you would know, huh? I don’t wanna make a big deal over nothing, still.”
“Hey, this is not nothing. Not every problem has to be threatening Equestria to be important. Besides, it’s important to my buddy Mini-Dude, so I’ll be damned if I’d just sit here and twiddle my hooves.”
For emphasis, she crushed her now empty soda can and chucked it towards the bin. She missed, but the sentiment wasn’t lost on Gallus.

“You think I should tell Professor Rainbow Dash?”
“Tell you what, Gallus. Tomorrow after classes, we’ll go and tell her together. And if she’s not taking it seriously, we’ll dump her into the next trashcan we find.”
Gallus laughed, hard and free, and chucked his can next to Blue’s
“It’s a deal!”
They shared a claw-to-hoof-bump to seal it and Gallus was still grinning, which was all Blue needed to see.

His smile faded when his eyes fell back on his notes.
“I should write this report first, though. Just in case.”
“Oh, right. We got kinda side-tracked during the interview, huh?”

Gallus nodded, but he was no longer insecure about it. In fact, his eyes suddenly burned with drive.
“Don’t worry. I think I know exactly what to write in my report now. Thanks for your help, Miss Ocean Shore.”
Blue just rolled her eyes
“Only pony princesses call my Ocean Shore, dude. My friends just call me Blue.”
Gallus looked up, and grinned back to Blue when he understood
“Okay, um, see you tomorrow then… Blue.”
“I’ll be there, Mini-Dude.”

They bumped their hooves again, and Blue followed him to the door.
“Yo, Gallus. Feel free to drop by anytime. You know, if you wanna talk about stuff.”

Their eyes met, and Blue knew he got the message, that ‘stuff’ included things he wouldn’t necessarily tell his friends, or his teachers.

He raised his claw before he flew off and Blue watched him until he vanished behind some clouds. That wasn’t really what she had expected from her day off work, but she really didn’t mind one bit.

School of Friendship - Chapter 2 - Hearth's Warming

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Blue yawned as she pushed the last cloud into position. It was late December, and the schedule called for snow for the next couple of days. It was Blue’s first winter in Equestria, but she already knew that she preferred summer, just like she had in the human world. Despite having a natural coat of fur now, she still didn’t enjoy the cold, and she was glad for the earmuffs that Rarity had made for her. Also, snow-clouds were a lot heavier than summer rainclouds, which meant a lot of work to get a constant snowfall. However, as she watched the fillies and colts from the nearby school and how they played in the snow, she didn’t mind too much, really.

Still, as it turned out, snow wasn’t her forte, and so she just helped move the clouds into position so that her colleagues could take over and set them off. Which also meant she was finished before the others, and since she had the next couple days off, she wouldn’t be complaining about that. She waved and said her goodbyes, but the captain finally shooed her out of the sky, with a smile.

Instead of heading straight home, Blue flew into town, towards the post office. She ignored the front door and walked to the back, where a small group of ponies was already waiting, most of them pegasi like herself.
“Blue! You came!”
Blue grinned and greeted the blonde-maned mare with their typical hoof-bump.
“Told ya I’d be there. Wouldn’t leave a friend hanging.”

Derpy Hooves, or Muffins as some ponies called her, laughed and clapped her shoulder with a little too much force, but Blue knew she didn’t mean any harm. Derpy was just very enthusiastic about her job as a mailmare, and Hearth’s Warming was the busiest time of the year. Which was why Blue had offered to help out. Every volunteer was teamed up with an official mail pony. A few ponies found it funny that she was teamed up with Derpy, but Blue didn’t mind. Just like the human girl she knew from CHS, Derpy had her head in the clouds sometimes, but she still could remember where everypony in Ponyville lived, so Blue wasn’t going to question how she did her job. Besides, she was just extra muscle anyway.

Derpy lead them to an aera where parcels, packages, letters, and cards in nearly all sizes were stacked up and organized by districts. Unlike the other teams, Derpy and Blue headed straight for the biggest pile and loaded up. Derpy needed her hooves free, but Blue carried as many parcels as she could, just leaving her wings free.
“Are you sure you can still fly like that?”
“No worries. I can manage, easy peasy…”
“Cider squeezy!”

They laughed and Derpy went for the sky, with Blue right after her. By now, it was already snowing, but it was only a light snowfall, so flying was no problem at all. In her typical way, Derpy flew in a circle two, three times, then shot straight for their first delivery, with Blue on her tail.

A few hours later, but still a couple hours before sunset, Blue yawned as she headed into the apartment. The place was warm, and she could smell some spiced tea, which was a good sign that Spring Meadow was already home. A short while later, Spring and Blue squatted down in the living room. Blue had sprawled out over the couch, Spring picked one of the armchairs to curl up. They didn’t have a flickering fireplace for the complete winter atmosphere, but their little heater kept the room cosy and they had put on a record, one of Spring’s favourites from way back when.

Maybe it was the music or the fact that they had a warm place to stay for winter, but Blue could see on Spring’s face that she was getting nostalgic. While for everypony else that would be a good thing, Blue’s and Spring’s past had been anything but pleasant, so if Spring thought back to those years, Blue knew it wasn’t any nice. Especially since she knew what Spring would be thinking about, this close to Christmas.

“Hey Blue?”
“Yeah?”

The look on Spring’s face made Blue want to puke, but she kept it out of her voice, for Spring’s sake.
“Do you sometimes think back about Mom?”
“Not the way you do.”

Spring picked up the angry undertone in Blue’s voice, and she hesitated for a moment. But then she pushed on anyways.
“I sometimes wonder what she would think if she knew that we were living in a different world now.”
“She would probably think ‘Where can I get more booze?’ or whatever shit she’s on right now.”

Blue now glared a Spring full force, as did Spring in return.
“Blue, you shouldn’t talk about her like that. She’s still our mother.”
“Not for the last nine years she wasn’t. Last time I checked, she didn’t give any fucks about anyone but her own sorry ass.”
“It’s not fair of you to judge her like that!”

That, finally, was enough to tick Blue off big time
“Not fair? Not fair? Let me tell you what’s not fucking fair. It’s not fair that she ignored us for years! It’s not fair that she was always drunk! It’s not fair she forced you to take care of her, when she was supposed to be an adult!”

Spring couldn’t keep up her glare against Blue’s fury, because she knew that Blue was right with everything she said. She still stayed defensive about it, though.
“I was old enough to take over some responsibilities.”
“FUCK THAT! You were freaking fifteen and I was nine! Was that old enough to come back home from school and see some paramedics trying to save the fucking cunt? Were you old enough to get dragged into all the legal bullshit that came after? Getting sent from one orphanage to the next, from city to city? Are you seriously trying to tell me that there’s an age where that shit is okay for fucking anyone? Because if you are, you’re a bigger fucking moron than the cunt herself!”

Spring slammed her hooves against the armchair she was sitting on
“I know! I know! And it wasn’t fair for her to do it on Christmas of all days. But she was trying, Blue. She was trying so hard at times. You didn’t see it all the time, but she really was.”

Blue’s glare was seething, and she was too angry to realize that she was probably hurting her sister with her words. At this point everything just burst out of her.

“If she fucking cared, she would have come looking for us! We were wards of the state for fuck’s sake, and she was our mother on paper at least. If she wanted to see us again, or even write a fucking letter, she could have. She should have! But she didn’t because that fucking cunt doesn’t give a single fucking shit about anyone but her fucking disgusting piece of shit self!”

Blue’s breath came in angry, laboured heaves. She had screamed so loud that her throat hurt, and her ears were ringing. She was so angry that the room was blurry from a red haze she could see.

Spring’s sobbing pulled her back into the room. She flinched when she saw that her sister was crying into her hooves. Spring was always the strong, collected one, she never got overwhelmed by emotion. Unwillingly, Blue remembered the last time she saw her cry, right before they got kicked out of their apartment and had to come to Equestria to stay together. Getting almost separated from her sister had pushed Spring past her breaking point back then, and today Blue had managed the same by herself.

“I'm sorry. I... I shouldn't have said that.”
Spring shook her head, and even though she still had tears run down her face she looked at Blue
“No, everything you said is true. I'm just covering for her mistakes, like I always did. But you're right. She clearly made a choice. If she wanted to see us again, she could have. That can only mean she never even tried.”

Spring Meadow got up from her seat and joined Blue on the couch. Blue didn’t feel like having anyone close right now, but that was because she was angry. For Spring’s sake, she scooted to the side so Spring could sit next to her. At least that way, she didn’t have to see her sister’s crying anymore.

“I’m sorry that I keep defending her, after all that she put you through. I get why you’d be mad at me.”
Blue’s head snapped around, staring at her sister in disbelieve
“What she put me through? I’m not mad at you, I’m freaking pissed because of what she put you through. All that bullshit you had to deal with all the fucking time, and it’s all her fault!”

Spring didn’t look at her, but she shook her head.
“I never saw it like that. I just did what I had to do. So you could have a normal life, but I guess I didn’t do a very good job, right? I mean, we had to run away to a world with magic talking horses… that’s about as far away from normal as you could get.”
Blue blew out her breath through her nose, angrily.
“That’s what I hate most about her. That she made you think you’re responsible for every bad thing that ever happened. You’re not. It’s not your fault what that bitch did. And it’s not your fault that I always got into trouble, so much that we had to run away here and…”

“Blue, stop!”
Spring sat up, and they were now glaring at each other.
“That’s not your fault either. I’m not the only one blaming herself for stuff she shouldn’t. And I’m not the only one avoiding this stuff. Maybe I’m not good talking about this, but neither are you. You think I didn’t notice all the extra shifts, all the odd jobs you pick up, helping the post office, just anything to keep you busy, right? Anything so you don’t have to think about it! About her!”

Blue gritted her teeth and shook her head.
“You want me to sit around and wallow in my own misery all day like you do?”
“I’m not wallowing in misery!”
“Could have fooled me! Next thing you do is find a bottle to drown your shit, just like she did!”

Spring flinched and recoiled as if Blue had slapped her, and Blue immediately felt nothing but sorry. That had crossed so many lines, and she knew it.
“I… I didn’t mean it. Not like that. You’re not like her. You’re so much stronger.”
“I know you didn’t, but… no matter how strong you think I am, or how strong you are… Blue, there’s a limit. Everypony has a breaking point. We can’t just pretend this isn’t affecting us.”
Blue swallowed her anger and nodded, calmly.
“I know, but… I don’t know what to do. Whenever I think about her… I just get so angry, and then I don’t think straight anymore.”
“I understand, Blue. I don’t know how to fix this either. This isn’t like a bill that needs to be paid or some legal bullshit form that needs to be filled out. I don’t even know where to start.”

They sat next to each other, and slowly, Blue leaned towards her sister. They were in over theirs heads with this one. But if Blue had learned anything during the last year, it was that just because a problem was too big for her, it didn’t mean it was too big for everpony else too.

“Maybe we need help. Maybe we should talk about this.”
“Isn’t that what we’re doing right now? It’s not going too well.”
Blue shook her head and squeezed her sister’s hoof.
“I didn’t mean talking to each other. I’m not patient enough and get angry, I won’t even let you finish. But isn’t there somepony you could trust enough? One of your friends at work maybe?”

Spring hesitated for a moment, but she nodded slowly after some thinking.
“I guess. But you have to promise you’ll find somepony to talk to, too. It’s hurting you too.”
“Okay. I will. I promise.”

They looked at each other, and even though she still had tears in her eyes, Spring could smile again. She rubbed her hoof over her eyes, and sat up again.
“Right, after Hearth’s Warming though. Can you keep it together for the little guy?”
Blue grinned and winked.
“Hey, he knows I’m always angry. Why pretend it’s different just because of the holiday?”

Spring chuckled and the tension left, not entirely, but enough to not weigh them both down anymore. Just in time, as there was a knock on the door.
“I’ll get it.”

Blue went and opened the door, for Gallus.
“Hey, Mini-Dude. School’s finally out, huh?”
“Yeah. Just said goodbye to all of my friends. Um, thanks for letting me stay.”
“No worries, Mini-Dude. Told you Twi and Rainbow wouldn’t have a problem with it, right?”
“Right. Um. So what’s going to happen now?”

Spring laughed, hearing only the last part as they joined her in the living room.
“Nothing much, I’m afraid. Blue and I aren’t big on traditions, so we’d just have a nice dinner and then relax a bit.”

Gallus blushed and nodded and waved shyly to the pony he hadn’t met yet.
“Um, Hello Doctor Spring Meadow.”
Blue laughed and Spring just rolled her eyes.
“It’s ‘Nurse’, if anything, but I’m not at work, so Spring Meadow is fine. Now, we’ve gotten a few things from the market, but is there anything you’d like to have for dinner?”

Gallus looked away to hide his shyness and just shrugged.
“I don’t care. Anything is fine.”
“I see. How about we all cook together then?”
“Oh. Um. I never cooked before.”

Blue grinned and nudged him towards the kitchen.
“Don’t sweat it, Gallus. We’re no chefs either. Take it easy.”
“It’s not about the food, it’s about spending time together and having fun.”
“I get it. I’m just… not used doing real family stuff.”
He blinked when Blue and Spring started laughing.
“Neither are we. I used to work on the holidays for the extra pay. This is our first real celebration together.”
“Where we don’t have to count every bit we spent or worry about the food lasting for the whole month.”

Gallus stared at them, which only made them laugh harder.
“Yeah, that’s how everypony reacts.”
“Sorry. I’m just not used to ponies knowing these kinds of things. It’s common in Griffonstone, but…”
“Dude, misery loves company. At least we get to be depressed together.”
“Oh, screw that! If you start moping around, you’ll have another thing coming at you!”
This time, Gallus joined in their laughter, especially since Spring was threatening Blue with a wooden spoon.

Blue returned to the living room to put on a record, loud enough so they’d hear it in the kitchen as well. Gallus of course didn’t know it, but Spring’s head bounced in tune.
“Okay Gallus, what will it be. Sweet, savoury, spicy?”
“Oh. Um. I kinda like spicy food.”
Spring and Blue grinned and nodded.
“Right. Let’s see if you can handle extra hot volcano peppers from the dragon lands. Spike brought some for us during his last visit, we’ve been waiting for a chance to open them. Those beasts pack a serious punch.”

Blue pulled out several pots and pans while Spring gathered all the ingredients for an extra spicy vegetarian chilli. Gallus watched, still a tad unsure how he could help.
“So chilli doesn’t sound like a traditional Hearth’s Warming dish.”
"In case you haven’t noticed, we don’t give too much about traditions in this household. How deft are you with those claws?”
Spring was pointing at them with a challenging grin, and Gallus finally thawed up a little.
“More than you with your hooves.”
“Great. You’ll man the cutting board then. The faster you go, the faster we get to eat.”

Spring held out a kitchen knife for him, while Blue already started something at the stove. He hesitated for a moment, since no adult pony had ever let any of the students even near anything sharp or potentially dangerous. But that was special about his relationship with Blue, after all. She didn’t treat him like a helpless baby, and neither did her sister.

He grabbed the knife and started cutting down some bell peppers Spring handed to him. The older sister watched him work for a minute and approved with a nod, and just a minute later they were all doing something, laughing together as the kitchen filled with delicious scents.

Cooking together turned out to be tons of fun, even more since they got to eat their own creation together as well. Blue wasn’t lying when she had warned of those volcano peppers, but still they kept daring each other to eat just one more. The super-spicy dinner was topped off with ice cream, which was a very welcome palate change after the chilli.

After dinner, they just sprawled out in the living room, with one of Blue’s weird records playing in the back, although it seemed that her sister Spring Meadow had the same weird taste in music. She would even sing along some passages every now and then, which made them all laugh. They talked a bit about the songs and why they liked them, but to be fair most of it went over his head. Gallus wasn’t sure if that was because it was a pony thing, of if it was a weird Blue thing, but he didn’t mind much. It was nice to just chill, and Blue was way more chill with her sister around somehow.

At some point, Blue pulled out a board game of some sort, and they ended up playing deep into the night, finishing up the ice cream on the side. Some point while playing, Spring Meadow switched to calling him ‘Mini-Dude’, just like Blue, and it made him laugh. Blue had offered him her bed, but he was fine on the couch. Spring Meadow and Blue wished him a good night and then vanished into their respective rooms, leaving him alone with his thoughts as he was falling asleep.

It didn’t feel like the Hearth’s Warming he heard about from Sandbar or Silverstream, or the professors at school. But, if he had to choose, Gallus would pick this over any other family tradition.

School of Friendship - Chapter 3 - School Raze

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Blue flew around the house and carefully set down the heavy box at the front door.
“Thank you so much, Blue! I don’t know what I would have done without you.”
Blue waved the unicorn stallion off, who tried to thank her more and smiled, even though he couldn’t hide how worried he was. He and the whole freaking town. Something is seriously wrong around here.

The stallion, like many other unicorns, couldn’t properly use his magic anymore. Like almost every unicorn in Ponyville. Even super-wizards like Starlight Glimmer had problems casting proper spells, but regular unicorns had barely anything left. Blue had been around when the guy’s magic had just fizzled out, and she had caught the box before it crashed on the ground.

She’d seen stuff like that happen at least a dozen times all over town. She knew that Starlight, Princess Twilight and the others were on it, but she didn’t know any details. She could only hope things wouldn’t get worse. There had been a lot of accidents already, nothing major, but Ponyville Hospital had their hooves full. Spring Meadow was working for nearly 24 hours at this point, and there was no sign of slowing down.

After the unicorns, pegasus ponies had been affected next. Some had trouble staying in the air, some couldn’t even take off anymore. A few had just fallen out of the sky, hence why they were now in Ponyville Hospital. Blue had delivered one of her colleagues from the weather patrol there, and she had seen the crowded front hall.

In times like these, even though ponies were worried and scared, they stuck together. Earth ponies helped their unicorn compatriots, the few pegasi who could still fly, like Blue, stepped in as well. This wasn’t the first crisis that came over Equestria, and everypony trusted that Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, or Princess Twilight and her friends could handle it.

Blue had talked to Applejack and Starlight, and she didn’t like that they basically had admitted they had no clue. She’d seen that Twilight and the others had left town, but without Starlight. Probably to make sure the students were still safe. Or at least so they didn’t panic.

Blue was just pondering if she should fly over and see if she could help Starlight with that, but then she heard a voice calling out her name.
“Blue! Thank Celestia I found you!”
She turned around, and recognized the mare running towards her.
“Carrot Top, what’s wrong?”
“Mayor Mare is looking for you, and any other ponies who can still fly! You need to come to town hall, as fast as you can.”

Blue glanced over her shoulder, back towards the school, but of course she couldn’t say no to a request like that.
“I’ll be right there. Are you going to be okay, Carrot Top?”
The mare nodded and waved her off.
“I’ll be fine, I’ll see if I can find more pegasi to help.”
They waved to each other, and just a few minutes later, as the sun was already starting to set, she was diving towards town hall.

The mayor and the weather patrol captain were standing just outside and sending ponies into different directions. Blue knew that she was in deep shit just from the first glance.
The captain was surrounded by pegasus ponies, but they were all standing on the ground. At least a few should have been flying, including the captain.

Somepony pointed at Blue, and when the captain met her eyes, she knew her fear had to be true.
“Fuck’s sake. You too, Cap?”
Captain nodded grimly and flapped her now useless wings once. She didn’t give Blue the chance to say anything more, she just barked out orders.
“Blue, you and Cloud Chaser head to the Everfree Forest immediately. With magic acting up, we’d be in the hay if the weather from Everfree got loose on town right now.”

Blue nodded and didn’t even land, as Cloud Chaser joined her in the air, but she barely noticed. She kept staring at the captain.
“Just the two of us?”
The captain waved angrily with her hoof
“You’re the only ones left! You have to be enough!”

Blue now glanced at Cloud Chaser, who looked worried. He wasn’t a crybaby by any means, but he wasn’t a leader either. Blue didn’t like it, but she knew she had to take charge now, with Captain and the more experienced members of the weather patrol out of commission.
“Right. Let’s get flying.”

Cloud Chaser followed right on her tail as she gained altitude and headed to the forest. She threw one look back towards the school, but there was nothing she could do right now. The Everfree weather magic was too dangerous to leave it to chance.
Hang tight, Mini-Dude. Twi’s gonna fix this, and until then Starlight’s gonna keep you safe.
Blue picked up speed and soon, they reached the edge of the forest.

The sun was down by the time they finished their patrol over the outer skirts of Everfree Forest. The place seemed unnaturally calm. They didn’t see any wildlife, no birds or critters, but also none of the more dangerous creatures. The weather magic wasn’t lashing out either.

Blue would have taken that lucky strike, if it wasn’t for the eery feeling she had. By the minute, it got harder to stay in the air. She didn’t just fall out of the sky like she’d seen happen in town, but the strain of flying was worse than usual, and kept worsening. Cloud Chaser also felt it, but he couldn’t put a hoof on what really had changed. For Blue, it felt like she was flying through water instead of air, and that water quickly changed into mud or molasses or something like that.

She was hovering over the edge of the forest, looking back at the town that lay in almost complete darkness. The street lights, powered by magic, had apparently given out as well.
“What do we do now? Should we stay, or should be go back into town?”

Blue looked at Cloud Chaser, and pondered a moment before she replied.
“We’ll stay. If the magic goes haywire, we need to be ready to intervene. The mayor and Cap can handle things in town.”
Cloud Chaser didn’t question her decision at all.
“You’re probably right. It’ll be… oh crap, what’s that?”

He pointed towards the School of Friendship, where a bright flare of light rose to the sky suddenly. Some magic was going on there, but Blue could tell it was weird just by looking at it. The light flared up, and a halo spread out, almost like a shockwave. When the halo reached the few houses that were still lit, the lights went out immediately, and Blue realized too late what that meant.

“Shit! Get away from that stuff! It’s draining magic!”

She pulled Cloud Chaser by the hoof since he was just staring, but before they got moving, the halo of anti-magic washed over them, and their wings stopped to work. Blue’s stomach turned around as she just dropped down like a stone, still gripping on Cloud Chaser who now screamed in fear. She tried to spread her wings and break the fall somehow, but nothing worked.

Blue looked down and the top of the trees raced towards her. She realized they had been far too high to get out of this unscathed. She tried to think of something, but her brain could only see the trees getting closer. On instinct, she tightened her grip on Cloud Chaser, as they crashed into the topmost branches. Blue felt a sharp pain as she was thrown to the side from the power of the impact. She suddenly felt a branch between her fingers, and from some almost-forgotten instinct, she grabbed it and wouldn’t let go.

The branch held, for a few seconds, before it broke with a loud crack and sent them flying down again, although much slower than before. Blue lost her grip on Cloud Chaser as she hit another branch, and a few more before she finally hit the ground. By some dumb luck, the ground was mossy and relatively soft. Blue remained lying there for a few moments, and her whole body was just one big pain, but she was still breathing.

She groaned and tried to sit up, only to feel a searing pain in her leg. She cursed under her breath, and felt her forehead. She felt something wet and sticky, and when she looked at her fingers, she saw they were red from blood.

Wait… what the fuck?

She stared at her fingers for a whole minute, before she managed to process what happened. A quick glance down her body confirmed it to her. Somehow, she was human again. She was still in the Everfree Forest, but she had hands, fingers, legs and definitely no wings. She even had some clothes, one of the cheap T-shirts she used to wear and a pair of ripped sweatpants.

Using her hands, she pushed herself into an upright position, and took account of her bruises. The cut on her forehead stung a little, but barely bothered her. Her left arm ached, she’d been holding to the branch with it, and she imagined she might have torn some muscle at that. The thing that worried her most was her ankle, though. It was swollen and angry red, despite her blue skin, and she could barely move it. Still, by some miracle, she had survived a fall from that height, which was most important.

She heard a groan out of the dark to her left, followed by some wailing from Cloud Chaser. The little light of the moon that made it through the trees was not enough to see much, but from the sound of it, he couldn’t be very far.

“Cloud Chaser?”
She called out breathlessly and pushed herself to her feet. She gritted her teeth and held back tears when she put some weight on her injured ankle, but she could take it. She hobbled towards the voice that called out for her now.

“Blue? Is that you? Where are you?”
Blue held back some curses as she slowly made her way over.
“Coming.”

She reached a smallish clearing, and saw Cloud Chaser, his brighter coat stood out clearly in the dark. She could only see the back of his head, the rest was covered by a tree or something. It must have fallen on him on his way down, and now he was effectively trapped.

“Blue, I’m stuck! Can you help me?”
Blue nodded, but he couldn’t see that, so she pushed back the pain and called out.
“Gimme a minute, I’m right there.”

She knew she’d shock him out of his fur when he’d see her like this, but she didn’t really have a choice. She probably couldn’t make it back to town with her injured ankle, so getting help wasn’t an option, and neither was just leaving him stuck.

She reached the tree that had Cloud Chaser pinned down, and saw that it wasn’t a whole tree, just a large branch or something. She bent her knees and ignored the pain, and tried to lift it up with all her remaining strength. Cloud Chaser, who noticed her effort, started wiggling, trying to get free, but it didn’t help. Blue could barely lift the thing, not enough for Cloud Chaser to escape.

Blue screamed in anger, and pain, when she lost grip and fell backwards, the hard bark ripping her palms open, so they started to bleed as well.
“Are you alright, Blue? Are you hurt?”
Blue’s patience was already thin, and her anger just burst out of her.
“No I’m not fucking alright! I just fell out of the sky and hit a dozen trees on my way down. How do you think I feel right now, you fucking moron!”

She breathed hard, and her anger burnt out.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean… sorry.”
Cloud Chaser let out a pained gargle, probably an attempt at laughing.
“No, it’s fine. Stupid question. But in case you didn’t notice, I’m not doing so peachy either.”

Blue laughed hard, just for the heck of it, and pushed herself back on her feet.
“Let me try again. Don’t freak out, okay?”

She didn’t wait for his answer, and walked around the tree, and into his field of vision. His relief of seeing her quickly changed into a grimace of horror.
“Who are you? What are you? What did you do to Blue?”
Blue grinned and flipped him the bird with her blood-smeared finger.
“Fuck you, dude.”

While he was trying to process everything, she saw one of the larger branches that stood out and looked sturdy enough. With some effort, she broke it off, and returned to Cloud Chaser. Using her branch as a makeshift lever, she managed to lift the tree up, at least more than with her bare hands.
“Can you get out?”

Cloud Chaser still stared at her, but he started wiggling again, pulling himself halfway out from under the tree. With his forehooves free, he could now pull and Blue leaned onto the lever with all her weight. A minute later, Cloud Chaser climbed out and jumped on his hooves, and out of Blue’s reach.

Blue didn’t care too much, she just sunk down into sitting on the ground, breathing hard from exhaustion. Since it was clear that she wasn’t a threat, Cloud Chaser carefully inched back towards her, but staying out of reach still.

“Blue?”
She just rolled her eyes and groaned out.
“Still me, last time I checked.”
He didn’t get her sarcasm at all and just stared at her with comically wide eyes.
“What happened to you? What are you?”

“I have no idea. Whatever that light was, it took away the flying magic, and changed me back into a human.”
“A human? Wait… changed you back?”
Blue groaned and took a moment to catch her breath, and to figure out how to explain best.

“This is what I looked like before I came to Ponyville.”
“So what… you aren’t a real pony then?”

She sat up, trying to keep her throbbing ankle still, but so she could look at him at least.
“Right now, I’m not a pony. But other than that, I am a real pony.”

He looked at her, and started to frown.
“I don’t believe that. Are you a spy?”
“Why would Princess Twilight bring a spy to Equestria?”
Blue hoped that Cloud Chaser trusted Twilight enough to trust her now as well.

She shifted into a more comfortable sitting position but hissed in pain when she accidentally put weight on her injured ankle again. That seemed enough proof that she wasn’t dangerous, at least not right now, and Cloud Chaser walked closer to her. Unlike Blue, he could walk just fine it seemed, and his giant eyes wandered up and down her body. Blue was about to tell him to stop creeping her out, but before she could he cut her off.

“Blue, you’re hurt!”
She rolled her eyes and groaned.
“What gave me away?”

She reached out for the branch she had used as a lever, and now as a makeshift crutch to get back on her feet. Cloud Chaser just watched, but his eyes stayed on her ankle
“Your back-hoof doesn’t look good at all.”
Blue laughed mirthlessly and looked down herself.
“It’s called a foot. I messed up my ankle during the fall.”
Her ankle was throbbing in pain, even though she wasn’t putting any weight on it, and it was more than twice the size it should be.

She tried to take a step, but her vision turned black from pain for a moment, and she nearly fell over again.
“Fuck… I’m not gonna make it back to town like this.”
“And when you say like this, do you mean looking like this or is it your, uh, foot?”

He looked up at her for an answer. Even though she wasn’t very tall for a human, she was still taller than a pony, his head was about at her chest level, so he had to tilt his head upwards to look her in the eye. Her face had to be a grimace of pain, because his eyes opened wide and he started trembling. He almost screamed and there was clear panic in his voice.
“Sweet Celestia, you’re bleeding! You’re bleeding! You can’t be bleeding!”

He was freaking out about it, but Blue just rolled her eyes. Because of all the fur, ponies barely ever broke their skin unless from a really bad cut, so the sight of blood was something that could have grown mares and stallions faint. Or freak out, like Cloud Chaser was.

“Look, Cloud, chill. It’s fine.”
“Oh no, you’re already delirious! Stay with me Blue, you can’t leave me all alone out here! Don’t go into the light!”
Blue would have probably laughed her ass up at his antics, if it wasn’t for the fact that her ankle was hurting like hell.
“Dude, just SHUT THE FUCK UP! It’s fine. It’s just a little cut. It’ll stop bleeding any minute, don’t you worry.”
“But, but, but, blood is supposed to stay inside ponies!”
Blue groaned and rolled her eyes
“Yeah, but I’m not a pony right now, okay? Just trust me on this one, it’s not a big deal. Humans can handle bleeding a little.”

He carefully took another step towards her, as if to make sure, but her words seemed to get through to him eventually.
“You can’t walk with just one leg, right?”
“Right. I kinda need both of them.”
That was something he understood, somehow. Probably because he needed two wings to fly, and it was similar enough.
“We need to get you to the hospital.”
“I don’t think I can walk that far, Cloud.”

He nodded, and stepped up next to her. His head angled back towards her as he scooted close so his barrel pressed against her hip.
“Lean on me.”

She grimaced, but it was their best bet. She hated getting this close to anypony. Maybe it was because she was wearing clothes, or because she was a human and he was a pony at the moment, but she leaned sideways and put her hand on his back, careful she wouldn’t accidentally touch his wings. He was a bit too small for her to be a good crutch, but she gritted her teeth together and forced a step forward. It hurt, but she could fight through the pain. She had a lot of practice at that, and being human again brought back some of it as well.

“Can you walk like this?”
“Yeah, works. Let’s get moving.”

He walked slowly, and Blue couldn’t tell if it was because of her injury or because he was still afraid of her. Maybe a bit of both. She clenched her teeth with each step, but she didn’t let him slow down. She needed to keep moving, because if she fell down, she wasn’t sure if she could get up again.

Cloud Chaser looked back at her every few steps, but he didn’t dare ask anything. Blue knew she looked pissed and in pain, a dangerous combination, especially know that she had fists again. She just clenched her teeth and tried to ignore the pain, forcing herself to another step. And another. And another.

The pain dulled down a bit as they got into a steady rhythm, enough for Blue to just block it out at some point. She didn’t notice much about her surroundings, or that they left the forest at some point, she had to focus on keeping in step with her pony crutch, and she could barely focus on anything else but the red veil of pain.

“Where is everypony?”
Cloud Chaser’s question forced her to look around and she finally noticed that they were already walking through town. She hadn’t even realized that they had made it that far, or for how long they had been walking.

Cloud Chaser looked up at her again, waiting for an answer now that she wasn’t unresponsive anymore, and she hissed through her teeth.
“Probably hiding at home, or in town hall. You bet your ass this shit has everypony freaked out.”

He nodded and kept steering them towards the hospital, and Blue hoped it wouldn’t be much farther. Now that she had broken through her haze of thoughts, the sharp pain returned with each step.

Fortunately, the tall building soon came into view, and Cloud Chaser sped up, as much as Blue could handle with her foot. They didn’t know how anypony would react on Blue being a human, but right now getting a doctor was more important.

Cloud Chaser more or less kicked the door open, and they were hit by a wave of misery. Ponies sat around the entry hall, in small groups, huddled up in the sparse light of some candles. Without magic, the main lights didn’t work, but they could see that the entry hall was almost full. The ponies looked scared, some of them crying openly, but as far as Blue could tell, they didn’t look injured at least. They had probably come here for shelter, else they’d have to face the loss of magic all by themselves.

Cloud Chaser didn’t care too much about them it seemed, he called out for a doctor and pulled Blue into the entry hall with him. As was to be expected, the ponies scurried away from Blue’s taller and unfamiliar form, but their moment of panic passed way faster than Blue had thought. They just kept staring at her, but in the middle of all the weirdness, seeing a human had to be just another drop in the ocean.

A nurse came running at them, and Blue recognized Nurse Tenderheart, one of her sister’s friends. She was a tall earth pony, and her head was almost at Blue’s eye level. And she didn’t seem the least bit freaked out by Blue’s human form. Instead, she looked almost relieved to see her.

“Oh my gosh, Blue, I’m so glad you made it back! Are you okay? No, scratch that, I can tell you’re not… where are you hurt?”

Cloud Chaser was just as floored as Blue, but she winced when she leaned a little too much on her injured leg. The pain was too urgent to ask stupid questions, especially now that she had stopped moving.

“My leg’s pretty messed up. I think if I sit down now, I won’t be standing up again for a while.”
Nurse Tenderheart nodded and slipped to Blue’s other side, supporting her the same way Cloud Chaser already was, and leading her to the back.
“Right, let’s get you somewhere to lie down, so somepony can have a look at your leg.”

Blue couldn’t really complain, but she noticed everypony staring at her now, especially after Nurse had called out her name.
“What about everypony else?”
The nurse shook her head and sighed deeply, almost defeated.
“You’re hurt worse than most of them. We don’t have enough equipment to treat everypony, and after that flash, we don’t have enough ponies who can even do the simplest things like holding a syringe. Even our earth pony staff can barely hold anything by now.”

Blue hissed out a curse between her teeth. Things had to be really in deep shit if even the most basic magic like grabbing something with your hoof stopped working. No wonder everypony looked so miserable.
“Without your sister, I don’t know how we’d be able to do anything. She’s holding everything together for us.”

Blue’s eyes opened wide and she nearly stumbled in mid step. She hadn’t even thought about her sister. If she had changed back, what had happened to her sister?

She didn’t have to worry long, because she saw her right as they reached the treatment area. Spring Meadow stood in the middle of the room, in human form and with some basic clothes, just like Blue. Spring was so tall that she almost had to duck her head else she’d hit the ceiling, surrounded by a whole crowd of little ponies, compared to her size.

Spring was busy cleaning a cut on somepony’s leg, using a pair of tweezers. With two hands and fingers, she could easily use the tool. The other nurses and doctors stood around, some holding candles for light, others hoofing more tools and equipment to Spring Meadow. She took a syringe next, and administered a shot of something to the injured pony. Then, she bandaged the wound with practiced ease. The whole thing barely took longer than a minute, and her patient was led away by the staff.

Blue could see a whole line had formed behind them, but before Spring could turn towards the next patient, another of her friends, Nurse Rhyme, poked her leg and pointed towards Blue. Spring Meadow turned around and their eyes met, with a moment of panic first, but then relief took over. At least they were both together again, everything else they could figure out from that.

Nurse Rhyme had rushed over to her and pushed her backwards, until she was sat down on one of the tiny hospital beds. She probably couldn’t lie down on it, but it was a relief to sit and take the weight from her ankle.

Spring Meadow and the doctor pony, Blue had forgotten his name, walked over, followed by the staff with the candles, and Spring immediately went to work. Instead of having Blue take off the pants she was wearing, Spring just cut off the leg of the pants, to reveal her ankle. It was swollen twice the size and had an angry red colour, even through her blue skin. Spring touched it carefully but Blue yowled in pain nonetheless. Spring and the doctor looked at each other, but the doctor shook his head.
“You’re the expert here. I have no idea what to do.”

Spring nodded. She didn’t ask Blue anything, she could tell how bad this was without stupid questions. After a few moments of thinking, she just sighed and shook her head as well.
“With the swelling, I can’t tell if anything is broken. I’d recommend we cool down the ankle and hope the swelling subsides. We’ll figure out after that.”

The doctor nodded in agreement, and some of the staff rushed away immediately. Maybe their hooves, horns and wings didn’t work like normal, but they were still medical ponies and knew what to do. Before Blue could say anything, her leg was set on a stool so it wouldn’t have to carry any weight. A nurse returned with an ice pack (half-molten already, since the ice box was running on magic as well, of course), but it still burned like acid when they wrapped it around Blue’s ankle. She hissed in pain, but Spring didn’t care and fixated the ice pack with some medical tape. That seemed to be all she could do for the ankle right now, because now she focused on Blue’s face next, of course noticing the cut on her forehead.

“Wie gehts dir? Du siehst ziemlich zerschrammt aus.“

Blue laughed, even though it sounded more like a pained gargle. They were talking in German for a minute, while Spring cleaned Blue’s cuts. That way, they could fill each other in on what had happened without anypony listening in. Spring’s story was a lot like Blue’s, only that a few more ponies had freaked out when there was suddenly a human in the hospital with them. However, when they noticed that Spring could still perform all the treatments with her hands, they quickly overcame their fear. Since then, she’d been working non-stop to get the worst injuries treated, as it was all she could do at the moment. Neither of them talked about what would happen if the magic wouldn’t come back, and they’d stay human. They had enough other shit on their plate right now.

Spring clearly was worried about her sister right now, but she still worked quickly and efficiently. Once she was finished, she hesitated for a moment, but Blue pushed her back towards the line of ponies. She knew her sister was a nurse by passion, and she wouldn’t waste Spring’s time with pointless chatter right now, not when Spring’s help was clearly needed elsewhere.

Nurse Tenderheart stayed with Blue as Spring and her entourage returned to the patients still waiting. Spring examined the next patient and when straight to the next treatment, giving Blue the first minute to think since shit had broken loose. The ice pack dulled the pain in her ankle, but she wasn’t the only one who got hurt by this mess. Not to mention all the patients who had been inside the hospital before the magic started acting up.

If felt weird, no, wrong to just sit around and do nothing. She turned to Tenderheart, who was watching Spring with barely hidden admiration, and asked the mother of all questions.
“How can I help?”

Tenderheart turned around, with her best ‘I’m the nurse and I know what’s best for you’-expression.
“Blue, that’s nice of you, but you’re hurt yourself. You need to stay put and take it easy for now.”
Blue just shook her head and sat up a little straighter.
“I didn’t talk about running around. Leg’s pretty messed up, but these still work fine.”

She held up her hands and wiggled her fingers for emphasis. Tenderheart was at loss for words for a moment, but then she waved over a pair of nurses who struggled to open a package with bandages. One nurse was holding the package but the other couldn’t really work the scissors, not with her hooves and not with her mouth. Blue snatched both once they were in reach and cut the thing open. It didn’t take her longer than a few seconds.

Tenderheart looked at her with a big grin.
“We can work with that!”
“Let’s do it.”

For the next two or three hours, time didn’t really register for Blue at this point, Blue ended up performing an endless array of mundane tasks. She didn’t have any training for treatments, but she opened packages, tubes, jars, and bottles. She handled everything that needed scissors. Under Nurse Tenderheart’s guidance, she applied band-aids and smaller bandages. Anything she could, really. She didn’t mind it at all, since every task she could do would mean one thing less her sister had to worry about, giving Spring Meadow more time for the really important stuff.

They were both so absorbed in their work that they didn’t really notice that the ponies around them never stopped watching them, and not just the medical staff. If she had noticed, Blue would have been surprised by their expressions, but she didn’t give herself that moment to breathe. If her sister didn’t slack off, neither would she.

It was still dark in the hospital, only lit sparsely by the candles, and the sun wasn’t up yet. Blue didn’t want to think about what that meant. Since everything in this world ran by magic, and magic was in the fritz, how could anypony raise the sun when it was time? She could worry about that later though, when all the patients had been taken care off. At least her ankle wasn’t hurting as much anymore.

Blue had lost any sense of time, and she only looked up when she heard some commotion from the entry hall. Lots of ponies were shouting and more ponies from outside ran inside, but before anyone could ask what was going on, Blue saw that same halo from before burst into the entry hall, even through the walls. Although, it wasn’t quite the same; this one looked brighter and… more sparkly? Before she could even think about what that meant, the bright light washed over her as well, forcing her to close her eyes from the sudden brightness.

She kept her eyes clenched shut as she felt like she was twisted into knots all over while everything around her spun like an oversized washing machine. The weird feeling lasted for only a couple of moments, and she found herself flopped back on the bed she had been sitting on. As soon as she tried to open her eyes though, she was blinded by the bright hospital lights, and she used her hoof to cover her eyes.

Wait… the lights are back on!

She opened her eyes and saw everypony around her cheering as the unicorns floated things in their magic, earth ponies were picking up stuff and she even saw a few pegasi flying over the crowd. Every light was shining again, and the medical equipment beeped and blinked around her.

The moment of cheer was cut short, when the doctor pony called out to the other doctors and nurses, and they immediately spread out. With everything back to (almost) normal, they made sure that every patient got treated properly now. Blue looked around but Nurse Tenderheart was rushing towards somepony in the middle of the room. She and Nurse Rhyme tried to help a lime-green earth pony back to her hooves.

Blue glanced down herself and confirmed what she had already guessed. She was a pony again, just like her sister. She flapped her wings, and they easily lifted her up, although her rear leg still hurt like hell. She ignored that for now and hovered over to Tenderheart, Rhyme and her sister, now an earth pony again.
“Is she alright?”

Nurse Rhyme nodded and steered them to the nearest hospital bed, and Tenderheart supported Spring Meadow as she hobbled between them.
“She will be, once she got a good rest. Poor dear, she’s worn herself to the ground, working so hard.”

They helped Spring Meadow on the bed, who only had enough strength to open her eyes once she had lied down. She looked at Blue and noticed her pony form, but then her eyes shut down and she fell asleep almost instantly. Blue sighed, relieved mostly. At least Spring would be alright for now, and they were back to ‘normal’. She could only guess what would happen, now that at least a few dozen ponies had seen them as humans.

“Blue! Sweet, you’re back…. uh, back in the air!”

Blue stayed afloat with the help of her wings, and grinned at Cloud Chaser who had flown in. She knew he was going to say ‘back to normal’, but at least he didn’t seem freaked out by her anymore. To be fair, none of the ponies seemed very upset, now that things had returned to normal.

“Do you have any idea what happened?”
Cloud shook his head and shrugged, but he knew something at least
“No idea. All I saw was another flare of light coming from the school, and then…”
“Shit, the school! We need to get there! The kids might be in trouble and…”

“Blue, slow down! It’s over! Princess Twilight is there, and I saw Princess Luna and Princess Celestia too, plus like a battalion of royal guards. They got it covered.”

Blue really was about to fly off, but something stopped her. She turned around, and found Nurse Rhyme holding her with her magic, and a stern glare.
“And just where do you think you’re going?”
“Hey, let go!”
“I don’t think so! You’re hurt, and you need rest! You’ve been up all night, like your sister, and you shouldn’t move your leg more than absolutely necessary. So either you lie down on your own now, or I swear to Celestia I’ll strap you to this bed.”

Blue glared back for a moment, but something felt really familiar the way Rhyme was looking at her, almost like Spring Meadow would. She didn’t have enough fight in her after that heck of a night, so she landed on the bed with a little grumble.
“Geez, you’re worse than my sister.”
“Since that’s Spring Meadow, I’ll take this as a compliment. Now, show me your leg! Please.”

Blue rolled her eyes but stretched out her injured leg, gritting her teeth so she wouldn’t wince in pain. Nurse Rhyme took a close look at it, and after a mumbled ‘Oh dear’, she ran off, and returned with the doctor pony (Blue still couldn’t remember his name).
“Well, Ocean Shore, I’m very sure you’ll need a cast for that. Whatever injury you had before, it looks like a broken leg to me now.”

Blue gritted her teeth when the doctor was prodding her leg, but she nodded. She wasn’t sure if ponies even had ankles, but the magic apparently had just transformed her injury into the next best thing when changing her back. A broken leg didn’t sound great, but it was something the doctor could treat, at least.

“I’m not going home tonight, am I?”
“Afraid not. We’ll give you something for the pain, and we’ll need an X-ray to be sure, but I’d say we give the leg a night’s rest at least. It’s still swollen, and I’d like to have Spring Meadow look at it before I do anything. She’s the only expert on human physique we have, after all.”

Blue nodded, and she almost missed it, but then realized what the doctor had said.
“Wait a second… how do you know I was a human? I haven’t told anypony!”

The doctor had something like a grin for her.
“Oh, how rude of me. I didn’t even introduce myself. My name is Doctor Lucky Clover, and I am Spring Meadow’s mentor. I’m, um, in the know since she started working here, and we have discussed her, let’s say, past experiences.”

Blue groaned and shook her head.
“We’re totally screwed, aren’t we? Now that everypony saw us?”
“Well, for tonight, you’re perfectly safe here in the hospital. I’ll send a note to Princess Twilight, but not before you got some rest. You and your sister.”

Blue shook her head and stared angrily at the ceiling.
“Princess Twilight has bigger things to worry about than us. Maybe we should just leave while we still can.”

The doctor chuckled and pulled Blue’s attention back towards him.
“I don’t think that would be wise. Your sister is thoroughly exhausted, and your pain meds will kick in any moment now.”
“What pain meds? I didn’t take anything yet and…”

She blinked when she noticed the doctor had injected something from a syringe into her leg, she hadn’t even noticed the sting, but she noticed that her eyelids suddenly felt like lead.
“You… you sneaky bastard… I’m so gonna get you for that… when… when…”
“Goodnight, Ocean Shore.”

Blue wanted to swear more, but everything grew hazy around her, like her thoughts got wrapped in a blanket, and when she blinked, her eyes wouldn’t open again, so she just sank into a quiet darkness of sleep.

“So, my theory is that the portal changed your bodies to be able to absorb and use magic, and it infused you with some of it. Any unicorn, pegasus and earth pony can use some form of magic, but those that are born in Equestria have been absorbing magic their entire life, so their internal magic pool is much deeper than your sister’s and yours.”

“So when Cozy Glow used her freaking ritual…”

“The ritual drained magic from all around it. Since unicorn’s draw and shape magic actively with their horns, they were affected first. Cozy Glow’s artefact messed with the leylines most likely, and that changed the structure of many spells by proxy.”

Blue nodded and shifted a little in her seat, her leg in a plaster cast made sitting very uncomfortable still.
“That’s why Starlight’s master-class spell winked out first, and the magic lights lasted longer.”
“Exactly. According to our observations, magic that was imbued into objects lasted the longest, but when Cozy Glow powered up her artefact, it just drained any magic from anything or anypony.”

“Right. And without the magic the portal had put into us, Spring and I changed back to humans.”
Princess Twilight nodded, shifting through her scrolls with notes. It was three days after the incident, everything was still fresh in her mind, and they hadn’t completely figured everything out yet.

Blue had woken up late next day, with her leg in a cast, and in a hospital room with her sister sleeping in the bed next to her. Other than extreme exhaustion, her sister had made it through the whole mess relatively unscathed. Blue’s leg was broken, but it didn’t hurt too much, and her wings were fine, so she could get around if she wanted.

The doctor, Lucky Clover, had recommended they stay at least one more night. He had also not allowed any visitors, until Princess Twilight had sent Spike over to pass an invitation. Now they were in one of the many sitting rooms of the castle, sipping tea as if everything was normal, even though Blue could see that this had shaken Twilight up pretty bad. Not only the betrayal from a student of hers, but also the fact that she had been manipulated so easily, and how utterly helpless she and her friends had been without magic. Not just them, all of Equestria had been helpless. If it hadn’t been for Gallus and his friends, nopony could say how this might all have ended.

Spring stayed mostly silent as she drank her tea. She wasn’t as involved into magic as Blue was (thanks to being exposed to it so much, first from being around Sunset Shimmer and the girls at CHS, later through spending time with Starlight Glimmer a lot), but she was shaken up too. Her fears, understandably, were a little more personal.

“What’s going to happen to us, now? Ponies have seen us. Who we really are. Is it still safe we stick around?”

Princess Twilight blushed a little, she had been so deep in her magic theories again that she had almost forgotten why she had invited Spring Meadow and Blue. With a newfound appreciation for even the simplest of spells, she stacked up her scrolls and transferred them back to her study, out of sight for now, before she focused on her guests.

“As far as I know, only ponies of Ponyville have seen your human forms. The ones I spoke with didn’t seem to hold any anger or grudge against you, so you should be safe in our world still.”
“Okay, we don’t have to be afraid of them. But what if they are afraid of us?”

Blue and Twilight looked at Spring Meadow, who tried to explain what she meant.
“What if my patients don’t want me to treat them anymore, because I might turn into a giant bipedal creature at any point? What if rumours start spreading around? We’ve been living here for a year, and now ponies know that we’re not who we said we were.”

Blue didn’t have anything she could say, she had been thinking about the same stuff, but Princess Twilight seemed ready, and she smiled confidently.

“That’s the point, though. Everypony has seen you, lived with you, for a year now. Like you said, they know who you are. They’ve seen two young mares who worked hard to keep ponies safe, from weather or sickness. They’ve seen you help others whenever you could, going the extra mile. They’ve seen you get tough and decisive when the situation requires it. They became your neighbours, your acquaintances, and your friends. They laughed with you, they got through hard times with you as well. Nothing of that has anything to do with your forms. That’s not what defines you. Pony, human, it doesn’t matter at all. Not to any of us.”

Spring wavered, thinking about it, but Blue shook her head.
“It doesn’t matter for you. But you knew from the start. Cloud Chaser freaked out when he saw me. He was scared shitless. Everypony will be when they find out. People fear what they don’t know, and such.”

Princess Twilight shook her head, still smiling reassuringly.
“Yes, Cloud Chaser was surprised by your human form. But I’ve talked to him. He told me that you freed him, even though you were badly hurt. You didn’t leave him behind in the woods.”
“Of course not.”

Twilight nodded and turned to Spring Meadow next.
“And you immediately offered your help to the ponies who needed it most. You were taller, stronger than anypony around you. Had you run away, nopony could have stopped you. But you didn’t. Doctor Lucky Clover and the others I’ve spoken to told me you realized you could help with your human form, and you just did it. It didn’t matter that you were a human and not a pony at that time. You’re a great nurse, and you’d do anything to help ponies in need.”

The princess looked at both of them again.
“That’s what defines you. You’re both kind, loyal souls, no matter if you have fingers or hooves. Ponies will judge you on that, not on your appearances. I know they will!”

Spring and Blue looked at each other. Spring didn’t look too convinced, but she was far from the state she’d been when they had first been invited to stay in Equestria. She had seen and learned the pony way of life, much more honest and sympathetic than any human society would be. Instead of desperation, there was hope.

“I guess it’s worth sticking around for a while longer, at least. Blue’s not in a condition to travel and frankly, neither am I. We need a few more days of rest at least, and if things turn sour… we can still talk about leaving later.”

Princess Twilight beamed at her, two parts relieved and one part proud if Blue had to guess.
“That sounds like a good plan for now. And if anypony gives you any trouble, please come to me right away! Though I don’t think it will happen.”

Spring nodded and got up from her seat, while Blue hovered close to the floor.
“We’ll head home for now. Thanks for the tea, Princess Twilight… and, thank you for all your help.”
Twilight pulled her surprised sister into a hug, which made Blue hover a little higher, just in case, but said nothing else.

Princess Twilight decided to accompany them out of the castle, since she had to check on the school, so they walked down the road into town together. Ponies noticed of course, but instead of flocking around the princess, they approached Spring Meadow instead. A lot of ponies thanked her for her help a few nights ago, so Blue figured they had to be patients of the hospital or something, and even though Spring didn’t do too well with that much attention set on her, it wasn’t too awkward. A few ponies asked Blue about her well-being, which she shrugged off like always, then everypony went back their usual way. Spring and Blue looked at each other every time, just waiting for somepony to bring up the obvious, but it just didn’t happen.

After Princess Twilight had said her goodbyes and headed to the school, Spring and Blue quickly reached the market, with more of the same. Now, without the princess next to them, ponies got a bit more curious about what they knew had happened, but they weren’t obnoxious about it either. Just, curious, which was understandable, since not everyday all the magic in the land just got sucked away and stuff.

Since Blue was in the air, she noticed the pair of ponies rushing towards them first, and she grinned, calling a heads-up to her sister. Just a moment later, Tenderheart and Rhyme, her friends from the hospital, reached her and pulled her into a tight embrace. They started talking to her at the same time and Spring tried her best to calm them down. Everypony around them, realizing their questions weren’t that important after all, gave the three friends some space, leaving only Blue hovering above them.

Blue grinned and winked to Rhyme when they began to lead her sister off somewhere. Spring never would admit it, but she was always happier after she spent time with Tenderheart and Rhyme. It was a good thing, and Spring definitely deserved some fun after all the stress in the last few days, so Blue would not get in the way of that.

So while the three left to something, Blue gained a little more altitude and took course to home. As much as she hated to admit, her leg was really hurting if she moved too much. So getting home to her couch sounded great right now. She only made it half-way before a voice stopped her. She was tempted to ignore it for a moment, but she knew that would be mean, especially after she had pretty much ghosted everyone for three days.

“Hey Blue!”
Blue hovered in the air and waited for Cloud Chaser to catch up with her, lifting her hoof for their typical hoof-bump.
“What’s up, Cloud Chaser?”
“I feel like I should be asking you that.”

Blue just shrugged and pointed at her cast.
“I’m not doing any races anytime soon, other than that, I’m fine. I’m made of the tough stuff, you know.”
“Obviously.”

Cloud Chaser wanted to say something else, but the way he started a few times without saying anything, Blue just rolled her eyes and addressed the dragon in the room.
“Just ask, dude. The cat is out of the bag anyway.”

He nodded, but he still sounded unsure. It was a pretty weird thing to talk about, admittedly.
“So, um, you’re back to… to your usual self, all the way?”

Blue rolled her eyes and shrugged her hooves.
“Well, I’m all pony again. Just like I was since I came here first. Nothing’s really changed for me. I didn’t pretend anything, you know? I’ve been me, just… a pony, when I used to be a human before.”

Cloud Chaser nodded a bit sheepishly.
“Oh, um… I didn’t mean to say you weren’t yourself. I was just shocked when you looked so different and suddenly you looked normal again, and I wondered if you were okay. I dunno if transforming hurts or anything.”
“Nah. It’s weird, but not painful. But I’m kinda glad to have my hooves and wings back. It’s normal, you know?”
“Yeah. For me too.”

They laughed and bumped their hooves together. Then it was Blue’s time to ask an awkward question.
“So, um… did the news already spread?”
“Huh? What do you mean? That you and your sister worked all night to help at the hospital? Yeah, everypony knows.”
“You know what I mean, dude.”

Cloud Chaser chuckled and pointed at the School of Friendship in the distance.
“Honestly? After the magic meltdown that happened over there, you changing forms barely made a dent. Sure, a few ponies talked about it the day after, but that was it. No angry mobs being organised, as far as I know.”

Blue laughed, but it sounded a bit too nervous, even to herself.
“Yeah, that thought came to my mind, kinda.”
“Nah, listen, you’re fine. They’d have to face the weather patrol before they got to you. Pretty sure the hospital staff would feel the same.”

Blue joined in when he laughed again, actually feeling a bit better after all.
“Cool. So I should be safe for a nap at home, right?”
“Right. Don’t let me keep you from it! Magic disasters are one thing, but messing up nap schedule is serious business.”
Blue grinned at that, and the split with another hoof bump.

She reached the complex without any other interruptions, even though a few ponies waved at her on the way. Flying indoors was kinda awkward, and she was glad when she finally reached her floor and her apartment door.

Her relief was short-lived though, because there was a pony sitting right at her doorstep, obviously waiting for her. Blue groaned when she immediately recognized her.

“Hi Ocean Shore! So great to see you!”
None other than well-known conspiracy-theorist and self-proclaimed expert for mythical creatures, Lyra Heartstrings, welcomed her at her own door, with a smile that was far too big to mean anything but trouble for Blue.

“Fuck my life…”
Lyra tilted her head, since she hopefully didn’t hear what Blue was muttering under her breath, and her smile stayed just as wide, with her eyes shining like Twilight’s when she got her hooves on a new book.

“I have, like, so many questions!”
“Of course you do.”

Lucky for Lyra Heartstrings, Blue knew her, well, not her exactly, but another Lyra, well enough to know there was no good way out of this. Lyra was practically vibrating from excitement and if she wouldn’t get any answers now, she’d be bothering them for weeks. So with a kinda defeated sigh, Blue opened the door and invited the unicorn inside.

“What kind of questions?”
“All of them!”
Blue rolled her eyes and shook her head.
“Okay, listen. I know you don’t mean any harm, but I’m beat, my leg hurts, and the place is a mess since we haven’t been here for days. I’ll answer ten questions, but then I want you out for today.”
“Twenty questions, and I’ll clean up the apartment for you!”

Blue grinned and pretended to think about it as she landed on the couch, stretching out her injured leg.
“You got yourself a deal, Lyra.”
“Yes! Thank you so much, Blue.”

They sealed the deal with a hoof bump, and before she knew it, Lyra was bombarding her with questions. If that was really the worst she had to fear from everypony, maybe the aftermath from this whole mess wouldn’t be so bad after all.

It was a week after the insanity, and things had calmed down. Life was back to its normal flow and the crisis-hardened ponies of Ponyville had managed to shrug off the latest near-catastrophe just like the ones before.

Only a few reminders remained, and even though she hated it, Blue was one of them. Her leg was still in a cast, and everpony knew when she had broken it. She didn’t want any pity parties and she didn’t get any, but still ponies kept staring wherever she went, which was why she had spent most of the week at home.

Spring Meadow was already back to her usual schedule, but things had changed for her. For the better, as far as Blue was considered. Spring had been a valued member of the hospital staff before, but after the recent events, when she had taken charge like no pony could have, she had risen up the hierarchy, figuratively. She was still the newest nurse around, but now her colleagues looked up to her more than ever, asked her for advice and guidance in many matters. In a way, she was suddenly on par with Nurse Redheart, the most experienced and most respected nurse at the hospital.

And while many ponies would crumble under the sudden attention and pressure, Spring Meadow flourished. She had never been in a leadership position before, but everypony could tell that she had the stuff for it. And since she came home smiling after every shift, Blue knew that her sister enjoyed it too, even if she denied it out of modesty.

Blue wasn’t jealous of her sister, if anything she was happier than Spring. She’d always knew that Spring was awesome and born to take charge, and now she finally got the props she deserved. Spring had always been in charge, even when they were little, and in Blue’s opinion it was high time that somepony else acknowledged her skills.

For Blue, nothing new had come up yet. She’d had a debriefing with the captain, and signed some official report about what happened. Weather Patrol Headquarters hadn’t set up a big investigation for all that happened, mostly because the princesses in Canterlot had that covered. Whatever had happened a week ago, it was considered a national crisis, and not a weather patrol problem, so Blue hoped that she was safe from any more official bullshit.

Unless, of course, Canterlot decided that the fact Spring Meadow and her had turned into humans was a matter of national security.

Ponyville had been very chill about all of it, so far. A few weird questions here and there, and of course Lyra Heartstrings had bugged her with all kinds of questions and theories about humans, but nothing too bad. With Princess Twilight on her side, Blue could hope that her personal problem would just fizzle out, compared to all the magical mess all over Equestria.

Tomorrow, the cast would come off, and she wouldn’t remind people of the madness anymore. Maybe by this time next week, ponies would have already forgotten.

Blue was flagged down on the couch, with some music on, and wondered if she should just take a nap to pass the time, when somepony knocked on her door. She looked up over her shoulder, but nopony walked in, which only left maybe three potential visitors from the short list of ‘ponies who would really come to my home to visit me’. She called for whoever to enter, and grinned at the young griffon who walked in.

“Hey hey, if it isn’t Mini-Dude, saviour of the realm and hero of Equestria!”
“Oh, shut up. It was cool the first day, but now it’s getting annoying.”

They laughed and Gallus sat down on Spring’s chair, since Blue was effectively blocking the entire couch.
“Being a hero isn’t all that great as everypony says, huh?”
“Not really. Headmare Twilight keeps telling us we still have a lot to learn, and everypony else went back to normal, too. I guess Ponyville is so used to it that the hype dies down quicker than you’d expect.”
“You won’t hear me complaining about that. I don’t need any reminders of that shit for sure.”

He stared at her leg in the cast, and she rolled her eyes.
“Just ask already.”
“Um… are you okay? I heard you fell out of the sky when Cozy Glow did her weird ritual.”
“I was flying way too high. I knew that flying magic was messed with, I should have taken that into account. I’m lucky it’s only my leg. It’s gonna heal just fine.”
“Oh. That’s good.”

Gallus trailed off and fidgeted in his seat, so Blue knew there was more he wanted to ask, but Blue wouldn’t call him out for that. She wouldn’t lie to him, but she’d be happy not talking about it if he didn’t ask. But of course, he’d ask.
“So, um… I heard rumours. That you turned into something else that night. Not a pony, at least. Somepony told me what it’s called but…”
“Human. I turned back into a human. Me and Spring Meadow. And when magic returned, I was a pony again.”

He stared at her, and of course he picked up the important part.
“Turned back?”
Blue sighed and looked away, sometimes it was easier talking about this without looking at ponies.
“That place I told you about, where I grew up? It wasn’t a village outside of Equestria. It was a different dimension. Kinda. I don’t understand all the details, but I was a human back there. When Princess Twilight helped my sister and me move to Ponyville, we turned into ponies.”

“Is… is that why you didn’t fly before you arrived here?”
Blue nodded and smiled, a bit.
“Yeah, humans don’t have wings. I had to learn from scratch coming here. That and a lot of other stuff, like walking on four legs. Humans are bipedal, like your friend Smolder.”

He nodded but he kept staring, and Blue looked back at him, so she saw his glare.
“What else did you lie about?”

“Nothing.”
His glare intensified, he didn’t believe her, of course. It was a lot to ask, after all.

Blue tried to explain, at least.
“Everything I told you was true. I was a troublemaker and got into all sorts of fights. I was tossed out of schools a lot. The stuff I told you about my parents? That really happened. Spring and me bounced through so many towns after my mother stopped caring. Until I met those friends I told you about, and they got me in contact with Princess Twilight. She knew about the other world, but that’s another story, that’s got nothing to do with me.”

At least he stopped glaring by now, but there was still some doubt left in his voice.
"And why did you leave that other world and come here, if you had to change into ponies and leave everything you knew behind?”

“Because, there wasn’t anything I left behind. All the shit I caused as a kid, my own fault, it caught up on me. And my sister by proxy. They were going to separate us, and send me to the other side of the country into an orphanage at best, or juvenile hall at worst. I’d lose all my friends either way, and any chance to ever get a normal life. Spring lost her job, her home, and we’d lose the only family we had left. Compared to that… it wasn’t really that bad giving up being a human and learning to be a pony.”

He didn’t say anything for now, which was fine since Blue still had some things to say.

“Princess Twilight offered us a fresh start, a clean slate. Something we’d never get in the other world. A fair chance. But we got so much more than that. We didn’t just get a fresh start, we got help along the way, in spades. From Princess Twilight and the others, from Starlight Glimmer, heck even ponies who didn’t know us at all.”

She looked back at Gallus for the last part.
“We didn’t tell anypony where we really came from, but I never lied about myself. I didn’t pretend being anything I wasn’t. And amazingly, that was okay. Ponies just accepted that I have a short temper, that I swear a lot, that I’m calling out bullshit when I see it. I never had to pretend, and I didn’t. So yeah, I was a human and now I’m a pony. But I’ve always been me. That’s all I’m gonna say about it.”

Blue did shut up after that and went back to staring out of the window. Gallus would need time to process all that. He’d get that. Then he could decide if the lie was too much. A year ago, she would have gotten upset about him blaming her, and the chance that he’d decide she wasn’t worth hanging out with anymore. Right now, she didn’t feel anything. It was only a stoic acceptance. She couldn’t change how ponies, or griffons, would feel. She could only make sure she was feeling okay with what she did, and she knew she’d feel best being honest and not pretending. If Gallus thought that wasn’t enough, there wasn’t anything she’d do about it.

“Was it hard to learn how to live with ponies?”
Blue grinned, and turned back to him. Turns out, he didn’t look too betrayed after all.
“Was it hard for you?”
“Well, kinda.”
“Yeah. Same here. It’s all about keeping an open mind, and hope ponies do the same. Luckily, they’re really big at acceptance and friendship and all the fuzzy stuff, you know?”
“Dude, tell me about it. It’s all I hear all day at school.”

They laughed together, and Gallus held out his fist for their traditional hoof-bump. That’s when Blue knew they’d be fine, despite all of last week’s mess.

They kept chatting about this and that, just anything that came to their mind, but nothing hard or deep. They had some tunes from Blue’s record player they talked about. Gallus probably had guessed by now that this was human music and not pony music, but if he did, he didn’t mention it.

Gallus was about to leave when Spring got home, and she invited him to dinner. He accepted, and since Blue was still forbidden to move much, Spring and Gallus joined forces in the kitchen, leaving her on the couch. She heard them talking quietly, but she wasn’t too worried.

Her life had been shaken up badly, but she knew she’d be fine. Tomorrow, the cast would come off, and life could finally go back to normal. Tonight, she’d have dinner with her sister and her little buddy. She grinned at the thought, and noticed the enticing scent coming from the kitchen, while she enjoyed watching the sun slowly setting outside her window.

Yeah. We’ll be fine.

Ocean Blues

by TalkingToMyself

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4 part 1

Chapter 4 part 2

Chapter 5

Chapter 6 part 1

Chapter 6 part 2

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 12.5

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Bonus Arch, part 1: The storm

Bonus Arch, part 2: Perspective

Bonus Chapter: Spring Breakdown

Bonus Chapter: Sisterhooves Social

Bonus Chapter: Music

School of Friendship - Chapter 1

School of Friendship - Chapter 2 - Hearth's Warming

School of Friendship - Chapter 3 - School Raze