> A long road back
>  by sykko
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Prologue: aftermath
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Celestia sat on the uncomfortable cot attached to the wall in a holding cell in Equus county jail. She brushed some lint off the leg of the bright orange jumpsuit with a hand and stared down at her feet sitting in the flip-flops, they had confiscated her tennis shoes. "Suicide watch.", she half-chuckled in the back of her throat, "As if I'd give Blueblood the pleasure of that. If he wants me dead, he's going to have to do it himself." She knew he had enough money and connections to hire or blackmail somebody to do it for him, if he did send someone to kill her, she would gladly die knowing that he could do it once. She thought about if he sent someone after Luna, that would be the biggest mistake they ever made. Though Celestia was no slouch in the physical department, being a former under-twenty one power lifting champion, three time judo champion and a second-degree black belt in hapkido, Luna was in a different league on her own, she spent four years in the army and was a veteran of the short-lived Serbian conflict.

Celestia let her mind wander back to her arrest three days before. He memory ran through the events after she had been placed the back of the police car handcuffed, the officer who had officially arrested her, a police sergeant name Rosewater Blush, had just slipped behind the steering wheel and turned around to talk to her through the thick glass, "Officially I have to go on record and state the neither I nor the county of Equus and the state of Kansas condones the use of violence or murder, but off the record, I'm glad that someone finally stopped those bastards who hurt all those girls...especially my Wallflower." She had recalled that Wallflower had been attacked and raped in the girl's locker room six months ago, it was the janitor who found her locked in one of the stalls shortly after school had been let out when he heard scared whimpering. The police had determined she had been attacked some time between noon and two and Celestia had confirmed when reviewing the footage from the cameras that Wallflower had been attacked during lunch break. When the investigations from the police and school board had come too close to Long Pass and his cronies, they suddenly stopped with rumors of money changing hands. She recalled that Wallflower had been in and out of the hospital several times since then.

The key turning in the lock of the cell door snapped Celestia out of her thoughts, maybe she was to see the probate judge today for her bail hearing. Two cops stepped in carrying a pair of handcuffs and shackles. "Stand up, turn around and place your hands on the wall.", the first officer said in a stern tone.

"Am I seeing the probate judge today?", Celestia asked as the officer attached the shackles to her ankles.

"Naw...", the first officer said again, "...you got a couple of visitors. Turn around and place your hands in front of you, palms facing each other, link your thumbs together." After Celestia had complied, the officer placed the handcuffs around her wrists.

"Alright, follow me.", the second officer said in an authoritative tone. The officers led Celestia through the halls into a room with that had what looked like several heavy metal picnic tables that were bolted to the floor. At several of the table sat men and women who were inmates as they visited with their wives, husbands, girlfriends, boyfriends and children, periodically soft sobs would echo around the room. All around the room were several signs saying that all inmates would be strip searched after visitation and what the penalty was if visitors tried to sneak the inmates contraband.

Celestia looked around in confusion as the police officers led her to a table and sat her down. "I thought I wasn't allowed to have visitors until after I had my bail hearing.", she said looking up at the officer standing guard over her at the table.

"I don't know nuthin' 'cept what they tell me.", the cop said in a gruff tone, "All I was told me was that you had two groups of visitors today. Keep your hands on top of the table at all times."

Celestia sighed as she rested her hands on the cool metal ugly grey-green painted table. She let her eyes drift back and forth from her hands to the tabletop to the bland gray of the unpainted cement floor with too many layers of floor wax on it. Her thoughts began to drift back to the barely conscious form of Sunset laying in the pile of old trash bags as she mumbled incoherently. The loud buzzing from the door at the far end of the room snapped her out of thoughts as it signaled to whoever was on the other side that the lock had been opened.

The heavy metal door swung open and Senator Blueblood walked though, his glare threatening to ignite anyone it landed on. Celestia leaned forward laughing loudly, "Of fucking course it would be you!"

As Blueblood sat at the ugly metal table, the cop walked away from the table while giving Celestia the "I'm watching you" gesture. Blueblood gave an approving nod and grunt to the officer as he walked away, then turned his gaze onto Celestia. "Why did you shoot Long Pass and his friends?", he said coldly.

Celestia kept her expression stern. "Why did you let your son and his friends get away with hurting all those girls?", she fired back.

Blublood snarled with contempt before answering, "If you had bothered to ask around, you might find that those girls were little more than whores letting anybody and everybody sling it to them as they wanted."

"Whores?!", Celestia snarled back in anger, "If you had bothered to go to the hospital and see Sunset in a coma, fighting for her life, after your son and his toadies had beat and raped her, then left her to lay in a pile of trash for three days before I found her, you might be singing a different tune. But then again knowing you, you'd probably still still sit here in front of me and say the same thing. What's it like senator, to be completely heartless?"

"Heartless?!", Blueblood snapped back, "I guess you'd think that being in here, not being able to see me grieve for your callous murder of my son."

Celestia sneered at Blueblood, now it was her turn to return the glare. "You never cared for your son!", she spat the words out like a toxic venom, "You only cared what he could do for you and your image. Just like you never cared for the girls he hurt. You weren't the one who had to look in the faces of their friends and families, seeing the fear and concern in their eyes. I hope and pray that one day you'll open your eyes and see all the hurt you caused by stopping the investigations."

Blueblood leaned in close and whispered, "I know that a half-retarded mind like yours made you think you were doing the right thing and all I can say is that a little bird told me that tomorrow morning you're going to see the probate judge, then moved to general population. Be careful, fights break out all the time and people get hurt in the showers." After finishing, he stood up and began walking to the door.

"Threaten me all you want, send all the goons after me you want, but your secret is out.", Celestia called out to Blueblood's back.

When Blueblood snapped around and a couple of cops stepped towards him. He considered running over to the table and smashing hi fist into her face several times, she was cuffed and shackled so she couldn't defend herself very well, but then thought better of it as the police would probably tackle him before he could do anything. Clenching his teeth together, he quickly pivoted and stormed towards the door with a half-scoff, half-huff.

Celestia let small smile spread across her lips, Bluebood had nearly lost his temper right there in the middle of the jail. She considered it a small victory. After Blueblood had slammed the heavy door behind him, she let her posture slump, dealing with the soon-to-be former senator had been mentally exhausting. The lock on the door buzzed loudly again and her eyes went wide seeing who had walked through, Dean Cadance, Applejack and Sc-Twi, the lavender-skinned girl with the dark purple hair with twin lavender and magenta stripes had tucked under her arm the journal with the red and yellow stylized sun that Sunset had written in several times before.

As the three sat on the bench across from Celestia, Cadance leaned in close and said, "You look like you could use some coffee." When Celetia nodded, Cadance stood up and walked over to the coffee machine as she fished change out of her pockets.

Applejack reached across the table and grabbed Celestia's hand. "How ya holdin' up principal Celestia?"

"I'm not your principal any more, I'm definitely fired. What are you doing here? I didn't think they'd let minors visit me."

Applejack gave a smile before replying, "First of all Ah'm eighteen. Second, ya know how the other Twilight shows up sometimes, 'specially if'n there's heaps o' trouble?" After Celestia gave a confused nod, she continued, "Well ya see this here journal's actually from the world Sunset is origin'lly from an' after we heard 'bout what happened tuh both her an' you, Twi here got ahold o' Sunset's journal an' wrote to the other Twilight on what happened."

Celestia was intrigued and she raised an eyebrow in response.

Applejack nudged Sci-Twi with an elbow. "Show her what ya wrote Twi an' th' responses that was sent back."

Sci-Twi laid the journal on the table and flipped it open to the last messages. "This is the message I wrote.", she said tapping a finger on the page, "But that's not what's important, it's the two responses we've received." She moved her finger to the next page, turned the journal around and let Celestia read the responses.

"To my friends, That is very serious. I am going to contact Princess Celestia as soon as possible. Please keep a close watch on Sunset Shimmer and Principal Celestia. May Faust keep them both safe. Princess Twilight Sparkle, Princess of friendship, Grand Duchess of Smith Prefecture

"To the friends of Sunset Shimmer on the other side of the portal, I have just received word of what has happened to my former student. Please send thanks to Principal Celestia. Inform her that if she so requests it of us, My sister and I shall grant her sanctuary in Equestria. As soon as you able, instruct her how to use the journal and have her contact me immediately. Princess Celestia, Mare of the sun, Mistress of the day, Diarch of the land of Equestria"

Celestia tapped her chin with a finger. "So you just write in here and the Twilight or Celestia from the other world will contact me back?" When Applejack and Sci-Twi nodded their heads, she asked, "Either of you got a pen?

Applejack pulled out a ball point pen from her shirt pocket and held it up so the nearby police officers could see it. "Jus' lettin' Miss Celestia here sign our book!" After the cop nodded, she passed the pen to Celestia.

Celestia took the pen in her hand, pulled the cap of with her teeth and began writing in the journal. "To whom it may concern, My name is Celestia, former principle of Canterlot high school. I found Sunset Shimmer laying unconscious in an alleyway three days after she was attacked, she's currently sitting in a medically induced coma because of her injuries. I am currently sitting jail after I shot her attackers with my old Walther PPk. The father of the leader of the group that had brutally attacked Sunset and several girls, a well to do businessman and senator named Blueblood, came by the jail shortly before Sunset's friends to threaten me. Do not concern yourself with my well being as I can take care of myself. I only ask that you send someone to not only help Sunset and her friends, but also the other girls who have been hurt to come forward. ,Celestia"

Almost immediately the page lit up with golden magic as words began to appear on the page. "Dear principle Celestia, You are most selfless and brave. If only more ponies and humans in both our worlds were more courageous and selfless, there would be much less injustice. Though you do not ask it for yourself, I shall still send one of my representatives to look out for your best interests as well as helping the fillies girls that have been harmed to come forward and get the help they need. ,Princess Celestia, Mare of the sun, Mistress of the day, Diarch of Equestria and hopefully your friend"

Celestia smiled slightly as she slid the journal back across the table, then returned the cap to the pen and gave it back to Applejack. "Thank you for your help girls, I know with you all by Sunset's side, she'll be able to pull through this." She looked to Cadance who was sliding a paper cup of coffee across the table. "If you'll Cadance and I a few moments, I'd like to talk to her about some personal things."

Applejack said as she and Sci-Twi rose from the table, "We'll jus' be waitin' outside th' door."

Celestia watched AJ and Sci-Twi walk away from the table, when they were far enough away she turned her attention to Cadance and took a sip of the brown liquid in the paper cup that resembled coffee. "Blech!", she exclaimed sticking out her tongue in disgust before continuing, "So exactly were you able to get not only yourself, but also two of my students here to see me?"

Cadance smiled as she sipped the foul brown liquid with enough sugar in it that the officers watching thought they were going to have to administer emergency insulin. "Being technically Milanese royalty gives me access not only enough money to get anything I want, but also enough political clout to get almost any thing done."

Celestia blinked in confusion. "W-w-what?!"

"That's right, you didn't know. My great-grandmother fled Italy back in nineteen twenty-three, bringing her children with her and sought asylum here.", Cadance replied, "I technically have a dual citizenship with the U.S. and Italy as after the war my great-uncle chose to re-immigrate back to the old country and reclaim the the family titles and holdings. As a sign of good will, Italy has given the remaining Mi Amore family here official citizenship." She cleared her throat before continuing, "As you're most likely aware of, the school board has officially terminated you. For now Luna is sitting as acting principal and they've asked me to fill in as acting vice-principal."

"Better you to be the vice-principal than Cinch.", Celestia said flatly, "As much as I respect her, she is a total see you next Tuesday."

"Oh I can agree with you one hundred percent.", Cadance said with a slight chuckle, "I wouldn't have told you that they asked me to be vice-principal unless I was seriously considering it."

Celestia reached across the table with her hands and laid them on Cadance's. "I know you'll do those kids right. Keep an eye on the statue out front, if anyone comes from the other world, that's where they'll show up. Also remember to trust Sunset and her friends when it comes to magic."

"I still remember the friendship games.", Cadance said patting Celestia on her shoulder before rising from the table, "Take care of yourself and keep your head on a swivel, Blueblood is on the warpath. If he sends anybody after you, don't hesitate to call me or Luna." She stepped away from the table and started walking towards the door.

"Call Fleur dis Lee and tell her I'm seeing the probate judge tomorrow morning!", Celestia called out to Cadance, who in turn paused, looked over her shoulder and nodded before walking to the door.

Celestia sighed as one of the cops gestured for her to follow her to a nearby room for a strip search.
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Celestia walked out of the courthouse after seeing the probate judge that morning, shackles on her ankles, cuffs on her wrists, a chain connecting the two and looped through a steel ring on the wide leather belt around her waist. Fleur had been waiting on her at the courthouse for her bail hearing. After the bail hearing, Fluer told her that she'd be waiting on her at the jail and would meet with her before they put her in general population.

Celestia shuffled out to the van with several other inmates who had bail hearings or court dates and clumsily climbed in. as she shuffled to a seat, one of the inmates in the van called out in a hoarse whisper, "Hey! You're that woman who capped those rapists ain't ya?" When she didn't respond, the inmate leaned up behind her and nudged the back of the seat, before speaking up again, "You are the woman who capped those punks."

Celestia lifted her head, shook the multi-hued hair away from her face as best as she could and looked at the woman, taking in she was a beefy gal, with strong features. "I don't want any trouble and just want to get back to the jail."

"You ain't gotta worry about no trouble from me.", the beefy woman said, "The name's Bitter Sweet. Those punks messed up my daughter pretty bad last year, I just wanna say thank you for dealing with them. Somebody should have splattered them long ago."

Celestia looked at Bitter Sweet. "I don't recall seeing you at any of the PTA meetings. Who's your daughter?"

Bitter looked down at the seat in front of her. "My daughter goes to Crystal Prep. Those punks cornered Sour in the bathroom of Taco Overlord and left her all kinds of messed up, when I went to the hospital, I nearly didn't recognize her." She sniffled softly for a moment. "Her face was so purple and swollen where they had beat her up so bad."

"What happened that wound you locked up in country? if you don't mind my asking."

Bitter Sweet looked out the window of the van as the doors were closed. "To pay off the medical bills, I had to do some things I'm not particularly proud of."

Celestia turned in her seat t better face Bitter. "Did you sell yourself?"

"Nothin' that far. I sold some substances and items that weren't exactly legal. Bein' a waitress don't exactly pay a whole bunch and before Sour was hurt, I was keeping our heads just above the water. You see, I never finished high school myself and I wanted my little girl to have the education i never got for myself."

Celestia was about to ask Bitter another question the driver slapped her hand against the cage at the front of the van, "Alright ladies, sit down, shut up and eyes front!" A police officer stepped into the passenger seat in the front of the van, quickly gave a quiet head count and wrote down some numbers on a clipboard. A moment later the van cranked up and began driving to the county jail general population lock-up.

After the van pulled up to the jail and the inmates slowly filtered out before entering into the building under the watch of police and guards. One of the guards holding a clipboard gave a loud whistle and gestured Celestia over, "Your lawyer's here to see you." Celestia shuffled down the hallway as three guards escorted her. They opened a metal door to a small white room with a small able and two metal chairs bolted to the floor. One of the guards unlocked the cuffs and shackles, then took off the wide leather belt, then pointed to the table and chairs, "Sit down, your lawyer will be in to see you in a moment."

Celestia did as she was told and sat in the char on the far side of the table so she could see when the door opened. While waiting for Fluer to get in, she took the opportunity to look around the room, it was stark white except for the bland gray of the table, the chairs were the same color, the floor was they typical speckled asphalt tiles with too much floor wax, the ceiling was the usual weird grayish-white fiberboard panels, the heavy metal door was painted a bland gunmetal gray with a small sliding slat for the guards outside to be able to look in, in two of corners on the ceiling were small square-shaped cameras silently recording everything that happened in the room.

Celestia sat quietly as her thoughts drifted. How was Luna holding up taking care of the school? Was Sunset going to pull out of the hospital fine or would there be physical complications? Would she come out of this fine or would she need therapy? She had the name of another girl that had been hurt by those five, a young girl named Sour Sweet. That made three now known for sure hurt by Long Pass and his toadies, along with Sunset Shimmer and Wallflower Blush. All three occasions it was certain that Senator Blueblood had either used his money and influence to ensure they wouldn't face any criminal or civil, or he would have in Sunset's instance if Celestia had decided to not take action. How many more girls had those bastards hurt? It was pretty clear that Blueblood had hired some hatchetman to completely ruin their images and probably badger them into silence. How many people on the school board were complicit with his corruption? She growled in disgust and ground her teeth in frustration, regardless of whether or not she spent the rest of her life locked up, she would devote every second of her life to not only exposing all of Blueblood's corruption, but also ensuring that the girls that were hurt could come forward and get the help they need.

The lock on the door turning brought her out of her thoughts. As the door opened, Fluer dis Lee walked in wearing a simple gray pantsuit, a crisp white blouse, a thin smoke-gray tie and shoes with low heels, the sway of her body as she walked told everyone she was the queen bee.  In one hand she held a leather briefcase and under her arm she carried a file. The guard outside closed the door as she sat down in the chair bolted to the floor across from Celestia. "I take zat your ride over here was uneventful, non?"

Celestia smiled wryly. "No problems, but not uneventful. I talked to a woman on the ride over who's daughter was hurt by those five. She's locked up in here and we had a short conversation on the ride over. If you want, I can give you her name and the name of her daughter."

Fluer reached inside a pocket in her pantsuit and pulled an eyeglass case. Opening it, she pulled out a pair of wire-framed reading glasses and put them on. Opening the briefcase, she pulled out some paperwork. "Wis a little help from Fancy, we were able to track down suspicious wire transfers from ze bank zat Blueblood likes to use. We've got him by ze cheveux courts et boucles. Even if he walks, his career is over, not to mention ze lawsuits he'll face." She pulled a small tape recorder and switched it on. "Before you tell me about ze ozer girl zat has been hurt, for official records, tell me about ze visit you had from Blueblood, please."

Celestia sighed as she recalled the face-to-face. "He mostly came in to gloat and give faux hurt, though he did give me a veiled threat."

Fluer pushed her reading glasses down on her nose and looked over them at Celestia. "Please elaborate on what he said, if anything happens to you here, we can use it against him in ze courtroom."

Celestia smirked slightly. "He leaned in close and whispered to me to watch myself, people always get hurt in lock-up, especially in the showers. He's probably paid some poor schmuck or blackmailed some poor soul to try and hurt me."

"Well unless someone attacks you, this is all conjecture.", Fluer said calmly, "Just keep your nose clean and you head on a swivel. If someone tries to jump you, he'll have made our case much easier, just don't pick any fights. Here, fill zese forms out."

As Celestia filled out the forms Fluer passed her, she said, "I'm sorry I'm not going to be able to make our dinner date this week. Give Fancy my love."

Fluer looked over the paperwork as Celestia passed it back. "Non worry, Fancy understands." She gave the paperwork one last one over before stacking it neatly and placing it her briefcase. "Now about the woman you talked to, if you would, please write her name down for mon and I'll try to contact her.", she said passing a sticky note over.

For the remainder of the hour, Fluer discussed Celestia's current case as it stood. Rising from the chair, she put away the the paperwork and said before turning to the door, "Take care of yourself, I'll be back in a couple of days. Keep an eye out, in case Blueblood isn't blowing hot air up your derriere."

"I will, thank you Fluer."

"Pas de prbleme. Au revoir.", Fluer said with a slight smile. She reached up a hand and knocked on the heavy door.

Celestia watched as Fluer walked through the door with her queen bee walk, she chuckled in her throat as a few of the guards letched as she passed. Fluer dis Lee was  woman who knew how to play the game and could get anything she wnted, if she had wanted to break Celestia out of jail, she would have given a slight tip of of her hips, a few honeyed words and she was certain that half the guards would have personlly escorted them both out the front door.

A guard walked in the room and ordered Celestia to follow her.
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It had been two days since Celestia had been in the county general population. She had quickly learned the routines of the jail. Slipping into the bright orange shorts, plain white T-shirt that had "county jail" printed on the back and the plain blue tennis shoes they had issued her, she prepared for the few hours of recreational time. Quickly moving to the line that lead out to the yard where she and the other inmates could exercise. Standing as six feet two inches, she stood out in a crowd at the best of times, which worked to her benefit at the worst of times such as here in county lock up.

The guards opened the door that lead to the yard, which consisted of a couple of concrete basketball courts, a baseball diamond, a running track and a few heavy concrete tables with benches. Celestia blinked her eyes along with several of the other ladies in the bright sunlight. A few guards wheeled out a couple of heavy plastic bins that contained an assortment of basketballs, softballs, three heavily dented aluminum bats and an assortment of well worn softball mitts. The inmates quickly took the various sporting equipment from the bins as she made her way to the track.

Celestia made her way to the track, pivoting her head around and keeping a close of an eye as she could on the three women who had been watching her like hawks since she joined general population two days ago. Everything about those three told her that they would be the ones that would most likely be the ones to attack her, but they wouldn't try it here, not in front of everybody and the guards. She began doing basic stretched to limber up before going on the run around the track, which elicited catcalls and wolf whistles from some of the inmates. Putting the unwanted verbal advances out of her mind, she began going around the track in a brisk jog. Each time she passed the tree women who continually watched her like a hawk, they would make a threatening gesture at her, which she returned their gestures with a soft, non-threatening smile. "That's it Celly, make them think you're just a harmless woman from the suburbs."

After ticking off what felt like three and a half miles jogged around the track in her head, Celestia moved to a patch of grass alongside the track, she began doing basic calisthenics, mostly to keep her strength and flexibility up, partially to show anyone who was wanting to attack her that she was keeping her physical fitness up. After nearly thirty minutes of calisthenics, she switched push-ups and sit-ups to finish out her work-out. A guard blew loudly on a whistle and banged a hand on an empty plastic bin, signaling that time in the yard was over. She quickly got in line as the inmates put the sporting equipment in the bins. Several guards moved along the line giving a quick head count, one of the guards shot a thumbs up to the door and the lock turned from the inside to let the inmates back inside.

"Alright ladies! The showers are open!", a guard shouted, "Grab a fresh jumpsuit, clean underwear, a bar of soap and a towel from the laundry, you have thirty minutes before slops on!" Celestia knew that this was when the attack would happen as she felt eyes burning holes in her back. A few minutes later she stepped into the gang shower with eleven other women. Placing her fresh jumpsuit and towel on a nearby shelf, she stripped down. Grabbing the bar of soap, she turned on the shower, letting the water flow through her multi-hued hair and down her muscular body as she lathered up. Splashing water on her face to rinse the soap suds from it, she noted that the women in the shower began scrambling out with uneasy looks on their faces. "So it's happening now."

Turning the water off, Celestia pivoted in place. The three women who had been watching her like hawks walked into the gang shower, the middle one rolling a shiv over in her hand. Celestia quickly took assessment of the situation, threre were three of them wearing their jumpsuits, at least one was armed, she was naked as the day she was born, with only the flip-flops on her feet and a bar of soap in her hand. The floor was wet and slick, which wouldn't afford her much traction, it wouldn't afford them much traction either, but she knew how to even the odds a little bit.

"I think you know why we're here.", the woman in the middle said with a predatory look in her eyes. All three of them began to spread out as they moved forward.

"I think I'm safe in assuming that you're not here to invite me to join the knitting club.", Celestia snarked as she kicked the flip-flops off her feet and began slowly backing towards the wall.

"Everybody like a piece of ass, nobody like a smart ass."

As the three women moved in, Celestia turned slightly sideways, put her left hand up in a defensive posture and tucked her right hand against her thigh to conceal the bar of soap she still held, she didn't need to beat these three women, just hold out long enough for the guards to get curious and come looking.

"You know you don't have to do this.", Celestia said in a calm tone, "Just walk away and we all can leave here much happier."

"Lookie here girls, I think she's scared." The woman in the middle quickly nodded to the woman to Celestia's right, she was slightly overweight, but still looked fit and strong. As she rushed in cross the slick floor, Celestia threw the bar of soap into her face and gave a quick, sharp kick to her knee. The woman's knee buckled from the blow and as she fell, Celestia quickly drove her shin into the woman's temple.

Celestia shuffled to the side as the woman who had just rushed her slumped to the floor in an unconscious heap. She looked up to the woman with the shiv and smiled. "One down, two to go."

The woman with the shiv gave an angry huff then rushed forward. Celestia used her greater reach and strength to the woman by the wrist, twisted her arm around and tossed her to the floor with a hip throw. The last woman rushed forward and Celestia drove her heel into the woman's stomach with a quick side kick, causing her to double over with a gasp.

The woman with the shiv struggled back up to her feet, though the slick floor made it difficult. Looking Celestia straight in the eyes, she grit her teeth and said, "If I had known you knew that hop-socky shit, I'd have brought more bitches with me." As she readjusted her grip on the improvised stabbing implement, a guard rushed in like a dark blue streak and tackled the armed woman to the floor. She had her arm twisted behind her back as the guard pried the shiv from her fingers.

Celestia put her hands up as she slowly backed up. A sharp blow to the back of her head caused stars to flash in front of her eyes for a split second and she dropped to a knee from the hard strike. The third woman pounced n her as two more guards rushed into the showers and Celestia acted on pure instinct. Rolling forward, she grabbed the woman's arm with both hands and wrapped her legs around it in an inverted arm bar. The woman screamed in pain as Celestia flexed her legs and back, a split second later there came the wet pop of a breaking bone.

The guards pried the two of the apart and pinned Celestia to the wall. "Hey hey hey!", the first guard shouted after she finished putting cuffs on the now unarmed woman, "I came in just after the fight started. They jumped her and she was defending herself." The guard that had Celestia pinned against the wall looked her in the eyes and squinted before letting her go.

Taking a moment to catch her breath, Celestia rubbed the back of her head where the last woman had struck her. "Get dressed.", the guard that had pinned her against the wall, "I'm going to take you to the infirmary, then I'm going to take a statement." Celestia nodded as she carefully made her way over to the shelf where her clothes were and got dressed.

Sitting in what passed as the infirmary, Celestia took stock of the room. It was little more than long room with a few gurneys, separated by some curtains and a couple of ugly green padded exam tables with some long tissue paper on it. She ran her hand along a split in the plastic, faux leather of the exam table as she waited for the nurse or served as medical staff.

A guard escorted in an elderly woman wearing some sea foam green scrubs and a pocket-less white coat, a first aid kit carried in a hand. The nurse shined a pen light in Celestia's eyes, then felt around on the back of her head. "Well it looks like just a bump to the head." She opened the first aid kit and shoved a packet of aspirin into Celestia's palm. "Just take this and if you're still hurting in a couple of days, come and see me again."

Walking over to a nearby water fountain, Celestia opened the packet and swallowed the two aspirin with a mouthful of water. A guard gestured to her while calling out, "Follow me! We've got to make a statement." She sighed, following the guard, Fluer would be by tomorrow and this would just be another shovel that Blueblood has used to dig his hole even deeper.
> Waking up
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunset found herself walking through swirling and pulsing multicolored haze, she didn't know how she got there or even where here was. She called out into the confusing haze, "Hello? Is any body or anypony there? Princess Celestia? Princpial Celestia? Applejack? Rainbow Dash? Pinkie Pie? Fluttershy? Rarity? Twilight? Princess Twilight?" She stared down at her forelimbs, watching them flicker between hooves and hands. She trembled unable to move any further, she felt like her body had turned to stone. "Please, I'm scared. Somebody, anypony, HELP ME!"

While shivering in fear as her body felt as if it were made of concrete, she heard a familiar sound, distant and nearly unrecognizable at first. Sunset strained her ears in an attempt to better make them out. At first they were just jumble of voices, but slowly she could make them out, it was the voices of her friends. "I can hear you! I'm over here! Help me, I'm lost and scared!"

As Sunset squinted, trying in vain to pierce the discombobulating miasma, she listened to her friends voices, hoping to pinpoint where they were. The voices sounded both near and far, seeming to come from every direction at once, both talking to her and at her.

Practice went amazing today. Coach said that if I keep it up, come start of the season I'm gonna make team captain.
It's my fault you're laying here hurt. You were just trying to defend me. I should have let Long Pass do whatever he wanted to me.
Sunset, when you wake up, I'm going to bring you so many cute, fluffy bunnies and kitties and puppies for you to snuggle. Tree Hugger said that animals instinctively know how to heal us.
Don't blame yerself sugarcube, if'n y'all had let 'em do whatever, then y'all'd be th' one laid up in here all hurt instead. Sunset did what she did tuh protect one o' her friends and instead that glorified sack o' cow patties along with his fellow sacks o'...o'...fuck it! It's easier to call them what they are an' drop all this being polite! Those pieces o' shit decided they'd rather hurt somebody than try an' help people. If'n y'all ask me, Pricinpal Celestia went too easy on 'em.
Darling! I had an argument with the nurse. I said that this icky shade of green for your gown clashed with your natural skin tones, but they insisted that this was the only color they had and it was more than sufficient to serve its purpose.
So when you get out of this bed, I'm gonna throw you a 'Yay, she's awake party!' The nurses took my party cannon, saying that 'this is the ICU and that the patients need quiet to heal!' and I was about to object, but Fluttershy told me I can shoot it off once you get out of here.
Please wake up!
Please wake up!
Please wake up!
Please wake up!
Please wake up!
Please wake up!

It started as a bright pinpoint of light, though it hurt her eyes, it gave Sunset a point to move towards. She willed herself forward, though her legs felt like they were made of lead. As she moved closer, the light began to grow in size and brightness. Had Princes Celestia found her in this disorienting fog? With each step, sensations filled her body, she could feel her lungs expand with each breath, her heart beat in her chest, she could hear her pulse in her ears, feel it in her fingertips.

With each step Sunset took the point of light slowly grew. First it became a fuzzy circle, then two, three, four. Some of the circles became weird squished fuzzy ovals, then slowly fuzzy, ill-defined rectangles. She tried to call out to the lights, but found she couldn't move her jaw, it was locked in place. Slowly she raised her right arm, even though it felt as if it was made of lead and concrete. As she moved her hand slowly towards the lights, new sensations filled her body...pain. Her face hurt, her head hurt, her stomach hurt, it hurt between her legs. A voice that she could't place made a soft pained moan. Despite the pain and leaden feeling, she continued to stretch her hand towards the lights. Another pained moan came from everywhere and nowhere at once. Her hand reached the plane where the fog ended and the lights began, slowly she extended into the plane of light, first her fingertips passed the intangible barrier of light, then her fingers, then her palm, finally her whole hand reached through the plane of light. A split second later something gently gripped her hand.

"Miss Shimmer, if you can understand what I'm saying, can you squeeze my hand?"
********************************************************************************************************

For nearly week the doctor kept Sunset in a medically induced coma in the ICU. Her friends spent every available second sitting in the room talking to her. On the fifth day of her coma, Rainbow Dash was sitting on a chair talking quietly to Sunset, "Please come back Sunset. For years you've proven that your tougher than everything. We need you. I need...my friend." Tears began to roll down her cheeks and dripped onto the sheets on the sheets.

At first it was a small movement that could be missed by anybody, a slight twitch of the finger. Rainbow sat up and wiped her eyes with her sleeve. Lowering her arm, she blinked her eyes in confusion, Sunset's hand lowered from a slight raised position. "Did I really see that?"

"Mmmmmm!" Sunset raised her hand slightly and flexed her fingers.

Rainbow hopped up to her feet. "WhatdoIdowhatdoIdowhatdoIdo?!"

"Uuuhhhhhh!" Sunset raised her hand slightly again and began trying to grab the air, her legs twitched slightly.

Rainbow stared wide-eyed, her mind running a million miles a second as she tried to think on what to do. "Right! Get the nurse!" She bolted towards the door as fast as her athletic frame could carry her and nearly tore to off the frame as she fumbled with the handle. Finally mastering the handle, she ran out into the hallway, shouting for a nurse.

A few moments later a nurse hurried through the door. She heard Sunset groan and saw her hand raise and lower. She saw the girl's legs twitch like she was trying to walk. The nurse quickly hurried over to the bed and checked the instruments. Taking Sunset's hand gently, she said, "Miss Shimmer, can you hear me? If you can, can you say something?" She frowned when Sunset started to go limp. "Miss Shimmer, if you can hear me, can you open your eyes?" Again Sunset didn't respond. The nurse sighed before asking the next question. "Miss Shimmer, if you can understand what I'm saying, can you squeeze my hand?" Sunset did nothing. The nurse frowned and prepared to ask the next question. She gasped as Sunset's hand slowly tightened around hers. "Miss Shimmer, squeeze my hand again please." Sunset squeezed her hand tighter.

The nurse slid her hand from Sunset's grasp and pulled a penlight from the pocket of her scrubs. Holding one of the girl's eyes open, she shined the light in her eyes to check her pupil constriction. Sunset lifted her left hand to bat away the light shining in her eye. Leaning back from her face, the nurse asked, "Miss Shimmer, can you open your eyes?"

Sunset heard the nurse clearly. Was she the one that had moved that annoying spot of light in front of her eyes? She tried to open her eyelids, but they felt like they were made of lead and had weights placed on them. With what felt like a titanic effort, she finally managed to flutter her eyes open. The room was blurry and unfocused. Were those two weird fuzzy oval lumps people? She tried to open her mouth to speak, but found her jaw wouldn't move, like it was stuck shut with glue.

"Take it easy Miss Shimmer.", the nurse said calmly, "Can you understand what I'm saying?"

Sunset nodded her head as she looked at the weird fuzzy lump, slowly it began to form more sharp definition. Behind and to the left of the now humanoid-shaped lump stood a cyan humanoid lump that emitted an excited and scared squeal in a familiar sandy voice. "Wainbow Dath?"

Rainbow moved towards Sunset. "Yes Sunset, it's me."

The nurse raised a hand to sop Rainbow. "Let's take this slow and easy. Let's not overwhelm her, her mind and body are still waking up. Miss Shimmer, do you know where you are?"

Sunset glanced around the room, it was blurry and out of focus. "No."

"You're in the hospital miss Shimmer. You've been asleep for five days. Can you tell me how you feel?"

Sunset trembled slightly. Images of hands grasping at her, weight pressing down on her, something forcing its way into her painfully. "Thcawed. Huths." She placed a hand to her face as tears stung her eyes. Under her fingertips she felt something small, cylindrical, flexible, she traced it with her fingers, feeling it run up her nose. "Whath this?" She wrapped her fingers around it instinctively, wanting to pull it out.

The nurse placed her hand on Sunset's gently to keep her from pulling the tube out. "It's a tube we put in you so you could eat while your were sleeping. If you give me a moment, I'll help you get it out. Don't pull it out until I get back." She left the room and returned a moment later with a small gray plastic bin and placed it in Sunset's hands. "You might gag and throw up when I get this out of you. I need you to take in a breath and hold it the best you can. Don't be ashamed if you get sick.", slowly peeling the tape from Sunset's nose, she grasped the tube then continued, "This might hurt. Ready?"

Sunset took in a breath, braced herself and nodded. The nurse pulled the feeding tube with steady, even pressure. At first Sunset felt weird as she felt the length of the tube sliding through her esophagus, throat and nose. Her throat spasmed instinctively, trying to expel the tube and she fought back several gags. A distant image of something vile forcing its way into her mouth, past her teeth and into her throat slammed into her mind. "Almost there.", the nurse said in a calm and smooth tone. As the last length of tube was pulled out, Sunset couldn't get the image of a vile snake-like thing out of her head, it was forcing its way into her mouth and down her throat, violating her. Perverse laughter and cheers echoed inside her head as she could smell the vile snake-like thing, she could still taste it on her tongue, as if it had left some lingering film or slime, polluting her.

Sunset couldn't breath as it felt like her lungs were imploding on themselves. Her pulse roared in her ears as her heart hammered against her rib cage, trying to escape. The world began to spin and rock, as if she was trapped on an out of control tilt-a-whirl. Something dangerous was waiting just out of sight to pounce on her, to coat her with its vile slime, to tear her up on the inside, to mangle and rip her apart. She tried to breath but only managed some panicked wheezes, her heart hammered like a drum, the pulse roared in her ears. Some evil beast was waiting to pounce on her, to mangle her, to shove its organs into her, to pollute her body. The world spun around faster, out of control, nothing made sense, there was no up or down, no left or right, just the world spinning out of control and that monster, whatever it was. Darkness overtook her senses, no dreams, no thoughts, no fears, just merciful, empty blackness.

The world slowly faded back in. Sunset groaned as she raised her head from the pillow, it felt like it weighed a million pounds. Her chest felt like someone had kicked her dead in the center and never removed their foot. She looked around seeing the concerned face of the nurse checking her out, across the room Rainbow with a concerned and scared expression on her face.

"Miss Shimmer, are you okay?"

Sunset's eyes began to dart around the room in a panic. Fresh images exploded into her brain, she was trapped in an alley naked, hands were holding her in place so she couldn't move or run, a fist repeatedly slammed into her stomach and face, causing white-hot flashes of pain from each impact. The hands forced her down on her knees and a knee slammed into her chin, sending a line of pain spreading along her jaw, like a white-hot wire. Voices laughed as they called her vile names, a cock forced its way down her throat, cutting off her air supply, repeatedly thrusting, violating and polluting her. More cocks forced their ways into whatever holes they could find, further polluting her.

"THEY'RE OUT THERE WAITING TO HURT ME AGAIN!", Sunset screamed in terror as the unwanted memories flooded back continuously, "They're out there! They want to hurt me! Please don't leave me! I can't stop them!" Her pupils became pinpoints. "Idon'twannadieIdon'twannadieIdon'twannadieIdon'twannadie!"

Rainbow put her hand over her mouth and back up to the wall. Tears stung her eyes as a pit of fear made her stomach feel like it was doing the lambada. She knew how to fight girls who turned themselves into demons, she knew how to fight extra-dimensional monsters that fed on negative feelings. She didn't know how to fight this. The look of abject terror in Sunset's eyes filled her with fear. How did she fight the specters of something that existed in someone's mind?

The nurse quickly pressed the alert button on the wall before pulling the panicking and terrified Sunset into a hug. "Shh! Shh! It's okay. You're safe here. Nobody's going to hurt you." Three nurses burst into the room. "She's having a full-on breakdown. Get something to calm her down and get a psychologist here."

Rainbow leaned up against the wall trembling. Slowly her thoughts organized themselves, she remembered the business card in her backpack that Cadance had given her. Rushing over to her backpack, she clumsily fumbled around inside it until she pulled out the card. Pulling the phone out of her pocket, she hurried out into the hallway and dialed the number on the card. "C'mon! C'mon! C'mon! Pick up!"

After three rings Cadance picked up. "Hello?"

"Miss Cadance, Sunset's awake and she's having a full-on breakdown!"

Cadance paused, a silence thick enough to cut with a knife hung over both people. "Stay close to her, I'll be there as soon as I can!" The call ended with a soft beep.

Rainbow slid the phone back in her pocket as she rushed back in the room. Sunset was still screaming and bawling into the nurse's shoulder. "Sunset, I'm here!", she shouted as she rushed to the side of the bed.

Sunset looked over to Rainbow, let the nurse go and pulled her friend into a crushing hug. "Don't let them hurt me Rainbow! They're out there, waiting for me! I can smell them! I can taste them!"

Rainbow felt the air squeezed out of her by her terrified friend. Gently she wrapped her arms around Sunset. Once she was able to suck in some air, she began reassuring her friend, "It's okay, I gotcha. If anybody tries to hurt you, I'll show them what happens when they try to hurt one of my friends."

"Pleasepleasepleaseplease!"

"It's okay Sunset. I gotcha. Nobody's gonna get past me. I'm too fast and too tough for 'em." Rainbow gently stroked Sunset's hair. "Miss Cadance is on her way, our friends are on their way too." Sunset began giving heaving sobs into Rainbow's shoulder. "Just let it out. I'm here and I'm not going anywhere."
********************************************************************************************************

With an soft chime, the door to the elevator opened with a nearly-soundless glide. Cadance stepped off the elevator, the heels on her shoes clicking on the linoleum tiles, Sci-Twi hurrying behind her. She hurried her pace seeing Rainbow leaning outside the wall outside Sunset's room. "Rainbow Dash! Is Sunset okay?"

Startled, Rainbow nearly jumped out of her skin. "I-I don't know. Since she woke up, she's been freaking out, scared that someone is wanting to hurt her. They've got a shrink in there right now talking to her."

Cadance looked into the face of the cyan-skinned girl with the messy mop of multicolored hair, her eyelids were ringed in red where he had been fighting back rears. "Twilight, stay here with Rainbow." She adjusted her purse before reaching for the door handle.

A nurse walked over and called out, "Ma'am, you can't go in there right now. She's talking with a psychologist."

Cadance reached into her purse and pulled out a business card. "That's doctor not ma'am. I'm a licensed therapist and psychiatrist specializing in PTSD and emotional trauma. You may call my partner Dr. Carlotta Yung if you need to confirm my credentials. Her number is on the card along with mine." She gave a neutral smile as the nurse took the card and walked to the nurses station. Reaching out her hand, she grabbed the door handle and walked in.

"Miss Shimmer, I need you to calm down please and tell me who you think is trying to hurt you.", the psychologist said as he scratched some notes. Sunset held her hands in front of her face trembling, her eyes wide with panic, darting around the room looking for an invisible attacker, her breath came in panicked hiccoughs, her voice was little more than a wavering whimper.

"Doctor! I must protest!", Cadance spoke up quickly, "Can't you see that Miss Shimmer is in the middle of panic attack?"

The psychologist looked over the top of his reading glasses and down his nose at Cadance. "And you are miss?"

"Doctor Cadenza mi Amore."

"Really?! I thought you would have been..."

"Older?", Cadance said in an annoyed tone, "I get that all the time. Now back to the matter at hand. If you had bothered to give even a cursory glance at Sunset Shimmer's file, you would have seen that she's the victim of a violent sexual assault. If you're worth your diploma, then you'd know that someone in the middle of a panic attack won't just calm down because you ask them to."

Cadance hurried over and gently laid her hand on Sunset's hand. Her breath caught in her throat for a quick second when Sunset looked up at her, eyes full of terror. "Sunset, you're going to be okay. You're safe."

Sunset began hyperventilating. "They're out there! They're waiting for me! They're out there! They're waiting for me! I can taste them! I can smell them!"

Cadance pulled Sunset close to her chest. "Just breathe, Sunset. I'll help you. Just listen to my breathing and try to match it." She began breathing slow, deep and even. "Just listen to my breathing and try to match it." She listened to the panicked breathing of the girl pressed into her chest, her breathing slowly became more even, though her breaths would sometimes become raged, panicked gasps.

"They'reoutherewaitingformethey'reouttherewaitingforme!"

"Just focus on my breathing, Sunset. We'll get through this together. Your friends are on the way and they'll help you get through this too."

After a while Sunset's eyes became heavy from a combination of the breathing Cadance was helping her with and exhaustion from multiple panic attacks. Her body became limp as her eyes slowly closed. Soon the teenage girl slipped into a fitful sleep.

The psychologist who had been watching Cadance through gentle words and breathing, manged to bring Sunset into a calmer state. "Fascinating, I've never seen someone manage to calm someone down from a full blown panic attack without using sedatives."

"Well doctor, I specialize in trauma cases. She's not the first patient I've had to talk down. All it takes is a little patience, compassion and a willingness to listen to what their emotions and actions are telling you. Still I think it would be good to prescribe her some anti-anxiety medication, just in case. Maybe start with a low dose and increase it as needed."

"I concur doctor." The psychologist scribbled down on a prescription pad some low dose klonopin solution. "How did you know talking to her and breathing exercises would help?"

"I didn't, I just knew that letting her hyperventilate and potentially pass out wouldn't be good for her. Sometimes when someone's panicking, they can forget how to breath properly and with a little patience you can help them remember how to control their breathing. There isn't a one size fits all treatment program, everybody responds to trauma differently."

"How will you know what will work for her."

"I'll take time to listen to her, not only what she says, but also what she doesn't say. We may be the ones to open the gate to mental healing, but they're the ones who have to walk the path to stability and they won't get there on their own, their support network of friends and family will be there with them every step of the way. Right now Sunset's in the hardest part of the process, she need to find her feet metaphorically and she will relapse several times."
********************************************************************************************************

It had been three days since Sunset had awakened from the coma. The doctor had moved her to a private room. Sitting on a try by her bed was a can of protein shake with a straw in it. Though it smelled like strawberry milk made with cheap powder, each rime she sipped on it, it tasted wrong, as if the slime that still clung to the inside of her mouth had somehow tainted it. Her skin felt dirty, like sticky slime clung to it no matter how much she washed herself. No matter how many times she swished mouthwash or water, she couldn't get the taste of polluting slime out.

The face of Long Pass and his cronies began leering at her from within her mind. Sunset felt her lungs constrict as in her mind, bodies forced themselves on her. A buzzing sound, like television static filled her ears, drowning out all sound. The room started becoming narrow and dark, like the walls were moving in while the lights were burning out. She tasted slime in her mouth. She felt a creeping, crawling pollution, corrupting everything that was pure inside. She could feel cocks violating her, polluting her, turning her into damage goods. She didn't know where she was, she tried to call for help but the words died in her throat, she couldn't breath, she was trapped with...them. The world didn't make sense as it became narrower and darker, all oxygen fled away from her.

A voice called out from the narrowing and darkening world, "Sunset?" A hand grasped her shoulder.

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!" Sunset threw her hands over her face trying to defend herself. The hand gently grasping her shoulder gave her an anchor to drag herself back to the world. The walls retreated, the lights came back up and oxygen filled the room again. Luna was looking at her with concern on her face.

Luna had decided to take her lunch break and come check on how Sunset was doing. She figured it would do her some good to see a friendly face, besides, she wanted to see firsthand how the girl was doing. Opening the door, she was about to greet Sunset when the sound of panicked whimpering greeted her instead. She initially froze when she saw Sunset sitting stiff as a board on the bed, trembling like a leaf, her face was a mask of terror, pupils were pinpricks. There was another time when Luna had seen similar looks of abject horror, it was on the faces of the people she had helped liberate from the camps during the ethnic cleansing in Serbia.

Luna's feet began moving forward on their accord, medic training kicked in driving her forward, giving her the tools she needed. She reached out with a hand and gently grasped the traumatized girl's shoulder. "Sunset?" Luna recoiled slightly when sunset screamed bloody murder, but kept her hand on the girl's shoulder. Slowly the scared girl with the red and yellow hair came back to reality.

Tears rolling down her cheeks, Sunset locked eyes with Luna, who's eyes were filled with concern, compassion and understanding.

"It's okay Sunset."

"No.", Sunset whimpered through teeth wired together, "I'm not okay. I can still smell them! I can still taste them! I can still feel them! They won't leave! They're hurting me!"

Luna let tears run down her cheeks as she pulled Sunset in for a hug. "It'll be alright. You're not alone in this."
> Lengthening shadows and graying skies pt.1 Descending darkness
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunset stood in an alleyway naked. She tried to run, move, anything, but her body felt like it was made of stone. She tried to shout for help or just scream in general, but nothing came out, not even a strangled whisper. Hands reached out, grabbing her, fists rained down on her. A fetid stench filled her nostrils , nearly making her gag. She knew what was happening and tried to beg or scream or anything, but again no sound came out. Bodies pressed into her, pinning her down, violating her in every hole, violating her most sacred spaces. She felt the disgusting slime coat her body, she tasted the polluting fluid coat her tongue, she felt the vile seed enter her body. Cruel voices called her whore as they laughed at her pain.

"NO!", Sunset screamed sitting straight up from the nightmare, like all the other times before, it was all to real. Panic sweat coated her body and soaked the sheets. It was dark, she didn't know where she was. They lurked just beyond her vision, moving in slowly, ready to pounce and attack again. She could smell the stink of their sweat, hear their cruel laughter, taste their polluting fluid, feel their corrupting seed creep through her body, poisoning anything that was pure left. She tried to scream, to cry out, to beg for help, but could only whimper. She tried to will herself to move, to run, to crawl, to flail, but her body refused to move. The world didn't make sense, there was no up or down, no front or back, just that horrifying stink and taste and feel.

The door door to the room opened, allowing merciful light to flood in from the hallway. The nurse stepped in and flipped the switch, even more merciful light filled the room, melting the shadows away and driving off the monsters that lurked within them. "Miss Shimmer? Are you okay?"

Sunset sat trembling for a few minutes as she looked into the the face of the concerned nurse. She wanted to tell the nurse that she wasn't okay, monsters were attacking her, but when she opened her mouth to speak, tears streamed down her face and pained sobs poured from her mouth.

The nurse walked over and gently placed her hand on Sunset's forearm. "Nightmares again?"

"Mhm."

"You need your anxiety medication?"

"No.", Sunset whispered through her still wired shut jaw, "I just want this all to stop."

The nurse gave a sad smile a she patted Sunset on the arm. "You're soaked in sweat hon. Why don't you go clean up and then we'll get you some clean dry sheets."

Sunset nodded and slowly rose from the bed on wobbly legs as the nurse helped brace her, it had been a week since she had gotten out of the ICU, though she was getting stronger, she still needed some help. The nurse gave her some privacy to slip out of the gown.

Leaning on the counter, Sunset looked at her reflection, loathing what she saw. It wasn't the bruising and swelling on her face that made her look like a raccoon, nor the way her nose was crooked to the side or the thick braces that held her jaw shut and kept her teeth clenched together. It was her eyes, filled with shame and fear that filled her with loathing. Every waking moment that wasn't filled with fear and terror at her attack, it was filled with shame and disgust at the memories of her body betraying her every time they entered or released inside her. What kind of vile disgusting thing was she if she got off at being raped in every hole? She wasn't a girl or a mare or the person who Princess twilight Sparkle pulled from a crater or the member of the Rainbooms that helped defeat the sirens from ancient Equestria or the champion that saved a girl who was being corrupted and consumed by Equestrian magic at the friendship games, she was something tainted, corrupted, broken, foul. "Stop looking at me whore!", she snarled at her reflection through clenched teeth.

Sunset sat on the bench in the shower as the water streamed down on her. She fiddled with the nobs, trying to adjust the water, it wasn't hot enough to dissolve the slime that still clung to her skin. Giving up on trying to find water hot enough, she lathered up soap on a wash cloth and began scrubbing the skin on her shoulder and scrubbing and scrubbing. After an unknown amount of time, she stopped, pulling the washcloth away, she saw the bright red, raw skin where she was scrubbing herself. Tossing the washcloth in disgust into the bottom of the shower, she rinsed off, gt out of the shower and began drying off. She slipped on the fresh gown the nurse left hanging on the hook near the door.

"Are you sure you don't want your anxiety medication?", the nurse asked Sunset as she walked back into the hospital room and she shook her head no. The nurse helped her back onto the bed and headed back to the door. "If you need anything, just push the call button." She flipped the light switch off leaving the room.

Sunset pushed the button on the wall, turning on the light above the bed, it wasn't very bright, but it pushed the shadows back far enough so they couldn't spring out at her. You can't go back home now for certain. Celestia doesn't let disgusting whores in her kingdom. She rocked back and forth on the bed, tears stinging her eyes remembering the times as a filly when she went to bed hungry because her parents cared about attending parties and climbing the social ladder, she thought about all the times she screamed in anger at Celestia before jumping through the mirror portal. Tonight would be the first of many nights when Sunset Shimmer refused to sleep, preferring to face exhaustion and her feelings of loathing rather than face the nightmares.
********************************************************************************************************

Sunset's head hung heavily from exhaustion and fatigue. Over the last week she had barely slept twenty hours, only falling asleep when the exhaustion finally caught up with her. She was getting released today, both the doctor and Cadance had agreed that until she was stronger and more stable it wasn't good for her to be left on her own. Mr. and Mrs Shy had agreed to take her in for a few days. The one thing she hated about that was Zephyr. Though she disliked Fluttershy's brother almost as much as Rainbow, he never said anything unbecoming nor tried to come on to her, he was just an insufferable jackass, but he meant well, for a shiftless, whiny bum.

A nurse brought in a can of protein shake, opened it and dropped a straw in. "When you finish drinking this, we'll work on getting you signed out."

Sunset loathed the polluting slime on her tongue that spoiled anything she swallowed almost as much as the corrupting poison she felt creeping through her veins, making sure nothing pure could ever grow inside again. Reluctantly she drank the shake, even though it felt it was curdling in her stomach, she didn't want to stay in this hospital anymore. Deep down she feared that the corrupting poison that was crawling though her veins was polluting this place and threatening to infect everyone around her.

A crackly-slurpy sound came from the can as Sunset sucked up the last of the shake. She didn't feel full, just not hungry anymore. A soft tap on the door drew her attention from the now empty can and a familiar soft came through, "Um...Sunset? Can I come in?" Tell her to get far away from you, whores don't deserve friends. "Come in Fluttershy." You filthy disgusting whore! You're going to pollute your friends! The door opened and Fluttershy stepped in. "We...um...stopped by your house a few days ago to get some of your things and...um...somebody had kicked in your front door. They took your TV, laptop and couch." Whores don't deserve anything! She laid the small bundle of clothes down next to Sunset. Sunset sniffled, looking at the clothes. Fluttershy wouldn't be so nice to her if she knew her friend was a filthy, disgusting, broken whore.

Tears began to trickle, then pour. Gasping sobs wracked Sunset's body. "Sunset? What's the matter?", Fluttershy asked full of concern as she sat on the bed. "I-I don't know!", Sunset croaked between sobs, "I c-can't stop-stop cry...crying!" Fluttershy pulled Sunset into a gentle hug, placing her hand on the back of her hurt and scared friend's head, she pressed her friend's head onto her shoulder. Sunset sobbed into Fluttershy's shoulder until it was soaked with tears, snot and slobber. "I don't know what's wrong with me." Fluttershy said nothing, she knew her friend was scared and hurting, she just held her friend close, letting the girl completely soak her shoulder, she squeezed her eyes shut as tears filled her eyes and silently wept for her friend.

After several minutes Sunset began to calm down and her sobs subsided. Leaning back from her friend, she frowned at mess she made of her shoulder. "I'm sorry Fluttershy. I don't know what came over me." Fluttershy gave a gentle smile. "Don't worry about it, you're going through a bad time right now." She picked up the box of tissues from the nearby table and passed it to Sunset, who yanked out a few and blew her nose with several loud honks. Sunset would have laughed at the sound at any other time.

Picking up the clothes, Sunset walked into the bathroom to get dressed. She leaned against the counter in her bra and panties looking at her reflection in the mirror. Again those light cyan eyes filled with shame and fear filled her with loathing. "You disgust me filthy whore!", she snarled at her reflection before turning away. She pulled the T-shirt down across her body and the sweatpants up to her hips, then slipped her feet into the pair of flip-flops.

Fluttershy chewed her lip as she stood in the hospital room. She had heard Sunset say something unbelievably nasty things and she assumed her friend was probably saying it to herself. She had heard about this before, people who had been sexually attacked often they believed they deserved it and that they struggled wit self image issues, the thought sent a shiver down her spine. Sunset was fighting demons in her head and Fluttershy wasn't sure to do except try and reach out to her friend. When Sunset walked out of the bathroom, Fluttershy asked, "Sunset? I-is there something you want to talk about?"

"I...it's just...no."

Fluttershy frowned before letting a kind smile replace it. The next time she saw Cadance, she would talk to her about this, she'd talk to her friend too, Sunset was hurting and scared and her mind wasn't in a good place. Fluttershy extend a slender hand to Sunset, "Come on, let's go home. I've got a fluffy bunny that's wanting to give you some snuggles." Sunset initially recoiled from her friend's hand, she was afraid that the corrupting poison in her veins that had befouled her, would infect and spoil her friend. She locked eyes onto that kind, nonjudgmental gaze and slowly extended her trembling hand. As soon as the fingertips touched, Fluttershy gently gripped her hand and for a brief moment Sunset felt like she had an anchor that kept her from blowing away in this howling storm of insanity.

The two walked side-by-side through the hallway, when ever Sunset started to panic, Fluttershy would gently squeeze her hand, anchoring her when the winds of fear would buffet her mind. Slowly the two girls walked through the hallway, Fluttershy allowed Sunset to set the pace and she simply matched her speed, giving her friend the support she needed. They reached the nurses station and a heavyset nurse with graying hair looked over the top of her glasses and smiled.

"Sign here, here and here Miss Shimmer.", the heavyset nurse said pointing to spots on the release form, "Alrighy, initial here and here and finally signature here." After Sunset signed the form, the nurse looked it over and laid a filled out prescription on the counter. "Get this filled out as soon as you can. If you're experiencing pain, get some liquid acetaminophen." She laid an appointment card on the counter. "The doctor would like to see you in two weeks to see how you're healing."

Sunset nodded then took the two pieces of paper. She went to put them in her pocket and scowled when she found that the sweatpants had no pockets, she passed them to Fluttershy who folded them with one hand before putting them in her pants pocket. The two girls slowly walked to the front entrance of the hospital hand-in-hand. Standing by the front door with nervous looks on their faces were Mr. and Mrs. Shy, Zephyr stood looking at a bouquet of fake flowers and scoffed, making some kind of comment that Sunset couldn't quite hear.

After getting into the car with the Shy family, Sunset leaned against the door and laid her head against the window. A headache was forming behind her eyes and she felt nauseous as a migraine began setting in. She wasn't sure why she was getting a migraine, she just wished she could turn it off. Panic began ramping up, which made the migraine even worse and Sunset rubbed her temples with her fingers to make it stop.

Sunset groaned as the migraine began throbbing and she could hear her heart pounding in her ears. Rocking back and forth, she couldn't tell if the car was moving or not as between the migraine and the panic, her mind filled with fog. She could hear Fluttershy, Zephyr and Mr. and Mrs. Shy discussing something, but their words were all muffled and garbled like they were talking a hundred miles away through a pile of blankets.

Sunset clenched her eyes shut tightly and grasped the side of her head. The only sounds she could clearly hear was the blood rushing in her ears and the only clear thought she could latch on to was her begging for her head to stop hurting. Suddenly her esophagus felt like it shortened by two feet and her stomach was about to slingshot out of her mouth. Sunset clumsily fumbled with the switch to lower the window. She barely got her head out of the window as what felt and tasted like raw sewage sprayed out of her mouth and nose.

Sunset flopped back in the seat, her body trembling and her head still throbbing, at least she didn't feel sick anymore. Gasping for air, she could still taste the acidic bile in her mouth and smell it in her sinuses, but at least for now it covered up the stink of the sweat of her attackers and covered up the taste of the polluting slime on her tongue.

Sunset's skeleton nearly leapt out of her body as Fluttershy laid a hand on her shoulder. "Are you okay?"

"I just feel a little sick.", Sunset replied, "When we get to your house, I just want to lay down."

Fluttershy nodded as she passed Sunset a tissue and a bottle of water. As Sunset swished the water around in her mouth and spat it out the window, Fluttershy held her phone down low, giving a few quick texts.

"Kill me now.", Sunset groaned as she tossed the used tissue into a plastic bag that Mrs. Shy had provided. Her eyes fluttered shut from the combination of exhaustion and the migraine.

Fluttershy watched concerned as she friend slumped into a fitful nap. Sunset laid slack in the seat, her head slumping forward. Sunset's face twisted up in agony as her head shook back and forth, red and blonde stripped hair flopping back and forth. "No.", she mumbled, "Stop. Please *mumble mumble* me."

Fluttershy slowly reached a hand out to nudge her friend, she hesitated, her hand stopping short. "AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!" Sunset shot upright screaming, her arms flailing wildly. Everybody in the car flinched in pain or jammed their fingers into their ears and Mr. Shy jammed his foot down on the brake pedal, sending everyone lurching forward. In a blind panic Sunset tried stand up and run, but the seat belt held her in place. The panicking girl thrashed, gibbered and screamed as she struggled against the heavy strap meant to hold one in place in the event of a crash.

Pulling his fingers out of his ears, Zephyr said, "Why does she have to...OW!"

Fluttershy slapped her brother across his mouth as she quickly unsnapped her seat belt and crawled across the seat. "Sunset!", the normally demure girl called out, "Look at me! Look...at...me!"

Through the haze of pure animalistic fear Sunset heard her friend calling to her. Her vision faded in from the narrow pinpoint created by panic to the narrow tunnel and she made out a pair of bright blue eyes, full of concern peering from behind a curtain of pink hair. Her hands were hurting long with her head.

Once Fluttershy recognized that Sunset was coming down from the pure panicked state, she began going through the overly exaggerated breathing exercises her psychologist had taught help her deal with her anxiety attacks. "Just breath with me..", she took in a deep breath through her nose, "...in through the nose...", she pursed her lips as she blew out, "...out through the mouth." She continued the mantra along with the over-exaggerated breathing to help terrified girl.

Sunset felt foolish as she came down from the panicked state. Looking down at her trembling hands, she was appalled at what she saw, the palms were red and raw from struggling with the seat belt, fingernail tips were ragged from clawing at it and a couple were nearly torn away. "I'm sorry for scaring everyone.", she said hanging her head, feeling ashamed, "I don't know hat came over me."

Mrs. Shy had turned herself completely around in the seat after unsnapping her seat belt and reaching out an arm to lay a hand on Sunset's shoulder. "It's okay sweetie. After everything that's happened, I'd be hard-pressed to be holding together half as good as you are."

"Do you want to talk about it?", Fluttershy asked.

"It was just...no.", Sunset said. When Fluttershy gave her a stern look, she would have chewed her lip if she could. "It was just a bad dream." She cast her eyes down. "I just want to get home and lay down."

"I'm here if you want to talk.", Fluttershy said as she crawled back to her set.

Zephyr huffed as his sister crawled back across him. "That goodness, your bony knees were-OWOWOWOW!" He reached down to grab is foot as his sister jammed her heel into his toes.

Sunset wrapped her arms around her shoulders s she shivered. Everyone was quiet for the rest of the ride, except for Zephyr who grumbled at Fluttershy for stomping on his toes.

The car pulled up to the Shy house and everyone got out. "I hope Pinkie's not throwing one of her surprise parties, my head is hurting and I just want to lay down.", Sunset said. Fluttershy chewed her lip, which prompted Sunset to groan. "Err...um...well...I texted her and said to make it something calm and quiet as you aren't feeling good." Sunset took in a breath to brace herself, "Let's just get this over with."

Sunset flipped the light switch on, revealing her other friends sitting at a table. Pinkie stood up from the table, tossed some confetti in the air and whispered excitedly, "Surprise!" A hastily edited banner hung over from the ceiling reading "Super duper quiet welcome back Sunset Shimmer".

"We tried tuh convince Pinkie that ya dinit want a party, but tryin' to keep her from throwin' ya one is like tryin' tuh keep the sun from a'risin'.", Applejack apologized.

"Rain-bow Dash!", Zephyr said strutting over, "You just can't keep away from me, can ya?"

Rainbow rolled her eyes in disgust. "Ugh! When are you gonna get it through your head I'm not into guys? And if I were, I sure wouldn't be into lazy, shiftless, bum-assed hipsters whose only ambition is to live off their parents." She got up and walked away from him.

Zephyr scurried over and placed his hand on the wall by the girl with the rainbow-colored hair. "Come on baby, don't be like that. Everybody knows you like me, you don't need to put a front just because your friends are here."

Rainbow gritted her teeth and clenched her fists. "I swear to fuck, if you don't get away from me in the next three second, you're going to regret it!"

"Talk mean all you want, I know*GAK!*" Zephyr put a hand to his throat a split second after a cyan fist collided with it, he staggered away with tears in his eyes while trying to catch his breath.

"Consider yourself lucky that Rainbow's here to support Sunset, any other time she probably would have trounced you.", Rarity chided Zephyr as she shooed him away.

Sunset sat down at the table as Pinkie put on some music and turned the volume down so it was little more than ambiance. She didn't want to attend this party, but her pink, slightly chubby friend had put in the work and had even put in the consideration to not startle her or make her feel crowded. Sunset put on her best forced smile, "Thank you Pinkie."

"I stopped by your classes and got the teachers to give me your hmework for the past couple of weeks.", Sci-Twi said in an unsure tone, "I can help you out with it all when you're feeling better."

Sunset gave a small smirk, regardless whether it was pony mare or human girl, both Twilights were the same room. She thought about what would happen if the two of them were together in the same room, they'd probably wind up in a week long sleepless session heavily debating science, magic, philosophy and ethics. Then they'd probably spend the rest of their lives exchanging  papers they've written on various subjects.

"Darlin', Ah dun think Sunset wants tuh think 'bout homework right now.", Applejack spoke up, "Heck, she prob'ly dun want to have a party right now. If'n Ah were in her shoes right now, Ah'd pob'ly wanna go lay down and collect mahself for a little but."

Sunset looked over at Applejack for a moment, then to Fluttershy, then to the rest of her friends. "I can sit here and enjoy the party for a few minutes. Pinkie did go all out to make sure I'm not overwhelmed."

Pinkie smiled from ear to ear as she made a soft "squee" sound and laid a cak and some ice cream out on the table. "Let's get this party started!", she whispered in an excited tone.

"Uh, Pinkie? You know I can't open my mouth to eat any cake, right?", Sunset asked as she parted her lips showing the heavy braces holding her jaw shut.

"I came prepared for that.", Pinkie said happily and pulled out a blender.

"I'll go get us some cups.", Fluttershy said, "Twilight, could you help me?"

"Sure Fluttershy!", Sci-Twi responded in a chipper tone.

The two girls walked into the kitchen and Fluttershy opened the cabinet to pull out some cups, she turned to the purple-haired girl, "Twilight, would you help me tell the girl that we need to keep an eye on Sunset?"

Sci-Twi took some of the cups from Fluttershy and asked, "We were planning on doing that. IS something wrong?"

"She's in a real bad place and I'm worried she might do something...extreme...to herself."

"Of course she's in a bad way. I wasn't brutally attacked, raped and left for dead by Long Pass, all he did was pin me against the wall and shove his fingers into me against my will and that has left me feeling a little shaken up."

"No Twilight...", Fluttershy snapped as she turned to face her friend, "...b-back at the hospital when she was getting dressed I heard her call herself a whore. I think somewhere in her mind she's blaming herself for what happened and that's scaring me. We need to keep a very close eye on her. Tell Miss...I mean Doctor Cadance about this, m-maybe with both her help and ours we can help pull Sunset through this."

Sci-Twi chewed her lip in concern as the two girls rejoined the quiet party.

Pinkie grabbed one of the cups and placed it next to the blender as she plopped a couple of scoops of ice cream, a slice of cake and poured some milk into it. She pressed the pulse button several times until the ingredients blended into a cake shake. The slightly pudgy girl scraped the shake into the cup with a spatula, shoved a straw into the thick concoction and slid it to Sunset.

Picking up the cup, Sunset placed her lips around the end of the straw and  began to try and suck up the thick shake. Her eyes went wide as she felt like her face was going to implode from how thick the shake was. She pulled away from the straw and placed a hand where the break in her lower jawbone was. "It's really thick Pinkie." She stirred the shake around with the straw to try and break it up. After several minutes she managed to thin it out a bit and tried sucking some of the shake through the straw.

Sunset coughed as the cloying sweetness of the shake caught her off guard. "Wow!", she croaked between gasps, "That's really sweet!" She pulled more of the shake through. "Does it come with a side of insulin?", she joked, receiving some chuckles from her friends, causing her to smile slightly.

Sunset looked around the table as Fluttershy and Sci-Twi quietly whispered something into the other girls' ears. She frowned slightly seeing that. They know you're a filthy whore!

Pinkie placed a box with brightly colored wrapping paper. "We all got you presents. Open mine firste! Open mine first!", she said vibrating in place, making her chipmunk cheeks jiggle.

Sunset cautiously pulled the paper from the box and pulled off the top revealing a sketch pad and some charcoal pencils. "Thank you Pinkie!"

"I know how you super duper love to draw and when I saw this, I had to get it for you!"

Rarity walked to the next room, opened a closet and pulled out something on a hanger with crinkly white paper covering it. Returning to the room, she pulled the paper off revealing an orange and black leather jacked with gold-colored piping, on the back was a stylized sunburst, half yellow, half orange. "It's not finished yet, I've still got to finish attaching the liner. Go ahead darling, try it on."

Sunset gasped as she ran her hand across the leather jacket. She pulled it off the hanger and tried it on, other than being a little stiff and lacking the liner, it was perfect. She sniffled, "Th-thank you Rarity." Tears began rolling down her cheeks and she buried her face in her hands as shaking sobs poured out.

Rarity gently placed her hand on her friend's shoulder. "What's the matter darling?"

"I-I-I don't kn-know.", Sunset croaked between sobs, "I can't...can't stop crying!" She slumped forward as her body shook with sobs.

Rarity immediately dropped the hanger and immediately squeezed her friend in tight with a hug. The other girls hurried over and surrounded Sunset in a group hug as wailing cries and incoherent, pain-filled gibbering poured out. Tears glistened in the eyes of the six girls as they held the seventh while her body shook with sobs.

after what felt like hours, Sunset's sobs finally petered out, leaving her eyes red and puffy and her throat sore. The warm group hug still surrounded her. She winced in pain as the migraine returned with a vengeance, feeling like someone had shoved an ice pick behind her eyes. "I'm not feeling to good right now and I think I'm going to lay down for a bit."

The six girls broke from the group hug nodding. "Rainbow, why don't you show Sunset up to the guest room while I help clean up down here."

Rainbow nodded and she began guiding Sunset to the stairs. "Oh, here Rarity, you are probably going to want this back.", Sunset said as she started to pull off the jacket. "Keep it darling, I can finish it later. You just go lay down and focus on feeling better."

Sunset frowned at the concerned looks on her friends faces, she especially frowned at the now sagging cotton candy pink-colored bouffant on Pinkie's head starting to deflate. She turned her face away ashamed. "I'm sorry for ruining everyone's fun."

Pinkie blew one of the sagging curls from her face. "Don't worry about it, everyone had fun and we all hope you feel better soon. Besides, I've got to get back to Sugar Cube corner to babysit the twins tonight and then when I get back home, I've got to give boulder his bath while Maude is sick."

Sunset slowly made her way up the stairs while Rainbow helped her. Partway up the stairs the migraine increased in a magnitude of intensity, feeling like a shard of super-heated glass was being jammed behind her eyes and wiggled around. She her hands to her temples. "Ngh!" Her feet faltered and one caught the edge of a step, causing her to stumble.

Rainbow reached out and caught Sunset in her strong, athletic arms, bracing her. "Whoa! Are you okay? Do you need a doctor?"

"It's just a migraine Rainbow. Thanks anyway, I just want to lay down."

Rainbow shifted Sunset's weight so that she could brace her friend. "Just lean on me and I'll get you to the room."

The two girls walked up the stairs and down the hallway, Rainbow using her strong, slender athletic form to brace Sunset. Reaching out a cyan hand, Rainbow pushed open the door to the guest bedroom and helped Sunset to the bed. Sunset slid out of the jacket and kicked off the flip-flops, then laid on the bed, curling up in the fetal position, rubbing her temples with her fingers. "Thanks a million Rainbow." "Eh, it was nothin'. What are friend for?"

Rainbow quietly backed out of the room and gently closed the door. Sunset reached out and flipped on the lamp by the bed. The light made her migraine throb even more, but the light pushed away the shadows where they hid, stalking her. Her heart began pounding and she could the blood rushing in her ears. The foul stink of their sweat filled the room making her almost gag, she could taste the polluting slime on her tongue and on her skin, she could feel the toxic, corrupting poison spreading inside her, killing anything pure in her. "Please stop.", she whimpered as tears dripped onto the pillow.

Sunset laid on the bed for hours, rubbing her temples with her fingers, trying to will the migraine, foul stink, disgusting taste and slimy feeling to all stop. A soft knock at the door drew her attention, lifting her head, Mrs. Shy opened the door slowly. "Sunset? Do you want to join us for dinner?"

Sunset reluctantly rose from the bed and followed Mrs. Shy down the stairs into the small dinning room where the smells of cooking food met them both. Mrs. Shy paused at a small mirror on the wall and checked her hair. Sunset scoffed in disgust at the fear and shame-filled eyes reflected in the mirror.

Sunset sat at the table with the Shy family and Mr. Shy placed a bowl in front of her, then ladled some rich vegetable broth with tiny bits of mashed-up carrots, potatoes, leeks and other vegetables mixed in. Picking up the spoon, she looked around the table seeing the Shy family also eating the same soup. "Y-you didn't have to do this for me, I would have been fine with a canned shake on the couch."

"Nonsense.", Mrs. Shy said kindly, "As long as you're here, you can think of yourself as family."

"Family" The word echoed in Sunset's mind. She sat there for a moment contemplating the word, once it stopped echoing around her head, she felt something on the edges of her mind, it wasn't the fear and panic that had been plaguing her for the past week, though that was still there, it was something else entirely, it was something more insidious, something gray. It lingered at the edges of her mind, the fear and panic holding it back. She pushed the thoughts out of her head and scooped up some f the broth, slurping the best she could with the wired shut jaw.
********************************************************************************************************

Sunset had been staying at the Shy house for three days now. She sat on the bed, knees pulled up to her chest, arms wrapped around them, fighting off sleep, not wanting to see the nightmares again. She was exhausted, the migraines wouldn't stop, the panic attacks made her feel drained. Her stomach gurgled and growled, she had not eaten dinner that night as she didn't feel particularly hungry. Her head felt heavy, eyelids felt like they were made of solid lead. Her head slowly drooped as her eyelids slowly slipped closed. Her head shot up with a snort and she began rocking back and forth in bed. "Not going to fall asleep! Not going to fall asleep! Not going to fall asleep!", she half-muttered half-sang to herself.

Sunset was standing naked in an alleyway. Hands reached out holding her in place. Fists rained down on her face and body, filing her with intense pain. Bodies thrust themselves onto her, violating every hole and filling her with slime. She tried to fight back, tried to run, tried to scream, but found her body tangled up with the hands and bodies.


"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH! NOOOOOOO! LET ME GOOOO! HELP MEEEEEEEE!"

Fluttershy snapped up from a dead sleep at the sound of Sunset screaming for help. Stumbling half awake, she hurried into the hallway and flung the door to the guest bedroom open. Sunset was tangled up in the blankets and sheets, thrashing around in a blind panic, screaming bloody murder. "Sunset! Shh! Shh!", she called out as she tried to free her panicking friend from the blankets. A sharp pain at her temple was followed by blackness.

Fluttershy felt a cool pressure on her face as the world slowly faded back in. Her father was leaning over her, wiping a cool, damp rag across her face. "Dad? What happened?"

"Sunset woke up screaming in a panic attack. She was tangled up in the sheets and when you tried to get her loose, she accidentally caught you with an elbow."

Fluttershy groaned as she sat up. She shook off the last of the cobwebs. "How long was I out for?"

"Just a couple of minutes.", Mr. Shy replied.

Soft whimpering caught Fluttershy's attention and she turned her head seeing Mrs. Shy trying to comfort Sunset who was curled up in the corner, knees pressed to her chin. Fear-filled light cyan eyes met concern-filled sapphire blue eyes. Rising slowly to her feet, she walked slowly over to help calm down her friend. Sunset shrieked in terror and ran in a pony-like manor across the floor. The only other time Fluttershy had seen someone run like that was when the Twilight from the other world first came through.

Sunset looked at Fluttershy through her mane full of fear as she huddled against the side of the bed. Her hooves trembled under. The girl with the butter-yellow skin, long pink hair and sapphire eyes lowered herself to the floor and crawled across the floor towards her. Slowly Sunset began to come back to the world as Fluttershy reached out for her, she wasn't a pony over on this side, she was a girl over here and her friend was saying something to her, but the blood rushing in her ears was drowning out all sounds.

Fluttershy reached Sunset and laid a hand gently on her arm. "Sunset? Can you hear me?" The dam broke and fat tears rolled down Sunset's cheeks, she grabbed Fluttershy in a tight hug, squeezing her. "Help me Fluttersy!", she whispered, "They're coming to hurt me!" Sunset's body shook with heaving sobs. "THEY KEEP HURTING ME!" Her body collapsed into Fluttershy's, the panic had robbed her of all her strength and energy, she shook as she bawled.

Fluttershy squeezed her eyes shut as tears trickled down her cheeks and she squeezed Sunset back tightly in the hug. "I'm here and I'll protect you. I won't let anyone hurt you." She opened her eyes slightly seeing her parents looking at her with concern and he gestured with a finger that she had this. The two girls held each other through the night, Fluttershy humming soft tunes to help Sunset fight off the demons in her head.
********************************************************************************************************

As the first rays of morning crept through the gaps in the curtains, Fluttershy still held the trembling form of Sunset despite her own tiredness and exhaustion. She slumped forward slightly as her eyes drifted close, immediately she snapped open, she swore she'd sit here with her friend and protect her from her own demons.

Sunset groaned as she leaned away from Fluttershy, the evil migraine had returned many times for the night, jamming shards of molten metal behind her eyes and it had returned again this morning. Pushing away from the embrace, she whispered, "Thank you Fluttershy. I've asked too much of you."

Fluttershy shook her head, "Don't say that Sunset, you're hurting and scared. If the roles were reversed, you'd be the one doing this. I'm happy to help you." She groaned as her tired muscles ached and she stretched. "You can get a shower of you want while I find us some breakfast."

Sunset nodded as she rose from the floor and limped slightly down the hallway, her leg was asleep from sitting on the floor for so long. Standing in front of the sink, she leaned on the counter. Her eyes came to rest on the razor sitting in the little slot above the sink. Almost as if it had a mind of its own, her hand reached slowly for it. Thoughts of opening her wrists to end the pain buzzed through her mind and she had to will her hand to stop. It hung in the air trembling as if her hand and mind warred with each other and she reached up with her other hand to pull it away. "You disgust me!", she snarled at her reflection.

Stripping down, Sunset turned on the water in the shower. Stepping in, she picked up the bar of soap and a washcloth and began scrubbing herself and scrubbing and scrubbing and scrubbing. "Ngh!", she groaned as her migraine throbbed again, "Can't get clean! Can't get clean! Can't get clean!" She scrubbed her body harder and harder, a groan of frustration leapt from her lips as she tossed the washcloth down and lathered up her hand and started scrubbing her body with them. "Can't get clean! Can't get clean!"

Fluttershy staggered into the kitchen and grabbed the pot of coffee on the counter. Pouring herself a cup, she took a few gulps without adding any of her usual cream and sugar. She sighed as the hot, dark caffeinated liquid entered her stomach and shoved away the exhaustion. She became aware of voices talking in the house, two were her parents, one was Sci-Twi and the last was Cadance. She staggered into the living room still sipping on the black coffee, sure enough Sci-Twi and Cadance were sitting on the couch.

Cadance looked up and smiled when she saw Fluttershy enter into the room. "Just the girl I want to see. I hear that Sunset's having some trouble?"

"She's not in a good place right now.", Fluttershy answered around the cup of coffee.

Cadance frowned slightly. "Tell me what you've seen."

"When I brought her some clothes the other day before we brought her home from the hospital I heard her call herself a whore in the bathroom.", Fluttershy said before gulping down the last half of the black coffee in one dreadful swallow, "She barely sleeps and when she does, she wakes up screaming. Though she hasn't said anything, she's been having bad migraines, last night was pretty bad, after she woke up screaming, she begged me to stay with her, that they were hurting her." She turned to take the cup to the kitchen. "Oh and before I forget, when she thinks no one is looking, she glares at her own reflection like she hates what she sees."

Cadance rose from the couch and walked towards the stairs as she gestured for Sci-Twi to stay put. "Thank you Fluttershy. Where is she now?"

"I uh...think she's still in the shower. I can still hear it running."

Cadance gave Fluttershy a thankful smile before walking up the stairs. She followed the sound of running water and as she reached out to knock on the bathroom door, pausing as she heard something over the running water.

"Can't get clean! Can't get clean! Ngh! Can't get clean!"

Flinging the door open, Cadance rushed over to the shower and flung the curtain open. What she saw made her blood run cold, Sunset, her skin bright red and raw from furiously scrubbing was continually repeating the same mantra, stopping only to rub her temples as she grunted in pain.

Reaching out a hand, Cadance turned off the shower head. Sunset was broken out of her near-fugue state and locked eyes with Cadance. Tear shined in her eyes as her voice croaked, "I-I-I can't get clean! The filth won't come off! Ngh!" Hands shot to her temples as the migraine throbbed again.
> Lengthening shadows and graying skies pt.2 The darkest hour is always before the dawn
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I-I-I can't get clean! The filth won't come off!", Sunset croaked as she stared Cadance in the eyes, tears stinging her own. "Ngh!" Her hands went up to her temples as the migraine sent stabbing pain behind her eyes. "Ngh! Ngh!" She grit her teeth as the migraine made it feel as if white hot shards of metal were ricocheting around inside her skull. Static began dancing at the edge of her vision and her legs shook. The world began tipping side-to-side as the intense pain in her head began taking away any sense of what was up or down, knees buckled as she slumped to the floor of the shower. "Ngh! Ngh! Gah!" Her breaths came in ragged, pained gasps as the migraine graduated from stabbing her behind the eyes with a white hot ice pick to full on spears, hot as the surface of the sun.

Sunset grasped her skull with both hands as the pain intensified, making her feel sick. "Makeitstopmakeitstopmakeitstop!", she whimpered in desperation. As the static began spreading across her vision even more, her stomach heaved violently until she thought her ribs were going to break. Loud retching sounds came from her mouth as her stomach attempted to empty contents that weren't there.

Cadance knelt down and began gently rubbing Sunset's back, the girl's body shook every time her stomach heaved, followed by the loud retching. Under any other set of circumstances Cadance would have asked if Sunset had taken something to make her sick or shoved a finger down her throat, but she had seen this panic-induced migraine intensify in real time. "It's okay Sunset, just let it all come up." She out with her other hand and moved the girl's hair away from her face.

Sunset begged to anyone or anypony who could hear her thoughts to just let this all stop. She could barely breath as her heaving stomach made it feel like her lungs were being crushed. Long strings of saliva slid from her mouth, making almost unbroken silvery-clear lines attached to the floor of the shower. Her head hurt, her stomach hurt, her throat hurt, her chest hurt, she felt like she was going to die and the only thing that anchored her in this thrashing sea of panic and pain was Cadance gently rubbing her back. Her stomach heaved again and the loud retching became a loud gurgling, a split second later yellow-green bile splashed into the bottom of the shower. Energy spent, she slumped onto her side in the shower, as her breathing slowed to a more even pace, her mind became more aware of things around her, not only was she more aware of Cadance still gently rubbing her back, but also how painfully raw her skin was. "What's wrong with me?", she whimpered.

"You're scared and hurting.", Cadance replied softly. She continued to rub Sunset's back as the girl started blubbering. For nearly twenty minutes the sacred girl blubbered and muttered incoherently in the bottom of the shower as Cadance continued to gently rub her back and softly shush her. Cadance tipped her head as she heard the front door open and close several times. A small smile graced her lips, those girls would move heaven and earth to help someone and if it was one of their own, nothing would stop them from coming to their aid, not even the lords of death or the underworld could stop them, these seven girls shared a bond that went deeper than friendship or a common goal or even blood, they were sisters in every definition of the word and that would be the foundation that would help Sunset to stand her own feet again.

A soft tap on the bathroom door drew Cadance's attention and the door slowly opened revealing Mrs. Shy. "Oh my!", the pink-haired woman exclaimed in a demure tone. "Do you have a first aid kit?", Cadance asked. The mother of Fluttershy nodded and hurried down the hallway, her feet making loud thumps on the carpet and floorboards. Several minutes later the woman returned with a white box with a red cross on the top. Cadace took the first aid kit and placed it on the floor. "Sunset? do you feel strong enough to sit up?" The girl nodded and began to push herself up from the floor of the shower, Cadance reached out a hand to help brace her.

With a pair of loud clicks, Cadance opened the first aid kit and took out small bottle of clear green aloe gel. "This might be a little cold.", Cadance said squirting a small amount of gel into her hand, "Let me know if it hurts or if you're experiencing any discomfort." Sunset winced slightly as Cadance applied the gel in a thin layer first to the raw skin on her arm, after a second the aloe in the gel began soothing the pain in her raw skin. Once Cadance had finished applying the gel to everywhere she could on Sunset's body, she asked, "Can you stand?" When Sunset began to slowly began to push herself to her feet, Cadance quickly gestured over to Mrs. Shy and the two women helped the girl  to her feet, then flipped the lid down on the toilet and helped her sit down. Cadance applied gel to the few patches of raw skin on Sunset she couldn't get to while the girl was sitting in the tub. "Do you have any clean underwear?" Sunset shook her head, "Not here, the rest of my clothes are back at my apartment." Cadance frowned slightly then turned Mrs. Shy, "Bring me my purse, I always keep a spare pair of panties in case of an emergency."

Mrs. Shy nodded and as she turned to leave the bathroom, Cadance spoke up again, "Also bring a bathrobe if you have it." Mrs. Shy's footsteps could be heard retreating down the hallway as Sunset spoke up, "I-I'm s-s-sorry that I've ruined everyone's morning." She held her face in her hands and began to softly cry.

Cadance moved Sunset's hands away from her face. "You haven't ruined anything, Sunset. You're hurting and your mind is trying to make sense of everything. I'd be more worried if you didn't have a breakdown or two. Your friends and I are here to help you to help you. In fact I'd bet dollars to doughnuts they're downstairs right now to check up on you." A few moments later Mrs. Shy returned with Cadance's purse and  terrycloth robe. Sunset put on the robe as Cadance dug around in her purse and pulled out a pair of folded up white cotton panties. "They might not fit you perfectly, but they'll do until we can get you more of your clothes from your apartment."

After Sunset finished puling up the panties and cinching the robe around her, Cadance said, "Let's go downstairs, I bet your friends are really concerned about you."
********************************************************************************************************

Blueblood sat in his office going over the files he had on Celestia, Luna and Sunset. Everything was in order in Celestia's file, though he was a bit surprised about her martial arts background until he came across where the events for the last year was redacted, he thought back to the events about the weird goings-on and the subsequent investigations involving several agents of the intelligence community. Oddly enough president Theisman had used an executive order to have the findings sealed and locked away. Rumors abounded that a strange woman had met with the president in secret that had prompted him to seal the findings away.

Blueblood scowled at the thought of some top secret cabal having influence over the president and preventing the government from using whatever this odd energy as a weapon against its enemies in the world. He quickly put that thought out of his head as investigations by various members of congress, including him revealed no signs of any group or even any mysterious people. He opened Luna's file and began going over it. Everything came back as normal,  she had graduated top of her class in high school and graduated from Stanford summa cum laude. As he flipped through her file even more, he found where she had joined the army, entered into the medical corps, and had received an honorable discharge after eight years with the rank of colonel. Her file contained no inclinations of a single court marshal or disciplinary action. He continued flipping through her military record until he came to a section that had the dates and descriptions heavily redacted.

Blueblood flipped back and forth through Luna's military records trying to piece together when these dates happened. He slumped back in his chair once he was able to deduce that the redacted portions took place during that unpleasantness during the late nineties in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Serbia-Montenegro. All that wasn't redacted was that during that time period she had received the silver star and two bronze stars. "Shit! She's a fucking war hero!" He slammed the file shut knowing it was worse than career suicide during this political climate to go after anyone who was a veteran that hadn't committed a serious crime.

Blueblood opened up Sunset's file and scowled, it was heavily censored, nearly all the pictures and descriptions were heavily redacted, other than an autopsy photograph of a seven year old girl with similarly colored hair, who had died when a car struck her fifteen years ago. He flipped through the file, finding that only two other photos weren't redacted, a recent one of her from the school's year book and a surveillance photograph of her with her friends. "How can this be?!", he grumbled to himself, flipping back through the file, "The dead don't come back to life!" He stopped on a piece of information that he had overlooked that said she held a dual citizenship, but the second country, along with the date of when she would have received the dual citizen status were redacted. He rubbed his chin and opened the drawer that contained a parcel he received this morning by courier from the private investigator he had hired to dig up dirt on Sunset and her friends.

Blueblood opened the manila envelope and pulled out the file with a wax seal on it. Breaking the wax, he pulled out the contents of the file. Spreading out the contents on his desk, he started going through them one-by-one. he found nothing of real use, mostly photographs of the seven girls and several photographs from the inside of Sunset's apartment. He dug through the the information the investigator had gathered on the seven girls. The first six contained information he already knew, but he curled his mouth downwards when the investigator had turned up nothing on Sunset's past. "It's almost like she just materialized out of the ether three years ago.", he grumbled. He continued to dig through the materials gathered by the investigator and paused on a photograph that looked like it was taken from one of the many school surveillance cameras, the seven familiar looking girls were there, but there was an eighth. She appeared to be the identical clone of the girl who transferred from Crystal prep, other lacking the thick glasses and dressed differently. What does this girl have to do with Sunset Shimmer and her friends? He flipped through several photos finding this clone or identical twin or doppelganger of Twilight Sparkle staggering around on two legs like she was having trouble walking.

Blueblood gave a wicked smile spread across his face, he just staggered face first into a big whopper that he could use to discredit Celestia. "Bingo!", he exclaimed, slapping the desk.

"Aw! I was just one letter away!", a tall, thin man exclaimed as he walked in through the door to Blueblood's office tossing away a thin paper card covered in five columns of letters and numbers.

Blueblood looked this man and his odd state of dress over. He was wearing a banana-yellow zoot suit, an overly long pheasant feather sticking out of his cap, a shiny black walking cane with a round multicolored gem and a circle with eight arrows pointing outward as a decorative head held in the crook of his arm and dark purple tea shades covering his eyes. "Who are you and why are you in my office?"

The man lowered his tea shades and looked at Blueblood over the tops of them with bright yellow eyes with mismatched red pupils, the gaze made Blueblood shiver. "Your people have referred by many names in this world over the centuries as I have randomly visited, Kalima, Eris, Set, Loki, Shaitan, Mr. Scratch, the one I'm most fond of is Spring Heeled Jack. As for why I'm here? One: To stir up a little chaos." He snapped his fingers and the pictures and files on Blueblood's desk burst into multicolored flames, leaving behind wierdly-colored ashes. Two: I'm here to deliver a message from the princesses."

Blueblood grit his teeth and snatched one of the bottom drawers on his desk open. "Ah-ah-ah!", the the tall, thin man in the banana-yellow zoot suit scolded waving a long finger, "You might want to think about what you're doing before reaching for that Beretta!" Blueblood gasped in shock and fright when he saw his own pistol held in the man's hand.

"H-h-how did you?"

"Pity.", the thin man in the outrageous suit said wistfully, "For a species that has split the atom and walked on the surface of the moon, all without the aid of magic or other supernatural abilities, I would have thought that one of their leaders would be smarter than what you appear to be. But then of course what should I expect from a bunch of ape-descendants?" The odd man pulled magazine out of the pistol and began eating the bullets, one by one like they were candy.

Blueblood slumped back in chair and stared at this strange fellow. He brushed the ashes off his desk and asked, "So, what this message you're supposed to deliver?"

"Mmmm...so good! I never knew that lead, brass, nitrocellulose and mercury fulminate would be this good together! Ah, yes! The message from the princesses. They have said to leave their subject alone or they would be forced to intervene.", the strange man said as he took the last of the bullets into his hand and tossed the pistol along with the now empty magazine onto the desk. He walked over to the wall and looked at his wrist, tapping his foot impatiently. "You might want to answer that mon capitaine, it's probably important." With the ding of a bell, an elevator door opened that wasn't there before and he stepped in, with the soft clicks of the door closing, the oddly dressed man was gone.

Blueblood stared in stunned silence until the phone ringing nearly made him jump lightly."Hello? President Theisman! How can I help you?"
********************************************************************************************************

Sunset was walking through her apartment along with her six friends, Shining Armor and Cadance. She pushed open the door to her room, Rarity close by her side when she heard Applejack speak up from the front door.

"It look like someone broke in here at least twice.", the farm girl drawled, "Ah'd eat my hat if'n Ah'm wrong. Lookie here, it looks like someone jimmied th' lock an' jammed th' deadbolt open. They even tried to wedge ev'rything back tuh make it look like no one had broken in here an' then some time later some put their boot through th' door, breaking th' latch away from th' door frame."

"Hmm...whoever did this was kinda sloppy.", Sunset heard Shining Armor reply, "They either weren't very good at what they were doing or they were betting on this being a rough neighborhood to cover their tracks."

"It looks like someone turned the kitchen upside down.", Rainbow called out, "Whoever did this was looking for something specific. They didn't take the fridge, microwave or toaster oven. Whoever booted the door in was probably just doing a smash and grab. I think if we went to the local pawnshop, we'll find Sunset's missing couch, laptop and TV, they can even probably lead us back to whoever broke in here. Wadda ya guys think?"

"Ah'm thinkin' that ya watch too many cop dramas. Unless Sunset kept the serial numbers for her TV and laptop, we're gonna have a dickens o' a time tryin' tuh get them back."

"Someone trashed the bathroom!", Pinkie shouted, "All they did was throw everything from the medicine cabinet in the sink and ripped down the shower curtain!"

Fluttershy muttered something softly causing a chorus of the girls asking what she said. "I...um...I said someone tore the backs off of Sunset's picture frames."

Sunset flipped on the light in her room and she and Rarity gasped. The mattress had been stripped and flipped, the drawers on the dresser had been pulled out, the contents dumped and the drawers themselves were strewn about the room, the clothes from her closet had been ripped off their hangars and tossed in pile on the floor, the wallpaper in spots had been slashed and pulled back.

"Somebody wrecked her bedroom!", Rarity called out as she helped Sunset pick up clothes and started folding them. "Those brutes have no respect for someone's wardrobe!"

"I don't think they were concerned with Sunset's clothes, Rarity.", Cadance called out as she walked through the apartment, "Whoever did this was looking for something specific."

Sunset picked through the remains of her room, if she could, she'd have ground her teeth. Picking up the pile of clothes from the floor of her closet, her heart sank seeing the condition of her most prized possession, her scrapbook. Tears trickled from her eyes as she picked up the torn cover and ripped out pages from the book containing photographs and clippings from both the school and local newspapers. Holding the ruined album in her trembling hands, she slumped to the floor. Her breath started coming in ragged, panicked gasps, the foul stink of the five's sweat filled the room pushing out all the oxygen, the taste of polluting slime coated her tongue.

As the world started to spin out of control, a slender ivory hand came to rest on Sunset's shoulder, nearly causing her to leap out of her skin. Looking up, the concerned face of Rarity stared back at her. Looking down at the ruined scrapbook and then back up to her friends face several times, tears began to freely flow from her eyes. "Why?", she whimpered after several minutes, still gently holding the ruined scrapbook in her hands like it was something fragile and dying.

Rarity pulled Sunset into a hug and her friend whimpered into her shoulder. After a few minutes Sunset shrugged off the hug, something insidious pushed its way further into her mind, it wasn't fear or anger or even disgust, it was something much worse, something gray, something empty, something that began gnawing at the edges of her heart.
"I just want to leave.", Sunset said entering the front room, letting her ruined scrapbook fall from her hands and to the floor. She saw several of her friend's lips move, obviously asking her questions, but she couldn't hear anything but a low static buzz in her ears. Turning to the door, she walked out, her heels dragging on the floor.

Pinkie's messy curls lost much of their bounce as she walked over and started picking up the ruined scrapbook one piece at a time. Applejack knelt down next to Pinkie and helped her pick up the pieces of the ruined scrapbook. "I don't know why...", Rainbow started to say until a glare from Fluttershy that could have turned a cockatrice to stone made her stop, "...right, not helping." Soon the farm girl and the party planner had gathered up the ruined scrapbook with all the reverence that one gathers a sacred idol and Pinkie put them in her backpack.

"Uh, Pinkie?", Applejack asked, "Didn't ya leave yer backpack in th'...ya know what, ferget Ah even asked."

Outside Sunset climbed into the passenger side door of Applejack's truck and closed the door. Pulling her knees up to her chest, she caught her reflection in side mirror of the old beater of a truck, her eyes instead of being filled with the usual fear and disgust, they were filled with a deepening sadness and disgust, inside she could feel the empty, gnawing gray still slowly chewing at the edges of her heart.

Cadance and Shining Armor came out Sunset's apartment, followed by her friends. Rarity had several of Sunset's clothes folded up and draped across her arm as she walked to the old beater of a truck, opened the door and laid them on Sunset's lap. "Don't worry darling, we'll get you through this.", the pale skinned girl with the royal purple, expertly coiffed hair said.

As everyone loaded up in their vehicles, Applejack flopped in the driver's seat of the truck and turned to face Sunset, "Anywhere in particular ya'd like tuh go?" Sunset just simply shrugged and mumbled, "No."

"Alright then, Ah guess we're goin' tuh Pinkie's house, unless there is somewheres y'all'd prefer tuh go."

Sunset shook her head no and Applejack turned the key in the ignition, causing the truck's engine to turn over. Hank Williams played through the tape deck. "Ah hope ya dun mind ol' Hank none as th' radio dun work an' the tape's been stuck in th' player fer longer than Ah c'n 'member."

Sunset smirked at Applejack singing along to the old country singer as the farm girl grabbed the knob on the shifter and jammed the truck into first gear. After a few blocks, the two girls began singing along to the only song on the old cassingle, "Jamba-lie and crawfish pie and fee-lay gumbo! For tonight, I'm gonna see my ma cher a mio! Pick a gee-tar, fill a fruit jar and be gay-ooohhh! Sunuva gun, we'll have big fun out on the bai-ooohhh!"

Though deep inside Sunset still felt horrible and felt the gray still gnawing at her insides, singing the old country song in the zydeco style along with AJ made her feel a little better. Pulling up to a red light, a black camaro with a burgundy passenger-side door pulled up. Inside two guys with mullets, wearing wife beaters sneered up at the farm girl, the driver revved his engine twice in a challenge to race. "Aw hell naw he jus' dinit!", Applejack exclaimed before turning to Sunset, "Wadda ya say, sugar cube? I betcha twenty bucks this ol' beater c'n beat that hunk o' junk not only off th' line, but also tuh th' next light!"

Sunset felt a grin spread across her face and the farm girl revved her truck's engine twice to return the challenge. The light turned green and Applejack jammed on the gas and clutch, throwing the truck into first gear. The truck lurched forward in a burst of speed, the Camaro's wheels smoked as they spun and twenty seconds later it leapt forward, by that time AJ had already cycled into second gear and was getting ready to slam it into third. Halfway to the next light, the Camaro hadn't even had a chance to catch up as AJ slammed it into fourth gear. Popping the truck out of gear, the two girls coasted the last few dozen feet to a stop at the next red light and a few seconds later the Camaro pulled up next to the truck. As the two guys signaled for Applejack to roll the window, she shook her head 'no' laughing and held her fingers up a fraction of an inch apart, the gesture meant to emasculate the two guys. AJ threw her head laughing as the guys flipped her off.

As the light turned green, the driver of the Camaro jammed his foot on the gas, making the tires spin for several second as Applejack turned down the side road. "Ah told ya that this ol' beater could that 'maro easy.", Applejack said, "By th' way, ya owe me twenty bucks." "I never agreed to that bet.", Sunset said, still dazed from the impromptu drag race. "Alright, Ah'll letcha slide jus' this once."

Shining Armor pulled up next to Applejack and Cadance signaled for her to roll down the window. "What were you thinking?! Drag racing in town?!" "T'weren't no cops an' b'sides, ya think Ah was gonna let some hunka junk 'maro with a mismatched door beat me?" Cadance scowled as she looked at the old pickup truck. "What?", Applejack asked trying to sound innocent, "Ol' Betsy might not much tuh look at, but at least her doors match th' body...e'en if'n they's all covered in rust an' mud." Cadance snickered as she rolled the window up. The rest of the trip to the Pie household went uneventful, even though Applejack teased Shining Armor once when she pulled up next to him and revved her engine twice.

As everyone pulled up to to Pinkie's house, Shining walked up to Applejack who was climbing out of the truck and slapped her on the shoulder, "I'll have to take you on that race...when I don't have Cadance with me." Applejack flicked her wrist and made a whip sound, teasing Shining as he walked away. "And don't you forget it!", he retorted.

Igneous, Cloudy Quartz, Maud, Limestone and Marble gathered up on the front step of the house on the rock farm as Pinkie introduced her friends, Cadance and Shining Armor to her family.

"Verily we greet thee with joyous tidings to our humble abode.", Igneous Pie greeted in his usual stoic manner.

Cloudy Quartz gave a small smile as she looked over the top of her pince-nez bifocals. Reaching out to take the clothes from Sunset, she said, "We hope that thy mind knows peace during thou convalescence, Sunset Shimmer. Thou shalt be sharing a bed with our eldest, Maudileena while she is home from university." Turning her head to Maud, she said, "Wouldst thou please show our guest to where she'll be sleeping?"

As Sunset and Maud walked through the house on the rock farm, she couldn't help but notice the several family photos of the Pie family, especially how Pinkie with her massive smile, pink complexion and extra poofy bright pink hair seemed to stand out from the rest of her family, who always seemed to have stoic, almost dour expressions on their faces. "If you don't mind me asking, is Pinkie adopted or something?"

Maude looked over at the photos hanging on the wall that Sunset was studying. "No. Pinkie and Marble are twins. Pinkie take after Grandmother Pinkie, both physically and personality-wise." Sunset let her gaze travel over to a picture of an old woman sitting on a small table in the hallway, she had the same bubbly, infectious smile, though it was apparent that most of her teeth had fallen out from age, the same pudgy build, the same bright blue eyes. Though the old woman's hair had long gone white, it was a messy, curly mop and other than the woman's age, she could have been an identical twin of her bubbly, bouncy, pudgy friend.

"Do you have any photos of your family?", Maude asked in her same monotone voice, that would have made anyone listening think there was a slight tone of curiosity and concern.

Sunset cast her eyes downward as she thought back to her foalhood. How she rarely saw her parents most days as they spent most of their time attending parties or opening of some gallery somewhere, in a perpetual bid to climb the social ladder, how after she showed herself to be unusually skilled for her age and got accepted as Princess Celestia's personal protege, she never saw them again, not even on the holidays. She remembered feeling anger well up inside of her, when at a young age, she had realized her parents had all but abandoned her, in their quest to further their own ambitions. "No.", she replied after a few moments, "My parents never cared dick-all about me. I haven't seen them since I was a filly...er...well you know what I mean."

Sunset felt tears of anger and sadness well up in the corners of her eyes as she recalled those memories from her foalhood, they hurt just as bad as the memories from a few weeks ago. She and Maud continued walking in silence down the hallway towards Maud's room.

Maud reached out with a gray hand and opened the door to her room open. Sunset looked around, noting the usual pictures and books about rocks, including a bachelor's degree and a master's degree in geology. What caught Sunset off guard was a couple of pictures on the end table of Maud standing on a stage in front of a mic, with a crowd, their faces twisted up in laughter.

"This is where you'll be staying. I hope you don't mind sharing  bed with me for a few nights while I'm home from Granite College. Go fighting Marmosets."

A few hours later the Pie family were sitting around the dining room table, quietly eating. Sunset swirled the vegetable broth with her spoon as an opened can of protein shake sat by her hand. Though the vile taste of polluting slime still clung to her tongue, making her not want to eat, hunger soon won over. Lifting a spoonful of broth to her lips, Sunset tipped her head back slightly to let the warm broth trickle into her mouth. Placing the straw that was sticking out of the can up to her lips, she sucked some of the shake into her mouth. Sunset wished that there was something that could get the taste of polluting slime out of her mouth so she could enjoy actually enjoy the food.

After diner was finished, Sunset sat down on the couch in the front room. Her head started feeling heavy. Her eyes closed for a second and she forced herself to snap them open. 'Not gonna fall asleep!'

Sunset found herself standing naked in the alleyway. The vile stink of sweat laced with lust and malice forced the oxygen away. Hands reached out from the shadows to grab her, holding her in place. Five looming forms leered down at her, laughing and calling her a whore. Tears poured down her face as she begged to be let go.

"Why should we let you go, whore?", a familiar voice asked, full of malice and spite, "You know you loved it."

"If you were a better daughter, maybe we would have loved you more. Now you're just a worthless whore.", two familiar voices said. Sunset swore she saw a pair of familiar pony silhouettes.

As the grasping hands held her in place, Sunset tried to twist away from the fists raining down on her face and body. "Please, no more.", she weakly begged through pained gasps. A snake with venom dripping from its fangs forced its way into her mouth and down her throat, as a voice taunted her, "Look at this filthy whore! She's loving it!" Shame filled her as other snakes forced their way into her. She tried to scream, but found that her voice wouldn't come. Venom from the snakes' fangs began pumping into her body, polluting her blood with their corrupting poison.

Bodies that were covered with slime pressed themselves against her. Vile stink filled Sunset's nostrils and she tried to scream. The snakes continued to pump their venom into her bloodstream. She begged for for the humiliation to stop, she begged for the pain to stop, she begged for the venom to stop, she begged for death.

"I think this whore is loving this!", a voice mocked in a vulgar and hateful tone. Sunset felt shame fill herself again as her body betrayed her.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH! NONONONONONONO! SSSSTTTTTOOOOPPPPP!"

Sunset thrashed about on the couch trying to fight off invisible attackers. The world didn't make sense, there was only blinding panic and the threat of the phantom attackers. She couldn't breathe, the only thing she could hear was the blood rushing in her ears, all she could see was dancing static. A firm yet gentle hand grasped her shoulder giving her something to focus on besides the phantom attackers and a familiar voice called out through the storm of panic, "Sunset! You're safe!"

As Sunset's vision came back, she looked over and saw the familiar face of Pinkie Pie, her normally messy, curly pink hair that stood in crazy bouffant, hung in loose, droopy, slowly straightening curls, her normally happy, bubbly smile was replaced with an expression of concern and fear. Once the overwhelming hurricane of panic and terror passed, the tears started coming and she buried her face in her hands, blubbering.

"Are you okay?", Pinkie asked, voice full of concern.

"No!", Sunset squeaked out between blubbering sobs. She snatched her shoulder away from Pinkie's grasp. "I'm broken! I'm poisoned!"

Each time Pinkie reached out to place her hand on her friend's shoulder, Sunset would snatch away, making her already drooping curls straighten out more and more. Maud walked over and gestured for her sister to slide over, to which she silently agreed.

Maud sat down next to the weeping Sunset. She said nothing, just sat there until her sister's friend cried herself out. Once the girl with the red hair with blonde stripes had finally finished crying, she peered from behind her hands with puffy and bloodshot light cyan eyes. The gray-skinned girl with the dark grayish-purple hair and the deep purple eyes sighed before talking in her usual monotone voice, "I don't think you're broken or poisoned."

Sunset sniffled a few times, then asked in a wavering voice, "What's wrong with me?"

Maud's expression stayed the same normal stoic, though her eyes seemed to flicker with sadness and concern. "Nothing's wrong with you."

Loathing, disgust and shame welled up with Sunset. "Yeah right!", she hissed, "If there's nothing wrong with me, then why was it when they hurt me, my body acted like it loved it?", her words hitched for a second in her throat and her eyes watered again, " Am I just a whore who gets off when guys hurt her?"

"No.", Maud replied as her voice cracked and her eyes watered slightly, she cleared her throat and blinked her eyes a few times to center herself. She gently reached out a hand and slowly laid it on Sunset's shoulder. "You're not whore. You're not broken or poisoned."

Sunset whimpers were suddenly replaced by a surprised gasp when something tightly squeezed around her body. Turning her eyes downward, she saw Pinkie hugging her tightly, her limply-hanging hair slowly regaining some of its bouncy curls.

Still tightly hugging her friend, Pinkie turned her bright blue eyes and locked them onto the pair of light cyan eyes. "I know you're scared and everything seems dark and confusing.", she said staring into her friend's eyes as tears glistened in hers, "Something Grammy Pinkie always said was when the night is at its darkest, that means that the sunrise isn't far away. I know you're scared. I'm scared too. I can't promise you that things will be better right now, but I will promise you that things will get better."

Sunset looked down at her friend's bright blue eyes with tears glistening in them. "Pinkie...", she whispered, "...I don't think I'm..." A pink finger pressed against her lips, cutting her words off.

"You'll get better. We all will be there with you every step of the way and when you trip, we'll be there to help pick you up. That's a Pinkie promise.", Pinkie whispered, her tears drying and her expression becoming one of determination and concern.

Sunset tried to speak again, but her words died in her throat staring into those determined blue eyes. Fresh tears stung her eyes, blurring her vision and a lump, feeling like the greatest of all boulders, lodged in her throat. Again she tried to speak, only for her words to pour out in croaking sobs. As her tears came again unbidden, she felt a hand grip her shoulder firmly and gently at the same time. Looking up through her tear-blurred vision, she saw the form of Cloudy Quartz looking down at her with a soft smile on her lips. "Greater strength and love none hath than when their friends lend them their shoulders in a time of weakness.", the matriarch of the Pie family said.

Later that night after Sunset had finally cried herself out, she laid in the the bed in the dark room next to Maud, who was softly buzzing in her sleep. Her ribs still hurt where Pinkie had squeezed her tightly. Thought physically tired and mentally exhausted, she still couldn't bring herself to sleep, terrified of the nightmare that waited for her. She trembled slightly in the darkness of the room, she used to love sleeping in the dark, but now it filled her with dread. Every instinct told her that those five were hiding somewhere just out of sight, waiting to grab her, waiting to hurt her, waiting to violate her.

Unable to sleep, Sunset sat up on the bed and reached over, switching on the lamp on the nightstand. Instantly the shadows evaporated and retreated away to the corners. Though the light made her feel better, she could still feel those five lurking nearby, waiting for the shadows to lengthen, waiting for her to go to sleep so they could hurt her again.

Maud groaned, rolled over and sat up slightly. "Can't sleep?" Sunset shook her head no. Rising to her feet, she reached over and switched the lamp off again, immediately the shadows rushed forward. Sunset trembled slightly in fear, she cleared her throat to try and center herself. "I-I'm sorry to wake you. I'm going get something to drink."

Maud watched as Sunset walked out of the room, avoiding the shadows as best she could, like they were dangerous monsters or filled with broken glass.

Sunset hurried through the house as quickly as she could without waking anyone else up. Panic threatened to take her in the darkness, but she fought it as best as she could. Her heart raced, making her pulse pound in her ears like a bass drum, her breath came in shallow panicky breaths. Reaching the kitchen, she rushed to the wall and flipped the light switch. Light flooded the room, shoving the shadows away along with the monsters that hid in them. Blinking away the spots before her eyes from the sudden illumination, she made her way to the cabinet and pulled out a glass. After filling the glass from the sink, she fished a straw out of the drawer and walked over to the table to sit down.

Leaning against the stiff back of the wooden chair, Sunset wrapped her lips around the end of the straw and took a few sips of water. She trembled as the images, sounds and sensation of that terrible day ran through her head, the fist slamming in her face and stomach, pain blossoming from each blow, the white-hot pain in her jaw and the crunch of some of her teeth breaking as the knee slammed into her chin, the air being cut off from her until she thought was going to suffocate as members were forcibly shoved down her throat, the painful burning of being forcibly penetrated. All through the memories, one sensation swept through them all, her very body betraying her, sealing and compounding her shame. "Please stop!", she whimpered as she tapped on her head with a partially balled-up fist. Tears fell from her cheeks and pooled on the table.

Sunset nearly leapt out of her skin and screamed as the chair beside her pulled out, grating on the floor and Maud sat down, she didn't hear the eldest Pie sister walk up until she pulled out the chair. She could have sworn that the gray-skinned girl had an almost haunted look in her eyes. Maud laid an old, dust-caked picture album she had tucked under her arm on the table.

Maud sighed and swallowed hard before speaking, "I know what you're struggling with." She flipped open the first page on the picture album revealing a young Pie family, Pinkie and Marble were babies being held in the arms of Igneous and Cloudy Quartz, small smiles on their tired faces, even as a little girl Maud had the same stoic, nearly blank expression, the only one that stood out was Limestone, who had a massive smile that would have given Pinkie a run for her money.

Sunset stared at the picture, she couldn't imagine Limestone, the girl with the eternally gruff expression ever smiling. Maud flipped a couple of pages forward, Pinkie and Maud were toddlers, Sunset gaped at the dour expression on the face of Pinkie, she never knew her friend to have such an expression, even when she was sad, what surprised her was how much her hair looked just like Marble's, other than being a faded pink and hiding the left side of her face, where Marble's hair covered the right side of her face. Maud's expression looked the same and she would have thought the picture was taken on the same day if not for all the girls being taller. The expression on Limestone's face seemed to to change, her smile was much smaller and her eyes carried an angry expression.

Maud took a moment before speaking again, "My family and I didn't always live here in One Horse. We moved here when I was about twelve."

Sunset took in the picture and Maud's words. "Why did your family move here?"

Though Maud's expression didn't change, her breath trembled and she closed her eyes, a single tear rolled down her cheek. "W-when I was six, Gravel Pit, father's older brother, s-s-started touching m-me.", she stuttered, clearly the memories were hurting her, "H-he used to tell m-me that if I ever told anybody, that bad men would come and take our p-parents away." She put her hand to her face to wipe the tear away. "When I was-was about eight, Limestone walked in on him with a finger inside me and he got very angry shouting that if she told anyone, bad men would come and take us away from our family. I know I've never been the most outwardly expressive, but believe me when I say that I never felt more terrified and ashamed on that day than ever before."

Sunset felt guilty at her own breakdowns. "I'm sorry Maud.", she whispered, "Here I'm having breakdowns and you've carried on with this burden without so much as a peep. I'm such a..."

Maud raised a hand to cut off Sunset. "I never said I carried it well." She flipped the page revealing all four girls a year older, the young Maud in the picture, though her expression was still stoic, had dark circles under her eyes like she hadn't slept for some time and Sunset saw the similar expression in the gray-skinned little girl's eyes she had seen in the mirror.

"I stopped sleeping for days, sometimes weeks at a time. The nightmares of the monster touching me and bad men coming to hurt my family were nearly as bad as what Gravel Pit did." Maud flipped the page, revealing that she had the same scared expression in her eyes. Maud clenched her jaw, causing the muscles along it to ripple and balled up her fist. "Everything changed for me when I overheard him talking to himself about touching Lime. It was easy enough for me to keep quiet when it was just me, but when he started talking about hurting my sister, I had to tell someone, bad men be damned." She closed her eyes, took a breath to calm herself and swallowed hard. "At first mother and father didn't believe me, of course Gravel vehemently denied it. I swore to expose his actions. One day I left the front door open when he brought me over to do his usual with me. Father walked in to see why the door to his brother's house was open and caught him in the act."

Maud's breath quavered and her hand trembled slightly. "Father went crazy and I thought he was going to beat Gravel to death with his bare hands. I've never seen father so angry before and it terrified me more than everything else. He took mother, my sisters and I, loaded us up in the truck and took us to one of mother's friend's house. When the police searched Gravel's house, they found dozens of photographs of myself and four other children he had touched." She locked eyes Sunset. "Every day I've had to carry the pain and humiliation of what he did to me and I know that the other children he did that to also have to carry it as well. After Gravel's trial, we moved from Rockton to here. It took a long time and seeing many therapists before I was able to learn that I wasn't someone who was filthy and that I was something much stronger and no one would ever be able to take away from me."

Sunset stared into Maud's eyes. "What is that?"

"Survivors.", Maud said softly.

Sunset hung her head, she couldn't help but feel guilty and ashamed. "Why was it when they did all that to me, I had..."

"Orgasms?", Maud asked interrupting. Sunset had a surprised look on her face as the eldest Pie sister continued, "It took me a long time to learn this. The body will often react to stimulation, even if it's unwanted. The the body's nervous system only knows that something is touching it, even if your mind knows it's unwanted and wrong and that can cause hurt far worse than anything physical."

Sunset looked at the away from her friend's older sister. "Sorry."

Maud reached out and put a finger under Sunset's chin, raising her head to lock eyes with her. Sunset was surprised to see that Maud's normal stoic expression was replaced by a small smile. "It's not your fault. I have had longer to deal with this."

Igneous Pie woke up to the sound of his wife sniffling, sitting up he noted her already sitting in bed. "Cloudy? Art thou alright?"

Cloudy Quartz turned to face her husband and gave him a sad smile. "Verily, husband of mine. I was just listening to our eldest daughters and Sunset talking. Though I weep for their pains, I am joyous to hear that she can use her tragedy to help someone who is struggling."

Igneous wrapped his arms around Cloudy's shoulders. "Verily we hath raised four strong and morally upright daughters."
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The next two weeks at the Pie household went by agonizingly slow for Sunset. Between helping sifting rocks to pull out the precious and semi-precious stones to be sold to gem wholesalers or at the local flea market and Sci-Twi bringing by her schoolwork so she wouldn't fall too far behind once she went back, the days seemed to drag on forever, further compounded by her not being able to sleep, as the nightmares would make her wake up screaming.

For the first few days Sunset would have quiet talks with Maud when the panic started to overwhelm her. After Maud went back to college, she tried having talks with Limestone, but her gruff demeanor made it difficult for the girl with the red hair and blonde streaks to make a connection, so she just stopped talking about her feelings. Without an outlet, the bile and poison slowly built up in her mind. The migraines started coming back with a vengeance, making it hard to think.

After another week, Sunset decided to live with the Apples for a while, who happily and graciously took her in.

Big Mac rolled up to the Pie house in the old rusty beater of a truck that AJ had called Betsy, the cassingle of Hank Williams still playing the same song on repeat and the hulking man with red skin and orange hair sang along in his deep basso voice.

The Pie family stood on the front steps along with Sunset. Cloudy Quartz placed the recently-knitted blanket she was holding in Sunset's arms and pulled her in for a gentle hug. "Thou art welcome back to stay here anytime thou fell the need. Our door is always open to thee.", the Pie family matriarch said, smiling as she looked over the top of her pince-nez bifocals.

Big Mac stepped out of the truck and walked over to the passenger side door, holding it open for Sunset. When he went to help Sunset with her things, she flinched away. Sunset sat in the passenger seat of the old truck, when Big Mac climbed in behind the wheel, she pressed herself against the door, gripping the seat belt so tightly that her knuckles turned stark white and anyone who would have happened to pass by at that moment would have sworn they could see the bones clearly beneath the skin.

As the truck pulled slowly from the curb, Big Mac sang along with the Hank Williams song. Sunset pressed her body hard against the door and clenched her eyes shut tightly, though she knew intellectually that AJ's big brother would never do anything to hurt her, it still didn't make the part of her mind that was screaming for her to jump out of the truck and run down the road screaming be silent.

As tears slowly trickled down Sunset's cheeks, she tried to justify in the rational part of her mind why she was so scared, Big Mac had never even tried to flick a finger in her direction with any ill intent. The scared part of her mind screamed for her to run away. She sat in the passenger side of the truck, petrified as the two halves of her brain warred with itself.

Big Mac pulled into a gas station. "Ah'm gon' fill her up. Why doncha go inside an' get yerself something tuh drink?"

Sunset looked over at Big Mac and nodded, her eyes quavering in her skull. She opened the door and scrambled out of the truck. Making her way in the store, it was abandoned, except for the cashier and a couple of old ladies. Making her way to the drink fountain, her eyes landed on the slush aid machine, especially the cherry-flavored slushy ice swirling in the vat. Though she wanted to get the bright red, cherry-flavored slushy drink, her stomach turned sour as unwanted memories came washing back. "Whores don't get to drink slush aid!", she grumbled to herself. Grabbing a styrofoam cup, she filled it with ice and lemon-lime soda. Walking up to the counter, she stood behind one of the old ladies counting out pennies to pay.

Big Mac, who had finished gassing up the truck, walked in the store and stood beside Sunset. Trembling, she shuffled away from him and cast her eyes down. The two of them walked up to the counter and the cashier rang up the drink and gas. Big Mac pulled out his wallet and gave the cashier the money. Sunset quickly rushed out the store and leaned against a nearby pole. She clenched her eyes shut as she tried to will her body to stop trembling. Behind her the electronic chime on the door rang out in its odd two-tone, slightly garbled sound and she looked over her shoulder seeing Big Mac walk out of the store.

After the two of them climbed into the truck, Big Mac turned the key in the ignition and popped it into first gear. Sunset begged for her mind to stop screaming, the big, often monosyllabic eldest Apple sibling would never hurt her. As Big Mac sang along with the Hank Williams song, Sunset tried to join in, hoping that it would help her nerves, but all that came out was a strangled squeak.

As the truck pulled up to the big farmhouse, Big Mac drove it under an old tin awning. As soon as the truck came to a stop, Sunset leapt out of the door and sprinted up to the porch.

"Sunset scared th' whole way?", Applejack asked walking up as her brother twirled the key by its ring on a finger. "Eeyup!", Big Mac said with a sad sigh. "Maybe Ah shoulda been th' one tuh pick her up." "Eenope!" "What makes ya say that?" Big Mac reached into his pocket, pulled out a packet of cinnamon-flavored gum and shoved a stick of it in his mouth. "Jackie, said ain't gonna get none if'n all ya do is let her be around girls all th' time. Ah think she might be gettin' a lil' better as she requested tuh stay here, knowin' Ah was livin' here too. Inna a coupla weeks she's gon' be gettin' back tuh school wherein she'll be around lots more boys. Maybe bein' 'round me will help her uh not be so scared when she she gets 'round more boys." Applejack took the packet of cinnamon gum from her brother and shoved a stick of in in her mouth. "Eeyup!", the farm girl replied.

That night Sunset sat in the bed in the spare bedroom, the blanket pulled up to her shoulders as she trembled. Dinner had gone by mostly uneventful, though she had sat as far away from Big Mac as physically possible while still at the table. Lights went out across the house as the various members of the Apple clan called out good night to each other. The lamp on the end table stayed on, filling the room with light in a soft yellow glow from the shade, kept the shadows at bay, but that didn't tell her mind that the specters of those five were hiding in the darkness outside the window.

Sunset gently tapped her fist against the side of her head, trying to get the images to stop. Tears trickled down her cheeks as she tried to keep her lips clamped shut in a futile attempt to keep her terrified whimpers and sobs stifled, but in the end the sobs won out and her chest heaved as strangled sobs poured out. Every time she closed her eyes or blinked, she would see hands reaching out to grab her or fists flying t her face. "Pleasestoppleasestoppleasestop!", she whispered over and over again between sobs.

Applejack laid in her bed hearing her friend down the hall sobbing and whimpering in the spare bedroom, she knew that if she could hear her, then everyone else in the house could. Sitting up in bed, the farm girl slipped her feet into her slippers and walked out into the hallway. She saw Big Mac sitting on his bed with a concerned look on his face and Apple Bloom stood in the door of her bedroom looking down at the room where Sunset was in in. The door to Granny's room and the eldest member of the Apple family walked out, waving her grandchildren back to their rooms.

A soft knock at the bedroom door snapped Sunset out of her sob-laden fugue. Her body trembled violently and she pulled the blanket up to her neck as the knob slowly turned. The door opened with a soft creaking of the hinges, revealing the form of Granny Smith. "Darlin'? Why dontcha come on down tuh th' kitchen with me?" Sunset tried to repond, but she found suddenly that her mind had forgotten how to form words, instead what came out was some unintelligible squeaks and whimpers between the sobs.

Granny Smith walked forward, the floorboards creaking underfoot and extended a hand to the scared and sobbing girl. "Ya dun hafta say nuthin'. Ah caint guarantee that anything Ah c'n offer c'n make ya feel any better, but Ah c'n guarantee it won't make ya feel any worse." When Sunset didn't move or respond, Granny gestured her hand in a small circle for the girl to take it. "C'mon, jus' humor this ole biddy." Sunset reached out with a trembling hand and placed it in the wrinkled hand of Granny Smith. As the hand gently closed around hers, Sunset noted that though she was old, Granny Smith was still physically strong. Granny gave a gently smile while she gently held Sunset's hand as the girl slowly rose from the bed. "There ya go darlin'." The two walked side-by-side down the stairs and into the kitchen.

Sunset watched from the kitchen table as Granny Smith pulled two small juice glasses from the cabinet and a bottle of hard cider from the fridge. Setting the juice glasses on the table, Granny poured hard cider into both, almost instantly outside of the glass was covered in a layer of condensation. After the old woman placed one of the glasses in front of her, Sunset looked up and asked, "Are you sure I'm supposed to have this?" "Ah won't tell if'n ya won't.", Granny Smith said with a wink and a click of her tongue. Picking up the glass, Sunset placed it to her lips and took a breath to steady herself, the vapors from the hard cider filled her nostrils and sinuses. Taking a sip, she coughed as the surprisingly strong cider burned her throat and the vapors rose up the back of her throat, filling the rest of her sinuses, causing her eyes to water.

"Bottom's up darlin'!", Granny said as she drank the glass down, shivering from the aftertaste. Sunset shuddered before downing the cider in one terrible gulp. "Gah!", she exclaimed before going into a coughing fit, as soon as the hard cider hit her stomach, it filled the middle of her body with a warm feeling.

Granny Smith gave a nearly-toothless grin. "Feel better?" Sunset shook her head no. "Feel worse?" Sunset again shook her head no. "Ah said Ah couldn't promise ya that ya'd feel better, but Ah did guarantee that ya wouldn't feel worse. So...", Granny Smith refilled their glasses, "...we can c'n laugh it up or we c'n cry it out. Either way, let's drink it out."

After a few drinks, Sunset's head felt like it was swimming. She didn't feel like laughing, but she didn't feel like crying either. Suddenly out of nowhere a combination of a hiccough and a burp came out of her body, for some reason she found it amusing and snorting giggles began making her belly jiggle, making the hard cider inside it. She leaned over the table to ask for another drink when the chair tipped over, dumping her unceremoniously onto her backside. She gave a stunned stare up at the old woman, she suddenly found that very funny and her body responded with sputtering guffaws.

Granny Smith gathered up the empty glasses and dropped them into the sink, then put the bottle of hard cider up in the fridge. With a grunt, she helped Sunset up off the floor. "Alright yung'un, Ah think we done had enough fer tuhnight." Slinging Sunset's arm across her shoulders, she helped the girl into the living room and laid her on the couch, then switched on the lamp. "Ah'll see ya in th' mornin'"

After Granny Smith made her way up the stairs slowly, Sunset stared up at the ceiling, counting the strange patterns on it while the soft glow of the lamp shown down on her. Her mind still swimming in the effects of the alcohol, she drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

Between the smells of breakfast cooking and the crowing of a rooster outside of the window, Sunset woke up. Though her head hurt, she felt more rested than she had ever in weeks, no waking up screaming or panicking, just a headache. Covering her eyes as she sat up, she smacked her lips, her mouth tasted like she had licked the north end of a south-bound mule.

"Mornin'!", Granny Smith said in a happy tone as she laid a glass of water with a straw in it and little plastic cup of liquid acetaminophen on the end table, "Sleep well?"

Sunset didn't remember going to sleep, she also didn't remember any nightmares. "I guess so." She tipped her head back as she drank the liquid acetaminophen, then sipped the water through the straw. "Maybe I should drink hard cider every night before going to bed."

"That's not such a good idea.", Granny said. Sunset stared at her blinking for a few minutes. "Sure ya could do that, but after a while the nightmares would come back an' then ya'd be in a real bad spot, dealin' with yer problems an' havin' a drinkin' habit. How's 'bout Ah make ya a deal? If'n in a couple o' weeks if'n yer still havin' trouble sleepin' an' nightmares an' whatnot, we can have a few drinks again?" Sunset nodded. "Good! 'Cause Ah dun think my reserves would hol' out with ya a-guzzlin' it down like a fish. Now what flavor o' shake ya want fer breakfast, vanilee, chocolate or strawberry?" "Strawberry would be fine." Granny cracked open the can of strawberry-flavored shake, shoved a straw in it and gave it to Sunset. "Ah gotta write that shake company an' see if'n they'll make apple-flavored shakes."
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Rosewater Blush walked out of the hospital with Wallflower beside her, the girl had bandages on her left arm. The two sat in the front seat of the car quietly for a few minutes and Wallflower wrapped her hands around her midsection. "I'm sorry I messed up again.", Wallflower said hanging her head as her dark green locks hung over her face, covering her freckles and hiding her brown eyes as they shimmered with tears, "I'm sorry I'm such a disappointment."

Rosewater sighed sadly as she laid a hand on her daughter's shoulder. "I'm not mad or disappointed with you, I'm scared. I know you're hurting, I'm just glad you didn't cut yourself too deep, though it was bad this time." Tears rolled down her cheeks and she sniffled a few times. "Please start talking to Dr. Cadance again, if you're not comfortable with talking to her, I'll get you an appointment with someone who you're more comfortable talking with."

"I don't want to talk about it to anybody, it just drags up too many things I want to forget about.", Wallflower muttered.

"Do it for me, if you won't do it for yourself, please?", Rosewater begged her daughter, "If you keep hurting yourself, I'm going to have to put you in a hospital where they'll force you to get help." Choked sobs poured out her throat as she pulled her daughter into a tight hug. After a few minutes she regained her composure and looked Wallflower in her eyes. "I know it's been hard on you and you've had problems making friends. There's this girl at your school, Sunset Shimmer, she's going through what you're going through too. I know she's given you problems before in the past, just talk to her and let her know she's not alone in this. Who knows, maybe you'll make a friend."

Wallflower leaned her head against the passenger side window as the car cranked up as unwanted memories danced in her head. 'Why would anyone want to be friends with an ugly whore like me?'

As Rosewater put the car in drive, her cellphone started ringing. Pulling it out of her pocket, she saw it was from the station, pressing the green icon on the scree, she held it up to her ear. "Hello? Yes, this is Sgt. Blush. Wait, what?! I thought that was supposed to be the most secure place in the building, how did someone get into evidence without checking in with the cage and submitting I.D.? Oh, I see. Yes, give me about an hour." She pressed the red icon to end the call and turned to Wallflower, "That was work. I might be home late tonight, if I am, I'll call Mr. Magnet and tell him to peek in on you." Wallflower nodded. "Now remember Wallflower, if you start thinking about hurting yourself again, call me or Dr. Cadance or somebody."

An hour later Rosewater Blush walked into the front of the station in her full uniform. A detective leaned against the door that lead to holding cells waiting for her, his name tag read 'Detective Boson Higgs'. "What happened Randy? How did someone get past Squints?", Rosewater asked. Higgs sighed and shook his head, "The guy dressed up as one of us, claiming to be a recent transfer from another precinct. You know how Squints can barely see past his nose, but can snoop out a faker like a hog on a truffle. He let the guy back, but he also set off the silent alarm and followed him back. When the guy started ripping open one of the boxes holding evidence from the Celestia shooting, Squints tried to stop him and got roughed up pretty good. The guy tried to bolt, but three off the boys dog piled him."

Rosewater covered her mouth as she gasped. "I hope squints is okay."

"You know Squints.", Higgs replied, "He's practically made of hard rubber and built like a tank. If it weren't for his terrible eyesight, he'd be on a beat."

Rosewater and Higgs walked through the hallway and stopped at a guy who was shorter than her, holding and ice pack up to his jaw and a pair of glasses with lenses thicker that the bottoms of soda bottles perched on his face, hi name tag read 'Biscuit Hooves'. "How ya holding up there Biscuit?", Rosewater asked.

The man nicknamed Squints looked up at Rosewater, his golden eyes looking in two different directions, like they were trying to stare at the walls, magnified to almost preposterous proportions by his thick glasses. "Not too bad Rosie. I woulda had that guy if he hadn't sucker punched me. Muffins is gonna fuss over me when I get home and she sees these bruises."

Rosewater smiled at him. "Well you can't fault your daughter for worrying over you."

Higgs slapped him on one of his massive shoulders. "Aw c'mon Hooves! We all know you're just milking it. Before you know it people will be shouting 'Dammit Squints, you got me the wrong evidence box again!'"

Squints slapped Higgs on the shoulder, making him stagger. "I only do that to you, Barrel-ass."

Rosewater and Higgs walked down the hallway. Once they turned the corner, Higgs worked his shoulder while mouthing "Ow!" Rosewater giggled before letting her face get serious. "So what did that guy try to steal from the evidence lockup?" "Just some SD cards from a few cellphones.", Higgs replied. Rosewater tapped her thumb on her chin. "I wanna see what's so important on those SD cards that someone would risk getting locked up on some serious charges."

Several minutes later Rosewater and several other officers gathered up around a laptop. She popped the SD card in a slot and opened a file on it. Video started playing showing Long Pass and his cronies standing outside of the door to the girl's locker room at Canterlot High. Rosewater's eyes went wide when she watched the through the door, catching a surprised Wallflower Blush with a towel wrapped around her body walking out of the showers. As the video showed Wallflower scream for help as the snatched the towel off her body and bend her over a sink, Rosewater jumped up from her chair and bolted out of the room. She burst through the backdoor of the station into the alleyway behind it. She placed a hand against the wall as tears ran down her face. Her stomach heaved and she vomited, the bile splashing on her black shoes. She slammed her fist several times into the concrete wall. She stared at her knuckles as blood trickled down them. With screams of grief and rage, she started kicking the wall over and over.

The backdoor that lead from the station to the alleyway opened and Squints walked out. "Rosie!" He ran over as Rosewater fell to her knees screaming and crying. Squints dropped to his knees and wrapped his thick arms around her. She gave rage-filled screaming sobs into his broad shoulder as her body shook. After her tears dried up, she growled dangerously, "I'm glad Celestia shot those fucking bastards!"

Rosewater walked back into the station and sat on a chair. An officer came up with a first aid kit and cleaned and bandaged her knuckles. She stepped in the bathroom to clean off her shoes, rinse out her mouth and wash her face. Stepping out of the bathroom, she stopped seeing The Chief of Police, Thunderhooves standing with a file in his hands. "I know, I know. You don't have to tell me, I should have acted with more professionalism."

"No...", Thunderhooves replied, "...you acted more rationally than I would have in your position. I just wish you hadn't busted up your knuckles, but given the circumstances, I'll let it pass, the official report on that will be that you had an accident. Right everyone?!" Several mutters in affirmation or nods came from all the officers in earshot. "What I wanted to tell you is that we ran a check on the guy. He's got a rap sheet a mile long, mostly petty scams and fencing stolen goods. It turns out that he and his twin brother were hired by some shady unliscensed private detective, to get those SD cards. After we told him he was going to go upstate for a long time, he started talking and said he'd convince his brother to turn himself in and also turn state's evidence."

Rosewater took the file and flipped it open reading the name, 'Flim', she continued reading the file, 'Known accomplices: Flam". The remainder of the file read like a laundry list of petty con jobs and theft by receiving. "Did he tell you the name of the guy who hired him?"

"Yeah.", Thunderhooves replied, "His name is Coin Purse. We ran his background, before five years ago, that guy didn't even exist, but when we found his picture, we ran the likeness. It turns out he's a former MI-five informant who got burned, his real name is Pound Farthing."

Rosewater gave an angry smirk. "How long until we nail that fucker's nuts to the wall?"
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Sunset was glad to be back at school, spending the last ten days helping Granny Smith rip weeds out of her garden and helping pile apples in buckets was enough for her, though it had kept her mind off things, she still was glad to be doing something else. Walking down the hallway, her chest felt tight. As guys brushed past her in the hallway, she would flinch away. Stopping in front of her locker, her legs locked up and refused to move. A group of guys stood in front of it talking, sometimes they would slap high-fives. Her breath became shallow, panicked gasps, her body trembled, crackly static buzzed in her ears. Clenching her eyes shut tightly, she leaned against the wall and slumped to the wall. Tears rolled from under her closed eyes as she hyperventilated.

One of the guys, Flash Sentry, looked over seeing the crying and hyperventilating Sunset Shimmer. "Sunset? Are you okay?", he asked walking over and reaching out a hand.

Sunset's eyes flew open and her pupils became pinpricks as Flash walked over. "Don'thurtmedon'thurtmedon'thurtmedon'thurtme!", She repeated over and over as terror gripped her heart.She shuffled backwards as fast as she could until her back met the sides of some lockers.

Flash paused before kneeling down and slowly reaching a hand out to his ex-girlfriend. "I'm not going to hurt you, Sunset. I just want to make sure you're okay."

Sunset screamed bloody murder as she scrambled across the floor, drawing everybody's attention, rising to her feet, she bolted down the hallway in a blind panic. She bounced off other students, which only further fueled her screaming panicked state.

Rainbow was leaning against her locker talking with several of her teammates on the soccer team when Sunset came by in a panicked run, eyes wide with terror. Rainbow pushed past her teammates and called out to her panicking friend running at full tilt, she decided to take of after her, afraid she was going to hurt herself.

Cadance watched in stunned silence as Sunset, in a full tilt panicked run crashed into a group of four guys caught unawares. All five of them tumbled down to the ground, Sunset scrambled on all fours before getting back up to her feet and running as hard as she can. Cadance raised the walkie-talkie up to her mouth, "Luna! Roseluck! Cranky! Redheart! We've got a student in a full panic run!" "Who is it!", Cranky Doodle called back on the walkie-talkie. "Sunset Shimmer!", Cadance replied. "I'm on her!", Luna replied, "Make sure there's nobody hurt!"

As Rainbow ran past, Cadance called out to her, "Rainbow Dash! What happened?!" "I don't know.", Rainbow replied out of breath, "I saw Sunset run by like someone was trying to kill her and I was trying to stop her.", she placed a hand on her side where a painful stitch was forming, "I've never seen her run so fast before."

Sunset crashed through the door, nearly tearing it off the hinges, several surprised students scattered away. Trixie slumped against the wall, knocked silly where the door hit her. As Sunset ran in a full blind panic in the parking lot, Luna caught up to her, long since shedding her heeled shoes to get better traction. Wrapping her arms around Sunset, throwing herself onto the ground and dragging the panicking girl on top of her. Sunset screamed and flailed as the pancking animal part of her brain, in full control, tried to fend off the attacker. Luna shifted her weight and pinned the much lighter girl under her. "Sunset Shimmer!", she called out, "Look at me! Listen too me! Nobody's trying to hurt you!"

Sunset managed to roll over, neighing like a terrified pony, she reared up on pure instinct to try and buck off what her brain screamed was an attacker. This gave Luna the opportunity to wrap her arms around Sunset, leaning back, she wrapped her legs around the girl's waist around the screaming and thrashing girl's waist, pinning her on top of her.

After the full tilt panicked running and struggling against Principle Luna, exhaustion finally caught up to Sunset and she passed out. Luna unwrapped herself from around the now passed out girl. Her army training kicked in, pushing her own panic to the side and she started checking Sunset's vitals. Cadance came out the door followed by Cranky, Roseluck and the school nurse, Redheart. Redheart and Roseluck started tending to the semi-conscious Trixie as Cadance and Cranky hurried over to Luna and the passed out Sunset. Now that the worst was over, Luna slumped onto her butt, her hands trembling as panic started drawing up old memories from the Bosnian conflict.

Cadance tapped Luna on the shoulder as she didn't seem to register her question. When Luna jumped, she put her hands in front of her. "It alright. Are you okay Luna?"

"I'm--I'm sorry. This brought back some bad memories. I'll be okay, just give me a few moments to gather myself." Luna rose to her feet and dusted off her pantsuit. "Was there anybody hurt?"

"Other than Trixie who was knocked silly when the door hit her, just some bumps and bruises where Sunset crashed into some students.", Cadance replied.

"Find out what sent her into a full-blown panic, so we can prevent it from happening again.", Luna stated. Walking over to Sunset's upper body, she gestured to Cranky Doodle, "Let's get her to the nurse's office. You get her legs, I'll get her shoulders." Kneeling down, she said, "You got her?" When Cranky nodded, she gave a quick count of three and the two of them easily lifted the ninety pound girl.

Sunset groaned as she woke up on a bed in the nurse's office. As she went to sit up, a hand pressed gently on her chest, preventing her from getting up.

"Easy.", Nurse Redheart said softly, "Just lay here for a little bit until I get you something to drink."

Sunset looked over seeing Trixie sitting on a bench with an ice pack on her head. "What happened?"

"You hit Trrrrrixie with the door when you can running out like a stampeding wildebeest!"

Sunset cast her eyes to the floor. "Sorry."

Trixie harrumphed and looked away. Nurse Redheart walked over and moved the ice pack on Trixie's head. "I think you can go to class now. You don't seem to have any signs of a concussion. If you have any headaches, nausea or dizzyness, come and see me again."

"What about the brain damage she caused Trrrixie?"

"If you have any brain damage, it was there long before you got hit by the door. Now scoot!", Nurse Redheart scolded.

With an over-dramatic harrumph, Trixie stood up and stormed out of the nurse's office.

Nurse Redheart opened a bottle of cold water and helped Sunset sit up. Sunset put the bottle water to her mouth, as soon as the cold, clear liquid hit her tongue, she found she was far thirstier than she realized and began to gulp the water. Nurse Redheart pushed the bottom of the bottle down. "Easy now. Just sip it or you'll get sick." Sunset nodded and slowly sipped the water. Nurse Redheart walked over to her desk, picked up the phone and punched a few buttons. "It's the nurse's office. You wanted me to let you know when Sunset's awake. Yes, she is. I've got her drinking some water right now. No, she hasn't said anything. Yes, I've sent Miss Lulamoon back to her class. No, I don't think she has a concussion, but I did tell her if she had any symptoms of one to come see me. Heh-heh-heh! I agree, but there's not much I can do for that though. Okay, I will once she's finished drinking her water and she feels strong enough. Okay, bye-bye!" Nurse Redheart hung up the phone.

As Sunset finished drinking the water, Nurse Redheart held up a trashcan for her to toss it in to. "Okay Sunset, stand up for me if you can.", the woman asked. When Sunset got to her feet, she continued, "Okay, raise up and down on your toes for me." Sunset felt a bit foolish as she raised up and down on her tiptoes. "Okay, put your feet together, flat on the floor. I'm going to give you a little push, try and keep yourself upright." Sunset did as she was told, when the nurse gave her a little push, her body rocked slightly, but she stayed upright. "Alright, hold your hands out at shoulder height and close your eyes. Try and keep yourself upright." Sunset did as she was told, when the nurse pushed down gently on her arms, she tipped slightly, but didn't stumble or fall. "Okay, open your eyes and put your arms down. Is anywhere you're hurting?" "My-my legs ache some.", Sunset replied. "On a scale from one-to-ten, how would you rate it?" "Uuummmm....about a three." Nurse Redheart picked up Sunset's chart and scribbled a few things on it. "Principle Luna wants to see you in her office as soon as possible. Are you strong enough to walk on your own? If you don't think you are, I can can help you get there." "I think I can handle walking to the office on her own." Nurse Redheart smiled. "Alright, if you're having pain, nausea or dizziness out of the ordinary, come back and see me immediately."

As Sunset walked through the empty hallway, a glint on a windowsill caught her attention, somebody had left a box cutter there. Her feet seemed to move of their own accord, moving to the window and her hand seemed to move over to the thin blade housed in the bright orange plastic. Her hand trembled as it slowly picked up the box cutter. The thumb moved on its own sliding the blade forward, her breath caught in her throat with each click, she was mesmerized by the steely glint of the metal and the razor-sharpness of the blade. The chiming of the intercom snapped her out of her concentration on the box cutter, an announcement came over the speaker, quickly the thumb drew the blade back into the bright orange plastic and she absentmindedly stuffed it into her pocket.

"Come in!", Luna called out in a pleasant tone. The secretary, Raven Inkwell stepped in, "Sunset Shimmer here to see you?" "Ah, yes! Show her in." Closing the door, Raven Inkwell walked back to where Sunset was sitting, "Ms. Luna will see you now."

Sunset walked into Luna's office. "Feeling better, Sunset?" Sunset sat down in the chair and tried to make herself as small as possible as Luna looked at her across the desk, her hands crossed over each other. "Don't worry Sunset, you're not in any trouble. In your own words, can you tell me what your remember before you panicked?" Sunset swallowed and a very visible shiver went up her spine. "There were these guys in front of my locker. I couldn't move." "Did any of them try to hurt you?" Sunset's breath quavered and she clenched her eyes shut, tears began to slowly roll down her cheeks. "I-I-I...don't know.", she whispered, "I was so scared...I couldn't move...I sat on the floor and hoped they wouldn't see me."

Luna picked up a box of tissues and walked around her desk. "It's okay. Just breath and take it slow." She pulled out a tissue and wiped the tears from Sunset's cheeks. "It's okay. You're safe here. Take your time, talk through this slowly. Did you think the boys were going to hurt you?" "I-I-I...don't know." Sunset buried her face in her hands in an attempt to hide, her body began trembling. Luna laid a hand on Sunset's shoulder. "Just take it slow. You're safe here. Tell me what you can." "One of them walked up to me." "Did you recognize him?" "I...yes...no...I don't know. I tried to back away from him, but something blocked me in. He just kept coming at me and suddenly I was back in the alley." Luna tapped her lips knowingly, she thought back to what Flash Sentry told her and his confusion at her panic. "Do you remember what happened after that?" Sunset shook her head no. "Everything was just one big blur until the nurse's office." Her eyes went wide and she started snapping her head around the room, breath coming in panicky gasps. "It's okay, Sunset.", Luna said softly, "You're safe. There's no one here but you and me."

Sunset very stupid and she cast her eyes to the floor. "I'm sorry." "No, no, it's perfectly okay. If you want I can move your locker to somewhere a little more isolated." Sunset shook her head no. "Okay.", Luna said softly and calmly, "From now on I want you to have one of the female students or a woman teacher walk with you in the halls until you feel braver. Okay?" Sunset nodded. Luna smiled gently, when Sunset was calmer, she wrote her a hall pass. Got to the bathroom and wash your face, then go to your class. If you start to feel overwhelmed, just ask to go to the counselor's office."

Sunset leaned on the sink in the girl's bathroom. She caught her reflection and was immediately filled with loathing at what was staring back at her, the bloodshot and puffy eyes filled with fear and shame, the trembling lips, the mussed up hair. "Stop staring at me whore!", she snarled. Her body trembled and tear trickled down her cheeks again, her breath came in sobs, until the reflection filled her with loathing and disgust again. "Stop crying you whore!" Her hand mved on its own to the box cutter in her pocket and her thumb moved without any conscious thought along its length. Footsteps in the hallway caught her attention and she walked out of the bathroom.

Trixie sat in the stall, peeking through the gap in the door. She bit her thumb to keep from sobbing, she had watched Sunset verbally denigrate herself and she didn't know what to do. Tears welled in her eyes and after Sunset left the bathroom, she broke down in the stall.

Sunset felt very stupid and useless as a student or teacher escorted her from class to class. The last class she had before lunch was fortunate as she shared it with Fluttershy. As the bell for lunch rand, Fluttershy took her gently by the arms, guiding her to the cafeteria. "Just look at my feet and lean on me.", the pink-haired girl said softly. The two enetered into the lunchroom and made their way to the usual table where their friends were waiting on them and sat down.

Soon the cafeteria filled with the lunch rush. Sunset laid her forehead on her hand and clenched her eyes shut, it was loud, too loud, she wanted to scream to drown out all the voices. Everything felt like it was crushing in on her, pushing all the air away, it was too loud, too hot, not enough air. "I-I-I-I can't stay in here!" Jumping to her feet, she hurried to the door, pushing past the crowd. As bodies brushed against her, she wanted to scream, but she couldn't breath, panic started taking over as images in her mind played out of hands grabbing her. Stepping outside and past the crowd, she took in a breath, her lungs greedily pulling air. She sprinted across the yard to an old oak tree and sat on the ground, leaning against it until her body stopped trembling.

Sunset's friends watched her rush to the door. As started to get up to join her outside, Trixie sat at the table with them.

"What do you want?", Rarity snipped.

"Look, Trrrrixie knows she's not been the best she could be, but she heard Sunset saying something to herself and Trrrixe doesn't know who else to talk to."

"Well don't keep us in suspense.", Applejack quipped.

Sunset opened her backpack and pulled out a can of vanilla flavored shake. She had grown to hate the shakes, but with her jaw still wired shut, she was relegated to a liquid diet. Dropping a straw in the can, she went to take a sip, but suddenly found her appetite gone. Placing the can on the ground, she covered her face an cried.

"Can I sit with you?", a timid voice asked, too deep to be Fluttershy's, making Sunset jump. Looking up, she saw a girl with light green skin, her short sleeved T-shirt revealed several scars on her forearms, there were also a few old cuts, still scabbed over. She scanned her gaze up to see a face with freckled and an unsure expression, framed with messy, dark green hair. Her eyes locked onto the girl's brown eyes, they were also filled with fear and shame. Who was this girl? Sunset shimmied over and gestured for the girl to sit.

"You're Sunset Shimmer, right?", the green-skinned girl with scared brown eyes and scars on her forearms asked, "My name's Wallflower Blush." Sunset looked at the girl, not saying anything.

"I saw you this morning in the hallway.", Wallflower said.

Sunset felt very stupid. "Sorry."

"No, don't be. I get it, boys scare you. They still scare me...well after...you know."

Sunset knew immediately who this girl was, she was the one who was hurt in the locker room those months ago. "Yeah.", she said flatly, "I don't want to talk about it."

Wallflower nodded as she took a bite of her sandwich. "You still work on the yearbook?" Sunset nodded. "I'm thinking about joining it next year.", Wallflower said around the mouthful of food. Sunset felt her appetite coming back, she didn't know if it was being outside where it was quieter or being around Wallflower. She put the straw to her lips and sipped some of the shake. The two of them sat under the tree and ate or in Sunset's case drank, their lunch quietly. When the bell rang for the end of lunch, they tossed their trash into a trashcan. Wallflower went to her next class as Sunset made her way to study hall.

Outside Cadance's office, Sunset's six friends along with Trixie stood, Applejack raised her hand and knocked on the door. Cadance opened the door. "What can I for you, girls?" Sci-Twi dug the toe of her shoe into the carpet. "We need to talk to you, about Sunset."

Sunset sat in the mostly empty room of study hall as far away from the other students as she possibly could and hastily scribbled answers down the various worksheets from her various classes. The intercom chimed and a voice, distorted by the mostly blown and worn out speaker spoke, "Sunset Shimmer, please report to vice principal Cadance's office." The few students in study hall all 'oooo'd' as Sunset gathered her things up and stuffed them in her backpack. She didn't know why Cadance wanted to see her, bit she went anyways.

Walking into the office, Raven Inkwell quickly waved her back to Cadance's office, where the door was already open. "Sunset, come in please and shut the door.", Cadance said as she put some paperwork in a drawer. "Uh...what's this about?", Sunset asked as she closed the door. "Take a seat please." After Sunset sat in the chair, Cadance asked, "Is there anything you'd like to tell me?" Sunset looked across the desk at Cadance confused, she wracked her brain trying to think about why she had been called here. "If this is about in the lunchroom, everything was just too loud and I went outside to eat...er...drink my lunch under the old oak tree."

"No, that isn't what this is about. But I'm glad you had lunch.", Cadance said as she placed her reading glasses in their case, "Sunset, after your meeting with principal Luna, did you call yourself degrading names in the mirror in the bathroom?"

Sunset suddenly like she had a very hot and bright spotlight shining on her. "Uh...."

Cadance had a sad expression spread on her face. "Why do you call yourself such dirty names in the mirror?"

Sunset's mouth and throat felt very dry, she tried to speak, but only a squeak came out.

"Do you hate yourself?"

Sunset trembled, she tried to speak, tried to move her head, tried to make a sound, tried to do anything, but she found herself locked in place, no air could move in or out of her throat.

"I see. One last question. Do you think you deserve what happened to you?"

Sitting there feeling exposed, Sunset felt the dam begin to crack, tears welled up in her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. When she tried to speak, a strangled, gurgling sob erupted forth and she buried her face in her hands. "YES!", she finally screamed out, "What kind of no good, dirty, broken, polluted fucking whore has orgasms when guys beat and rape her?! Huh?! Is that all I'm good for?! Just to be beaten, raped and then tossed in the trash?!" Her body trembled as sobs wracked her. "I WISH I HAD DIED IN THAT TRASH PILE LIKE THE PIECE OF GARBAGE I AM!", she screamed at the top of her voice. "I HATE THAT I FEEL BROKEN! I HATE THAT I CAN'T EAT FOOD AND ONLY DRINK THOSE FUCKING SHAKES! I HATE THAT I CAN STILL TASTE THEIR COCKS IN MY MOUTH AND FEEL THEM IN MY BODY! I HATE THAT I CAN STILL FEEL THEIR VILE FLUIDS POISONING ME! I HATE THAT I CAN'T SLEEP! I HATE THE NIGHTMARES! I HATE FEELING SCARED! I HATE THE MIGRAINES! I HATE THAT I CAN STILL SMELL THEIR SWEAT! I HATE THE HEADACHES! I HATE THE GIRL IN THE MIRROR THAT STARES BACK!" Her voice took on an enraged growl. "AND MOST OF ALL I HATE ME!" With a cough, a coppery taste filled her mouth. She definitely injured her vocal chords.

Sunset flopped on her side and curled up in a tight ball. Her sobs were hoarse and gravelly. She couldn't stop crying, she couldn't stop being scared, she couldn't stop hating the mirror, she couldn't stop hating herself. "And worst of all, I deserve this!", she hissed in a hoarse whisper.

Cadance walked around the desk, sat on the floor next to Sunset and cradled her head in her lap. This breakdown was well on it's way to coming, but now that the girl's wounds were laid bare and she was spewing the poison from her souls, her long road to healing and recover was beginning. Cadance gently stroked the hair of the crying girl. Slowly Sunset's hoarse sobs became gravelly whimpers.

Luna sat in her office fighting back the tears, she had heard it all, she had wanted to burst in the office and stop the breakdown, but Cadance insisted that Sunset needed this vent or her emotions would come out in much worse ways. She covered her eyes as tears poured forth. After several minutes she gathered herself and pushed the button the intercom, "Raven, you can take off early of you want. I've got everything from here."

After Raven left the office, Luna picked up the receiver on the phone on her desk and punched a button to key up the school-wide intercom. "Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Twilight Sparkle, Rarity and Pinkie Pie, please report to the vice principal's office please." with a push of a button, she switched off the intercom, hung up the receiver and walked out to the secretary's office to wait for the girls.

Sunset found herself surrounded by her six friends in a tight group hug. Once the girls parted from the group hug, Cadance spoke up, "Sunset, from here on out, I'd like you to spend at least thirty minutes a day in the office talking with me." Sunset nodded. Luna gave Sunset her card. "That has my personal number on there. You can call me any time, day or night for any reason, no matter how silly or trivial you might think it is."

Over the next two weeks, Sunset felt like her broken pieces were being slowly put back in place. She began to look forward to things again, she looked forward to meeting with her friends at band practice, she looked forward to her meeting with Cadance, she looked forward to her quiet lunches with Wallflower. There were still bad things, she avoided going to sleep, when she did the nightmares still made her wake up screaming, she was still terrified of the groups of guys, panic still grabbed her, she was still afraid of the dark and always stayed where there was a light on. When the bad things would come on her like a storm, she knew where her anchors were. Sometimes she talked on the phone with Luna, sometimes she shared a few drinks of hard cider with Granny Smith, sometimes she would sit by herself and cry it out. Through it all, she would run her fingers across the box cutter she still had, sometimes taking it out to stare at the blade as she clicked it forward and back.

It was a Thursday when she sat under the tree enjoying lunch with Wallflower, though she didn't know it yet, the next few days were going to be etched in her brain for the rest of her life. "So this afternoon I'm getting the damn wires out of my mouth.", Sunset said as she spread her lips, showing the thick braces that were holding her jaw in place, "I can't wait to brush my teeth again." Wallflower stared at the ground, a distant and sad, unfocused gaze in her eyes, she absentmindedly ran her fingers along her thigh were some fresh cuts were. "Wallflower? You okay?" Wallflower looked up, then darted her eyes around a few times. "Oh...uh...yeah. Sorry about that, my mind was wandering. I happy for you, really." She gave Sunset a genuine-looking smile, though deep inside she was feeling rotten.

Sunset sat in the chair in the dentist's office. On the tray by her sat several of the wires from the thick braces that kept her jaw held shut. "Alright miss Shimmer, just hold still as I get the last couple of the wires unhooked.", the dentist said cheerfully. With a few pops and clicks, the dentist pulled the last of the wires from Sunset's mouth and droppednthem on the tray. "Alrighty, take a look see.", the dentist said, pushing a small mirror over. Sunset looked at her teeth in the mirror, it was weird to not feel the wires in her mouth, good weird, she ran her tongue across her teeth and her lips, then stuck her tongue out at her own reflection.

Sunset pranced out into the waiting room where her friends were. "They're ou-OOF!" Pinkie knocked the air out of Sunset with a tackling hug. "Now I get to throw you a proper party with cakes and candy apples and pies and ice cream!", the oudgy pink girl squealed excitedly as she bounced up and down, then blew into a party horn, when the paper unrolled, confetti and streamers flew out the end wit a tweet. "Slow down Pinkie.", Sunset said, "The dentist said to take it slow on hard foods for a few days until my jaw muscles regain their strength, but I could definitely go for some cake and ice cream." Pinkie danced in place as she clapped her hands. Sunset called Wallflowers phone as she and her friends rode over to Sugar Cube corner for her party, she frowned slightly as Wallflower didn't pick up.

Sunset's face was pure bliss as she actually chewed on a piece of cake. She took extra long with her chewing, relishing the sensation before swallowing. She quickly gulped down several mouthfuls of punch before shoving another piece of cake in her mouth. As the sun went down, Sunset sat on the couch in the farmhouse at Sweet Apple Acres, burping and groaning. She had eaten way too much cake and ice cream. If anyone were to ask her, she would have shouted 'Totally worth it!'

That Friday when the lunch bell rang, Sunset made her way to the tree where she ate lunch with Wallflower, eagerly anticipating to crunch down on the baby carrots in her backpack. Looking around, she saw Wallflower wasn't there yet. Squinting her eyes, she saw a piece of paper stick in a hollow of the trunk. Pulling it out, she unfolded it and started reading it. 'Dear whoever reads this, I know you won't cry for me, nobody will miss an ugly, fat whore. I'm so tired of hurting constantly. I so tired of crying all the time. I'm so tired of disappointing my mom. I can't go on like this anymore, everything hurt all the time. You will find my body in the third hall bathroom. Please tell mom I'm sorry, this isn't her fault, I just can't go on anymore. , Wallflower Blush' Sunset flipped the paper over, it wasn't discolored from the dew and there wasn't much dirt on it, so it couldn't have been there for long. Crunching the note in her hand, she threw her things and took off in a full run, she hoped this was just a sick joke and if it wasn't, she hoped she wasn't took later.

"Move! Move!", Sunset shouted as she plowed past people in third hall, making her way to the bathroom. Applejack saw plowing through the crowd as she shouted, seeing the panicked and scared look on her friends face. The farm girl started body blocking her way through the crowd, thinking her friends was having another panic attack. Applejack saw Sci-Twi and shouted out to her, pointing in the direction of Sunset. Sci-Twi nodded, the nerdy girl started ducking and weaving through the crowd.

Sunset barreled into the bathroom. "Wallflower!", she screamed out, full of fear. Running by each stall, she kicked the door open, fearing, well she didn't quite know what she'd see, she just knew she was afraid to see it. Coming to the last stall, she found it was locked. Peaking through the crack in the door, she saw Wallflower holding a pill bottle, bother her hands trembling as tears leaked down her face. "Wallflower! Don't do this!", she shouted, pounding her fist on the door.

"I'm sorry Sunset. I can't go on anymore, the pain is too much. Even cutting doesn't numb it anymore." Sunset's eyes became pinpricks as she watched Wallflower pop the lid off the pill bottle and dump several blue pills into her shaking palm. "Wallflower! Please! Don't do this!", Sunset shouted as she pounded her fist as hard as she could on the door, "Unlock the door! Let me In! I can help you! I want to help you!" Wallflower let a choking sob pour out of her mouth. "I'm sorry Sunset. I truly am, but it's better this way. Good bye." She shoved the handful of blue pills into her mouth and started chewing them up, then swallowed. "Nonononono!", Sunset scrreamed as she threw her body over and over into the dor, trying to batter it down. Wallflower began to slowly droop over, "It's better this way. It's better this krrrrdmmmmfffffnnnnn.", her mutters became more and more incoherent as her eyes started closing.

Applejack was the first of Sunset's friends to make it into the bathroom, she paused for a split second seeing her friend screaming while she threw herself into the door of the stall over and over. "Sunset!", she shouted, running up, "What's goin' on?!" "She's killing herself!", Sunset screamed. Applejack peeked through the gap in the door on the stall, seeing the drooping form of the mostly unconscious form of Wallflower. "Fuck me! Together!" The farm girl and the former student of Princess Celestia slammed their shoulders into the door of the stall simultaneously, the walls of all the stalls shook, but the door still didn't budge. "Dammit! Uff! What the hell-Unf!-did they make this-Erf!-door out of?!", Applejack shouted as she and Sunset threw their weight into it.

A crowd gathered, attracted by the commotion. Sci-Twi weaved through the people. She stopped dead in her tracks seeing two of her friends throwing their weight into the door of a stall. "What's going on?"

"We got-Oof!-girl tryin' tuh-Gff!-killer herself!-Oosh!", Applejack said while trying to help Sunset batter the door down.

Sci-Twi ran up and shoved her friends aside, then shimmied under the door. Reaching up, she unlatched the door. "Help me get her laid down!" Sunset and Applejack pulled the now fully unconscious form of Wallflower off the toilet and laid her on the floor. "Prop her up on her side!", Sci-Twi shouted. The three girls rolled Wallflower on her right side and Applejack tucked her knees behind the unconscious girl's back to hold her there. Sci-Twi pried open Wallflower's mouth and jammed two fingers down the unconscious girls throat, wiggling the a little. When Wallflower's stomach heaved, Sci-Twi removed her  fingers, bile and partially digest pill chunks splashed onto the tiled floor of the bathroom. Scraping the vomit out of Wallflower's mouth, Sci-Twi repeated the process again a few times.

Principal Luna shoved her way through the crowd in the bathroom. "What's going on here?!" "We're trying to save Wallflower's life!", Sunset exclaimed. Luna pushed past the last of the students and knelt down on the floor by the unconscious girl, pried an eye open and frowned at the dilation of the girls pupil. She checker her pulse and heartbeat. "How did this happen?" "She ate a bunch of pills!", Sunset said on the verge of a breakdown. "What kind? How many?" Sunset flopped on her butt, "I don't know. Blue ones. She dumped a lot of them in her palm and chewed them up." Luna pointed to the stall, "Bring me the bottle! And for fuck's sake, someone call nine-one-one!" As Sunset scrambled across the floor, Luna saw the letter still clenched in her fist. "Give me that!" Sunset tossed the crunched-up letter to Luna as she scrambled for the empty pill bottle. Luna quickly scanned the the suicide note, looking for any relevant information. Sunset brought her the empty pill bottle and Luna's eyes went wide when she saw it was xanax, looking down at Wallflower's hand for size reference, she asked, "You said she poured a bunch into her palm and chewed them up?" Sunset nodded."Fuck me! That can be as few as twelve pills, probably more like twenty or twenty-five!"

While waiting for the ambulance, Luna repeatedly checked Wallflower's vitals. Several teachers came in and started moving the students out of the bathroom. Luna pointed at Applejack, Sunset and Sci-Twi, "You three stay here." She put her head on Wallflower's chest, she couldn't hear the girl's breathing or heartbeat. "No you don't!", Luna exclaimed as she started doing chest compressions, "Breath goddammit!" Wallflower coughed and her unconscious form sucked in air, Luna laid her head on the girl's chest. "Her breathing's good, but her heartbeat's weak." The paramedics rushed into the bathroom, pushing a gurney. Luna stood up. "She ate a handful of xanax. I'm not sure how many, she just crammed a bunch into her mouth and chewed them up. We managed to get her to vomit some up."

The paramedics slid a backboard under Wallflower and strapped a neck brace on her. On the count of three, they lifted the unconscious girl onto the gurney and strapped her down. They then rushed out to the ambulance. Luna gestured for the three girls to follow her as a cop walked in to take a statement. Luna gave her statement, then each of the three girls gave their statements. After he finished writing down on his report, he took a few photos of the scene, took a sample of the vomit on the floor, then tipped his hat to the four and left. Luna called Cadance to tell her what happened and to tell her to let school out early as she hurried to her car.

Rosewater Blush ran at full tilt through the hospital as soon as the door on the elevator opened. As soon as she heard that Wallflower tried to kill herself, the worst images ran through her mind. Was she breathing on her own or did they have her hooked up to a machine? Would her daughter be a vegetable? Would she recognize her own daughter?

Luna stopped Rosewater in the hallway. "They've got her stable and they've pumped her stomach. She's still out."

"What did she take and how much?!"

"From what they pumped out of her stomach and what the police have gathered from the scene, she chewed up and swallowed at least eighteen xanax.", Luna said calmly, "Three girls at the school found he as she swallowed the pills and they made her throw some of it up."

Rosewater pushed past Luna and made her way to the door of Wallflower's room. She saw her daughter laying on the bed, some tubes running out of her nose, a couple of IVs running to her arm and beeping machines hooked up to her body. Her eyes rolled up in her head as she fainted.

Sunset sat on the curb crying. She held the box cutter in her hand, extending and retracting the blade as the images of the day ran in her head. She wanted to hurl the razor-sharp blade away, but her hand would let it go. Her eyes traveled down to her wrist. "It could be so easy." She grit her teeth. "No!" Retracting the blade one last time, she put the box cutter in her pocket.
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Sunset walked around for the next three days like she was in a gray fog. She had visited Wallflower once after she had woken up in the hospital, but the girl had been irate and cussed her out. Something gray, vicious and hollow gnawed an empty spot in her heart and nestled itself deep in it.

'I fucking hate you! Why didn't you let me have my peace?! Kill yourself you fucking whore!' Wallflower's words echoed in Sunset's head. Tinder rumbled overhead in the dark gray clouds as a storm blew in. A chill wind blew, csrrying the smell of rain.

As the first pats of raindrops struck the ground, Sunset suddenly realized the box cutter was in her hand, the blade fully extended. Though she fought it, her hand moved on its own. "No! Please stop! Don't do this!", she begged her hand to stop, but it refused her command as it moved on its own, bringing the blade to the back of her left forearm. Pain screamed from nerves that suddenly sprang to life as the blade cut through skin and meat on her forearm, crimson liquid flowed forth from the gash. Looking around in a panic, she recognized the neighborhood she was in. She couldn't stop the blade from slicing into her, but she knew who could stop it. As her feet picked up speed, the blade bit through the sin and meat of her forearm again. Stopping in front of a familiar stoop, she looked up to the familiar front door, just five more steps and they could make the blade stop cutting. As she planted her foot on the first step, the box cutter sliced into her forearm again, four steps to go, three steps to go, two step to go, one step to go. She dropped to her knees, raised a fist and started pounding on the door, the clouds finally breaking, dumping sheets of rain down on her head.

Cadance opened the door, seeing Sunset kneeling in front of her, the fresh and angry bleeding gashes on the back of her left fore arm, a box cutter in her right hand, fresh blood staining the blade. Sunset looked up into Cadance's eyes witha distraught and leading gaze. "I-I can't stop myself! Please stop me!" As the blade moved towards Sunset's forearm again, Cadance grabbed the girl by her wrist, stopping the act in progress. Cadance then pried the box cutter out of Sunset's fingers. Sunset's tear mingled with the rain flowing down her face. "Thank you.", she said in a wavering whisper.

Cadance immediately drug Sunset inside. Shining Armor walked out of the back of the house."Cady? Who was-", his eyes went wide with shock seeing the fresh bleeding cuts on Sunset's forearm, "-oh my!" He dashed to the kitchen and came back with a clean dish towel and a first aid kit. Shining wrapped the towel around Sunset's arm to staunch the bleeding and guided her over to the couch as Cadance dug through the first aid kit. "I'm sorry for being so stupid.", Sunset whimpered. "Though cutting yourself isn't the smartest thing in the world, I'm just glad you were smart enough to realize you couldn't stop yourself,", Cadance replied, "Let's focus on getting the bleeding stopped and then get you to a hospital."

As Shining moved the towel, Sunset hissed in pain as Cadance applied first aid spray to the cuts.

Sci-Twi walked out into the front room. "Sunset? Nice of you to...", her words died in her throat seeing the three cuts on Sunset's arm, "...a-re you okay?"

Cadance applied antibiotic ointment to the cuts and wrapped them in gauze. "She's had a bit of a slip up, but she was smart by getting here before it could get worse. Alright let's get you to the hospital."

After Sunset had finished cuts stitched up, five each, a psychologist sat in the room and listened to her for a while. He diagnosed with her PTSD and depression. He wrote out a prescription for antidepressants for her and told her that if the feelings of self-harm continue or increase, to call someone. After the psychologist left, Cadance, Shining Armor and Sci-Twi walked in the room. "I think we should increase our visits to an hour each day for the foreseeable future.", Cadance said. 

Sunset nodded. Deep inside she felt bleak, hollow, gray and dark, everything around her felt like it was getting darker. The words of Pinkie rang in her head from a few weeks ago, she had said that grandmother used to tell her that when the night was it's darkest, that meant the sun would soon rise. She hoped the sun would soon rise, but was scared that the darkness and gray would last forever.
> Lengthening shadows and graying skies pt. 3 the horizon lightens
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunset stared down at the three healing cuts on her forearm. When she tried to think back a few days ago to why she cut herself, everything seemed so surreal, it was almost as if she didn't have control of her own body. But he also knew that it wasn't entirely true. Some part of her brain wanted to do it, she knew that she could have thrown the box cutter away at any time, or told someone she had it before she had gotten that far or told someone that she had thoughts about hurting herself, but she instead concealed it until she started hurting herself. Her thoughts then drifted to Wallflower, all the days they had sat under the old oak tree eating their lunch in the quiet, how the girl was nearly ripped from her life, how in the hospital she had lashed out in such an irate manner. She missed her newest friend so much it made her heart hurt. It almost made her chuckle, a girl she barely knew had for the short time they had at together eating their lunches somehow made her feel...complete.

"Sunset? Is everything okay?"

Cadance's words snapped her out of her thoughts. Looking around seeing that she was in Cadance's office, she had forgotten that this was the hour she was supposed to be taking to talking to her. "I'm sorry. I was just thinking."

Cadance gave a small smile. "Care to share what you were thinking about?"

Sunset closed her eyes and took a deep breath to steady herself. She saw those big grown eyes staring at her in her mind's eye. "I was thinking about Wallflower."

"Oh?", Cadance said crossing her hands on top of her desk, "I hope it was good thoughts."

Sunset thought about the quiet moments they had when they shared their lunches together, about the few chuckles their shared, how neither had to say anything as they knew what the other was feeling. Her thoughts then shifted to how Wallflower laying in the hospital bed shouting irately at her. "Mostly. But I think she hates me now." Tears shimmered in her eyes.

"What makes you say that?"

"When I visited her in the hospital, she was so mad at me. She said I took her peace away. But I couldn't let her kill herself."

Cadance said nothing for several minutes. "I don't think she hates you."

"No, I think she was pretty clear about her feelings when she told me to kill myself." Sunset tried to squeeze back the tears, but failed as they started slowly rolling down her cheeks.

"I see.", Cadance replied, "But I don't think she meant it. I think she wanted you to stop her."

"She seemed pretty serious. I mean with locking herself in the stall and eating a whole handful of pills."

"She left the note where you could find it. I think jut like when you cut yourself and came to my house because you couldn't stop yourself, she also knew she wasn't able to stop herself and knew you would try to stop her."

Sunset planted her heels on the seat of the chair, pulled her thighs up to her chest and clenched her eyes shut in an attempt to fight back the tears, a fight she had already lost. She buried her face in her knees, hot salty tears dripped from her cheeks onto her jeans. The images of Wallflower laying on the floor of the bathroom unconscious danced in her memories. "I was so scared!", she whispered, "Wallflower looked like she was in so much pain when I found her in the stall and when she shoved those pills in her mouth, all I could think was that I couldn't let her die in there like that." Her body heaved as she sobbed into her knees.

Cadance picked up a box of tissues and walked around her desk. She gently grabbed Sunset's hand, the girl looked up at her and she placed the box in her hand. Sunset pulled a few tissues out of the box, wiped her eyes and blew her nose. Cadance knelt down next to Sunset and gently gripped her shoulder, "I'm proud that you acted a quickly as you did. You saved Wallflower's life. If you had hesitated, instead of you, Applejack and Twilight pulling her out of the stall, it would have been the janitor that found her body that evening and by then it would have been too late."

Sunset heard Cadance's words, they didn't make her feel any better. "If she wanted me to save her, why does she hate me for doing so?"

"Sometimes when we're scared and hurting, we lash out in anger because we tell ourselves it's better to be angry than to cry. Give her time, once she has time to heal and get her mind back into a much better place...she'll be back to her old self. Just be there for her and let her know she's not alone in this."

For the remainder of the hour Sunset didn't say much as her mind was processing was processing the things she and Cadance talked to her about.


At lunch, Sunset was sitting under the tree she and Wallflower had shared quiet moments while eating their meal. As she pushed her salad around in its container with a fork, the sound of unsure footsteps pulled her out of her funk. Looking up, she saw Applejack approaching.

"Uh...Sunset? Do ya mind if'n Ah join ya here?"

Sunset shimmied over under the tree and gestured for the farm girl to sit down. "Sure...if you want."

Applejack sighed as she sat down under the tree and slipped her arms out of the straps on her backpack. Unzipping the main compartment, she reached in pulling out a sandwich wrapped in plastic, a thermos and an apple. Taking a big crunching bite out of the apple, the farm girl rolled the chunk of fruit around in her mouth as she slowly chewed. "So...how ya holdin' up?", she asked around the partially chewed up chunk of apple.

"As well as good I can, I guess.", Sunset replied flatly, "I don't really want to-" "Do you two mind if I join you?", a voice interrupted. Looking up, the two girls saw Sci-Twi standing there, awkwardly digging the toe of her shoe in the dirt. "Sure as shootin' sugarcube.", AJ responded, "Ah was out here 'cause Ah couldn't bear th' idea o' Sunset sittin' here by herself.", she then sighed and placed the apple on her lap, "Plus Ah kinda didn't want tuh be in th' cafeteria right now."

Sci-Twi nodded her head as she sat down under the old oak tree. "Twilight, when we got Wallflower out of the stall, how did you know to make her throw up?", Sunset asked. Sci-Twi sighed, took her glasses off to wipe her eyes, then responded, "I took a first aid course with Fluttershy a few weeks after joining the school. I figured it would be a good thing to know, considering all that strange pony magic and whatnot."

Applejack looked off into the distance. "Sunset, Ah jus' wanted tuh apologize. When I ran into th' bathroom after ya, Ah thought ya were havin' 'nother panic attack. Ah dinit know ya were tryin' tuh save yer friend."

Sunset waved it off. "If the tables were turned, I would have probably thought the same thing." Her lips started to tremble she closed her eyes and took a deep breath to brace herself. "I want to thank you both for helping me save Wallflower." Feeling her appetite coming back, she speared some of the salad with the fork to take a bite.

"It's the least I could have done.", Sci-Twi half-muttered as she pulled out a plastic container containing eggplant parmesan.

Over the next several minutes Sunset's four other friends made their way out to the old oak tree. Sunset smirked, "If I didn't know better, I'd think--What the fuck are you eating Rainbow?! It stinks!"

"It's lutefisk.", Rainbow replied as she scooped some of the white gelatinous fish from the plastic container into her mouth, "It's really good. I first came across it as a girl when I visited by cousin up in Minnesota. Want to try some?" She held the plastic container in front of of Sunset's face, whose cheeks turned slightly green from the smell.

Sunset gently pushed the container away. "No, I*urk* Get that away from me before I puke!" She quickly staggered up to her feet and stumbled away from the foul-smelling gelatinous fish to get some air. She placed her hands on her knees dry heaving as she fought back the urge to throw up.

"Geez! I know it's not for everyone, but she doesn't have to act all overly-dramatic.", Rainbow grumbled.

"Rainbow Luanne Dash!", Rarity scolded, "You know Sunset's a vegetarian. I remember you acting the same when you first tried my Babushka's borscht."

"Soup is supposed to be hot, not cold.", Rainbow grumbled under her breath.

Rarity raised an eyebrow and placed a hand to her ear. "What was that darling?"

"Nuthin'."

After recovering from the smell of Rainbow's lunch, Sunset sat back down to join her friends and slowly finished her lunch. Occasionally the wind would shift and the smell of the pickled, gelatinous fish would go up her nostrils, making her gag. Putting a finger against her nostrils to block the smell so she wouldn't gag. "Holy fuck, Rainbow! I love you death and would do anything for, but that ludicrous...ludafish is rank. If you threw that at Nightmare Moon, she probably would have re-banished herself back to the moon."

"Ha-ha-ha.", Rainbow deadpanned before her expression shifted into a wicked smile, "Maybe tomorrow I'll bring my mom's favorite dish...pickled herring with a side of limburger cheese."

"OH FUCK NO!", Rarity shouted before clearing her throat and regaining her composure, "I mean, no darling. I know limburger tastes really good, but it smells like someone diarrhea-ed into a tin can and when you combine it with the smell of pickled fish, I think that smell will drive us to murder."

Applejack snickered. "Ya know Rainbow, if'n ya like munchin' on things that smelled fishy, Ah could introduced ya tuh a couple o' my cousins."

Rainbow blushed and crossed her arms as her six friends laughed. "You know sometimes I wonder why we're friends."
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Sunset sat in study hall trying to wrack her brain on an essay for English class. 'Why did I choose Macbeth for this essay?' She absentmindedly scratched her pencil across the paper. When the bell rang signaling the end of the day, she looked down at the paper she thought she was doodling on absentmindedly and her eyes shot wide-open, somehow in her bored stupor she had drawn a near-perfect image of Wallflower's face. Her cheeks flushed red as she folded up the drawing and stuffed it in her backpack along with several books and papers.

Walking out the front door of the school, Sunset saw her friends gathered up by the portal. "Hey Sunset!", Rainbow shouted as she waved, "We're going to Sugarcube Corner for a bit then go out to the old abandoned airstrip. My dad's gonna let me borrow his Kawasaki. I know you like tearing ass on that thing."

Sunset was familiar with Rainbow's dad's motorcycle. She enjoyed the few times she straddled that crotch rocket while opening the throttle to full, but today she didn't feel like hanging out...even if it involved sitting astride pure sex going a buck twenty down the old runway. "I kinda want to be alone right now, but thanks for inviting me."

"Is everything okay, Sunset?", Fluttershy asked.

"Yeah, I just got a lot on my mind right now and just want some time to myself to think.", Sunset replied, "Smoke the tires up once for me."

"Ya sure?", Applejack asked and Sunset nodded. "Alright then, ya got our numbers if'n ya change yer mind."

As Sunset started walking down the sidewalk, Rainbow slapped Fluttershy on her shoulder. "Well 'Shy it looks like you got first ride on the comet." "Eep!"

Sunset walked down the sidewalk for a few blocks kicking a pebble when a car pulling up and stopping caught her attention. The passenger side window rolled down and a woman called out, "Sunset Shimmer?" Sunset looked over at the woman, taking in her light green skin, bright blue eyes and red shoulder-length hair, she looked very similar to Wallflower. "Depends on who's asking." "My name's Rosewater Blush. I'm Wallflower's mom.", she leaned over and opened the passenger door, "Hop in, I'll take you where you're goin'."

Sunset balked for a moment then climbed in climbed in the car. "Where ya goin'?", Rosewater asked. "Nowhere in particular.", Sunset replied. Rosewater clicked her tongue in thought, "How about a drive with nowhere in mind?" Sunset nodded. "Alright, buckle up.", the woman said as she put the car in drive.

The two sat in silence as they drove for a dozen blocks past stores and restaurants. "So...uh...how's Wallflower been doing?", Sunset asked, breaking the awkward silence. Flipping on the blinker, Rosewater turned into a parking lot of Burger Princess and pulled into a parking spot. "She's been*hsnf*...she's been...", the woman covered her eyes as her body shook with silent sobs.

Sunset placed her hand on Rosewater's shoulder. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you.", she cast her eyes down to the floorboard, "Maybe I should just go." Rosewater turned to face Sunset as tears ran down her cheeks. "Don't go. I-I-I just want to say thank you for helping to save my daughter's life." She wrapped the girl in a hug and bawled into her shoulder. Sunset slowly wrapped her arms around the woman's body and rubbed her back. "It's okay, it's okay. I'm scared for Wallflower too." "I put her in a hospital.", Rosewater said between sobs, "She's been hurting herself for months and I know I should have done it sooner, but I thought I could help get her through this bad patch. Does that make me a bad mom?" Sunset didn't really have an answer, nothing from her time at Canterlot High or back when she was Princess Celestia's personal student prepared her for this. "I can't tell whether you're a good mom or not, considering when I was little, my parents were never there for me."

Rosewater pushed back from the hug slightly and looked Sunset in her eyes. "I understand...I've been a cop for nearly twenty years. I've been on my fair share of calls involving neglected kids. I can't imagine how children from your pony world cope with being neglected by their parents." Sunset sighed as she recalled her foalhood. "Don't get me wrong about Equestria. It's beautiful country that is full of magic, peace and friendship that where ponies will break out in song at any moment and hasn't seen real violence in centuries. But don't get me wrong, just because it's a peaceful land, not everything is smiles, rainbows and farts. I was lucky, my parents weren't super rich, but they didn't live in poverty either. I grew up in a city called Fillydelphia and I rarely saw my parents unless they were sleeping off a hangover, because they were real social climbers. When I showed real talent in magic and wound up becoming the personal student of the princess, they used that as a means to further launch their social status. It wasn't long after that, that I never saw them again, not even for the holidays. I guess that was when I started becoming angry and bitter."

Rosewater looked Sunset in the eyes, swallowed to get the lump of snot out of her throat. When she started to talk, Sunset interrupted, "But I've had enough time to come to terms with it and make my peace with the past. If my parents ever decide to try and make contact with me again, I'll burn that bridge when I come to it." The two half-chuckled at the joke. "Is Wallflower doing okay, other than you know...?" "Yes, she's okay, at least physically. If everything goes well at the hospital and she participates with the doctors and counselors, she should be out in about three weeks." She opened the driver's side door. "Can I interest you in a shake?" Sunset gave a small smile. "Sure."

Rosewater and Sunset sat in the fast food restaurant for a couple of hours sipping on sodas because the shake machine was as usual...broken. "And the doctor said 'Rectum?! Damn near killed 'em!'", Rosewater said, spouting out the punchline of the joke she was telling, as they walked out the door and the two of them started roaring with gut-busting laughter. "I'll have to remember that one.", Sunset said as she wiped an errant tear from where she was laughing.

As the two stood next to the car, Rosewater placed her hand on Sunset's shoulder. "Seriously, I want to thank you for saving Wallflower's life. I also want to thank those two girls who helped you." "They're two of my friends, Applejack and Twilight Sparkle.", Sunset replied. "So where ya stayin'?", Rosewater asked, "I'll give ya a lift home." "You don't have to do that, I'll call one of my friends to scoop me up." "Nonsense, it's the least I can do. I won't take no for an answer.", Rosewater said sternly. Sunset nodded, then answered, "I'm staying at Sweet Apple Acres." "Well that makes it easier to thank one of your friends."

As Rosewater pulled the car up to the front of the farmhouse and put in park, the two of them got out of the car and started walking up to the house where Granny Smith was sitting o the front porch in her rocker. "Ah see ya brought home some company, Sunset", the matriarch of the Apple clan said in a cheery tone.

Rosewater stepped up on the porch and extended her hand. "Sergeant Rosewater Blush, One Horse P.D. ma'am."

Granny Smith Shook Rosewater's hand. "Sunset? Are ya in some kind o' trouble?"

"No ma'am.", Rosewater replied, "Wallflower Bush is my daughter and Sunset is one of the girls that helped save her life. I understand that Applejack is your granddaughter, I'd like to personally thank her for helping save my daughter."

Granny Smith gave a big toothless grin and stuck her head in the front door to call Applejack. The farm girl stepped out onto the porch. "How can Ah help ya?" Rosewater wrapped her arms around Applejack's shoulders in a hug. "I want to thank you for saving Wallflower's life." Applejack returned the hug. "Shuck! T'weren't nuthin' that any other descent person woulda done in that sicheeation. Is she doin' well?" "She will be."
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Rosewater sat in the driver's seat of the heavy-duty diesel engine police truck, watching in the mirror as the heavily armored officers hooked up thick chains to the front door of the old pawn shop that had been converted into the office for the unlicensed private investigator known as Coin Purse. Her mind went back to her conversations with Applejack and Sunset Shimmer a week ago as she alternated loading beanbag and rubber bullet shells into the shotgun. She was snapped out of her thoughts as police chief Thunderhooves' big meaty hand came to rest on the open window.

"You ready to bring this guy in, Rosie?", Thunderhooves asked.

Rosewater clicked the safety on the shotgun and set in the rack by the driver's seat. "Let's nail this fucker's nuts to the wall!", she exclaimed and cranked the truck up.

Thunderhooves held up the signed warrant in one hand and placed megaphone his mouth. "Coin Purse, we have a warrant for your arrest! You have fifteen seconds to come out or we're coming in after you!" As everybody silently counted off the seconds, the heavily armored officers cleared away from the door as they stacked up. Thunderhooves chirped his radio twice as the signal. Quickly popping the truck into drive, Rosewater pushed down on the gas, the truck lurched for split second before the door was ripped off the frame, a crash from the other side of the building indicated that the back door was also ripped off the frame. The heavily armored officers raised their firearms as the rushed into the buildings.

Switching the truck off, Rosewater gave one last adjustment to her kevlar vest before grabbing the shotgun, clicking the safety off and leaping out of the truck. As she reached the building, the officers on the first floor gave shouts of clear. Stepping into the building, she approached the base of the stairs and gave a quick whistle, two officers stacked up behind her. The three of them charged up the stairs as Rosewater shouted, "This is the police! We have a warrant!" Reaching the first door at the top of the stairs, all three officers stacked up. Rosewater gave a silent countdown, then kicked the door in. The three officers swarmed into the room. "Clear!", she called out after seeing the room was empty, other than some scattered cleaning supplies.

As Rosewater walked out into the hallway, she saw the massive form of Thunderhooves smash through a door, turning it into splinters as two other officers swarmed in behind him. A moment later he called the room clear. After thirty minutes the building had been swept and cleared, officers drug a few filing cabinets and a couple of hastily packed boxes that had been left behind by the now former occupant.

"He knew we were coming and cleared out!", Rosewater snarled as she kicked the side of the building.

"Couldn't have been less than twenty-four hours ago.", Biscuit Hooves said as he started documenting down the items and slapping the proper tags on them before they were loaded in a police van, "I'd guess he's probably someone who was paranoid, considering his past." Biscuit started digging through one of the boxes as he documented what were in them. "Lookee what we've got here!", he said as he held a few video tapes in his gloves hands, "Three betamax cassettes." He quickly placed them in evidence bags, marked the bags and quickly filled the forms on the clipboard. "We'll see what's on them when we get back to the station."

"Where do you think we're going to find a vcr that plays beta?", Thunderhooves asked.

"There's a few video places that cater to hipsters.", Buscuit said, "I'm pretty sure one of them has a betamax player. If they don't, we can simply crack the cassette open and rig the tape up for a reel-to-reel player."

"How do you know how to do this Biscuit?", Higgs asked as he popped a cigarette in his mouth.

"I used to be a crack editor in the a/v club back in high school.", Biscuit replied.

Higgs flicked the ash off his cigarette. "Was that before or after Lesty dumped you?"

"That's enough Detective Boson!", Thunderhooves snapped.

Higgs sighed and grumbled, "I was just clownin' with him."

"What was that?!", Thnderhooves snapped, placing a hand to his ear.

"I said I'm sorry for giving him a hard time."

Thunderhooves smirked. "Good, because my trick ear thought you said 'I want to busted down to a meter maid.'"

Rosewater gave Higgs a nudge. "I know you're still cross that Biscuit married the woman you were sweet on, but that was twenty-five years ago. Quit busting his nuts. As far as Celestia breaking up with him back in high school, at least he got farther with her than you ever did. I seem to remember that both she and her little sister shot you down, hell they shot most guys down."

A few hours back at the station, a betamax vcr that was in pretty good condition was delivered. It was quickly taken back to the lab where the workers started working on the transcripts.

As Rosewater sat at her desk filling out paperwork, Biscuit walked up and placed the transcripts of the tapes on her desk. "The boys in the lab finished transcribing the tapes a couple of hours ago. Boss man wanted you to read the copies."

Rosewater read the names on the transcripts, three girls named Sugarcoat, Lemon Zest and Sour Sweet. As she read further down the transcripts, it started out like a standard investigation on a rape case asking when their last periods were, the questioning quickly veered away as all  three girls were asked if they had an orgasm. Then the questions veered into asking if they had drank any alcohol or taken any drugs. Finally in the transcripts the three girls were outright accused of having rough group sex and deciding to scream rape because they were jealous because the guys decided to not call them back. She quickly looked over the transcripts again, for two of them the guy claimed to be a lawyer named Ten Penny, in the last he claimed to be an investigator named Cold Iron, the notes jotted down on a separate page about all three transcripts said the voice came from the same person "You didn't find any other tapes did you?", she asked.

"No I didn't, Rosie. I'm sorry.", Biscuit said, "But what evidence that was left behind is enough to string this guy up by his short and curlies."

Rosewater slapped Biscuit on his shoulder. "You're a good man." The phone on her desk beeped, when she picked it up, Thunderhooves said, "Rosie, there's a lawyer here wanting to talk to you." Rosewater hung up the phone and pinched the bridge of her nose. Walking back, Thunderhooves guided her back to a private room. Stepping there was an immaculately dressed woman sitting  in the far side of the small table.

"Greetings Sergeant Rosewater Blush.", the woman said in a thick french accent, "My name is Fleur di Lis. I am an attorney and victim's right advocate with Surviving With Dignity, a foundation for helping jeune femme and les jeune hommes who have been victims of sexual assaults. Your daughter was a victim of a violent gang rape, oui oui?"

Rosewater sat down at the table and sighed. "Yes, she was. I've heard of your organization before. They offer counseling services and even safe housing for victims who have been harassed and threatened by the perpetrators."

Fleur dis Lis sat u straight in her seat. "Bon oui. I'm also involved in the investigation to uncover all the corruption with Sentor Blueblood. You're familiar with him, oui oui?"

Rosewater growled, "Yes. All of are intimately familiar with him. Anytime his son and his buddies got into any trouble, there was suddenly a high priced lawyer showing up to gum up the proceedings with tons of litigation and bizarre lawsuits or the judge involved would throw out the case and suddenly have a brand new luxury car or go on an all expenses paid vacation. Any and all investigations into him just seemed to run into a brick wall when victims would clam up or sometimes go missing and witnesses would recant. He always seemed to wiggle out of any charges and accusation made against him."

"Well madame, I can assure you that our law firm has been tracking him for a long time, building evidence against him.", Fleur said, "It's been a slow progress as he left very little evidence behind. Recently our investigation received a shot in the arm when he tried to intervene in an investigation involving a young woman who was raped who just so happens to have a dual citizenship with a country the president has entered into negotiations with."

Rosewater was taken aback by the new information. "This is the first of this I'm hearing of this. Can you tell me which girl it is that is a dual citizen with this country?" She had a fairly strong inkling on who it could be.

"I am sorry madame, but I cannot. All I can legally tell you is when we started investigating further into the citizenship of the young girl, our firm received a phone call from a woman who identified herself as Director Williams advising us to put aside that investigation and offered us enough evidence to bury Blueblood in enough lawsuits that he'd wind up homeless." Fleur opened up her briefcase, pulling out a small stack of forms, an information packet and her card. "Please fill out these forms so we can start getting your daughter the help she needs. Allow me to apologize on behalf of Surviving With Dignity, we would have contacted you sooner, but we've been short-handed. I know it's not an excuse and I profoundly apologize, we will work to improve."

Rosewater looked the forms over. "Will this cost me anything?"

"Non. All our funding comes from the Mi Amore royal family and private donations from citizens who want to help victims of sexual violence."

Rosewater pulled a pen from her shirt pocket and started filling out the forms. "How long will it take before Wallflower starts getting the help she needs?"

"It should be no more than three to five business days.", Fleur replied as she pulled out her phone and started photographing the forms.

"What kind of help will Wallflower start receiving?"

"Trauma therapy, suicide and self harm counseling and prevention, drug rehab in the event she has developed an addiction. In the event either you or her start getting harassed or receiving threats, safe housing." Fleur placed the form in her briefcase. "Please tell you chief that I would like to talk to him. Merci beaucoup!"
********************************************************************************************************

Blueblood sat in his office fuming. He recently read about the raid on the office of his personal private investigator, hatchet man and attack dog, a man whose alias was Coin Purse. He quickly dialed up the man. "Pound Farthing! Yes I understand that local law enforcement was looking for you. Wait...what?!  Oh Jesus Christ! Look look, I'll move around some funds to help get you a new identity, but you have got to do something for me. A few days ago an odd man came into my office and threatened me. I think he's tied to one of those seven girls. Oh? That's good. So that red-headed one is the cause of this? Hmm. Well I want you to do one thing, make sure she never gives any testimony. Use your imagination man. Yes, you'll get your new identity after this, just make sure it can't be traced back to me."

After pressing the hang up button on his phone, he interwove his fingers and tapped his index fingers together. "Now Spring-heeled Jack or whatever you name is. You'll find out what it means to tangle with a Blueblood. Now come at me."

Laughing came through the intercom on Blueblood's desk. "I tried to warn you Blueblood because you had such great potential for chaos. But because you've decided to ignore that advice, I'll let you know right now that if you don't call your dog off, you'll be facing Kay-kay and Moony."

Blueblood blinked as he stared at his intercom. Pressing the button, he rang up the secretary. "Carolyn? Is there someone out there with you?" "No sir Mr. Blueblood." "Did you hear something unusual a couple of minutes ago?" "No Mr. Bleblood." "Could you get someone from I.T. to run a security check on the intercom system?" "Yes Mr. Blueblood."
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The next three weeks seemed to drag on for Sunset. Between her daily sessions with Cadance, the mundane slog of classes and the general feeling of dragging her feet through the proverbial mud, everything just seemed to drag on agonizingly slow.

It was a Monday when things changed for her for the better.

Sunset was walking to her locker in the morning before the first bell with her friends walking with her. Her heels froze to the floor as if they were stuck in glue. Walking through the hallway by herself was the girl with light green skin, dark green hair, big brown eyes and freckles. She ran forward and called out, "Wallflower!" When she caught up with her, Wallflower stared into her eyes and looked like she was going to burst out in tears. "Oh my gosh! How have you been? You look good! I've missed you so much!"

Wallflower said nothing and stared down at the floor before shoving a piece on folded paper into Sunset's hand and hurried down the hall. Sunset followed Wallflower through the crowd with her eyes before the girl vanished into the crowd. Looking down at her hand, Sunset unfolded the piece of paper, it read "tree lunch".

As lunch grew closer and closer, Sunset grew more and more anxious.  A million question roiled in her brain. When the bell rang, indicating lunch, Sunset wove through the crowds as she headed to the old oak tree where she had first met Wallflower. As she hurried to the tree, the green-skinned girl was already sitting under it.

As Sunset approached her friend, her hands trembled and her heart pounded. Wallflower looked up at her, then turned her head away, she swore she saw the girl's shoulders heave. Sunset swallowed as she stood in front of her friend. Wallflower stared at the ground and clenched her eyes shut, Sunset saw the girl's cheeks were wet. Licking her lips, Sunset prepared to speak.

"I don't hate you, Sunset", Wallflower said softly. Sunset's body suddenly felt like suddenly like it weighed a ton and her legs shook before she dropped to her knees. When she went to speak, her brain suddenly forgot how to form words and tears started to leak from her eyes as she sniffled.

Wallflower opened her eyes, they were bloodshot and puffy from crying. Turning her head, brown eyes locked with light cyan eyes. "It was wrong of me to shout at you like I did." She closed her eyes and turned her face to the ground, fresh tears rolled down her cheeks and ripped onto the ground. "The whole time I was in the hospital, all I could think of was how badly I treated you. I'm nothing but a worthless, ugly whore who treated the only person she cares abut like shit. I'll understand if you hate me and never want to talk to me again."

"Wallflower.", Sunset croaked out, "I can never hate you. I missed you so much it hurt." She held up her left arm. "When I thought that you hated me and I had lost you forever, I hurt myself." When she went to talk again, words refused to come out, only strangled sobs, tears made the world blur. She felt arms wrap around her as Wallflower pulled her in tight. "It's okay Sunset. I'm here."

Sunset buried her face into Wallflower's shoulder. "I was so scared!", she whispered in a trembling voice, "If I lose you, I don't know what I would do. I don't know when it happened or how it happened, but I love you! The whole time you were gone, my life was empty."

"I love you too."

The two girls stared into each other's tear-stained faces for several minutes. As if on autopilot, their faces drifted towards each other until lips gently pressed together. For the few second that Wallflower's lips were pressed against hers, Sunset felt like Princess Celestia's sun was shining down on her. As their tears dried, the two parted from the small kiss.

The two stared into each others eyes, stomachs fluttered, breathing was heavy, hearts pounded like drums. As if a wave washed over them both, their mouths pressed together in a deep kiss. A wistful sigh broken them both from their kiss and they turned their heads to see Rarity, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Sci-Twi, Applejack and Pinkie Pie all staring at them with shimmering eyes and massive, dopey grins on their faces. Sunset and Wallflower felt their cheeks become hot.
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It was dark as Luna slumped in the armchair in the front room of her and Celestia's. She looked down at her hand as it started trembling. Unwanted memories from the Bosnian conflict bubbled up in her mind. "Please not now.", She whispered, "It's been so long since I've had a flashback." Her whole body trembled as she reached for the cell phone. Her body locked up as the stink of rotting flesh filled her nostrils. "Please just let me get the phone so I can call for help." The weeping of grieving mothers and the screams of terrified children filled the room and she stuffed her fingers in an attempt to block them out. 

As Luna rose to her feet, he legs suddenly forgot how to move and she fell to the floor. Tears ran down her face as she curled up in the fetal position trembling. For hours she couldn't get up from the floor, her body trembled as the stink of decaying bodies filled her nostrils, the weeping of mothers and the screams of terrified children filled her ears. "Somebody please help.", she whispered, "I can't move. The flashbacks are back. I'm trapped in Bosnia again."

Luna felt a tingle go across her forehead and her eyes slowly closed as she drifted into a nightmare-filled sleep.

Luna was standing on a muddy road, she was in her army gear, several medic packs were strapped to her body armor and a rifle rested in her hands. She knelt to the ground and unfolded a map as members of her squad gathered up. "Alright, according to the locals, there's a camp filled with political prisoners about five clicks up the road. Brace yourself guys, it might be bad." "How bad are we talkin'", one of the guys asked. "According to that old shepherd we ran into about two clicks back, it's like a Nazi death camp. Let's get there and hope it's an over-exaggeration. Alright, move out!" As she moved down the road wit her squad, she swore she saw what looked like a horse with a dark blue coat weaving through the trees.

Luna's legs trembles as she, along with her squad reached the front gates of the camp. The stink washed over them, it smelled like an open sewer combined with rotting flesh, she put a hand to her mouth to stop herself from vomiting and failed as bile leaked from between her fingers. Spitting the foul-tasting bile onto the ground, she drew her sidearm and shot the lock off.


As the squad pushed into the camp, they were surrounded by a horror scene. Bloated bodies, all women and children, lay strewn about the camp. The stink made her eyes water and her lungs burn. All around, intermixed with the bodies, mothers cried out in agony-filled grief as they pressed the corpses of their children to their chests or filthy, skinny, malnourished children cried out in a mixture of terror and hunger as they shook the corpses of their parents in a desperate, but futile bid to wake them up. Tears streamed down Luna's cheeks at the horror of it all. She passed out medical kits to the members of her squad. "Round up as many survivors as you can." She held the receiver of the field radio up to her mouth and called for aid. Her head snapped over to some movement and she brought up the rifle up to her shoulder. She stopped in her tracks again, there was that dark blue horse again she saw in the trees, it was now weaving between the plywood building, it looked as it was examining the bodies.

Pivoting on her heels, Luna saw a man walking through the camp. Though dressed as one of the many people in the death camp, he was too fat, his eyes lacked the hollow stare and his expression was too smug. "<Hands where I can see them!>" "<I'm a prisoner here too.>" Luna stomped forward and slammed her helmeted head into the forehead of the man and he fell backward onto the ground. "<What the fuck you crazy bitch?!>" "<You're too fat to be a prisoner here!>" "<I'm telling you, you crazy  bitch that I'm a prisoner here!>"

Several of the survivors pointed to the man and told the squaddies that he was the commandant. Luna snarled and grabbed the man by his collar, dragging him to a dry well. His eyes went wide. "<What the fuck are you doing?!>" Saying nothing, she planted the sole of her foot into the small of his back, sending him tumbling into the well. As he sat at the bottom of the well, his back against the wall and one of his legs twisted at an unnatural angle, she gestured to one of her squad mates for a grenade. Looping her finger through the ring, Luna pulled the pin and dropped the grenade into the dry well. s the spoon flew off the grenade with a metallic ping, the world slowed down until it came to a stop.

The dark blue horse walked towards Luna, it's horn lit up in a dark blue aura and the dream vanished into a gray void. "Greetings Principal Luna. We are Princess Luna, the mare of the moon and guardian of dreams." Principal Luna gape as she stared at the dark blue horse, no it wasn't a horse, it was a pony and a ruler of that pony world Sunset was from. "Um...hello Princess Luna. May I ask why you are in my dreams?" Princess Luna gave a small, mischevious grin. "Thou already hast done so, but we shall answer thine question. Whilst we were traveling through the dream aether, we felt thy waking nightmare and heard thou call for help. We apologize for not acting sooner, but we needed to first travel through the passage between our worlds and learn how thine kind's mind works. Tell us, is such violence common among thy kind?" Principal Luna sighed. "Often it is."

Princess Luna cocked her head. "Tell me verily, that stallion thou killed, he murdered those mares and foals?" "Yes he did." "Why?" "He'd probably give some bullshit reason about following orders. But if were you to press him, he'd say because they were born Serbs." Princess Luna tapped a hoof to her chin. "So that we understand, it wrong to murder somepony because they are a Serb?" Principal Luna nodded. "What is a Serb?", Princess Luna asked. "Serbs are an ethnicity of people. This cruel dictator decided to steal their land and slaughter their population. He saw them as less than animals." Princess Luna nodded her head. "We understand. Thy kind are capable of great horrors." "Yes we are.", Principal Luna said, "But we're also capable of great acts of kindness too. Now let me ask you another question. Why do you speak in the third person and like Shakespeare, with all the thous and thys?" "We apologize if our speech confounds thee. Going through the passage between our worlds left us disoriented."

Principal Luna tapped a finger on her lips. "Wait...you in this world right now?" "Verily. We follow thy nightmare into this world. We are outside thy domicile right now. When we saw thee through the window laying on the floor helpless, we cast a minor sleep enchantment upon thee and dove into thy dreams." Principal Luna took a step bacwards. "Your out side my house right now?" Princess Luna nodded. "Why didn't come inside and help me?", Principal Luna asked. "We apologize. It hast been centuries since trod upon thy world and we were unsure how thy paws work." "No, it's okay. Do you want to come inside? Uh...how do I get you inside?" "We wouldst most enjoy coming inside and meet with thee. Awaken."

Principal Luna's eyes snapped open. Sitting up from the floor, she quickly got to her feet and moved to the door. Opening the door, she saw what could have been her clone, except the woman...pony, had a broader, more muscular build and her hair, that looked like the night sky, flowed on an ethereal wind, sitting on her front stoop like a pony. She reached her out her hand. "Take my hand and plant your feet...er...hind hooves flat on the ground, then push yourself upright with your rear legs." Principal Luna let out a whistle after her counter part stood fully upright, the woman stood considerably taller than her, at least seven feet tall.
> Healing begins: help arrives
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Principal Luna couldn't help but gape at her counterpart. Sure she and Celestia were tall women, considering their Swedish heritage, but this pony princess in human form made her seem small by comparison. She and Celestia were muscular and stronger than even most men their age, considering her military background and her sister's history of power lifting and martial arts training, but Princess Luna's build was equal parts muscular and curvy, which made her look like the mythical amazons. She took her style of dress, a a navy blue flowing toga-style dress, a breast plate with a pearl-colored crescent moon at the colar that seemed to to be equal parts ceremonial and defensive, greaves on her shins and bracers on her forearms, all the armor was a shiny black.

"Can I offer you something to drink? Coffee? Tea? Something stronger?", Principal asked.

"Some tea if thou please."

"Come on in, we'll go to the kitchen. Mind your head your...uh...majesty.", Principal said with a gesture. As the two walked through the house she noted how the pony princess walked with a slightly clumsy gait and yet to deftly avoid hitting her head.


Reaching the kitchen, Principal Luna filled the tea kettle and pt t on the stove, Princess Luna pulled out a chair from the kitchen table, the chair creaked slightly as the pony princess sat on it with her legs curled under her and her forearms bracing her. Luna looked over to see her counterpart sitting like a pony and stifled a chuckle. "Comfortable?" Princess Luna grunted softly. "Yes, we are comfortable." "You don't have to lie to spare my feelings. If I sat like that, my knees would be killing me." "The chair is quite hard and uncomfortable." "People sit with out butts in the chair, with our legs to the front and out feet on the floor. Like this." Principal Luna demonstrated. Princess Luna readjusted her sitting posture. "Ah yes, this is much more comfortable."

As the tea kettle whistled, Principal Luna walked to the stove to turn it off and opened the the cabinet, revealing several boxes of tea. What kind of tea would you like? I have chamomile, jasmine, Earl Gray, English breakfast, orange pekote, black pekote, green and white tea." "Jasmine if thou please." Principal Luna gave a small smile as she pulled out two bags of jasmine tea and placed them in two teacups. Placing the teacups on the table, she filled two teacups with hot water, pacing them on the table, she fetched two spoons, a small bowl of sugar cubes with matching tongs and pulled the carton of half-and-half out of the fridge, opening the spout to give it a quick sniff. "Sugar? Cream? I'd offer lemon, but I'm out." Crap! How do I properly entertain an interdimensional alien princess who is also my doppleganger?

"Two sugars please."

Principal Luna poured hot in the cup, over the teabag, then dropped two sugar cubes in. Her eyes went wide when a dark blue aura surrounded the cup and spoon, lifting it up to the princesses lips as the spoon stirred the tea. "If you don't mind me asking, how are you doing that?"

"Though it feels a bit like walking through flank-high water, the magical field of this responds to our demands. Of course being an alicorn helps a great deal, considering that we have immense reserves."

"I thought after the Friendship games all magic in this dissipated."

"That was initially thought as well, but concerning reports Sunset Shimmer sent, she and her friends were able to call on magic. Both Twilight Sparkle and our sister have surmised that since the events involving portals opening up in this world, Equestrian magic has mingled with and has awakened the latent magic of this world. It has been surmised that within a generation magic use will become commonplace."

Principal Luna suppressed a scoff.

"Didst we say something to offend thee?"

"No, no. It's just a lot to wrap my head around. Before the fall formal a year ago, if someone claimed to use magic, it was assumed they were either mentally ill, a conman, on drugs or a member of one of the umpteen odd religions started by hippies. Now I've heard from someone who is an expert on magic that in a few decades magic is going to be commonplace." Principal Luna raised her shoulders in an exasperated shrug. "I guess that means that schools are going to have to start having magic classes." She looked down at the table. "I want to thank you for helping me with my flashback. Usually they're not that bad."

"So thou hast said waking nightmares often?"

Principal Luna picked at the corner of the table with a finger. "Nearly every day, though they're usually not that bad. Most of the time I'm able to bring myself down with some breathing exercises. Though sometimes, like tonight, they come on hard and I can't pull myself back to reality. When they happen, I usually can call call an old army buddy or a shrink from the VA. It's been a long time since I was on the floor curled up in the fetal position."

Princess Luna nodded thoughtfully. As she started speak, her head snapped to the side, seemingly to stare off into the distance. Taking a deep breath, she slowly closed her eyes.

Principal Luna gently laid a hand on the princess' shoulder. "Is something wrong?"

Princess Luna opened an eye. "Nightmares. Particularly strong nightmares. They're actively causing harm to the minds of foals."

Principal Luna extended a hand. "I might not have fancy pony magic, but I'd like to help."

"The dream aether can be a treacherous realm."

Principal Luna half-snorted. "I survived the living nightmare of war, besides, having an extra pair of eyes might be helpful. Mom used to say extra hands makes for light work."

"Our mother said a similar thing to Tia and I when we were fillies." Princess Luna held a hand. "Take our...um...paw...and stay close once we cross into the dream aether."

Taking Princess Luna's hand, Principal Luna closed her eyes, a sensation that felt like a combination of static electricity and angry fire ants crept over her skin, making her shudder. Opening her eyes, she found herself a dark blue pony, nearly as tall as herself. Glancing around, she gasped, everywhere looked like there were stars hanging in the air, inside each small glowing globe she could see people living out different dreams. "Quickly, this way. Do not linger or tarry or more harm may come to the psyches than has already happened." Princess Luna trotted down the silvery lane with her human counterpart close behind. They stopped in front of the dream orb of a girl with red and blonde-stripped hair.
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Sunset trembled as she stood naked in an alley way. An unwanted stink filled with malice and lust filled her nostrils, making her gag. Shadowy figures laughed at her fear, calling her a whore. A pair of silhouetted ponies turned away saying they wished they had a better daughter. Hands reached out grabbing her and pinning her in place. She tried to speak, tried to scream, but all sound died in her throat. Fists rained down on her face and body, pummeling her and driving the air from her.

"No more! Please stop.", Sunset managed to whimper as snakes slithered out from the shadows. The hands drug her down to her knees. She prayed to any who could hear as she tried to clench her eyes shut that refused to respond. The first snake lined itself up with her mouth. It opened its mouth, revealing long fangs, dripping with venom. She whimpered in fear as the snake started to strike forward.

"ENOUGH!", a voice shouted as a dark blue hoof crushed the snake. Sunset gasped as she looked up seeing a dark alicorn spreading her wings, dispersing the dream. She fell forward on her hands and knees before curling up in a ball and crying.

"Sunset!", Principal Luna cried out as she ran up and wrapped the amber-skinned girl in her arms to calm her."Shh! Shh! It's okay. The nightmare is over. It can't hurt you again. One of your princesses is here to help you."

"No.", Sunset whimpered as tears dripped down her nose, "If I wake up, they'll be waiting for me in the dark. I can smell them and see them when I'm awake. They're always waiting to hurt me. I can't get away from them."

Princess Luna lowered herself to the ground and extended a wing under Sunset's chin, lifting er face so she could look her in the eyes. "We should have come to help thee sooner Sunset Shimmer and for that we apologize, we were negligent in our duties to all our subjects." She leaned in, pulling the girl into a hug. After parting from the hug, she said, "Steel thyself. We must depart to prevent further harm from others."
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Wallflower ran down a hallway, trying to stay ahead of the malicious laughter. Shadowy figures leapt out, grabbing her and bending her over. Nooooooooooo!", she screamed before something disgusting was crammed in her mouth. "You know nobody's gonna believe you.", a malicious voice taunted in her ear before something disgusting and slimy drug across the back of her neck, "And even if they did, they'll just say that an ugly, disgusting, fat whore like you deserved it."

Tears streamed down Wallflower's cheeks as she tried to scream, but the disgusting object in her mouth stifled her voice. As she felt something unwanted press against her leg, she thrashed, trying to get away, but the shadowy figures kept her pinned in place. "This is the best you'll ever get and you should kill yourself.", the malicious voice whispered in her ear. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a noose hanging from a tree branch.

Silvery light filled the dream as the nose burst into flames. Wallflower felt hooves wrap around her as she was plucked away from the shadowy attackers. As she was gently set down on the ground, amber-colored arms wrapped around her, hugging her tight. "I'm here Wallflower! And as crazy as it sounds, Princess Luna and Principal Luna are here too."

Wallflower looked around first at the dark blue-skinned woman, then at the dark blue alicorn. "Um...are you...uh...Princess Luna?"

"Aye We are."

"Are you why Sunset and Principle Luna are here? Also how are Principal Luna and Sunset here?"

"To answer thy questions, aye and We art the mistress of the night and keeper of dreams, it is easy enough to create a shared dream when We don't have to fight a nightmare beast or hunt the tantabus."

"A tanta-what-now?"

"Yeah, I was going to ask the same.", Sunset asked.

"I believe tantabus is Latin for nightmare, though I get the feeling that in Equestria it's something much more dangerous. But that's not the point.", Principal Luna said as she placed a hand on Wallflower's shoulder, "Wallflower, are you still having thoughts of hurting yourself?"

Wallflower sniffled as she nodded.

"When you wake up, I want you to talk to your mother. She can wake up at any time she wants, right Luna? I don't think I will ever get used to saying that, even in a hundred years."

"Thy minds are different from pony minds and thou can awake any time thouest so choose.", Princess Luna said, "Come along Luna, we must not tarry, there art other nightmares we must stop. And yes, it is most odd for us to say the same."
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Sugarcoat lay on the floor unable to move as distorted music thumped and blurry figures danced. She tried to move, but her body refused to comply. Five monsters knelt down around her, their gnarled hands reached out to grope her, the claws at the ends of fingers scraping against her skin. She tried to speak, tried to call for help, but her mouth wouldn't move and no sound would come out.

As the monsters started ripping open her shirt with their clawed hands, exposing her breasts, Sugarcoat tried to swat their hands away, but her arms refused to move. She flicked her eyes side-to-side, hoping to get the attention of the blurry figures dancing to the thumping music, but to no avail. One of monsters shoved her legs apart to grope her most private areas, before ripping away an article of clothing.

Tears leaked from Sugarcoat's eyes as the monster that had been groping her most private area positioned itself between her legs. Something unwanted brushed against her nethers as the monster leaned its body over hers. Fear gripped her as she looked up at the face of the monster, a forked tongue snaked out from between pointed teeth dripping with slobber. She tried to clench eyes shut that refused to comply as the monster ran its forked across her chest. As the monster drew back slightly, her shallow breaths quavered as she prepared for unwanted penetration.

A dark blue hoof struck the side of the monster's head, knocking it off of Sugarcoat, dark blue wings flared, dispersing the nightmare. Rolling to her side, she curled up in a ball, hugging her knees as whining sobs poured out. "Th-th-th-*hsnf*thank y-y-you*hsnf*."

Sugarcoat felt feathers gently caress her shoulder as a gentle, dark blue equine face lowered close to hers. "Be at ease. Thou art safe now, little filly. The nightmare is gone and it cannot harm thee." Sugarcoat buried her face in Princess Luna's dark blue chest fluff and bawled. Princess Luna gently stroked her hair with a hoof.

Principal Luna fumed as she sat down next to Sugarcoat and gently stroked her back. "I've seen this before.", she angrily whispered, "Someone puts rohypnol or rufinol into a girl's drink and she passes out, then the bastards take their time to violate her. It looks like they were slightly off on the dose and she was awake during all of it, she just couldn't move or cry out."

Sugarcoat grit her teeth and angrily gripped Princess Luna's fluff. "They made jokes about fucking dead girls and bragged about leaving Lemon in a catatonic state. Dad said that Celestia should have loaded a shotgun with dragon's breath shells, stuck their dicks in the muzzle and turned them into Ken dolls."

"They have weapons here that harness the breath of dragons here?"

"It's a shotgun shell filled with phosphorus. When you pull the trigger, the gun powder ignites the phosphorus in a short range spray of fire.", Principal Luna replied, "It looks cool, but the heat from the burning phosphorus warps the barrel and makes the gun useless after a couple of shots. Officially I have to say on record that I don't condone or support violence, but seeing as I'm currently not on record, Celly should have ripped their guts out slowly and made a Jackson Pollock painting in the restaurant with their innards." When Princess Luna cocked her head at the name, Principal Luna waved a hand, replying, "The long and short of it is that he was a famous abstract artist who made famous paintings by splattering paint on a canvas." Princess Luna mouthed "oh".

Principal Luna cleared her throat, centering herself mentally.  "You're Sugarcoat, Twilight's friend from Crystal Prep, right?"

"Yeah. I know a couple of girls at your school were hurt by them. She wasn't one of them was she?"

"No, they didn't hurt her. Could you tell Princess Luna and I who the other girls that were hurt?"

"Lemon Zest and Sour Sweet. When they found Lemon, her mind had walled itself off and she was catatonic. For a while she seemed to get better, but then she would have these hysterical freak-outs and she'd shut down again. Her mothers had to pull her out of school out of fear of her getting hurt. Waitaminnit! You're one of those pony princesses! isn't your name something like Twinkie Wiggle?"

Princess Luna placed a hoof against her chest. "We art Princess Luna. The mare of the moon, mistress of the night and guardian of dreams."

Sugarcoat placed a finger against her lips. "So let me get this right. Your name's Luna?" "Aye." "And your name's Luna?" "Yes." "Doesn't that get confusing?"

Principal Luna shrugged. "It hasn't really come up yet. I guess you could call her your highness or your majesty or just princess."

"A being having catatonia is most distressing.", Princess Luna said, "Their mind is awake, even if it has closed itself of from the outside world. If they happen to fall asleep, there are walls surrounding the mind that makes it difficult to traverse their dreamscape. Come, let us not tarry."
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Sour Sweet lay the bed at Blueblood's house crying, as Sand Cleats held her arms pinned above her head, High Jump and Scrimmage held her legs apart in steely grasps, Long Pass and Field Goal roughly fondled her most sacred places, all five laughed evilly. She struggled to get free and a hand slapped her across the mouth, filling it with a coppery taste. Long Pass knelt down between her thighs and ran a hand across her belly. "You shouldn't have broke up with me, bitch."

"Fuck you!", Sour Sweet snarled, "You and your little faggot buddies rapped--AH!" A hand slapped her across the mouth again, filling it again with a coppery taste.

"I DIDN'T RAPE HER!", Long Pass shouted in a dangerous snarl, "She was just a whore who wanted all of us to have a go at her. If she didn't want us to have a go at her, she shouldn't have gotten drunk at that party. Right boys?" The other four guys grunted in agreement.

"You know that Sugarcoat doesn't drink alcohol.", Sour Sweet snapped, "YOU FUCKING SPIKED HER DRINK!--AH!" Another slap struck her across her mouth. "You fucking bastard!"

Long Pass sighed in mock disappointment. "I blame myself for not listening to dad when he said there's not any girls here in One Horse, just whores you use then toss aside like a used rubber.", he shrugged, "Ah well. You live, you learn.", he ran is hand across her belly again, "Now don't you squirm too much, your parents think you're at a friend's house for the week, so we've got you for that long and to prove to the world how much of a whore you are, we're gonna fuck a baby into you."

Sour Sweet whimpered. "No, please, don't do this. Just let me go. I promise I won't say anything." Long Pass sneered as he reached for his zipper. "No. Stop. Please. Don't.", she begged. "It's, 'No, please don't stop.' whore!", he hissed maliciously.

"ENOUGH!, Princess Luna bellowed in the Royal Canterlot voice as she dispersed the dream.

Tears fell from Sour Sweet's face as she wrapped her hands around her stomach.

Principal Luna knelt down next to Sour Sweet. "Shh! Shh! Shh! It's okay, it's okay! The nightmare's over."

"Not for me it isn't.", Sour Sweet said between sobs, "They got me pregnant and mom took a few shady jobs so she could pay for the trip to the clinic, now she's in jail. If I had put out when he wanted it, they wouldn't have hurt those girls and mom wouldn't be locked up."

Principal Luna pulled Sour Sweet into a tight hug. "You didn't do anything wrong. Rapists only care about hurting other people. They still would have hurt those girls and you too. They're the the ones who did wrong, not you." Sour Sweet sobbed bitterly into Principal Luna's chest. "Sour Sweet, when you wake up tomorrow, I want you to get hold of Sunset Shimmer. She and her friends are some of the best people I've ever had the opportunity of meeting. They will help you and your friends."
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The princess and the principal opened their eyes. Principal Luna looked around, seeing she was still in her kitchen. "I should have taken your advice. Those girls are carrying some serious trauma. I'm gonna be seeing that for a while." She got up and walked over to the cabinet. Opening it, she pulled out a bottle of whiskey and a glass. Placing the glass on the counter, she pulled the cork out, took a long look at the glass and moved the bottle to her lips.

A dark blue aura surrounded the bottle, pulling it away from the woman's mouth. "What art thou doing?"

"I'm drinking myself into a stupor tonight. I don't wanna deal with what I've seen and will deal with it in the morning along with the hangover. You might want to go unless you wanna see me staggering around like a stereotypical Irishman."

"This shall not help thy thinking, but muddle it, e'en on the morrow."

Principal Luna snatched the bottle out of the aura and put it to her lips, taking a big slug. "Eh, that's for tomorrow Luna to worry about."

"Such a foalish way of thinking."

Principal Luna took another slug of whiskey and jammed her finger in Princess Luna's chest. "Foalish?!", her voice started becoming slurred as the alcohol started taking effect, "Who the ffffffuck do ya t'ink yah're calling childish, horse?!", she took another slug of whiskey, "C'me talk to me wwwwwwwhen yuh've walked intah a deattttth c'mp an' an' an' seen chi'ren stare at you with hollow eyes!", she dropped to her knees as tears rolled down her cheeks, "Oh god! Kids aren't stare at you like y're gonna beat and rape them!"

A dark blue aura crackled across Principle Luna's forehead and her eyes closed as she went rag doll. Princess Luna caught the woman and the bottle in her aura. She levitated the unconscious woman to the couch and the bottle onto the counter. Standing over the sleeping form of Principal Luna, she leaned her head down, stopping when she realized she didn't have a horn on this side of the portal or dream aether and touched a finger to the sleeping woman's forehead, drawing a pleasant memory to the forefront so her dreamscape would weave a pleasant dream for her. "Thou were't able to hold thine self together when helping others, but when facing thine own demons, thou hast troubles standing on thine hooves. It would appear we art similar in that accord." She levitated a blanket over the sleeping woman. "Good evening and rest well Luna. If it fated, we shalt meet again." She walked out the door and pulled it close with her magic. "Ponyfeathers, we shalt never get used to that."
********************************************************************************************************

Rosewater sat at the desk in her room running her fingers through her red locks. Sleep had evaded her on this night as she knew Wallflower had been having nightmares again and unless her daughter said anything to her or somebody else, there wasn't much she or anyone else could do. She prayed that Wallflower would say something before she had another breakdown and started hurting herself again.

Rosie picked up a photograph of her family when they were young. It was the last photograph when they were all smiles. The engraving on the frame read ' The Blush family nineteen-ninety-eight Healthy, Rosewater and Wallflower'. She ran her fingers across the picture of Healthy, Wallflower had his dark green hair, freckles and big brown eyes. A week after the photo was taken, Healthy Blush was diagnosed with stage-four pancreatic cancer. She gave a mirthless chuckle at the cruel irony life many times had, the fact her husband was named Healthy, but died of late-stage cancer, fortunately he didn't suffer long. A small knock at her bedroom door pulled her out of her thoughts. "Come in."

Wallflower opened the door and stepped in, she chewed her lip nervously as she drug a toe on the carpet. "Mom...I've been having...uh*ahem*...um...", she closed her eyes and took a breath to steady herself, "...I've been having having thoughts of hurting myself again...", her breath quavered as tears trickled from under her eyelids, "...and and and...I don't want to think like this any more."

Rosie sprang up to her feet and hurried over to Wallflower, pulling her daughter in a tight hug. "It's okay, we'll talk to somebody in the morning about getting you some help. I'm glad you said something to me." As she held Wallflower close, deep inside she shuddered, the very thought her daughter was thinking of hurting herself again filled her with fear. Tears trickled down her cheeks to mingle with her daughter's. Don't worry baby, we'll beat this together.
> Healing begins: reaching out
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Principal Luna lay on the couch mumbling in her sleep as the first rays of the morning sun crept through a gap in the curtains. "Oh Saffron! I love you! Mmmm! Right there!" With a snort she woke up, realizing she was on the couch in her front room. With a groan she sat up and started rubbing her temples from where the hang over made her feel like someone just went boot-to-the-head. Looking the the blanket that was now partially laying on the the floor, she wracked her brain trying to remember laying down and couldn't remember making her way to the couch. She remembered the woman who looked like her, only taller...wait she wasn't a woman, she was a pony princess in human form. Ugh! I hate pony magic! Her memories drifted to the other Luna guiding her through the dreamscape to help those girls with their night terrors. Maybe it's not all bad.

Getting up from the couch, Luna half-staggered into the kitchen. Seeing the bottle of whiskey and the empty glass from the night before sitting still open on the counter, she picked it up and started to place it to her lips. Luna don't go back to those bad habits. Don't let yourself slip back to those nightmare days, one thousand hours in rehab was enough. Celestia and those girls need me. Putting the cork back in the bottle, then put it back in the cabinet she picked up the glass and filled it with water from the faucet.


After Luna swilled down several glasses of water, she fumbled in her pockets for her cell phone. Clicking the button on the side, she looked at the date and time seeing it was just after six AM Saturday. "Fuck this, I'm going back to bed." Walking up the stairs, she shoved the door open to her room. Stopping at the nightstand by her bed, she looked at the urn, a pair of gold wedding bands and picture of her and a woman with hay-colored hair, they both were wearing white dresses and had huge smiles on their faces, the engraving on the urn read 'Saffron Aurora 1972-2003'. Placing fingertips to her lips, she kissed them then touched them to the picture. "Good night sweet Saff. I'll see you again, but not today." Throwing back the covers on her bed, she flopped down, drug the comforter over the top of her and curled up. Her thoughts drifted to Saffron laying on a hospital bed, bone thin, the cancer that both of them thought she had beaten years ago came back with a vengeance and had aggressively spread from organ to organ, seemingly being able to best the chemo. Closing her eyes, the first dream Luna drifted to the last few moments with her wife. 

Luna held the spindly, bony hand of her wife, hands that had once danced delicately across the ivory and ebony keys to make beautiful music. Saffron weakly lifted her other hand, the limb trembling under the burden of its weight and caressed Luna's hand. "L-Luna, promise me you'll find love again. W-w-when we meet again, I want to hear about them and feel jealous." "Saffron, there's no need for me to make this promise. We beat this before and we'll beat it again." "I'm no deluded*kaff* fool. I'm dying. P-please, I want you to be happy. Don't spend the rest of your days crying for me." Luna sobbed softly as she fought back tears. "I-I-I*hsnf* Promise Saff, I'll find love again." Saffron laughed weakly. "What's so funny, Saff?" "She'd better not be hotter than*cough-cough* m-me." Luna gave a halfhearted chuckle. "Just for that I'm gonna marry a supermodel." Saffron's eyes stared off unfocused. "Luna?" "Yes Saff?" "Luna?! Are you there? I can't see you! Are you there, Luna?!" "I'm here Saff! I'm here!" "Where are you Luna?! I can't see you! It's cold! Luna? Luna? Luna? Luna? Luna? Luna?" Saffron's voice faded away until it was less than a whisper, her breathing became labored and shallow, endless seconds passed between each barely-there gasp. The beeps on the heart monitor spaced out, each electronic tone coming a little slower until it gave a steady, uninterrupted tone. Luna wailed bitterly as she laid her head on her now passed wife's chest. The last thing she did as the nurses started to escort her out of the room was to pull the wedding band off Saffron's finger.

Luna's eyes snapped open from her sleep, sitting up, she wiped the pooling tears away. Propping her forehead on her palm, she wondered why of all the memories of Saffron, why was it that one that had haunted her dream that morning.
********************************************************************************************************

Sci-Twi awoke with a startled snort when her phone started ringing. Groaning, she raised her head from the book on the desk she had fallen asleep reading. Fumbling around half-blind for her phone as her mind wasn't awake enough to register her glasses were still laying on the desk. Picking up the phone, she squinted to read the name and number. "Sour Sweet?! Why is she calling me?" Pushing the green icon, she held the phone up to her ear. "Hello?" Whimpering sobs came from the other line.

"It's all my fault."

"What's your fault Sour?"

"Those other girls that Long Pass and his buddies hurt. My mom being in jail. It's all my fault. If I had just put out when he wanted it, he wouldn't have hurt those other girls and mom wouldn't have taken those jobs so she could afford the clinic."

"Sour, no. People like Long Pass get a sick thrill out of hurting those they see weaker than them and then they blame the ones they hurt. I was reading in a book last night about why some people like to hurt other people*sigh*...that's not important right now. You didn't tell him or his buddies to hurt those girls. Did you?"

"No. They wouldn't have spiked Sugarcoat's drink or messed up Lemon Zest if I had just..."

"Let me stop you right there, Sour. Did they hurt you?" Sci-Twi balled up her fist at the mention of Sugarcoat being hurt, true she wasn't as close to the girl as her CHS friends, but they still hung out on occasion. For the longest time Sugarcoat was the closest thing she had to a friend and even though the girl was known to be snippy and grumpy, she still cared about her.

"Yes. B-but if..."

"They would have hurt the other girls regardless if you had sex with them or not. In fact I believe they would have used it as an excuse to hurt you repeatedly while they were still hurting the other girls. I can tell you are hurting, how are Sugarcoat and Lemon Zest doing?"

"Sugarcoat is hurting, though she tries cover it up by being grumpy. She's very nervous around boys. Lemon isn't doing well. Whatever they did to her, they hurt her mind and when she has hysterical breakdowns then becomes catatonic."

Sci-Twi grit her teeth at that and bit down on the collar of her shirt to avoid screaming obscenities. Taking a deep breath, she blew some of the fire in her lungs out. "Do you still remember where i live?"

"Yes."

"Okay, call Sugarcoat then the both of you come over here at noon. I'm going to get hold of my friends, then we're all going to meet and talk about how to help each other."

Sour Sweet hemmed and hawed on her end of the line.

"It'll be okay, two of my friends were hurt by them too. Sunset nearly died because of them."

"It's not that. After the Friendship Games, nobody from here actually apologized to you for what happened. So I wanna say sorry."

"Nobody here at CHS blames any of the students at Crystal Prep, it was Principal...well former Principal Cinch for pushing me to mess with something I didn't fully understand."

"Um...the school board temporarily reinstated Cinch until either Principal Cadenza transfers back or they find someone else."

Sci-Twi pinched the bridge of her nose. Jesus titty-fucking Christ! "She hasn't been hassling any of the girls who have been hurt?"

"No, she's been...nice...which makes a lot of us think she's probably high. She's been asking that if anyone saw or heard anything about Long Pass and his friends hurting any other girls, to come forward, she's even been making everyone gather in the auditorium on Fridays to give us lectures on what rape is. She's even had me and Sugar come to her office to tell our side of the story while some cops and a pretty lady with a French accent writes everything down. Have you heard of a foundation called Surviving With Dignity?"

"I think that's the charity that Cadance donates too. I believe some of her family back in the old country also donates too. I'm gonna text my friends and then we can all meet up here. Call or text me if you need anything."

Sci-Twi heard Sour Sweet shuffle nervously over the receiver before replying. "Uh...yeah. See ya about noon. Bye."

"Okay, see ya then. Bye!"

After Sour Sweet hung up, Sci-Twi opened a group text to her friends.

Hey guys...I just got a call from Sour Sweet. She and Sugarcoat are coming over at noon. Can you guys be over here then?

why are they commin over? do i need to kick a bitches ass?

Calm down RD. They don't want to start nothing, Besides if they do, there'll be seven of us and two of them.

Oooo! Is that big cheese log for me?!

???

???

???

???

???

WhAT THE ACTUAL FUCK PINKIE?!

Oopsie! sry. I was video chatting with Cheese Sandwich when your texts popped up.

On that cue Imma go pour bleach in my eyes. CYA at noon

Same darling.

Same

i wonder how much therapy would it take to get that image outa my head

I'll shoot Wallflower a text and we'll both be there at noon

I'll c-ya guys at noon

After switching the screen on her phone off, Sci-Twi wondered if she could invent some brain bleach to get the unwanted images out of her head.
********************************************************************************************************

Pound Farthing sat in a makeshift office in an old storage unit as he looked over pictures of Wallflower while memorizing her weekly routine while cleaning and reloading his pistol. Though he took no joy from this job, the fact he needed a new identity and safe passage to Mexico meant that he would a consummate professional, it also didn't hurt that he was getting three million dollars in bearer bonds helped to sweeten the deal...after all this wasn't his first time doing wet work.

Pausing on a photo of of the green-skinned girl with her mother, Pound Farthing passed his thumb over Rosewater's image. Damn shame what I'm about to do, it's nothing personal, just business.
********************************************************************************************************

Lemon Zest sat on the edge of her bed exhausted. She had avoided sleeping for the past few nights because the night terrors would make her wake up hyperventilating in a panic attack that would make her mind retreat into itself, making her live out a waking nightmare. A knock at her door made her jump slightly.

"Lemon, honey? Are you up?", Citrus Zest called out through the door, "Your mom and I are going to start breakfast soon."

Lemon gave a tired sigh before answering, "Uh, yeah mom, I'm awake. I'll be out in a minute.". Hearing the footsteps walk away from the door, she let her thoughts drift to her two mothers, Citrus Zest and Dewy Dawn and how this had been really trying for all three of them. With a groan, she got up out of bed, fighting off sleep for days at a time had not only left her feeling exhausted, but also stiff and sore. Sitting down in front of the vanity, she her fingers across the dark circles under her eyes. Grabbing a brush, she quickly ran it through her hair, then mead her way out of the room.

The smell of eggs and toast cooking met Lemon's nose as she walked through the hallway. Passing the kitchen, she saw her two mothers cooking or setting the table, the two women occasionally paused to snag a quick peck. Looking over her shoulder, Dewy saw their daughter walked by. "Breakfast will be ready in about fifteen, just got to get the cream of wheat started. Why don't you go and sit in the living room and watch some TV?"

Lemon gave an exhausted yawn, nodded, then proceeded to the living room where she switched on the TV and switched the channel to her favorite cartoon, 'The My Little Bear and Friends Show'. This show isn't as good now that Countess Snuggles and her friends gained the rainbow stare powers' She picked the remote and changed it to Ned, Nedd -n- Neddry.

Hearing the TV turn on, Dewy leaned over to Citrus and whispered, "I know you don't like me bringing it up again, but Lemon needs help. We should call the Foundation, they group therapy."

"I'm not crazy about our daughter sitting in some circle while some headshrinker says she's crazy."

"You know that's not what they do. Besides, look at her, she's barely sleeping, she's terrified to sleep, her panic attacks haven't gotten any better. You remember what the doctor said at the hospital, without help, her catatonia could get worse. I don't want to wake up one morning and find our daughter's mind has completely retreated within itself for days or even weeks, it's bad enough when it happens for several minutes."

"I know babe, but what if they can't help her?"

"Then all we've lost is time. The foundation says they're completely privately funded."

Citrus Zest sighed. "You're right. Let's wait until breakfast and talk about this with Lemon. I don't want to make any decisions about her life without at least discussing it with her first."

As Lemon sat on the couch watch TV, exhaustion started getting the best of her. Head drooping and eyes slowly closing, she fought sleep, forcing herself to snap awake a few times before she lost the fight.

Lemon Zest found herself on a cold and wet floor while four creatures with twisted and warped faces pinned her down, hands as strong as vices gripping her arms and legs, a fifth lay on top of her thrusting. She tried to thrash, tried to scream, each time she did, a hand or fist would strike her across the face. As the first creature would thrust away, it or its companions would say something in garbled words, followed by distorted laughter. Once the first creature finished, it would swap out with one of its companions would swap places until they all had a go. She managed to break away from their grasp and crawled across the floor, screaming hysterically, feet slammed into her stomach, her sides, her head, trying to silence her screams. One of the creatures grabbed her and threw her against a wall, planting a foot on her neck, screaming garbled words. One of the other four creatures pulled it away, saying something in distorted words. The creature that had its foot on her neck left the room and came back with a monster-man with a twisted and evil face following behind. The monster-man with the twisted and evil face produced a small cylinder in its hand and jammed it into her thigh.

Lemon Zest snapped awake on the couch hyperventilating. Her lungs felt like they we too small and collapsing on themselves. Her eyes darted around, she was still trapped in that restroom, pinned on the floor. The remote fell from her hand as her mind curled in on itself, eyes quavering in their sockets. She could smell their sweat, feel the pain of forcible penetration in her most sacred area and the unwanted warm splash, the sting of a hypodermic needle in her thigh, she could hear the voice of the monster-man. Don't worry blokes, Mr. Blueblood pays me well. It's my own personal mixture of PCP, sodium pentothal, cocaine and phenobarbital. If she tries to go to the authorities, they'll blood test her and think she's geeked out of her mind.

Citrus walked out to the living room, hearing the remote clatter to the floor. "Lemon, honey is everyth..." She froze momentarily in her tracks seeing her daughter in a catatonic state, "Dewy! She's having another attack!" Citrus Zest hurried over and gently grabbed Lemon Zest's hand. "Shh! It's okay honey. You're safe sweetie." She gently stroked her daughter's hair.

Dewy Dawn hurried out into the living room with a first aid kit, a vial of Thorazine and a clean syringe in her hands. placing the objects on the coffee table, she opened the first aid kit, pulled out a small crushable vial of smelling salts and passed them to her wife. Shoving the needle on the syringe into the vial of Thorazine, she drew a quarter of a unit out.

Citrus Zest crushed the vial of smelling salts and waved them under Lemon's nose, the effect was nearly immediate, the foul-smelling compound making the girl snap back to reality. Citrus immediately wrapped her arms around her panicking daughter, pulling her into a hug and gently stroked her hair. "Shh! It's okay baby. We're here and you're safe."

As Lemon slowly calmed down, she buried her face into Citrus' shoulder and whimpered softly. "Can you recall anything this time? Faces? Names?", Citrus asked. Lemon racked her brain, trying to remember, but could only recall distorted, foggy memories, suddenly a name bubbled to the front. "One of them said the name Blueblood." Unwanted memories started to bubble forward in Lemon's mind and she started to hyperventilate again. Dewy pulled an alcohol wipe from the first aid kit, tore it open and wiped it on Lemon's shoulder. "Brave face sweetie.", Dewy said calmly, then stuck the needle in her daughter's shoulder and injected the quarter unit of Thorazine. In a few minutes the drug took hold and Lemon started breathe more evenly and she stopped panicking, though it did little to stop the unwanted memories.

The smell of smoke wafted into the living room followed by the annoyingly loud beeping of the smoke alarm. "Shit shit shit!", Dewy exclaimed as she dropped the empty syringe on the table and rushed into the kitchen. A couple of minutes later a string of unintelligible curses poured out from the kitchen, followed by the sound of a pot clattering in the sink and the running of water. "The cream of wheat is burned!"

"That's alright Dewy! We'll have some cereal and milk with the eggs and toast. Do we have any grapefruit left?"

"Uh, yeah!"

"Slice it up and let's have breakfast! You hungry baby?"

Lemon nodded.
********************************************************************************************************

At around noon, Sci-Twi heard the doorbell ring. Walking down the stairs, she heard Shining Armor open the door and greet whoever was there.

"Twily? Your old friends from Crystal Prep, Sugarcoat and Sour Sweet are here!", Shining called out from the front door.

"Coming!" Already halfway down the stairs, Sci-Twi hurried the rest of the way down to greet Sour and Sugar. "Girls! Come in! Come in! The rest should be here in a few minutes.

Over the next several minutes Applejack, Fluttershy, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Sunset Shimmer and Wallflower Blush. Rainbow Dash showed up nearly twenty minutes late, as usual, her hair still wet from a shower. "Sorry I'm late. Practice ran kinda long and I had to get a quick shower."

"I don't see why your school keeps their team, we're gonna kick your ass next week.", Sugarcoat snipped.

An indignant look spread across Rainbow's face. "What did you say?!"

Sugarcoat scoffed. "You heard me."

Rain hopped up from her seat and stormed across the room, getting in Sugarcoat's face. "You mind saying that where my fist can hear you?! Owowowowowow!" Her words were cut off when Rarity grabbed her by the ear and pulled her across the room.

"Rainbow, darling. I know you have team spirit and all, but this isn't the time or place." She pulled the rainbow-haired girl to a nearby chair. Sunset, Sour, Fluttershy and Wallflower wrung their hands or drug their toes in the carpet nervously.

Sugarcoat scoffed again. "It's not like they can win anything. We woulda won the Friendship Games too if that hag, Celestia hadn't declared them a draw." This prompted Rainbow to leap from her chair, this time Applejack interposed herself in front of her friend. "Whoa there sugarcube! Dun let her get in yer head none."

"Sugarcoat!", Sour Sweet snapped, "I couldn't give two shits and a fuck about some goddamned soccer game! We didn't come over here to pick a fight, two of Twilight's friends were hurt just like we were and they want to help us, but they can't if you're going to be a royal C-U-Next-Tuesday about it."

"Sugarcoat, I know you're hurting and scared. Sunset and Wallflower are hurting and scared too. I called you all over here so we could all help each other and know that even if we're from other schools, we should still have each other's backs. Right girls?" A chorus of agreement came up from the other seven girls. "Sugarcoat, I know you've always handled uncomfortable and scary situations with a tough front, but you don't have to act tough in front of us." Sci-Twi walked over and gently placed her hand on Sugarcoat's shoulder, who in turn snatched away, then looked up at her with wide eyes, filled with hurt and fright, she quickly forced her expression into an angry scowl. The lavender-skinned girl took a step back, stunned, the girl with the opal-grey hair, bluish-gray skin and the gray-opal eyes whom she had known for years, was for just a moment, mentally laid bare, the girl from Crystal Prep was barely holding it together and looked as if she was going to come to pieces right then and there at any moment. A soft whimper crept from Sci-Twi's throat for the girl she knew just this side of forever.

Wallflower nervously stood up, clenching and unclenching her fists. "Uh...um...Twilight? If...um...if you don't mind...never mind, it's stupid."

Sci-Twi looked over at the green-skinned girl. "Go ahead and say what you need to say, Wallflower. Dad always said that the only stupid question is the one that goes unasked."

"Except when RD asks them.", AJ snarked under her breath, which prompted a slap on her shoulder from Rarity.

Wallflower folded her arms across her belly, tipped her head down, letting her dark green locks fall over her face as she clenched her eyes shut tightly, trying to squeeze tears back. Taking a shaky breath, she attempted to steel herself. "I-I-I was thinking...um...that we could each share...how we were hurt and how we've been struggling."

A soft chorus of agreement came up from the girls. One-by-one the four girls shared how Long Pass and his toadies had hurt them and their struggles.

Shining Armor, whom had been in the kitchen making lunch for himself, his wife and ten eighteen-tear old girls, bit down on a knuckle when he heard the four heartbreaking tales as tears shimmered in his eyes. Cadance walked in from the back yard to see her husband on the verge of crying. "Shiny? What's the matter?" Shining's voice cracked for a moment and he cleared his throat before continuing, "It's hard hearing how those girls have suffered." Cadance gave him a loving smile. "That's why I married you. Your strong, tough, sweet, loving and willing to let yourself be vulnerable. Those girls are tough and it's good that they're reaching out. The only way they're going to heal is if they know that there are people out there who they can lean on. Be strong, they need you and we need you." Shining smiled softly. "Of course I'll be there for them and for you. And where where would Twily be without her BBBFF?" Cadance smiled at her husband. "Yes, Twily and I need you, but also...", she took his hand and laid it on her stomach. For a second a confused expression crossed his face as his brain put the pieces together, then a look of simultaneous joy and surprise spread across his face. "I-I-I going to be a father?" Cadance nodded and Shining pulled in for a tight hug.

All around the living room the ten girls had tears pooling in their eyes once the last of the stories were shared, for several minutes none of them could say anything. Finally Sunset spoke up. "Maud told me about what happened to her when she was a little girl and that a therapist told her that she was a survivor and that was something that no one could take away from her. I can't say that I understood it then or that I understand it now."

"I think I understand it.", Wallflower said, "I think she meant because even though she was at her weakest, it made her the strongest. Though I'm hurting and scared now, one day I won't be and I'll come out stronger then steel." She grabbed Sunset's hand and said, "That's what survivors are. The bad people and the assholes try to break us, but we come back stronger than ever than before." Letting go of Sunset's hand, she extended it out in front of her. "Survivors." One-by-one the other girls laid their hands on top of Wallflower's. "Survivors." "Survivors." "Survivors." The four girls  suddenly found themselves squished in a group hug by the other six. "I love you guys so mmmmmuuuu-huh-huh-huh-uuuuuuucccccchhhhh!", Pinkie bawled.

Cadance and Shining walked out of the kitchen, carrying trays of food and inadvertently breaking up the touching moment. "Who's hungry?", Shining asked.
> Close call
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunset, Fluttershy, Rainbow, Applejack, Sci-Twi, Pinkie, Rarity, Wallflower, Sour Sweet and Sugarcoat sat around the table finishing the lunch that Cadance and Shining had brought out. Once the twelve people had finished eating, the girls stacked up the plates and the lavender-skinned girl carried them into the kitchen, placing them in the sink. Cadance helped her sister-in-law rinse off the dishes and load up the dishwasher while her excitedly milled about the kitchen, trying to look busy.

Sci-Twi raised n eyebrow at her brother's obvious excited nature. She turned, still holding a plate in her hands and asked, "Shiny? Why are you so excited? Did they come out with a new module for O&O?"

A big goofy grin was plastered on Shining's face. "No, something much better!"

"Is the next edition of Battlemace fifty-million out early? *gasp* Did they finally fix the balancing issues, making people who like playing as the United Soldiers competitive?"

Cadance laid a hand on Sci-Twi's shoulder. "No Twilight. This is even better. I'm..." "We're having a baby!", Shining blurted out excitedly. The plate fell from Sci-Twi's hands, shattering into pieces as hit the kitchen floor, she started dancing in place. "EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! Omigoshomighoshmigoshomigosh!" Cadance and Shining chuckled at Sci-Twi's excited display.

In the living room the nine girls heard the plate shatter followed by an ear-piercing squeal. They looked in confusion back towards the kitchen. "Ah'll go an' see what's goin' on.'", Applejack said getting up.

The farm girl pushed open the kitchen door open. "Is everythin'..." Applejack paused seeing her friend dancing in place excitedly.

"Applejack!", Sci-Twi shouted giddily as she ran over and took her friend's hands and started jumping up and down, "I'm gonna be an aunt! I'm gonna be an aunt! I'M GONNA BE AN AAAAAAAUUUUUNNNTTTT! EEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

Applejack looked at Shining and Cadance, who nodded. She sputtered for a minute while her brain tried to remember how form words. "Well that's just...Ah mean...C'ngrats are in order."

"AJ?!", Rainbow called out from the front room, "Is everything okay?"

Sci-Twi bounded through the kitchen door, practically doing an interpretive dance as she gleefully shouted about her being an aunt.

Cadance and Shining embraced, sharing a kiss.

A few hours later the ten girls were sitting around the living room. Wallflower and Sunset snuggled up next to each other on the couch, the green-haired girl resting her head on the fire-haired girl's shoulder while an amber arm wrapped around her body, resting on her hip. Rarity sat across the coffee table from Sci-Twi, the purple-haired girl doing the lavender-skinned girl's nails. Sour Sweet and Fluttershy quietly talked back and forth. Rainbow, Applejack, Pinkie and Sugarcoat sat at the other end of the coffee table playing poker, several coins in a pile.

Applejack dealt out the cards, replacing the ones the girls had laid down until they all had five each. Rainbow dropped a couple of dimes in the pile. "I raise twenty." The other three girls matched the bet. Sugarcoat shot a sharp glare around the table and she dropped four quarters in the pile. "I'll raise a dollar." The other three girls each added four quarters to the pile. "Time for the big girl panties.", RD said shoving the last of coins into the pile, "All in." "Too rich fer my blood.", AJ said tossing her hand in. The other two girls matched her bet. "Two pair. Jacks over deuces with a ten kicker.", Rainbow said smugly. "Full house, queens over fives.", Sugarcoat said. "Aw poo!", Pinkie exclaimed, "All I got is two pair...", Sugarcoat sniggered as she started to rake the small pile of coins up, the pink girl laid her hand down face-up, "...of kings!" Sugarcoat groaned in defeat and slumped her shoulders. Pinkie produced a purse from nowhere and raked the coins into it.

Wallflower's phone chirped and she pulled it out, checking the message. "My mom's out front." She leaned over and gave Sunset a quick peck on the lips.

Sunset wrapped her arm around Wallflower's back and planted a harder kiss on her lips. "How about this coming Friday we go to the mall and see a terrible movie?", she said after their lips parted.

Wallflower's cheeks turned pink and she nodded yes. "Would the afternoon matinee double feature be okay? They're showing Zardoz and Galaxy of terror."

"Sounds great! See you then."

As Wallflower walked out the door, Sunset looked around as the eight other girls made lovey-dovey sighs, her face became hot.

Wallflower walked over to her mom's car and slipped in the passenger-side. As they pulled off, a car tailed them several lengths back for several blocks before turning off down a side street.
********************************************************************************************************Monday

Abacus Cinch stepped out of her car wearing a pair of dark sunglasses. She had spent the previous day drinking herself into a near-blind stupor and was still a bit buzzed, all-in-all she probably shouldn't have been driving. She fumbled inside her coat pocket and pulled out her six month chip along with her keys. "Well I guess that's shot to shit." She tossed the thin piece of plastic over her shoulder.

As Cinch approached the front of the school, a limousine pulled up with blacked-out windows pulled up. The rear driver's-side window opened up an inch as she walked up. A manila envelope slid out as a familiar voice said, "I want you to tell your players to sweep the legs of three CHS players at the game on Thursday...unless you want the school board to see the video of you telling that Sparkle girl to use something she didn't know anything about."

Cinch roughly shoved the manila envelope back through the gap in the window. "No dice. I've already got the school board hovering over me. The last thing I need is to do something that will give them the excuse to completely ax my pension."

Another manila envelope slid out. "If that's not what's needed to grease your wheels, how about the whereabouts of the secret daughter you had twenty-five years ago? You know the one you abandoned on the steps of that mission?" Cinch's heart dropped in her chest, of course he would try and use the one main point of regret, the one thing that made her drink herself into blackouts. She knew he had that on her and much more, hell he probably had dirt on everybody in the whole state who was older than three. Her hand twitched as she seriously considered taking the envelope and say she would do it, then immediately reneg. "No.", she said crossing her arms, "Even the nuns at the mission don't know who her mother is, so I know you're bluffing. Good day, sir."

The envelope withdrew back into the limo. "Very well, have it your way. Maybe I'll go to Griff street and spread a few bucks around to some of the toughs there to have them snatch her up, get her hooked on meth, then rape her to death and send the video to you. I always get what I want and anyone who says no, it doesn't end well for them." The window rolled up and the limo pulled off. Cinch, her hands shaking, walked up to the door of the school, slid the key in the lock, paused, looked around to make sure she was alone, pulled the flask out of her purse, twisted off the cap and took a few swallows.

Blueblood flopped back in the seat of his limo frustrated, he tossed the envelope onto the seat, Several sheets of blank paper slid out of the end of the envelop. It was rare for someone to say no to him and he thought about another way to get what he wanted as he flipped through his PDA. Opening his laptop, he straightened his suit and made sure his platinum blonde hair was neat as he got ready for his five-thirty video conference.

"Bluey-Bluey-Bluey! Tsk-tsk-tsk!" Blueblood looked down at his laptop seeing the perfectly pixelated image of Mister Scratch.

"What the hell?! Why are you on my computer, Scratch?!"

Mister Scratch looked up at Blueblood from the screen. "Such a waste of perfect chaotic talent. I'm here to give you two warnings. One: If you keep down this path, Kay-kay and Moony will come for you. Then you and I shall get a chance to know each other...intimately. Aaaaaannnnnnnnnnddddd...Two: Windows has encountered a fatal problem."

"What do y..." Blueblood's eyes went wide with a shock as his screen went blue as the screen of death came up. Lines of code filled the screen as it read 'initiating memory dump-please stand by'.

Blueblood stared dumbfounded. Sure he had had computers go into the blue screen of death, but none of them had ever gone into a full memory dump before. Reaching into his jacket pocket, he pulled out his phone and opened the app version of the video conferencing program. As he connected, three other images of the senators he had a meeting with. "I apologize lady and gentlemen, I'm having to use my phone as I'm having...computer problems."

Wednesday

Indigo Zap, Suri Polomare and Sunny Flare stood outside their favorite convenience store slurping on sodas they bought from the fountain when a muscle car pulled up in the parking lot.

Pound Farthing stepped out of the car and walked up to the three girls. "Ladies, I'm here on behalf of an 'interested' party concerning the match you're having against CHS tomorrow."

Sunny Flare stepped forward, the sixteen year old girl crossed her arms across her chest and tried to give an intimidating scowl. "If you're here to convince us to throw the game, forget it. Now why shouldn't just run across this parking lot screaming 'Chester Molester?'"

"Nothing like that. I don't want you to throw the match. In fact I want the opposite.", Pound Farthing said, "You're familiar with three players Rainbow Dash, Lightning Dust and Spitfire, yes?" 

Indigo Zap stepped forward, interjecting her eighteen year old form between Sunny Flare and the man. "Maybe we do, maybe we don't. What's it to ya?"

"I've been personally instructed to offer you three payment ahead of time if you sweep the legs of those three girls at the match tomorrow. Nothing too serious, just a rolled ankle, an injured knee, maybe a broken nose."

Suri Polomare crossed her arms. "And what happens when the ref red cards us?"

Pound Farthing sucked his teeth as he curled his mouth up in a half-smile. "You let me worry about the umpires. Are you in or not?"

The three girls looked at each other, huddled up and whispered. "What kind of payment would we expect if we were to say yes?", Indigo Zap asked.

Pound Farthing walked over to the muscle car, reached in and pulled out three white envelopes stuffed with hundred dollar bills. "Eight thousand dollars each in cash. That would go nicely towards uni, yes?", he said tossing the envelopes to the three girls. He spun the keys to the muscle car on his finger. "You like my car?", he tossed the keys to Indigo Zap, "Take it! There's less than thirty thousand kilometres on it."

"And what's stopping us from taking your generous offer and running off?", Indigo asked. Pound Farthing opened his wind breaker revealing the pistol in its holster. Indigo swallowed seeing the firearm. "You've got yourself a deal mister...uh...I never got your name." "Old Greg.", Pound Farthing replied.

Thursday

Fluttershy, Rarity, Applejack, Sci-Twi, Pinkie, Sunset and Wallflower milled about at the big soccer game against Crystal Prep. Occasionally they stopped by the fence to shout cheers for their team or shout jeers at the Crystal Prep players.

Pound Farthing shadowed the seven girls in the crowd, a baseball cap pulled low over his eyes, waiting for the right moment when Wallflower was away from the crowd to make his move. His half-zipped green nylon jacket kept the pistol in its holster under his left arm concealed.

As the seconds ticked down towards the end of the first period, Spitfire gave a shout to Rainbow and Lightning. She kicked the ball through the air in a lazy arc to Rainbow, who passed it to Lightning with a header, who sent it sailing into the Crystal Prep net as the buzzer sounded.

"At the end of the first period it's the Canterlot High School Wondercolts one and the Crystal Preparatory Academy Shadowbolts zero with an amazing buzzer-beater from number thirteen Lightning Dust.", the announcer said over the PA system, "For that those who care to watch, the Crystal Preparatory Academy marching band will perform their rendition of Ride of the Valkyries while their majorettes act out the scene. As a reminder, all proceeds from the concession stands go to their respective school's athletics and music programs."

As the Crystal Prep marching band made its way onto the field, Sunset and Wallflower wound their way through the crowd hand-in-hand. Like a shark smelling blood in the water, Pound Farthing tailed them through the crowd, sensing one of the best chances he'd get all night.

Sunset and Wallflower made their way to an isolated corner to make out, the former pressing the latter against the wall. As Pound Farthing slunk through the edge of the crowd to line up his angle, he figured he'd give Blueblood a two-for-one. Reaching for the zipper on his jacket, he couldn't quite shake the feeling that someone was watching like a hawk.

As Sunset's and Wallflower's tongues swirled and wrestled in each other's mouths while their hands explored each other's bodies, Cranky Doodle marched up, clapping his hands loudly to get their attention. "Alright you two! Break it up!" The two girls parted, their cheeks flushed. He gave a quick gesture of his thumb and the girls nodded, making their way through the crowd back to their friends.

Pound Farthing allowed himself to blend back into the crowd. His head snapped to his right when someone roughly bumped into him and his eyes went wide when he saw a tall man wearing a neon orange tuxedo, his yellow eyes with mismatched red pupils, partially hidden behind light purple tea shades, a fancy cane with a gilded head that had eight arrows pointing outwards in a circle was held in a hand wearing a sequin-covered glove, the other hand wore a finger-less leather glove. The tall man tipped his neon orange top hat at Pound Farthing, then turned and walked away through the crowd, seemingly to disappear.

Cranky Doodle sighed as he walked up to the counter of the concession stand where Luna was leaning as she drank a soda. He passed the girl at the till a few bucks for a lemonade. "I just caught Sunset Shimmer and Wallflower Blush tonsil-deep in each other's mouth. I swear that whoever made teenagers gave them more hormones than sense."

Luna chuckled at the algebra teacher. "Can you say you made better choices when you were their age? I know I sure as hell didn't. Look at the bright side, at least they still had their pants on." She shuddered at the memory of two student she caught going at it in one of the bathroom stalls several minutes earlier earlier.

As the air horn sounded indicating the start of the second period. Pound Farthing stood by the fence, making sure that the investments that Blueblood had put his money towards came through. As he watched Wallflower out of the corner of his eye, he knew if he was patient, maybe, just maybe he'd get another chance tonight.

Rainbow Dash rushed up the field, dribbling the soccer ball as she deftly wove around the Crystal Prep players, as she prepared to pass the ball to Lightning Dust, Indigo Zap charged straight at her, leveling her shoulder. Rainbow groaned as she scrambled back up to her feet and gestured at the referee in a wordless question 'Where's the card?'. Spitfire quickly recovered the ball and started sprinting across the field. Sunny Flare fell in behind the Wondercolts team captain, trying to trip her or grab her by her jersey. Spitfire glanced over her shoulder several times trying to figure out why several Shadowbolts players were risking getting kicked out or forcing a forfeit.

Spitfire passed the ball to Flitter, then scrambled up the field for position. She juked to the right trying to dodge knee-level kick from Suri Polomare, she was just a little bit too slow and with a loud smack the kick collided with the top of her left knee. With a scream of pain, Spitfire unceremoniously tumbled onto the ground as shouts of disapproval and boos came from both sets of bleachers. Tears pooled in Spitfire's eyes a she held her knee.

Tempers flared as Rainbow Dash and Lightning Dust got into a shoving match with a couple of Shadowbolts. The referees ran up loudly tweeting their whistles to get the player's attention. The head ref interjected herself between to two teams and promised to pass out red cards like Halloween candy if the two teams didn't calm down.

After Spitfire was helped off the field, the two teams squared off for a penalty kick. Indigo Zap and Lightning Dust glared as they squared of across from each other. As the penalty kick was deflected by the Shadowbolts players, Lightning made a mad dash and leapt into the air to pass the ball with a header. Indigo charged Lightning, Rainbow saw this and started charging Indigo. Lightning yelp in shock as she found herself shoved out of the air, Indigo smirked confidently as the turquoise-skinned girl slammed onto the ground hard, the Shadowbolt staggered away as a blue fist collided with the side of her face. Fights began breaking out across the field and it quickly exploded into pure bedlam as players from both teams' benches poured onto the field.

Police, security and coaches ran onto the field to break up the brawling players as the faculty from both schools quickly directed the fans out of the bleachers. In the ensuing chaos, Pound Farthing lost sight of quarry as the crowds of people were ushered from the bleachers and out the gates.

Friday

As the final bell rang, Sunset got up from her desk in study hall, excited for her date with Wallflower, it was the first time she went out with someone she actually cared about and she was nervous. Reaching in her jacket pocket, she pulled out her wallet and counted the cash in it that she had earned by helping out the Apples and Pies. Stopping at her locker, she pulled out the duffel bag and journal. Walking through the hallways, she passed the journal to Fluttershy and went into the girl's bathroom. Stepping into a stall, she opened the duffel, changed out of her usual clothes and slipped into a pair of tight black jeans and a form-fitting black sleeveless t-shirt. She slipped on a pair of low-cut silk socks and black low heels. She smeared a roller of deodorant on as she made sure her usual clothes were securely stuffed in the duffel. Stepping in front of the mirror, she brushed out her hair, slipped a scrunchy on, spread some ruby lipstick on, lastly she lightly squirted some perfume on her neck and shoulders. Taking one last look in the mirror, she scooped up the duffel bag.

Wallflower's face lit up as Sunset walked into the school lobby. Her cheeks flushed as she took in the amber-skinned girl's outfit. "You look crazy amazing." She drug a toe on the floor. "I wish I had worn something nicer."

Sunset took in Wallflower's full length white skirt, long sleeved light green top and shiny black Mary Jane shoes. "You look amazing, babe."

As the two girls leaned in to kiss, a loud and purposeful clearing of a throat snatched their attention. Looking up with their faces blushing, they saw Cadance standing outside the office with her arms crossed, she raised a hand and pointed out the front door. After the two girls hurried out the door, she giggled to herself, though she loved seeing puppy love, she was still a professional and didn't let students get away with public displays of affection outside of hand holding, simple hugs or quick pecks on cheeks on school grounds.

Sunset and Wallflower walked through the school parking lot, fingers intertwined as Rosewater pulled up. They stopped long enough for Sunset to huck her duffel to Applejack before they both climbed into the backseat of Rosie's car. As they pulled out onto the road, Rosewater asked what move they were going to see and when Wallflower answered, she busted out in snorts and chortles.

Wallflower raised an eyebrow. "What's funny about Zardoz and The galaxy of terror?"

Rosie managed to compose herself for a moment. "I won't spoil anything for you except shiny red leather speedo with matching shoulder straps."

"Are these recent movies?", Sunset asked.

"Oh no-no-no-no!*snort*"

As they pulled into the parking spot at the mall, Rosie switched off the car and turned around to read Sunset the riot act. "Now you listen here and you listen well. That's my baby girl, my one and only. Her heart isn't a rug for you to walk on or a toy for you to break. If you hurt her in any way, just remember that I am a cop."

"MmmmOOOOOoooooommmmm!", Wallflower complained.

"Don't you 'mom' me. Your my daughter and it's my job to protect you from those who want to hurt you.", Rosewater scolded.

"I get it.", Sunset replied, "If I had a kid, I'd probably murder the whole world if someone hurt them."

Rosie wanted to smile, but she kept up her stern mother facade. "Sunset, could you step out of the car and let me talk to my daughter in private for a moment?" After Sunset got out of the car, Rosewater plucked sixty dollars from her wallet and handed them to Wallflower along wit the car keys. "I've got a shift this afternoon. Higgs is going to pick me up in about thirty minutes. Now I know I can't stop you two if you all decide to get intimate, if you two do the...", she quickly laced the fingers on both hands together, "...I want you both be fully clothed by the time I get home tonight. You two have fun and make sure to gas up the car before getting it home."

Wallflower rolled her eyes as she shimmied out of the backseat. As Rosewater walked to where she was meeting Higgs, she took one last look over shoulder at her daughter and her girlfriend walking hand-in-hand into the mall. She wiped a tear away from her eye, she thought she would have been ready when Wallflower would have started dating and realized just how fast they grow up.


"Aaaaauuuuggggghhhh! My eyes!", Wallflower shouted as she threw her hands over her face seeing Sean Connery in the infamous red speedo.

Sunset nearly fell out of seat as snorting guffaws wracked her body until tears leaked down her cheeks. "Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha!*snort* Look at all that...Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha!*snort*...hair! It's like he's...Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha-*snort-snort* half*wheezing gasp**snort* half-pony-hee-hee-hee!*snort*" She tried to hold her breath only to break out in more sputtering guffaws.

The usher walked up, cleared his throat and blinked his flashlight a couple of times. The two girls look at the usher and broke out in sputtering laughs. "Would you two mind taking it outside?", the usher whispered in a hoarse tone, "You're interrupting the other patrons who want to enjoy the movie."

Sunset and Wallflower nearly fell over themselves as they got up, their faces beet-red as they held their breath to keep from busting out in further guffaws, a fight they were both losing. Reaching the hallway outside the theater, the two busted out laughing, they fell over, tears streaked down their cheeks, their ribs hurt, they felt like they couldn't breath, but they couldn't stop laughing at the image permanently burned in their brains.

It took several minutes before Sunset and Wallflower could gather themselves and get to their feet. The two locked eyes, their breath became deep and quick. Mouths locked in an aggressive kiss, tongues interlocked like two beasts wrestling for dominance, hands roughly explored each other's bodies like their very fingers hungered for smooth skin and warm flesh. The two parted, a thin line of mutually-shared saliva still connecting their mouths, lungs greedily gulped down air, light cyan eyes and deep brown eyes stared into each other. Mouths locked together again in another battle of passion, amber and green hands groped under the two girl's tops seeking the soft orbs underneath, eliciting muffled moans from the two.

The two parted from the kiss again, leaving both girls gasping for air as their nerves burned with the fires of passion. "Let's get out of here and go somewhere more private.", Sunset said huskily. Wallflower jingled the car keys Rosewater gave her. "I've got the house all to myself." The two walked hand-in-hand, passions barely contained as they walked out of the multiplex. Sunset gestured to the food court. "I want to get a soda. You want one?" "A root beer, no ice.", Wallflower replied, "I'll wait here 'till you get back." She leaned against a table, zeroing in on Sunset's rear in the tight jeans as she swayed her hips in an exaggerated manner as she walked over to the Mythic Creature Express.

Pound Farthing tailed Sunset and Wallflower from the time they left CHS. He watched as they went into the local multiplex in the mall, but didn't know what movie they went to see or what theater they were in and he didn't want to waste needless energy he would need running away with the crowd after finishing the job, he was a patient man and could wait. Ducking in and out of stores, he kept the front of the cinema in sight waiting like a tiger in the tall rushes for his prey. Jackpot! They obviously couldn't make it through the whole movie, as the obvious barely-contained desire clearly painted on their faces. As he made his way through the crowd, he repeated the mantra in his head over and over every time he did a hit. 'Slowly. Don't draw attention. You're just another person in the crowd. No sudden movements until you're ready to strike.' As the girls went to the food court and Wallflower stopped by the railing in the back, he thought fortune smiled on him, open space, little risk of collateral damage, plenty lines of approach and the panicking crowd would give him plenty of cover for escape.

As Pound Farthing made his way around the far end of the food court and started his final approach, he didn't notice the strange tall man wearing a neon orange tuxedo watching him from one of the flat screen TVs. Reaching his hand to the holster under his shirt holding the pistol, reached under wrapping his fingers around the rectangular handle, his thumb flicked the small leather strap securing the pistol free, then released the safety and proceeded to draw the gun. His teeth clenched in frustration as the pistol snagged, no matter, he simply readjusted as he continued his calm, slow walk forward. A wicked smirk slowly spread across his lips as the pistol slid out of the holster, as the weapon cleared its leather confines, he spoke up. "Wallflower Blush?"

Wallflower turned her head to see who was calling her name. Eyes went wide, pupils constricted and muscled all locked in panic as she saw the pistol leveled at her.

As Sunset started walking back with both sodas, she saw the man walking towards her girlfriend, drawing a weapon and time started to slow down. The seconds seemed to stretch on for an eternity as she darted forward and hurled both drinks at him, one sailed wide into the crowd on the other side of the food court railing, the other smacked him in the face, blinding him momentarily. It was all the advantage she needed and pored on more speed.

Rainbow looked up from the counter of Taco Gong when she saw a pair of soda cups sailing through the air. Following the arc of the cups, she saw Wallflower frozen in place in fear as a man approached her drawing a pistol, everything seemed to suddenly move in slow motion. Vaulting the counter, she went into a full sprint as soon as her feet hit the ground, she poured on as much speed as she could to close the distance.

Biscuit Hooves was spending the afternoon at the mall with his daughter, Muffins. He adjusted his coke bottle-thick glasses as he and his daughter walked out of the store straight across from the food court. A cup full of soda seemed to sail out from nowhere and slammed into his daughter's face, drenching the both of them in the sticky, sugary liquid. He glared, trying to see who threw the soda. His breath caught as he saw a man drawing a gun on the food court and his training took over.

Sunset leapt through the air for the last few strides. Time seemed to return to normal as her body collided with Pound Farthing's arm. Her ears rang as the pistol discharged, the shot was pushed wide by the narrowest of margins, she wrapped her arms around his and tried to wrestle the gun away. Terrified screams erupted from the crowd as people started fleeing away from the gunman in a panic. Wallflower felt the wind from the bullet go past her ear as it cut through her hair, causing a few locks to fall to the floor, eyes rolled back in their sockets and she fainted. Everything seemed to move in slow motion as Rainbow ran forward as fast as her legs could carry her, her heart nearly stopped when the gun went off and she saw Wallflower fall down. The rainbow-haired girl grit her teeth as she prepared to throw an all-out-punch. Pound Farthing reached back with his free hand and backhanded Sunset off him, sending the girl sprawling to the floor, as he started to line up a new shot, a blue fist impacted the side of his face. Rainbow received an elbow to her nose for her troubles.

As Rainbow staggered backwards, blood pouring from under her hand, Biscuit Hooves reach the railing at the edge of the food court. As he vaulted over the railing, he slipped and his foot caught on the edge of the railing, sending him into an ungraceful midair tumbling cartwheel. Pound Farthing hollered in pain as Biscuit Hooves' flailing foot collided with his wrist, sending the pistol tumbling away, he stared in shock for a split second before turning to run away. Thunderhooves was at the mall to pick up a couple of shoplifters, he was making his way to the food court while mall security finished gathering the last of the statements when he heard the gunshot. As he pushed through the panicking crowd, he saw two bodies laying on the food court floor and what looked like Biscuit Hooves doing a move from a kung-fu movie to disarm the man. Pound Farthing ran as hard as his legs could take him when he felt what felt like the force of an overclocked diesel locomotive going downhill as Thunderhooves tackle him, a split second later everything was black.

Sunset leaned up from the floor and shook the cobwebs from her head. She looked around stunned as she saw Pound Farthing sprawling through the air as an absolute beast of a man tackle him and Muffin's dad laying on the floor looking disoriented...well more disoriented than usual. Panning her head around, she saw her girlfriend laying on the floor. "WALLFLOWER!", she scream and scrabbled across the floor on all fours. She quickly searched the girl for blood, extra holes, anything.

Wallflower groaned as her eyes fluttered open and she saw a familiar amber-skinned girl looking her over. "S-Sunset?"

Sunset's eyes went wide when she heard her girlfriend's voice. "Wallflower! Areyouhurtcanyoumovedoyoufeelbloodanywhere?!"

Wallflower sat up slowly and groaned as she rubbed the back of her head. "I think I hit my head."

Sunset wrapped her arms around Wallflower in a tight hug and kissed her repeated all over her face. "I was so scared! I thought he had shot you!"

The memory of what happened snapped back to Wallflower and she gently pushed Sunset so she could inspect herself. Running her hand across her body, looking for holes or blood. She ran her hands over her head, feeling where the bullet had cut a line through her hair. "I-I think he shot my hair.", she said showing Sunset. The two girls squeezed each other in a  tight hug.

Thunderhooves radioed in shots fired at the mall as he handcuffed the unconscious Pound Farthing. He quickly directed mall security to take the unconscious gunman to one of their holding cells, then made his way over to the mostly abandoned food court to assess the situation.

Muffins made her way over to Rainbow to help her with her nose, which fortunately wasn't broken. Biscuit sat up, wobbling as his eyes practically spun in their sockets.

"Biscuit, buddy! Are you okay?", Thunderhooves asked, kneeling down next to Biscuit.

"I don't wanna go to school gam'ma. I wanna stay home and make cookies with you!", Biscuit said completely discombobulated.

Thunderhooves laid Biscuit down gently. "Just get some rest buddy." He went over to check on  Sunset and Wallflower, they were fine other than a split lip on the former and a bump on the head for the latter. He walked over and checked on Rainbow. "Well little lady, your nose doesn't appear to be broken. It'll probably a little sore and swollen for a couple of days, but hey, it'll match the beaut of shiner you've got." Rainbow grunted nonplussed at being called 'little lady', which made Thunderhooves chuckle.

Outside dozens of sirens and screeching tires could be heard as dozens of cop cars pulled up, followed by ambulances. Thunderhooves quickly took control of the situation as dozens of cops wearing heavy body armor swarmed into the mall. EMTs quickly went through the mall treating the injured, more people were hurt in the ensuing panic than during the attempted murder.

Rosewater pulled into the mall parking lot, she was on the verge of tears, the images of Wallflower lying on the floor with a dozen holes in her bleeding out. Pulling the cruiser to a stop, she leapt out and started sprinting to the doors. Seeing Biscuit on a stretcher being loaded into an ambulance only made her panic and the horrific images her mind conjured up worse. "WALLFLOWER?! WALLFLOWER?!", she shouted running through the mall.

Thunderhooves quickly passed the paperwork he was filling out off to another officer as he heard Rosewater shouting, he knew if it was his daughter, he'd be just as panicky and out of sorts, he also knew he was the only officer that get through to her in such a mental state and seeing as Biscuit was being sent to the hospital to be held for observation in case he had a concussion, he was the defacto one. He quickly moved himself into Rosewater's path.

"Where's Wallflower?! Is she okay?! She's not..."

"Rosie!", Thunderhooves firmly interjected, "She's fine. Just a bump on the head. The other two girls got banged up worse."

Rosewater let out a small sigh of relief. "What about Biscuit? How badly is he hurt? What about the other two girls?"

"Biscuit knocked himself silly trying to stop the guy. You shoulda seen him Rosie, he looked like something from an old kung-fu movie. They're going to hold him overnight to make sure he doesn't have a concussion. The two girls that got roughed up are Sunset Shimmer and Rainbow Luanne Dash. They weren't hurt bad enough to warrant a trip to the hospital, considering one got a split lip and the other got a bloody nose respectively."

Rosewater made her way over to Wallflower and she quickly checked her daughter over to give herself the piece of mind. Once her mind was satisfied that her daughter was unharmed, she quickly pulled her in for a tight hug, sniffling because of a combination of gratification and residual fear.

Wallflower wrapped her arms around her sniffling mother, returning the hug. "It's okay mamma, it's okay." Mother and daughter held each other for several long minutes.

Sunset sat on a chair at the mostly abandoned food court in a daze, hands trembling. Now that it was over and time was allowed to pass, the weight of it all began to bear down on her, she had nearly lost her girlfriend, the first person she dated that she actually cared about. Her lungs felt like they were shrinking, breaths coming in panicked gasps, it felt like all the oxygen was leaving the air, her head spun. Eyes stung as tears built.

Sunset jumped as a hand came to rest gently on her shoulder. Looking up she saw Rosewater looking down at her. The woman pulled her into a hug and the dam burst. "I-I-I was-was so sc-sc-scared!" She broke down into violent, heaving sobs as the woman gently rubbed her back.

Rainbow squenched her eyes shut, tears rolling down her cheek and turned her head away so others wouldn't see her cry. Warm slender arms wrapped around her shoulders, opening her eyes, vision blurred by tears, she saw the blonde hair and grey skin of Muffins, she buried her face in the girl's shoulder and bawled.
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Pound Farthing sat on a chair that was bolted to the floor, at a flat metallic grey stainless steel table, which was also bolted to the floor. The chain in cuffs around his wrists were looped through a small stainless steel ring that was bolted to the table by four hex bolts. Turning his head, he stared at the two-way mirror on his right. Alright, your name is Coin Purse. All they've got on you is you tried to shoot one girl and assaulted two others. Attempted murder carries a max sentence of twenty years. They will overlook the battery charges for the more severe one. They don't know about the two people you killed in Grand Rapids last year or your past and the bodies you left in your wake in Mexico, England, Italy and Lithuania, unless Blueblood sells me down the river to cover his own ass. If he does, he'll soon learn that there ins't a cage in existence that can hold me for long.

Pound Farthing turned his head to the heavy steel door as it swung open and took note of the two cops who walked in, the tags read 'Higgs Boson' and 'Tin Star'. Here come the game that all American Bobbies like to play, 'good cop-bad cop'. He couldn't help but chuckle. Tin Star plopped the file he was holding in his hand down on the table, then the two pulled up chairs and sat down. "SO YOU LIKE PULLING GUNS ON LITTLE GIRLS AND TAKING POT SHOTS!", Higgs bellowed, Pound Farthing mentally applauded him for his performance. Higgs slammed his fist and stood up aggressively, making the he was sitting to slide across the room. "MAYBE IT SHOULD YOUR FACE IN AND SEE HOW YOU LIKE IT! HUH?! HUH?!" "Whoa whoa whoa! Take it easy buddy.", Tin Star said shoving Higgs Boson back.

Pound Farthing nearly laughed at Higgs walking back and forth with heavy stomping steps, he wished he could give the man a Razzy for his performance, instead he let a smile cross his face just before blowing a raspberry. Instead of doing what was predicted, Higgs instead leaned against the wall and said, "Let's drop the whole good cop-bad cop act. We won't shake someone like him." This prompted Pound Farthing to raise an eyebrow. "We know who you are...Pound Farthing.", Tin said flipping the file open. Bloody 'ell! "Looks loike ya got me knackered. I know my bleedin' roights. I ain't sayin' nuthin' wi'out representation present. So get my lawyer here ya two dossy cunts.", Pound Farthing said sticking two fingers up in the air and blowing several rapid fire raspberries.

Tin Star laid a felt-tipped pen and a clean sheet of paper within reach of Pound Farthing. "Just in case you decide to offer a confession." He and Higgs Boson turned to leave the interrogation room, the latter banging on the door for the two of them to be let out.

Picking up the pen, Pound Farthing rolled it over in his fingers, chuckling to himself. Popping off the cap, he looked at the two-way mirror and started bending the little plastic clip out with a thumb as he started formulating his escape plan. It would take him fifteen, maybe twenty second to slip the latch on the cuffs, another ten to to snatch the wire out of the back of the camera in the corner and fashion it into a garrote, the whole time he would be under the watch of whoever was on the other side of that mirror. Then would come the hard part, waiting for someone to come through the door so he could tangle them up and use them a human shield until he got his hands on a gun. He enacted the first step of his plan and started moving the clip on the pen cap to the lock on the handcuffs.

"I wouldn't do that mon capitaine. You might be able to escape them, but you won't escape me.", a voice said snapping Pound Farthing from his concentration. Looking up he saw a tall thin man wearing an outrageous neon orange tuxedo with matching top hat, a pair of mismatched  gloves on his hands grasping an elegant black cane with a gilded head embossed with eight arrows pointing outwards in a circle, yellow with red mismatching pupils looked at him over the tops of light purple tea shades. The man gave Pound Farthing an almost predatory smile that made him shudder slightly. "Lemme guess, you work for Blueblood and are here to knock me off." "Sorry, but no. I only listen to two individuals and I'm pretty sure you don't have pink butterflies on your butt."

"Who is he talking to?", one of the cops asked on the other side of the two-way mirror, which got him a round of shrugs.

"Who or what are you exactly?", Pond Farthing asked nonplussed.

"I have gone by many names in your world, but seeing the author is kind of lazy and doesn't want to type them all out, You can call me the one, the only, often imitated, never duplicates(unless you count the near-numberless iterations on this site), the champion of craziness, the grand poobah of improbability, the lord of chaos himself...Discord!" After saying his name, he pirouetted, fell back on a couch that appeared of nowhere and pulled a silken cord causing confetti to fly from seemingly nowhere and a sign covered in blinking lights to drop down that read 'Discord'. The lights on the second d crackled and went out. "I told Pinkie not to use the cheap bulbs.", Discord muttered to himself. "Alright everypony, back to one!", he said. Discord duplicate dressed as an overweight stage manager, standing next to a TV studio camera that was operated by another Discord duplicate, shook his head and gave the 'not enough time' signal. "Aw, poo! I guess we'll go ahead with it, but know that you'll be hearing from my agent."

Discord leapt up into the air, did a triple front flip and landed light as a feather on the stainless steel table, making Pound Farthing lean back as far as the cuffs would let him. "Don't worry old chap or guv'nah or whatever this stilted and hackneyed author thinks sounds British, I won't hurt you...physically, I'll simply make feel all the pain you've inflicted on others as I force you to write a full confession.", he said as he flipped his hand in an overly-elegant flourish before poking the fingertip on center of Pound Farthing's forehead.

Cops scrambled through the hallways of the station towards the interrogation room where bloodcurdling screams were pouring out. Snatching the door open, they froze in shock seeing Pound Farthing doubled over the table clawing at his face. "Nononononono! AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH! Get it out! It hurts! It hurts so bad! AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH! NONONONONONONONONONO! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH! TAKE IT OUT! AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!" On the floor was a hastily scribbled confession detailing not only all the people he'd harmed or killed, but also all the things he'd done for Blueblood.
********************************************************************************************************

Rosewater pulled up into the driveway in her cruiser next to her car that Wallflower and Sunset had drove home in. Stepping out of the cruiser as the two girls got out of the car, she walked up to the front door, unlocked it and let the two in before stepping in behind them. "Wallflower, you and sunset can hang out in your room together, just keep your door open and the music down."
> Building up
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was a normal Monday afternoon for most. For Pound Farthing, it was just another non-stop wall of mental anguish, it was wave after wave of reliving the worst he had done from his victims' perspectives, the fear, the terror, the pain. They had rushed him to the emergency room the previous Friday. The doctors and nurses were stumped at what happened. Early that Saturday morning he had  slipped out of the restraints and in an attempt to make the pain and experiences stop, had tried to hang himself by tying the straps to the gurney's frame. Fortunately...or unfortunately, depending on whom one were to ask, an orderly caught him in the act and with help from two other orderlies and a syringe of Thorazine administered by a nurse, managed to stop him. It wasn't long after that, he was transferred to a state hospital, where they were better equipped to deal with patients in such a state.

Which is where Pound Farthing now found himself, arms held in restraints in an observation room under suicide watch. Two orderlies sat outside his room at all times, checking in periodically to make sure he wasn't trying to actively harm himself. Between screams of pain and abject horror, he would whimper, begging his victims for forgiveness.

Doctor Pavlovian Response sat at his desk across from a representative from the State Department and the British consulate. "I understand, gentlemen, that he is wanted in multiple countries on several suspected charges. I've seen the FBI and Federal Marshals' teletypes myself for the crimes he's wanted here in the states. I, however, in good faith, cannot clear him for travel until he is in more stable condition." 'It makes no sense. I've looked over his CAT scans and brain MRIs myself a half dozen times. His whole brain is lit up as if he's experiencing active trauma, but there's no reason for it. If things keep up like this, he could very well give himself a heart attack or a stroke.'

The two representatives looked at each other, exchanging a wordless conversation. "What is the minimum amount of time before you can remand him over for extradition, Doctor Response?", the representative from the State Department asked.

"Standard procedure is to hold him for a minimum of two weeks for observation and trying different medications to see what will work."

The two representatives exchanged a glance again in another wordless conversation. "Very well.", the representative from the British Consulate replied, "I will tell my superiors that they can wait a minimum of two weeks. I believe I can placate them for that long, I cannot speak for anything after that. I bid you good day good doctor." The two representatives stood up and left.

After the two had left, Pavlovian Response placed his face in his hands and blew out a sigh. Why did this hospital get all the loony cases? Last year, it had been a girl, barely seventeen, who had been strung out for weeks on anything that could get her high, obviously mentally ill, ranting that she 'couldn't eat misery any more', now it was an international criminal who for some reason, was experiencing the active traumas of the people he'd tortured, raped and murdered. I could use a drink. No! Don't throw away ten years of sobriety. He paused in his thoughts. How long has it been since Abacus Cinch called me? I'm her sponsor. How long has it been since she called? I hope she's doing well and hasn't slipped back into bad habits. If I don't hear from her in a day or two, I'll call and make sure she's doing okay.

********************************************************************************************************

It was a normal Monday afternoon, the final bell at CHS rang letting the students know the school day was out. Flash Sentry watched as Sunset Shimmer walked though the halls, several of her friends following close behind, beside her, or ahead of her. It made his heart hurt to see the girl visibly flinch at the sound of some guys shouting across the hall to each other, or visibly steer away from groups of guys, propping against a wall and clenching her eyes shut as they walked past. Though he had accepted that he and Sunset were over in the romantic department, he still considered her a friend and wanted to walk over to her and tell her that he was there for her any time she needed someone to talk to. The memory of the day she had a bad freak out and fled through the school panicking made him stop. Part of him wanted to charge in like Galahad and physically rip her away from the feelings that were obviously causing her distress. Those thoughts made it feel like an invisible knife was being twisted in his chest, making him feel impotent.

Flash opened his locker and stuffed his books and other possessions into his backpack. Closing and locking the locker, he turned around and froze. Sunset was slowly walking towards him, Fluttershy at her side. The trembles in the bacon-haired girl's muscles muscles and posture spoke that it was taking every bit of courage for her to do so.

Each step Sunset took towards Flash made her feet feel like they were encased in lead, made her legs like they were made of rubber. Her stomach felt like it was churning with a combination of the most savage butterflies, the kinds of butterflies that would say 'crush your enemies, see them driven before you and hear the lamentations of the women' in a Central European accent and the worst hurricane in all of existence, which for some reason, would be called 'Big Bertha'. The combinations of the two images would have, in any other occasion made her laugh hysterically, but now, it was taking every bit of strength and courage just not to run away. Cadance had told her earlier that day that she needed to talk her other friends and explain the problems she was struggling with, that she needed to expand her circle of support.

Taking another step forward, Sunset froze in her tracks. Primal fear started welling up in her, the kind of fear that only one who was a magical descendant of non-magical herbivorous prey animals can experience. Ponies back in Equestria would have called such instinctual fear 'prey sense', but here on this side of the mirror, humans, whom were the descendants of omnivorous, predatory apes, didn't really have the same 'prey sense'. "F-F-F-Fluttershy, I-I-I c-can't m-move." Her eyes quavered in their sockets as she gasped for breath...at this moment she felt like running away screaming or fainting would be easier.

Sunset felt a gentle, but firm pressure on her upper arm as Fluttershy took a gentle hold on her. The yellow-skinned, pink-haired girl with near-crippling social anxiety and enough phobias to make any psychologist's career spake softly, "Don't move any farther than you think you can. Close your eyes, take a few breaths and think of something happy."

Closing her eyes, Sunset took a few deeps breaths. The bacon-haired girl's thoughts drifted to holding a particular girl closer to her, said girl had green skin, dark green messy hair, brown eyes that seemed to glisten like deep dark pools and a bright smile that would have made Princess Celestia hang her head in shame as it made her sun looked diminished by comparison, dark green freckles that speckled the girl's cheeks, that made her even cuter completed the image. A small smile graced the corners of Sunset's mouth as a wave of calm helped to dispel just enough of the fear to make her fell more confident.

Flash stood still, like a statue. He didn't want to make this girl, whom had once been his romantic interest, to run away in fear. It had taken her nearly all the courage she could muster to walk halfway across the hallway. As Sunset slowly opened her eyes, Flash's breath instinctively froze in his lungs.

Sunset couldn't look directly at her ex-boyfriend, so she instead opted to look in the general direction of his head. "F-Flash, firstly I want to...to...", she swallowed what felt like Holder's Boulder in her throat and half-expected Limestone to come storming through the doors of the hallway, eyes full of fury, "...I want to say I'm sorry if I've made you feel...feel feel feel...f-f-f-feel..."

Sunset started to hyperventilate. She couldn't do this. Black thoughts started to bubble up in her mind, thoughts that accused her being the a traitor, a thief, a she-demon. She wondered why the air felt like the was getting thin as she struggled to shove those thoughts back where they belonged. Another black thought bubbled to the front, one darker and more poisonous than the previous ones, it uttered one word that threatened to steal what little precious oxygen was left from her lungs...whore!

Another gentle squeeze on her upper arm from Fluttershy gave Sunset the anchor she needed to dispel the black thoughts, especially the most poisonous one.

Sunset forced her breathing to a more normal pace and swallowed hard before continuing. "I'm sorry if I made you f-feel shitty. You were just trying to be a good friend. I'm a bajillion kinds of messed right now and-and I don't know if I'm ever going to be okay again. Everyday is a struggle for me to to make another step forward. Some days, especially when the nightmares get nasty, I feel like I'm trying to run up a muddy hill."

Flash stood there stock-still, listening to Sunset apologizing to him. On an intellectual level he understood what she was apologizing for. The less intelligent part of his mind, which to be honest, often took over more times than he liked to admit, especially when he was aroused or angry, and right that part was very, very angry at Long Pass and his cronies, was wondering why she was apologizing. Could he reach down into Hell, drag their ghosts out and kill them all over again? Why were his lungs burning? On instinct his body released the breath he had forgotten he was holding and took a fresh one. "Sunset, you don't need--"

Sunset held up a hand to interrupt her ex-boyfriend. "I-I-I kn-kn-kn...", she gave an exasperated huff and attempted to continue, "...kn-kn-kn-n
kn...", she couldn't finish her words.

Fluttershy, sensing seeing her friend's struggle, took a quarter-step forward, placing the back of her shoulder against Sunset's to give her friend a more sense of security. "Flash, I know your trying to be the gallant guy, but Sunset feels she needs to say what she has to say." The yellow-skinned girl immediately retreated her face behind her pink locks. "If that's okay with you."

Flash's words were cut off by Sunset's gesture and the boldness of the normally meek pink-haired girl. Though Fluttershy was normally riddled with severe social anxiety and a whole host of phobias, would, when her friends were in trouble, become a warrior, more savage than the red-haired barbarian woman who wore the practically-not-there chainmail bikini in his dad's old comics, that, he liked to read, for the stories...and because, if he was honest with himself, barbarian women in skimpy chainmail bikinis were sexy.

Sunset, feeling the last of her courage waning, quickly finished. "Right now I'm terrified of guys, but I don't want to be. Would you mind if I t-te...te...tex..." Just like that the last of her courage went out like candle in a wind storm and her voice devolved into unintelligible squeaks. Her eyes, wide with fear, trembled in their sockets and her breath quavered. She quickly went to backpedal, but Fluttershy quickly locked down on her arm and the other five of her friends quickly surrounded Sunset and escorted her down the hall, with Sci-Twi lingering at the back.

Sci-Twi stopped and turned to face Flash. As she opened her mouth to speak, Flash interjected, "You don't have to explain anything to me, Twilight. I know Sunset's going through a lot and it took a lot out of her just to say what she did just now. Tell her that if she ever wants to text me just to say hi, or that she needs someone to talk to, or whatever, my phone is always where I can reach it."

Sci-Twi opened her mouth to respond, when Rainbow shouted from down the hallway, "Hay egghead, catch up! We're going to Sugarcube Corner!"

Sci-Twi gave a nod of affirmation to Flash, then ran down the hall to catch up to her friends, the heels on her shoes clicking loudly on the linoleum. Flash watched Sci-Twi run down the hallway, the perverted part of his brain conjured up an image of the two of them in his room, naked. He shook his head, this Twilight wasn't his Twilight...not that the other Twilight belonged to him, she was a princess in a magical land of ponies...she probably had tons of governmental responsibilities. The perverted part of his brain conjured up a new image, both Twilights were in his room, both were naked. Flash blew out an aggravated sigh, he couldn't win for losing, his ex-girlfriend and friend was dealing with some heavy stuff...and all he could think of was two lavender-skinned girls in his room, naked.

Wallflower sat in Cadance's office.

"How have you been, Wallflower?", Cadance asked.

"Fine.", the green-skinned girl half-mumbled.

"That's good. Have the thoughts of hurting yourself come back?"

Wallflower shuffled her feet and rubbed her arms uncomfortably. She looked down at the scars on her forearms, her mind went to the matching scars on her thighs.  She wanted to answer, but every time she opened her mouth, nothing would come out.

Cadance watched as the girl tried to answer. A blind man could have seen she was struggling with thoughts of self-harm. "This is a safe space. Anything you say here stays between us, I won't tell your mom, unless you want me to. Let me ask a different question. Have you done anything recently to hurt yourself?"

"No.", Wallflower answered after a moment of hesitation, she wasn't lying, she hadn't done anything to hurt herself. "It-it's hard sometimes. Most of the time everything feels completely out of control. It hurts, like all the time."

Cadance was familiar why people sometimes harmed themselves, when things felt like things were completely out of control or they were mentally hurting, doing things to harm themselves gave them something they felt could control. But that lead them further down a spiral of self-destruction. "Where does it hurt?" She knew where Wallflower was hurting, but the girl needed to say it out loud.

Wallflower tapped a finger to her head, then to her heart.

Cadance said nothing for a few moments. "Do you want to keep hurting yourself?"

Wallflower visibly flinched at the question. Her mind wandered to to the look of fear in her mother's face every time she found a new cut on her. She dragged a thumb across the few scars with the stitch marks where. She remembered her mother bawling her eyes out next to the hospital bed when she tried to kill herself. Tears started welling up in her eyes. She remembered the look of absolute terror in Sunset's eye through the gap in the stall door, the sound of desperation in her voice when she begged her not to shove the the handful of pills in her mouth. Tears rolled down her cheeks and she started sniffling. "Yes." She hung her head in shame, she was disgusted with herself. "But*hsnf* but seeing the*hsnf* look on the faces of the people I-I-I*hsnf* love hurts worse."

Wallflower buried her face in her hands and wept. "I'm a terrible person!", she shouted between sobs.

Cadance hurried around her desk and wrapped Wallflower in a hug, pressing the girl's face into her shoulder. "Shh! Shh! You're not a terrible person. Knowing that what you're doing is hurting the people you love and that you don't want to do something that would hurt them is the mark of a good person."

Cadance rubbed Wallflower's back and head as she let the girl cry herself out.

Once Wallflower had cried herself out, Cadance disengaged from the hug, stood up, grabbed a box of tissues from her desk and handed them to the girl. "I think you need to tell your mom, Sunset and your friends about you struggling with thoughts of hurting yourself."

Wallflower nodded as she tossed the balled-up tissues in trashcan.

"I have something I want you to do. Every morning after you get out of the shower and every night before you go to bed, stand in front of a mirror naked, look yourself in the eyes and say out loud 'I am beautiful. I am strong. I matter. I am worthy  to be loved by others. I am worthy to love myself.'"

"D-do I have to be naked?"

"Yes. Nothing to cover yourself up. It's your body and you should love yourself, warts and all. You can do it in front of the bathroom mirror or in front of a mirror in your room. Somewhere where it's just you and your reflection." Cadance interlaced her fingers as she laid her palms on her desk. It was a simple exercise to teach young women how to reclaim their sexuality in a healthy way when they felt it had been stolen.

Wallflower's cell phone rang and she pulled it out of the pocket to answer it. Cadance turned her attention to the paperwork on her desk

"Hello?  Yeah. I'm here in Dr. Cadance's office. Yeah, sure."

Wallflower tapped the red icon on her screen to hang up the phone. "That was mom. She's pulling into the parking lot now."

Cadance closed flipped the paperwork over and stood up. "I'll walk you to the parking lot."

Cadance and Wallflower met Rosewater, who was walking towards the school front.

The acting vice-principal waved as the two walked away. "Remember what we talked about, Wallflower!"

Rosewater opened the passenger side door for her daughter then walked around to the driver's side and got in herself.

"Mom." Tear welled up in Wallflower's eyes as her lip trembled. "I've been having thoughts of cutting again. I-I don't want to, but it's hard." Tears slid down her cheeks.

Rosewater wrapped her daughter immediately in a hug.

That night Rosewater was walking past the bathroom door when she heard her daughter talking to herself.

"Come on, you can do this. Don't be a baby." Wallflower took a breath and closed her eyes. Opening her eyes, she forced herself to lift her eyes past the scars on her thighs, past the scars on her forearms, past her nudity and look her reflection in the eyes. Letting out a sigh, she started,"Okay, here goes nothing. I am beautiful. I am strong. I matter. I am worthy  to be loved by others. I am worthy to love myself." Those were the hardest words she had to say and, if truth be told, she didn't exactly know if she believed them.  Quickly grabbing the shorts and t-shirt she wore for bed and pulled them on.

Rosewater jammed a knuckle between her teeth in an attempt to stave off crying. It was good to hear Wallflower saying positive things about herself. Tears stung for eyes.

"Mom? Are you okay?"

Rosewater wrapped her arms around her daughter. "I am now baby, I am now." A few sniffles escaped her as she cried for joy.


***


Celestia laid on the cot in the jail cell. One of the things that the movies, TV shows or books had ever prepared her for being locked up was the boredom and long hours of nothing. She was counting the stains on the wall and the chips in the ceiling's paint for the umpteenth time when the sound of footsteps brought her out of her counting.

The jail guard walked up to Celestia's cell and said, "Hey, you got a visitor."

Rising to her feet, Celestia made sure as many wrinkles were out of her jumpsuit as she could possibly get and her hair was at least semi-presentable. As she walked to the cell door, the guard pulled out a pair of handcuffs. "Are those necessary? It's not like I'm going to go anywhere."

"Your visitor requested that you be properly restrained. Said something about having bad issues with his aunt."

"Blueblood!", Celestia snarled. She blew an aggravated sigh and held out her hands. "Fine. Let's what that pompous ass has to say." The guard closed the handcuffs around her wrists and lead her through the hallways. Instead of taking her to the big communal visitation room, she was lead to a private room usually meant for inmates and their lawyers.

"What's all this?", Celestia asked.

"He requested a private room. Said he'd be more comfortable if you were fully restrained.", the guard replied, "You can refuse to see him and I'll take you back to your cell, if you want."

"No, I'll hear what this pompous ass has to say. He probably wants to gloat over me or brag about some sort of acquisition or conquest he recently did. I don't think he's stupid enough to try anything here in county lockup."

The guard led the former principal onto the room, in the center was a stainless steel table bolted to the floor, one one side of the table was a loop for securing the chain on the handcuffs. She was guided to the table, sat down and the loop was opened with the turn of a key, then the handcuffs were secured in it before the loop was locked back in place.

Celestia only had to wait for a few minutes after the guard had left. With an electronic buzz, the door was unlocked, it opened with a metallic click. There standing in the doorway was the son of her younger brother. She wished, not for the first time, that that the same car wreck that had taken the life of Polaris had killed Blueblood too, it would have been more humane of a fate than what laid befallen him. Her nephew had the same cruel stare of his stepfather, Sombra, a man who was as every bit as vicious as he was wealthy, and the old man was very wealthy, though all the money in the world couldn't save that bastard from the brain aneurysm that took his life, if it had only happened sooner before he had passed off onto her nephew his 'life lessons'.

"You look well Celestia.", Blueblood said in a tone that would have made penguins shiver, "I trust you're eating well."

"Let's pass up on the whole faux sensibilities, nephew. You didn't come here for a friendly social visit."

"Dear auntie, why so uncouth?", Blueblood said in faux offence, "I guess you forgot your manners, what choosing to babysit a bunch of teenagers. How many of those little whores wound up pregnant this year?"

Inside Celestia's anger burned bright as a sun, but on the outside she kept her face as smooth and still as a porcelain mask, something her mother had drilled into her from a young age, being the heiress to the Sugarman fortune. "I wouldn't resort to calling young women whores. Especially with your mother's history. Tell me again dearest nephew, how much did it take for her to spread for Sombra, then Tirek, then Grogar? Oh, I remember. The promise of financial security, an eight ball of coke and being the principal of Crystal Prep, in that exact order.", she hated speaking those men's names, each one was worse and more perverted than the last, but she didn't let her porcelain mask slip, "Tell me, did you ever find out who gave her that eight ball laced with drain cleaner? Or was it you that gave her that poison?" Blueblood's facade slipping was all the confirmation she needed that she hit the right buttons before he slipped it back in place. She allowed herself to bask in her small victory.

"Mother struggled with addiction most of her life. I tried to get her in rehab multiple times, but she was tragically taken from this world by some scummy dealer.", Blueblood said in a voice as smooth as silk and as toxic as sewage, "But you're right, I didn't come here for a friendly social visit. I've come here to make a deal. Admit in court you killed my son in cold blood, that he was a good boy who would never harm a fly and throw yourself on the mercy of the court. Do that and I can get you off on time served at the best and at worst, a few month in lockup and community service. Just do that one little thing for me and I can make this all go away."

"And if I refuse"

"This is a dangerous town. Last I heard, the Griff street Lions and the Diamond avenue Dogs were having a little spat. It'd be a shame if that red head you've taken on as your little pet project got caught in the crossfire between those two gangs. Or that cute girl she's seeing. You know the one I'm talking about, the policewoman's daughter, incredibly shy and socially awkward? Or one of her friends. People always end up dead or disappearing, especially if they're on the wrong side of the tracks."

"You're pathetic. Threatening some girls that have nothing to do with you."

"Oh, I made no threats. I simply offered a way for you to leave all this unpleasantness behaind and get your life back on track."

"You're not the only one with money, you know. As the eldest daughter of Thor Thunderhead Sol and Aphrodite Sugarman-Sol, I have access to a fortune as well. Luna and I simply decided not to waste our lives on greed and perversion, and devote ourselves to molding young minds."

Blueblood scowled at Celestia. "So I take thay your answer is--"

"We're done here. Go back to your pathetic, lonely life filled with yes men an sycophants. Guard!"

Blueblood sneered at his aunt, stood up, spat on the table and walked to the door.

"One of these days, dearest nephew, if you don't change your ways, you're going to get yourself into the type of trouble that there isn't enough money in this world to get you out of. Bring yourself to the straight and narrow. I hear that Mt. Aris School of Performing Arts has an opening for a custodian."

Blueblood turned to face Celestia and narrowed his eyes at her. "You are deluded, dearest aunt. There's no such thing as a problem so big that money can't get me out of it. Oh, and take care of yourself, I recently heard that the prosecutor has put in a motion to have your trail moved up and the judge approved it. Until next time, ta-ta! And do think about my offer before it's too late." With that he opened the door and left.

After Blueblood had left, Celestia shook her head. "You damned deluded fool!"

As Blueblood walked through the parking lot towards his limo when his phone rang. Pulling out the phone, he saw it was from his accountant. Tapping the green icon, he placed it up to his ear. "This had better be good."

"Bluey, Bluey, Bluey. As predictable as ever. You disappoint me."

"Scratch?! Why are you at my account's office?"

"I'm not at your accountant's office or anywhere you can touch me. What happened with your little hitpon-hitman was a message for you."

"What did you do to Farthing?! Inject him with mind-altering drugs?"

"Nothing so mundane, mon capitane. With just a little chaos, I brought his conscience forward and with a little change of view, I personally showed him what he hurt. My message is change your ways or Kay-kay and Moony will come deal with you personally, then you and I shall have all the time to get to know each other really well. Except for when I have tea parties with a very dear friend."

"Who is Kay-kay and Moony?! What do they have on me?! Or are you trying to blackmail me?!", Blueblood roared into his phone. He waited getting no answer. "You still there, fucker?!" Again he received no answer. Taking the phone from his face, it was still locked. Unlocking it, he opened recent calls and saw there was no recent calls from his accountant's office.




> Discoveries and meetings
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The final bell bell rang and the students of CHS poured out of the various classrooms, ready to get to their various weekend plans. As the crowds of students in the hallway began to thin, Sunset came out of study hall. Making her way down the hall, she had a slight skip in her step, Rainbow had gotten permission from her parent to take her dad's crotch rocket out and  had texted all of her friends, inviting them to join.

Wallflower walked out to the parking lot, a small smile on her face. She and Sunset had made plans for on going on another date. Her mom had given her the location of a theater that played old, notoriously bad movies, and the Saturday matinee double feature was showing Plan 9 from outer space and Them. Hearing her name being called, she looked over her shoulder, seeing six of the Rainbooms standing by or leaning on the plinth that once held the mascot of CHS, TJ the Wondercolt, the statue had been destroyed during the Friendship games. Rainbow was shouting her name and waving her over.

Once Wallflower walked over, Rainbow asked, "Hey Wally, you wanna come out to the airstrip with us? I'm bringin' my dad's crotch rocket, The Comet, AJ's gonna bring a couple of dirt bikes, Fluttershy's gonna bust out her folk's old Vespa, Rarity's gonna bring her mom's quad. And what was it you're bringing, Pinkie?"

"A suped-up velocipede that Mr. and Mrs. Cake has been helping me work on!", the chubby, pink-skinned girl with poofy hair, a darker shade of pink, said excitedly.

Wallflower didn't know what a velocipede was or why someone would supe it up. "I...uh...I...don't know. I've got homework and stuff tonight."

"Sunset's gonna be there.", Rainbow said, waggling her eyebrows.

Wallflower went to say something, but paused, unsure what to say. She drug the toe of her shoe across the concrete and kicked a few pebbles.

"You know you wanna come.", the rainbow-haired girl said, "Think about it, the wind in your hair, the scenery rushing by, the bugs in your teeth."

That last one wasn't very appealing to Wallflower. "I...uh...uh..." She felt a hand wrap around her waist as a hip bumped into hers.

"Hey there, sexy."

Wallflower nearly jumped out of her skin. Turning her head, she looked right into the light cyan eyes of Sunset.

"Rainbow, don't pressure Wally into doing something she doesn't want to do." Sunset kissed Wallflower on the cheek.

The green-skinned girl asked, her face and ears suddenly feeling hot. "I'll...uh...I'll...uh...go if you want me to."

"I'd love for you to come along, but only if you want to.", Sunset replied, "I'd feel bad knowing you were there and not having fun. If you wanna stay home, it's cool. I'll text ya when I get done hangin' out and I'll see ya tomorrow for our date."

All six girls gave a drawn-out love-dovey sigh and big doe eyes, except for Rainbow, who did the same as her friends, then immediately acted like she didn't.

Wallflower hemmed and hawed, unsure of what to say. Rosewater pulled up to the curb and stepped out of the car, she was dressed in her blue uniform. She walked around the front of the car, giving quick greetings to the seven girls. "Wallflower, I got called in for a double right as I was getting ready to head out the door." She placed the car keys in her daughter's hand. "I won't be home until the morning. There's plenty of leftovers in the fridge and I've left some cash in the kitchen drawer, you know the one, in case you want to order a pizza or two. If you decide to invite your friends over, just keep the noise down to slightly less than a jet engine, and if it's just you and Sunset, I just ask that you two keep your clothes on. Mr. Magnet will peek in to make sure everything's okay. Biscuit will be picking me up in about ten minutes."

"Um...mom? The girls have invited me to go out to the old airstrip and ride bikes with them. Is it okay if I go with them?"

Rosie smiled. She, like the rest of the cops in OHPD, she knew about the old airstrip. It was once an Air Force base that shut down in the early nineties, Celestia and Luna had bought it shortly after they started working at CHS, the former as a guidance counselor, and the latter as a metal shop teacher, to give the kids somewhere they could race their cars and whatnot in a safer environment than the streets. Cops drove by there regularly to make sure the kids who gathered out there weren't hurt or drinking and whatnot. "As long as you were a helmet and be safe."

"Dun worry 'bout that none!", Applejack said, "Ah'll toss a couple'a extra helmets an' a couple'a ol' leather jackets in th' bed o' th' truck."

Rosie gave a satisfied grunt and nod. "Alright the, be safe. I'll see you in the morning before you go off to school, and if you need me for anything, no matter how small, give me a call." She gave her daughter a hug and bid the seven other girls goodbye, then headed to the road.

Sunset and Wallflower climbed into the car together as the other girls made went their separate ways. "So, you got the house all to yourself?", Sunset asked as Wallflower put the keys in the ignition.

Wallflower said nothing and placed her hand on the back of Sunset's. She let her fingers creep across the amber-skinned girl's hand and wrist until she made her way to her girlfriend's thigh. Her palm and fingers slid across Sunset's thigh and gripped the inside. The two girls, their brains running on autopilot as passion and teenage hormones took control, leaned towards each other. Lips met and tongues swirled in a dance of passion. Fingers crept across bodies to touch supple flesh. Muffled moans came out of their mouths. A loud knock on the window snapped the two girls out of their make-out session. Looking over, they saw Luna with her signature scowl on her face. The dark blue-skinned woman pointed to the school gates. The two girls sheepishly smiled and nodded. After the car holding Sunset and Wallflower drove off, Luna couldn't help but give a small chuckle as she remembered what it was like to be young.


Wallflower stared at the strange two-wheeled object with an oversized front wheel, Pinkie sat atop a small seat, behind a pair of small handlebars, the forks of which extended down to the front axle, balancing herself and the archaic two-wheeler under her as she pedaled back and forth. Wallflower had seen pictures of similar vehicles in history books, just none with neon lights strapped to the side and an electric engine attached to the front wheel. "So that's a velocipede, huh? And that's how you supe one up?"

"Yup and yup!", Pinkie replied.

"Uh...how do you recharge the engine?"

Pinkie attached a couple of pinwheels to the engine. "Wind power!"

Wallflower swore she heard the grinding of gears and smelled burning rubber as she tried to wrap her head around that.

"It's Pinkie being Pinkie.", Sunset said, laying a hand on Wallflower's shoulder, "Just remember that mantra when you see her do anything that seems out of place. It'll help with your mental health."

Pinkie, having finished attaching the two pinwheels to the electric engine, pulled a helmet that looked like a cupcake and a pair of goggles, seemingly from nowhere. After attaching the goggles and helmet to their proper places, she reached down and flipped a switch on the engine. "Alright everybody! Maiden drive of the Cupcake Flier!" The front wheel began spinning around faster and faster, sending up a cloud of white smoke into the air, despite there being no rubber tire on it. The velocipede lurched forward like it was going to speed off at a high rate of speed, then began to creep forward slowly, before it suddenly zipped backwards, leaving neon-colored light hanging in the air.

"Huh, that's diff'rent.", Applejack said as she walked forward and tapped a knuckle on the solid light.

With a crackle and a pop, Pinkie reappeared, still atop the velocipede, though she was wearing bright blue speed suit she wasn't wearing a few seconds before, several patches in the likenesses of various baked goods sewn to it, though the helmet and goggles were the same. Pulling off her helmet, her hair was stuck forward in a stiff windblown style. Hopping off the seat, she walked over to the electric engine. "There's the problem, it was on backwards!" She pulled a screw driver from her hair and started taking the electric engine off. Noticing Wallflower's confused stare, she said with a smile, "What? The author felt this story was a liiiiiiiiiiiitle too serious, so he decided to add in a little humor."

"Bu...no...uh..." Wallflower.exe has encountered a critical error and needs to shutdown.


***


Abacus Cinch had fallen off the wagon, hard. Though she managed to keep herself from drinking herself into a stupor while the students of Crystal Prep were still in, once the last one had left the school for the weekend, she had tore into the fifth of cheap gin she had in the bottom drawer of the desk. Though Blueblood had tried to get into her head, that wasn't what had gotten her rattled. Today was the birthday of her daughter she gave up so many years ago.

Cinch held in her hand, the picture of her newborn daughter the doctor had snapped for records, the baby had red and blonde-striped hair, and a newspaper clipping of an article that had the same girl, aged seven, who had been killed in a hit-and-run. For years she had kept it a secret, only telling Blueblood once she had a secret daughter when he had put enough booze into her. One thing she never told him or anyone else was that the father was Sombra, former head-principal of Crystal Prep and Blueblood's stepfather. She had held herself together for years until the Friendship Games last year, when she laid eyes the girl named Sunset Shimmer, who was the spiriting image of her daughter she gave up all those years ago, that was when she began drinking heavier.

"Hhhhhhaappy birshday, little Annette.", Cinch slurred, grabbing the bottle of cheap gin and downed the remaining half. She wobbled back and forth behind the desk, her vision became even more blurry and unfocused as she began losing motor control. Her stomach felt like it was doing the lambada.  When her esophagus suddenly felt like it suddenly got shorter, she went to get up and hurry to the bathroom, her legs seemed to forget how to work and she collapsed, falling face down onto the floor. Unconsciousness quickly overcame her as her stomach heaved. On the desk, her cellphone rang.

Doctor Pavlovian Response walked through the front door of Crystal Prep. A scowl had spread on his face as he put his cellphone away in a jacket pocket. He hurried over to a custodian. "Excuse me, do you know where I can find Abacus Cinch? I've been trying to get a hold of her, but she's not answering her phone." The custodian pointed him to the office.

Pavlovian gave the custodian a halfhearted thanks and walked to the principal's office. Looking through the window in the door, he didn't see Abacus Cinch, but he did see an empty gin bottle laying on its side on the desk. Cursing under his breath, he pushed the door open, the combined scents of cheap booze, urine and vomit assailed his nostrils. Hurrying around the desk he found Cinch face down in a slowly expanding puddle of vomit. "Abacus!" He bent down to wake her, but found her unresponsive. Turning her face to the side, he checked her breathing and gave a sigh of relief, she was alive for now. Calling nine-one-one, he reported Cinch as having alcohol poisoning and unresponsive when the operator picked up the line.


***


Sunset sat astride the Comet, Rainbow Dash's dad's motorcycle. Nothing made her feel more like all that is woman than to have a machine that had ridiculous amounts of power and speed between her legs, currently the green-skinned girl with brown eyes had wrapped her arms around her waist tightly added to the feeling. Raising the visor on the helmet, she looked over her shoulder and spoke up, "You ready babe?" Wallflower nodded, though Sunset couldn't see her face under the helmet and visor, she assumed that her girlfriend was smiling. "Okay, hang on tight. We're about to tear ten kinds of ass!" Sunset lowered the helmet visor, turned the key and revved the engine several times. Kicking the motorcycle into gear, the crotch rocket sped down the strip of blacktop.

"Woooooooooooo!", Sunset heard shout from the seat behind her as she opened up the throttle on motorcycle.

Throughout the afternoon the eight girls drove their various two and four-wheeled vehicles down and around the airstrip. As the shadows began to lengthen, the girls began to load up the vehicles onto the various trailers. At the front of the pickup truck, the girls caught Rainbow leaning against AJ, the latter had her arms wrapped around the former's waist.

The girls let loose several teasing 'awws' and lovey-dovey coos.

The farm girl's and the athlete's necks and faces both went beet red.

For half an hour there were rounds of friendly jabs and teasing being passed back and forth between the eight friends before they all loaded up in their respective rides to go home.

Wallflower and Sunset sat in the front seat of the car as they drove to Wallflower's house. Stopping at a red light, the two girls' mouths interlocked as hands went under shirts seeking out the other's flesh. The loud honking of a car behind them snapped the two girls out of their make-out session. The driver passed them and shouted something unintelligible, while shaking their fist at the two girls.

Sunset and Wallflower pulled into the driveway of Wallflower's house. After pulling under the carport, they both got out of the car. "Why hello there flower-girl!", an effeminate man's voice called out. A purple-skinned man with perfectly coiffed blonde hair and a freshly waxed blonde mustache leaned his tall, lean form against the fence, a long black cigarette holder clutched in a manicured hand.

"Hey there, Mr. Magnet.", Wallflower said.

"Who's your friend?", Steven Magnet asked, giving a knowing grin.

"Sunset Shimmer.", Sunset replied extending a hand, "You must be Mr. Magnet."

Steven Magnet took Sunset's hand in a surprisingly firm grip. "Charmed, and Mr. Magnet is my father, my friends call me Steven."

"Nice to meetcha Mr...er...Steven."

"I'll let you two get back to what you're doing. Just don't get too loud." Steven Magnet leaned away from the fence with a cheeky grin on his face and began walking to his house. He paused and turned back for a moment. "If either of you need me for anything, I'll be right next door. Oh, and flower-girl, I'll pop by in about two hours to check in on you two. If you're going to be preoccupied at that time, make sure you've got a sock on the bedroom doorknob so I don't walk in on anything personal."

Sunset watched as Steven Magnet walked into his house. Her eyes traced along his front yard, following the water as it flowed from the small fountain, through a shallow marble trough that wove through the yard like a miniature river to a small reservoir where it was cycled through again. She felt a tug on her upper arm. Turning back to her girlfriend, Wallflower aggressively kissed her. Sunset was initially caught off guard by Wallflower's aggressiveness, as the green-skinned girl's tongue forced it way in her mouth, but she quickly recovered.

The two girls' tongues swirled around each other in a dance of passion as they pressed their bodies together. Closing the carport door behind them, the two girls rolled along the wall, aggressively making-out. Sunset pinned Wallflower against the wall, breaking from the make-out session to catch her breath and give her girlfriend the same chance to breath.

Sunset and Wallflower panted as they stared into each other's eyes. Leaning forward, the two girls' mouths met in a new battle of passion, green and amber hands found their ways under shirts to grasp at the flesh underneath. Wallflower pushed Sunset away momentarily, grasped the tail of her shirt in her hands and pulled it up over her head. Sunset took in her girlfriend's fuller figure and larger breasts, contained by a beige brassier. She leaned forwards and planted line of kisses, starting at Wallflower's throat, tracing down to the cleft between her girlfriend's breasts. Wallflower let out a string of coos and moans. Leaning back from kissing her girlfriend's body, Sunset grasped the tail of her shirt and pulled it up over her head, revealing her leaner form and smaller breasts contained in a lacy red bra.

Wallflower grabbed Sunset by the wrist and drug her to the bedroom. The two girls' bodies intertwined as they made out. Shoes, socks and pants were hastily pulled off, until the two were left in only their bras and panties.

Sunset paused for a moment as she felt a familiar tingle across her skin...Equestrian magic. 'I never thought that having someone so close to my body could make feel so good!' Sunset swore she could hear her girlfriend's voice. "Babe, are you okay?"

Wallflower looked up into Sunset's eyes."Yeah." Please don't stop!

Sunset leaned back and shook her head to clear it.

A concerned look spread on Wallflower's face. "What's the matter, Sunny?"I bet she's disgusted in how I look. I'm an ugly, fat whore! She wrapped her arms around her body, suddenly feeling self-conscious.

"I don't think you're ugly, fat or a whore."

Wallflower's eyes went wide. "I...uh...I didn't say that." Oh crap! Can she hear my thoughts! Is she listening now! Shit! She can hear me?! Dah-duh-duh-duh-dun-duuuuun!

"You don't have to yell. I can't hear your thoughts, I think."

"I never said anything about you hearing my thoughts. And-and I wasn't yelling."

This time it was Sunset's turn for her eyes to go wide. "Then there's some Equestrian magic floating around. It's a strong source, though not as strong as what happened at the Friendship Games. It's probably a rogue portal. I'll get a hold of Twilight and the other girls to find and close it." She pushed herself up from the bed and her eyes landed on a grey stone with odd runes carved into it. Picking up the stone, she began looking it over. Her eyes went wide again."Babe, where did you find this?"

"I found it in the woods by CHS, buried between three big rocks with similar stuff carved into them. I thought it was something put there by the natives a long time ago."

"At least you didn't figure out how to use it."

Wallflower hung her head, letting her dark green tresses hang over her face. "I...uh...figured out how to use it."

"Well that's good...waitaminit...you figured out to use it?!"

Wallflower suddenly felt very ashamed and hung her head. *hsnf* "Yes" Tears leaked down her cheeks.

Sunset placed the stone on the nightstand by the bed and wrapped Wallflower in a hug. "I'm not upset or mad or anything, Wally. I'm concerned, magical artifacts can be dangerous in the hands of those who don't know how to use them properly. I know from personal experience."

The two girls put their clothes back on and Wallflower showed Sunset the odd cloth it was wrapped in when she found it.

Sunset was a bit rusty with her ancient Equestrian, but she was still able to interpret the writings. "I cannot remember where I came from originally, only that this world isn't mine. My name is Clover and I leave this here with this warning in the event that someone finds it in the hopes they never use it. In my dreams I see a pony with with light fur, blue eyes and light green hair, she is sitting on the ground holding a pair of fillies, one with white fur and a pink make, the other with dark blue fur and a light blue mane. I think they might have been my wife and children, but I cannot remember their names, only the feelings of love. I curse the day I came into possession of this stone. I know my name is Clover and that I'm a pony, but little else. The beings who live here have taken me in. I will bury this cursed rock and have some boulders erected around it in the hopes that it will keep any other beings away. I will also bury this scrap of my cloak with it in the hopes it gets back to those who loved me. My name is Clover. Please remember me, my homeland, for I cannot remember you."

Sunset, after finishing interpreting the words, looked up. "Clover, Clover, Clover. Why does that name sound so familiar?", she said softly to herself. Her eyes went wide with sudden realization. "Clover the Clever!" Looking around, she snatched her shirt off and wrapped it around the stone. "We need to send this to Equestria! It affects the memories of anyone who messes with it."

"I know." Wallflower said, "I figured it out not long after I found it. At first I used it to erase awkward moments and uncomfortable conversations. Then *hsnf* things got bad. *hsnf* After Long Pass a-an...", tears began trickling down her cheeks, "I had planned on using it one last time to erase myself from everyone's mind right before I tried to kill myself, but *hsnf* I m-met y-you and f-f-fell for--" She buried her face in her hands and began to cry.

Sunset wrapped Wallflower in a tight hug. Tear stung her eyes as she held her weeping girlfriend.

After a hour of the two holding each other, the silence only broken by the occasional sniffle, Wallflower spoke up, "Sunny, how could you hear my thoughts?"

I guess it's time I finally come clean with my last dark dark secret. "When I was still Princess Celestia's personal student, my specialty was mind magic, specifically telepathy and empathy.", Sunset said, "I think I need to get everyone over here and come clean about something."


***


Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Sci-Twi, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie sat on the couch across from Sunset, who was wearing one of Wallflower's spare shirts, though it was a bit too big for her. Wallflower sat next to Sunset, holding her hand for support.

"Okay, I have something I need to get off of my chest. Something I kept as a secret. You all know that I'm a unicorn and that I was the personal student of Princess Celestia." Sunset took a breath and continued."My specialization was in telepathic and epmathic magic. That means I could, to a limited degree, read a person's or pony's thoughts and feelings. On this side of the portal it was diminished, but not completely gone and if I concentrated, I could use it to get a better read on someone's feelings, to better manipulate them. Between putting on the Element of Magic, turning into a demon and getting blasted by the Rainbow of Light, I though my special talents were stripped from me."

"So lemme get this straight, before Princess Twilight came through the first time an' we all hit ya with th' rainbow beam, you were mind controllin' th' school?", Applejack asked, leaning forward.

"Not mind controlling, just using what I had to understand better which buttons to push." Sunset hung her head in shame. "I should have come clean sooner. Can you forgive me for keeping it a secret?"

"You saved me from myself when what happened at the Friendship Games, so I think I can forgive you wanting to keep a secret from before I knew you."

"P'shaw, darling. There's nothing to forgive, especially after Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo had convinced us with that fake MyStable account that you were up to your old ways and then you forgave us."

"Ah get it, sugarcube. Ya weren't 'specially proud o' yer past an' what ya did, but there ain't nuthin' ta forgive."

"You helped us fight off those totally lame sirens and helped save the world at the Friendship Games. In my book that makes you nearly as awesome as me."

"You...um...may have started out as a total meanie, but now you're super nice. The critters at the shelter all like you and they don't like just anyone. Besides, we're friends through and through, and it wouldn't be very nice if we held it against you."

"Nobody smiles bigger or more genuine than you! Like Grammy Pinkie always said, 'If someone comes to asking for forgiveness, you give it to them, then you throw them a big party.'"

Sunset and Wallflower found themselves in a group hug, the latter squeaked in surprise before settling into it.

After breaking from the group hug, Sunset told them about the stone and the message on the scrap of cloth. "This a highly dangerous artifact that could cause real harm if it fell into the wrong hands." She shuddered at the memory of her turning into a demon and mind-controlling the student body. "We need to send this back through the portal before it can cause some serious harm. Though being in proximity allowed me to hear Wallflower's surface thoughts. When I write Princess Twilight, I'll tell her about it allowing me to use my special talent. Maybe she can help figure out how to better control my special talent, we might be able to help the other girls who have been hurt by Long Pass and his fuck-heads."

Quick murmurs of agreement went back and forth between all eight girls. Sunset snatched up the still wrapped-up stone and tossed it into an old shoebox. All eight girls loaded up into two cars and began driving to CHS. As the box holding the wrapped-up stone sat in the floorboard of the car, all the girls tried to keep as far from it as possible, like it was a nuclear device that had a hair trigger. Sunset quickly scribbled down a message to Princess Twilight in the journal as the two cars drove quickly to CHS, fortunately they didn't run into any cops along the way.

Stopping at a red light, the journal began to glow and buzz. Sunset opened it and began to read the reply.




By Celestia's snowy flanks! You were fortunate to find such a dangerous artifact before it fell into the wrong hooves! I was in Canterlot tending to some business when the message came through. Fortunately Spike was at the castle taking care of a few things when he noticed the journal and sent it to me by dragon fire. Once Princesses Celestia and Luna saw the message, they went to a secret restricted area. There they found and brought an ancient journal by Clover the Clever. That artifact is called the memory Stone that was created by a sorceress using dark, forbidden magic. When used, it erases memories. Princesses Celestia, Luna and I shall be waiting on your side of the portal for you and your friends.




Sunset's eyes went wide reading the message. She shouted in an excited and slightly panicked tone, "Wally! Call your mom and tell her that Equestrian royalty will be waiting at the school! They'll probably need an escort as I don't think they'll fit into either of our cars. Rainbow, call Rarity's phone and tell her what's going down! I'll call Principal Luna and Dr. Cadance and tell them what's going down!"

Wallflower pulled out her phone and called her mom. After a short, but very energetic conversation, she ended the call and put her phone in her pocket. "Mom said to pull over at the gas station. We're going to receive an escort."


***


The three Equestrian princesses were standing by the plinth that contained the portal with a full compliment of guards. Princess Twilight was helping the guards get better situated to a bipedal form when a dozen police cars pulled up. Out stepped two dozen One Horse police officers in dress uniforms. Three more police cars drove up escorting two civilian cars.

"Well it looks like they sent out their guards to greet us.", Princess Celestia said.

"Those aren't guards. They're police.", Princess Twilight said.

Princesses Celestia and Luna looked at Princess Twilight. "Pardon?"

"You know, they're kinda like constables."

Sunset, Wallflower, Sci-Twi, Rainbow, Fluttershy, Applejack, Rarity and Pinkie got out of their cars. "Princess Celestia!", Sunset shouted as she ran over to the solar princess and threw herself onto the solar princess, hugging her, whom returned the hug. Parting from the hug, she curled her hands into facsimiles of hooves, dropped to her knees, extended her left arm forward and bowed before the princesses in proper Equestrian fashion.

"Rise Sunset Shimmer.", Princess Celestia said in an even, regal tone.

The other six girls, initially stunned by Sunset running over to to the two women who looked like cross between mythical amazons and goddesses, dressed like they were plucked from bronze-age Greece and dropped into modern times, along with a familiar purple princess, who was dressed in a manner similar to modern royalty. The six girls stopped in front of the princesses, just behind Sunset. Rarity curtsied, Applejack took off her stetson and lowered her head, Rainbow bowed like she was in a karate dojo, Fluttershy did a combination curtsy-bow, Sci-Twi placed one hand on her stomach and the other on her lower back and did a formal bow, Wallflower, clutching the shoebox, stood there uncomfortably, Pinkie had a huge smile on her face as she pulled a tray of cupcakes seemingly from this air.

"I-I-I-P-P-P-uh..." Sunset tried to speak, but found that she forgot how to make words.

"Just breathe, Sunset.", Princess Celestia said.

Sunset took a few deep breaths and cleared her throat. "Princess Celestia, we have recovered an ancient and potentially dangerous artifact from Equestria's history. We surrender it to your possession so that it may be contained so that it cannot harm none." She gestured for the box to be brought up.

Wallflower, trembling like a leaf, walked up and held the box out.

"Peace be upon you, my little human.", Princesses Celestia said in a gentle tone,"You have nothing to fear from me." She pulled the lit from the box to look at its contents.

"I'm-uh I'm sorry that we had to use an old shoebox. We didn't have any silver wire and lead plates to make a proper containment box.", Sunset said.

Princess Celestia smiled at her former student and the green-skinned girl. "You did the right thing by limiting exposure." She picked through the contents of the box and pulled out the scrap of cloth holding the writing. The Equestrian princess read the message on the cloth, tears welled up in her eyes and she turned to her sister. "Luna, we now have closure on what happened to father."

"Father?!", Sunset and Princess Twilight said at the same time.

The two high pony princesses in human form read over the scrap of cloth, tears shimmering in their eyes. "Yes, Clover the Clever was our father, and his wife, our mother, was Smart Cookie.", Princess Celestia replied. If Sunset and Princess Twilight could have made sounds like broken computers, they would have. "Mother searched high and low for years trying to find some scrap of information on what happened to him until her dying days.", the elder pony princess continued, "After Starswirl mentioned the portal and how he and his fellow pillars had used it to banish dangerous creatures through it, Luna and I took a few excursions through looking for any signs of what happened to him. Unfortunately the portal on both sides moved around, until it was anchored into a mirror. It appears that after we anchored it, it wound up anchored on this side too."

As Sunset was taking this all in, several more cars pulled up.

Principal Luna stepped out of her car, as did Vice-principal Dr. Cadance and they mayor, Mrs. Mare. Out of the other cars stepped men and women wearing black suits and dark sunglasses. One of the people wearing dark suits opened the door on a car and out stepped a woman wearing a charcoal gray pantsuit, the out-of-place strands of hair in her bun indicated that she had been hastily roused from her sleep and she had just as hastily gotten herself prepared for the impromptu meeting with inter-dimensional royalty.

The three princesses took this in before the eldest turned back. "Before we are whisked off to a meeting with the United States government again, I'd like to see where this was found. Pray-tell, which one of you discovered this artifact?"

"Uh...th-that would be me.", Wallflower said meekly.

The woman, surrounded by people in dark suits walked up. "Princesses Celestia, Luna and uh..."

"Princess Twilight Sparkle.", Princess Twilight replied.

"Right, Princess Twilight. May I ask what the nature of your visit to our country entails?"

Princess Celestia smiled. "Why of course, miss Marigold Bloom. We were made aware of a powerful magical and the possible resting place of a pony of significant importance to Equestrian history. We came to retrieve the object and inspect where it was found, to confirm that it is their final resting place."

"And if this is the individual's place where their remains  are housed?"

"We'd like to place a marker so that when Equestrians travel here,they can pay their respects."

"And if there's no remains to be found?"

"We'd still like to place a marker so that our little ponies can pay their respects."

Marigold Bloom nodded her head. "Very well, it shall be as a symbol of friendship between our two worlds, Besides, the potions you gifted the U.N. have heads of our best scientists and doctors bubbling with new treatments and cures for diseases that have plagued mankind since the dawn of time."

Princess Celestia smiled at the mention of potions being used to cure diseases. She turned her attention to Wallflower. "I'm sorry, in all the commotion, I forgot your name."

Wallflower dug her toe in the dirt, feeling very self-conscious, until her mother came up from behind and gave her a nudge. She jumped slightly. "Oh! Um...my name's Wallflower...Wallflower Blush...your highness." She gave a slight curtsy.

"Very well, miss Wallflower, would you please escort me to where you found the artifact?", Princess Celestia asked.

As they walked in uncomfortable silence, the solar princess leaned down and whispered in to Wallflower's ear, "So, do you prefer to be called Wallflower Blush or Wallflower Wallflower Blush?"

Wallflower looked over at the white-skinned, amazonian-looking woman with hair that flowedon a breeze that wasn't there the color of a pastel rainbow giving a cheeky grin. "Uh...just the one Wallflower is fine."

Princess Celestia leaned down and whispered into Sunset's ear, "I can see why you've chosen to stay here,my former student. She is quite a handsome mare. So when are you planning to marry her, and would you want me to officiate the ceremony?"

If Sunset had been drinking anything, she would have done a spit-take right then and there, instead she opted to choke on air. After her body figured out that there was nothing solid in the air to choke on, she replied, "I think it's a little early to think about marriage, we've only been dating for a couple of months."


***


After the former resting place of the Memory Stone had been inspected and all parties had gathered at the front of the school by the plinth, Princesses Luna and Twilight went back through the portal, Memory Stone in tow, Princess Celestia opted to stay behind to allay the mind of the United States and a few other governments' that Equestria wasn't showing any favoritism to one country or another.

As a limousine was pulled up, the solar princess turned to the mayor. "I'm curious about something, miss Mare. The school is called Canterlot High School, but the city is called One Horse, may I ask of the history as to why it's called as such?"

Mayor Mare smiled at the visiting Equestrian princess. "Of course, your highness. One Horse was once six cities that slowly grew together, Canterlot City, Crystalville, Williamsburg, Diamondton, Griff and Road Apples. Over time no one could remember or even agree where the five city limits began, ended, or even where they exactly were. About eighty years ago, the five city councils decided to incorporate, but no one could agree on a name, so they agreed to leave it up to a local election to decide on a name. Someone decided as a practical joke, to slip the name One Horse into the ballot, you know, as the idiom one horse town, meaning a small, insignificant, bump-in-the-road town in the middle of nowhere. It wound up being the name that one,and as they say, history was made. Honestly, as stupid as that sounds, it's not as stupid as how the town Arad, Alabama got its name."

Princess Celestia gave a bell-like giggle. "You'll have to tell me the story of that one."

"The town was originally called Arab, but when they had a new sign made, the people who made it accidentally swapped the B for a D. Instead of sending the sign back and saying,'Hey, you misspelled the name of our town. Get it right or we'll sue.', they decided to just change the name of the town from Arab to Arad."

Princess Celestia guffawed at that. "Is that true?"

Mayor Mare simply shrugged and made the 'I don't know' sound. "That's the way I've always heard it."


***


Blueblood woke up in his bedroom and turned on the radio. He paused in his morning routine, hearing the reporter talking about the surprise visit by a Equestrian princess and how she was currently meeting with U.S. President Theisman, Canadian prime minister Candace "Candy" Rocs, and United Kingdom prime minister Pipsqueak. He spat curses, some of which may have been in dead languages, as he quickly got dressed.

Blueblood rushed out of his manor and to his car. He had some choice words he was going to scream in the faces of anyone and everyone at the local One Horse state department office for not alerting him of a foreign dignitary showing up in his town. He slipped the key into the ignition, turned it and the car, instead of cranking up, instead made an ungodly whining sound. "Oh come on!", he screamed at the top of his lungs. "Fucking! Piece! Of! Shit! Fuck! Fuck! Shit! Ass! Cocksucker!", he screamed, slamming his hands on the steering wheel with each syllable.

Suddenly the radio made a horrible screeching sound."Click. This just in, Blueblood stuck at his house because Kay-Kay and Moony don't want to talk to him."

Blueblood recognized the voice and glared at the radio."Scratch! I don't know how you're doing this, but you're dead! Everyone you've ever known, dead! The guy you buy coffee from in the morning, dead! Everyone at the restaurant you occasionally buy burgers from, dead! The little old lady you stopped to say hello to once, dead!"

"And now an announcement from our sponsor.", the "broadcast" changed to a commercial with Mr. Scratch speaking in a stilted tone as cheesy music played., "I'm a patient creature, Blueblood. Keep on this path and when Kay-Kay and Moony come for you, I'll be waiting for you at the end of that path. I think you humans say it best, 'fuck around and find out.'", the "broadcast" changed again, "We interrupt the word from our sponsors. We have a bit of news breaking. It appears that smoke has been spotted in the direction of Blueblood's car engine. Click."

Blueblood's car made a strange coughing sputter, a moment later black smoke and white steam poured out from under the hood. Blueblood stepped out of his car, raised his fists to the sky and let out a scream of rage and frustration.
> Blueblood screws up badly
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Former principal Celestia woke in her cell to the sound of banging on the bars. Looking up from her bunk, she saw a guard slipping the nightstick back into the ring on his belt.

"Get up. You've got a visitor."

She looked at the clock inside the unbreakable clear hard plastic at the top of the far wall of the hallway. The black-on-grey liquid crystal digital display read seven-forty-five PM. "I thought visiting hours ended and five."

"Somebody somewhere thinks you're important enough to set up a special visit. What with the black shades government guys and whatnot.", the guard said as he slipped the key into the lock. Two other guards stepped up by his side.

Celestia rose from her bunk, stood in the center of the cell, turned her back and placed her hands on the back of her head. She heard the cell door open with a *rattle-rattle-rattle-rattle-clank* followed by the clomping of the three guards' shoes on the flat grey painted concrete floor. "I thought that only female guards were supposed to search female inmates.", she said over her shoulder.

"We're shorthanded today. Don't worry, I won't touch you in any inappropriate places.", one of the guards said.

Celestia blew out a sigh and rolled her eyes. There was little she could do about that from inside a cell.

A guard began doing a pat-down. First starting with the pockets of her orange jumpsuit, followed by checking the cuffs of the legs and sleeves, then moving up to the collar.

"Well lookie-loo what we've got here!", a guard said in a sing-songy voice.

Hearing the clatter of plastic, Celestia looked down at her feet. There was a toothbrush, the base of its handle sharpened. It was a setup! Looking over her shoulder, she sneered as she said, "Let me guess, you're working for my nephew and there is no 'special visitor'."

"You're right on the first account, bitch!", the guard hissed in her ear. He roughly spun her around, waving a little baggie containing what looked like two little balls of soap. "They'll be visiting you in solitary, considering you were found in possession of two pieces of contraband and..." He roughly grabbed her forearm and snatched it forward, weakly striking her hand on his shoulder."Assaulting a guard during the process of a lawful search." The other two guards cracked their knuckles as the one in front of her reached for his nightstick.

Celestia's eyes went wide with pain and shock. Pain blossomed in her stomach as the butt of the nightstick slammed into her belly and the air left her lungs. She doubled over, her arms instinctively wrapped around her stomach and her knees buckled as she slumped to the floor. Fresh pain blossomed  on her face, head, shoulders and chest as the guards kicked and stomped her.


***meanwhile***


Rosewater Blush marveled at the seven-plus-foot tall woman that was the exact duplicate of former principal Celestia walking beside. Except this woman appeared to be an amazonian goddess come to life, complete with flowing white toga and golden ceremonial armor adorning her forearms, lower legs and chest. The sandals on her feet looked to be straight out of ancient Greece. A golden tiara sat delicately atop her pastel rainbow-colored hair that flowed on an ethereal breeze. All around the two of them were Secret Service Agents and guards wearing archaic-looking armor that belonged on soldiers on a sixteenth century battlefield, not modern bodyguards.

Princess Celestia gave an amused smile at the woman gaping up at her. "Is there something the matter my little po...human?"

Rosewater sputtered for a moment before regaining her composure. "No. It's just that I'm a little overwhelmed. I've never met a pony princess before. You look like *mumble-mumble-mumble*..."

Princess Celestia gave a motherly smile at the clearly flustered woman. "No need to worry, Rosewater Blush. It is very hard to offend me. I have seen much in my long life."

"Well, you like...never mind, it's just nonsense.", Rosewater said, her face feeling warm.

"A little nonsense now and again is sought out by the wisest of ponies."

"Well, you look a little like *ahem* the descriptions of the goddess Athena. What with your height, beauty, and the...the very air about you."

Princess Celestia tittered out bell-like laughter. She wiped a tear from her eye and said, "I've read about the ancient mythology of your world. The goddess Athena is the patron goddess of the city Athens. Am I correct?"

Rose water nodded her head.

The princess continued. "The texts I've read about her. It was said that she was one of the most beautiful goddesses there was. It was also said she was a goddess of war, tactics and war. It was also said she was a virginal goddess. Though I value tactics and justice, I've not had to march to war since my third cousin-twice-removed Gusty tried to link up with my sister and I up in Cloudsdale to form up an army to free Equestria from the Great Tyrant." She turned her head to face Rosewater. "And I can assure you that I am no virgin."

Rosewater coughed and sputtered.

"I have had many husbands, and more than a few wives in my long life.", Princess Celestia said, a wistful smile gracing her lips. "My little ponies think my sister and I are nigh unassailable demidieties sometimes. But in truth we're just mares, and like all mares, we have needs. But listen to me prattle on about my love life. I hear you're a mother. Tell me about your daughter."

"Wallflower is a smart and lovely young woman. She has struggled with depression, and self image issues, and thoughts of self-harm since her father died. And what happened to her only made those problems worse."

A brief frown crossed Princess Celestia's face. "I've heard about what has happened. Fret not. There are plans in motion to deal with this world's Blueblood."

The group walked on in silence for a few moments until the princess came to a stop. Princess Celestia turned to one of the Secret Service agents. "Something's not right."

"Princess...?", Rosewater asked, unsure.

Princess Celestia turned to one of the Secret Service agents. "Please offer my apologies to the president and the mayor, I shall be delayed in meeting them. There is something that needs my immediate attention."

Rosewater stared in stunned awe as a golden light shimmered on Princess Celestia's forehead. She was forced to shield her eyes as the light grew brighter and brighter. In a flash the princess was gone. "Uh...huh...what?!", was all she was able to get out.

"Standard teleportation spell.", one of the guards in the archaic armor said. "Though the magical currents of your world are flowing, it's still like trying to wade through mud when tapping into them. The princess will likely require a snack and some tea to replenish her reserves."

Rosewater pointed back down the hallway. "There's a couple of vending machines in the break room. How much do you think she'll need?"


***


As the guards continued to stomp and kick on former principal Celestia, a bright flash of light caused them to stop and look over their shoulders. Their eyes practically bugged out of their heads. There stood looking like giant amazon goddess was the close of the woman that was currently laying helpless at their feet.

"Wha...", was all the first guard could say as the princess stepped forward, reached out with her right hand, grabbed him by the collar and flung him out of the cell.

The second guard barely had the chance to get his hands up as the princess grabbed his collar with her left hand and flung him out of the cell.

The third guard spun around, nightstick in hand. He cheered in his head as the truncheon connected with the left side of the princess' jaw. The thoughts of victory quickly died when instead of collapsing to the floor unconscious with a broken jaw, the princess' head sharply turned to the side, knocking her tiara askew. The front of his slack darkened as the princess turned her head back to him, her irises momentarily flashing golden. The guard dropped the nightstick from his trembling fingers. "It ain't like it looks! I got child support payments to make. He-he's got a file on me and said he's not let'em go public if I mmmf-mmmf!"

Princess Celestia reached and gripped her hand over the guard's mouth, cutting off his words. "Be silent."

The guard complied.

"Nod your head yes or no. This world's Blueblood has blackmail files on you?"

The guard nodded his head yes.

"Blackmail is a crime here?"

The guard nodded his head yes.

"Did you try to reach out to anypo...anyhuman for help?"

The guard shook his head no.

Princess Celestia took her hand from the guard's mouth. "Give me a reason why I shouldn't incinerate your body and stuff your soul in a bottle to be cast into the depths of Tartarus for all eternity for battering the pony of one of the high diarchs of Equestria."

The guard fell to his knees and grasped the princess' leg. "Please-please-please-please no! I'm sorry! Have mercy! My son just got braces!" Tears poured down his face and snot leaked from his nose.

Princess Celestia looked down at the sniveling guard. She was about to step aside to let him run away with what little dignity he had left when a voice spoke up from behind.




Police Chief Thunderhooves was making his way to meet a foreign dignitary who was inspecting the jail. He decided to take a shortcut through cell block G. Turning the corner in the cell block, he saw a giantess of a woman who was the clone of an inmate materialized from a flash of light. She stepped into the cell, a split second later a male guard was sailing through the air, hit the wall and slumped to the floor. This was a women's cell block, so there shouldn't be any male gaurds in any of the cells without at least one female guard present, and currently there were no female guards on the clock today due to a scheduling error. He began to run down the hallway. A second male guard came flying out the cell, hit the wall and slumped to the floor. There shouldn't be that many male guards in a woman's cell if there had been some sort of emergency. There were no medical staff or guards in riot armor. Last year he had fired four male guards for sexual misconduct with female inmates in return for illegal drugs, and one former guard was currently sitting in jail awaiting trial  for sexually assaulting a female inmate. That last thought made his blood run cold and he quickened his pace.

Chief Thunderhooves came to a skidding stop outside the cell, the rubber soles of his shoes sliding across the grey painted concrete floor. He stood there for a moment dumbfounded. The guard was on his knees before the giantess begging for his life. On the floor by the guard's knees was a nightstick, the steel-cored truncheon bent at a slight angle. His eyes drifted to behind the guard. Laying there on the floor in an unmoving heap was the body of an inmate, the pastel rainbow-colored hair immediately identified her. "Celestia?"

Princess Celestia turned her head at the mention of her name. There was the police chief, built like a brick house, and nearly as wide. She stepped aside.

The guard, thinking this was his chance, got up from his knees and ran in a blind panic, in the hopes of getting away from the wrathful goddess.

Thunderhooves grabbed the guard by his lapels, lifted him up into the air and pinned him to the wall.

The guard, squealed in fright and flailed helplessly. "Please! Nonononono!"

"What. Did. You. Do?!", Thunderhooves snarled through grit teeth.

"Release him Police Chief Thunderhooves Big-Sky.", Princess Celestia said. "We have much more serious matters at hoof. Plus you have his two accomplices, I'm sure they'll give him up, once they wake up and see they've been arrested." She knelt down by the unconscious form of former principal Celestia. Her forehead glowed with golden light as she channeled a healing spell. She channeled the spell to her hands, placing one on the former principal's head and the other on the woman's side.

After Thunderhooves dropped the guard. As the guard ran off, he noticed the smell, the guy had soiled himself. He walked into the cell and stood next to the princess who was laying glowing hands on the unconscious woman. "Is she going to be okay?"

"She's badly hurt. They stamped on her. I'm using a healing spell to treat the worst of her injuries, but the magic of this world doesn't flow very easily. So I'm having to tap into my reserves to bolster the spell."

Thunderhooves mulled over the word magic in his mind for a moment, then gestured over his shoulder. "And them?"

"Just unconscious. I used a little earth pony magic to  send them through sailing through the air, and little unicorn magic to switch off their conscious minds. They should be awake in about twenty minutes with the worst headache they've ever had as their conscious minds retake control. Because the magic of this world hasn't flowed for a long time and you humans haven't used it in a long, long time, maybe keep them in the hospital for a day or two to ensure there aren't any long term effects.


***


Former principal Celestia woke up to the sound of loud munching and the sound of a soda can cracking open. She looked around, finding herself on a hospital bed, turning her head she saw a giantess clone of herself chewing on a bar made of peanuts and caramel while holding a can of soda in her hand. On a nearby cart there were stacks and stacks of various candy bars and soft drinks.

"You know, for a species that forgot how to tap into the magic of your world to the point it stopped flowing, you humans make some pretty good snacks. The sugar content of your snacks are higher than what Equestrian confectioners use. This will help get my reserves back to normal.", the giantess clone said to a man wearing a dark suit, dark sunglasses perched atop his nose and a coiling wire extending from his ear. "Oh! You're awake. Agent..." She paused to read his name tag. "Party Crash, could you please let her sister, the mayor and the president know she's awake? In that order, please?"

Celestia groaned and winced as she went to sit up.

The princess placed a hand on Celestia's shoulder. "Try not to move. Though I was able to heal the worst of your injuries, the fractures in your skull, ribs and vertebrae are currently being held together by a lattice of magic. If it wasn't for an anatomy book my student had spirited away from the school's library that I had looked at once or twice, it would have had a much more difficult time in putting your bones together properly. Don't worry, I'll tell her to return it, though I'm pretty sure she's already transcribed it in triplicate, and are currently making triplicates of the triplicates. Let the doctor know if you're having a craving for hay or raw oats." She said the last part with a snicker and a snort. "I was more worried about the injuries to your spine, skull, brain, lung and ribs that I didn't focus on your forelimb. If you want, I can help speed up the healing."

Celestia looked at her left arm hanging in traction. A cast ran from her knuckles to just past her elbow, three metal hoops were around the cast with surgical steel spokes that ran through the hoops and cast. "You've done plenty for me and I thank you. How bad was it when you found me?"

"If I had been a moment later, you might not be awake and talking to me right now."

"Why am I in the hospital and not the jail infirmary?"

"The police chief insisted on calling a healer's wagon. I believe the term he used was ambulance. He reminds me of a certain bison I know back home."

"And the guards who did this?"

"Currently in custody and being interrogated. When my sister hears that one of them struck me with a weapon, she'll demand his hide. Don't worry, I'll calm her down and prevent an international, inter-dimensional and inter-species incident."

"I take it that you didn't come here to just save my life?" Celestia gave a halfhearted chuckle that was cut short by a shooting pain in her left side. She groaned and gripped her left side with her right hand.

The princess' expression became stern for a second. "Looks like the pain numbing spell is wearing off. But to answer your question. No, I didn't come to save your life. I came to thank you for all you've done to help Sunset Shimmer. And to tell you not to worry, things are well in hoof and that things are in motion. But given current events, the timetable will have to be upped quite a bit.

"Celestia!", Luna shouted as she dashed into the room. She ran across the room, tears leaking down her face and wrapped her sister in a tight hug. "When I heard what happened, I thought they'd killed you."

"Luna! Luna! I can't breathe!", Celestia croaked out.

Luna pulled back from her sister. "Sorry! Sorry! I was just so scared! If they had killed you...I-I*hsnf* I don't know wh-wh-wh--" She began to sob and buried her face in her sister's chest.

Celestia stroked her sister's hair. "Shh! Shh! It's okay. It's okay. I'm alive. The princess saved my life."

Luna pulled up from her sister, knelt before the princess and gripped the solar diarch's hand in hers. "I cannot thank you enough! You ask anything of me, no matter how big or little. I'll make it happen. Even if I have to move heaven and earth to do so!"

The princess tapped her lips with a knuckle. "Actually I do have something to ask of both of you."

Both sisters looked at the princess intently.

"Love each other. Offer a strong wither when the other is having a moment of weakness. Listen to each other. And don't let feelings like jealousy, envy or anger come between each other, and definitely don't let those feelings fester until they become rage and hatred. That is all I ask of the two of you."The princess stood up. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to talk to your mayor and your president." She began walking to the door, then stopped halfway across the room and turned her head back. "It appears your lawyer is outside in the hallway talking with the mayor right now. Celestia, I thing congratulations are in order."

Celestia looked at the princess with a confused on her face.

The princess tapped an ear. "Pony hearing." Then continued out the room.

A moment later Fleur Di Lis walked in the room. "Celestia, I just got off the téléphoner with le district attorney. Le state has decided to drop le charges. It turns out that putain d'idiot Blueblood had been paying off several key witnesses to remain silent. Duex grew a conscience and turned themselves in. They testified that those five you shot was in self defence as they stood up from their table and made a lunge at you. That has prompted le state to drop all charges. Une fois que vous sortez d'ici, les célébrations sont de mise![1]"





Blueblood sat in the driver's seat of his rental car, driving through the neighborhood that sat between Lion Boulevard and Eagle Lane. He glared at the construction crews that were going to and fro, some were repairing houses that had sagging porches, walls or roofs, others were laying foundation for what the sign read, "future One Horse homeless shelter and soup kitchen". Still other crews were bulldozing the empty lots that had been filled with refuse, used needles, glass pipes for smoking various illegal drugs, and other signs of urban decay. He slammed his hands down on the steering wheel in anger and frustration. He had used his wealth and influence to convince those asshats on the city council to block any urban renewal to drive the property values down, so that he could swoop in, scoop all the real estate for way under the fair market value, evict everyone, bulldoze everything flat and build strip malls and condos. Now somebody has swooped in and sniped all this property from under him. "And now they're helping the trash!", he shouted to no one in particular.

No matter. An evil smile graced his lips seeing a familiar young woman with white hair in a swooped forward style and purple tips. He pulled up next to her, rolled down the window and dangled a small envelope filled with a stack bills. "Gilda! How's my favorite leader of the Griffs doing? Don't answer that. I need you to get a couple of your boys together and deal with a little problem for me. Nothing too serious, just put her in the hospital with a few new scars. I don't care how they do it, I just want them alive to send the message."

"No way, man!", Gilda said, waving her hands in front of her. "We Griffs are going legit. Somebody with money has decided to give us a hand up, instead of kicking us down. And none of us wants to mess that up." She pointed to the sign that read in the corner "Fancy Industries LLC". She then started jumping up and down excitedly. "I get to follow my dream and start selling my abuelita's muffins!" She stopped jumping in place."Don't worry, there'll be plenty of free samples on opening day, and I'm sure that someone like you can afford to buy a couple dozen Bye-yeee!" If the Griffs skipped, then she would have skipped off, but because the Griffs don't skip, she instead happily hopped off.

Blueblood snarled as he rolled the window up and tossed the envelope on the passenger seat. The Griffs were his go-to gang when he needed something that was too small for a hitman, as a gang they weren't squeamish about shedding a little blood, and just greedy enough to take a job when a couple hundred bucks were thrown their way. Now someone had offered them enough money to give up the gangster life and go legitimate. He grit his teeth in anger and gripped the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white. The Griffs, the most bloodthirsty gang in One Horse that lived in the worst neighborhood, the same gang bangers who when one dangled just the right amount of cash could convince them to look the other way, or shed a little blood. Now someone had stolen that tool from him. He wracked his brain trying to think of who he could get. The Aris street crew? No, they had disappeared years back. The Storm Militia? No, the FBI had arrested their leader last year, and his second-in-command had turned them into an urban renewal construction crew or some sort of hippie nonsense like that. Think, think. There's got to be somebody who can...

A smile so evil spread on Blueblood's face that it could have curdled milk at thirty paces. "Fido and his boys at Diamond Point trailer park! They'll do it for half! And I can even get them to burn down that bitches muffin shop! Ah-ha-ha-ha!" He sped off cackling like a madman, nearly hitting a construction worker who was crossing the street.





Sunset and Wallflower were sitting on a bench at the park holding hands and occasionally kissing. The afternoon sun hung lazily in the sky. Today had been a good day. Standing up hand-in-hand, they decided to go through the hedge maze. It was more fun to get lost in it than actually solving it, and if there was nobody else in there...maybe get a little naughty.

As Sunset and Wallflower entered the maze, they didn't notice five guys following the...Fido and his boys, Rex, Snuffles, Rolf and Mister Barkington. Fido and his boys didn't notice that they were being followed,not by a person or even a pony-turned-human, but a draconequuis who was currently invisible.

Sunset and Wallflower laughed as they intentionally got themselves lost and turned around in the hedge maze, stealing kisses and the occasional grope along the way. Coming to a dead end that had three concrete benches, they paused listening to make sure no one else was around. They didn't notice the five sets of eyes watching them. Figuring they were alone, the two girls sat on one of the benches. Sunset pushed Wallflower onto her back, making out with her roughly as her hand crept its way under her girlfriend's shirt.

That's when Fido and his boys chose to attack.

The two girls barely had time to react.

Rex and Barkington  grabbed Wallflower and pinned her to the ground. Rolf grabbed Wallflower and held her back against him.

"Why are you doing this?", Sunset asked as she kicked and squirmed, trying to get free.

Snuffles kicked her in the stomach, forcing the air from her body and Fido knelt down between her thighs. A perverted sneer spread on his lips as he ran his hand across the amber-skinned girl's belly.

Sunset shuddered at his touch and the cheap, rhinestone bedazzled grill.

"It's nothing personal, girly. Just business. It's been a hot minute since me and my boys had such a sexy piece of ass. And now we got two of'em. Just relax and you two won't get hurt. Well get hurt any more than we're paid to do. Just let me and my boys get a crack at your two nooches and we'll let you two get away with just cut on your pretty cheek." Fido ran a finger along Sunset's cheekbone for effect. "Wadda ya say?"

Sunset couldn't speak. She couldn't think. She couldn't breathe. She was back in that alley. "No.", she finally managed to whimper out.

Fido mock frowned. "No? You hear that, boys? The pretty girly said no."

The other four laughed maliciously.

Fido reaching into his pocket, he pulled out  a switchblade knife. 

Wallflower felt her blood run cold seeing the knife.

"It's not like you have a choice in the matter. Because you said no, I'm going to carve you up extra special after me and my boys have our ways with you and your girly. I'll even carve my name into your forehead so you'll know that it was Fido and his dogs who claimed you."

The other laughed and barked.

Wallflower heard a voice whisper in her ear. "Stay calm. Breathe slow. Remember what your mother taught you." Her mind immediately cleared and she remembered what her mother taught her what to do when someone grabbed her like this. With all of her strength, she drove the heel of her foot down onto the arch of the guy's foot.

Rolf howled in pain and let go of the girl.

Feeling him let go of her, Wallflower grabbed his arm and Judo flipped the guy flat onto his back.

Stars flashed before Rolf's eyes as the air left his lungs.

Wallflower saw a tree branch laying on the ground by the head of the guy she had just flipped. She didn't take time to think about there being no trees that overhung this part of the maze, instead snatching it up and charging one of the guys.

Snuffles, seeing his buddy get flipped by a girl half his size and said girl was now charging him. Reaching into his pocket, he went to pull it out, only it felt like something or someone had grabbed his wrist. Looking down, he was momentarily stunned to see a lion's paw grasping his wrist. He felt a sharp pain in his temple and the world filled with static.

Fido was now keenly aware that two of his dogs were down. He stood to his feet and felt something suddenly grab him. The world spun in circles.

Wallflower was a blur of frenzy and fury. She kicked one of the guys holding down her girlfriend in the side of his head, sending him sprawling. She swung the branch into the other guy's face, knocking him flat. As the last guy stopped spinning, she swung the branch with all of her might, hitting him square in the mouth and laying him on his back. Tossing the branch aside, she pulled Sunset up to her feet. "Run!"

Fido spat out blood, teeth and a ruined grill. "Get them!"

As they rose to their feet, all five fell flat on their faces. Their laces had been tied together.

Sunset and Wallflower ran as hard as their legs could carry them. They didn't question why there were no turns until they got out of the maze.

"That felt like...like Equestrian magic.", Sunset said between gasps. "But at the same time..."

The two girls stopped to stare stunned at the tall, lanky man wearing a neon orange tuxedo. A walking stick with an eight-pointed star atop it was tucked under an arm. Twirling the cane with a sequin-covered gloved hand, he grabbed the brim of his top hat with a finger-less gloved hand and tipped it at them. "Ladies.", he said, his mismatched yellow eyes with red pupils looking over the top of his light blue tea shades.

Fido and his boys,having successfully untying their laces, took off after the girls. Nothing about the maze seemed to make sense. The walls of the maze seemed to jut out at odd angles, the paths seemed to twist and turn whichever way they wanted to. Finally the five came to a circular part of the maze. There was a fountain that had an odd statue of a strange creature that was an odd mishmash of various creatures put together that had a stream of water shooting from its mouth in an arc.

"We should have never took that job from Blueblood.", Fido said.

"You can say that again.", a voice said.

Fido nodded his head. "Glad you all agree."

"Uh, Fido...none of us said that.", Snuffles said.

Fido looked at his dogs as they shook their heads no. "Well, who said it then?"

"I did.", the voice said.

All five turned around to look at the statue that was no longer shooting water out of its mouth.

"Uh...statues don't talk.", Fido said.

"You're right.", the statue said, turning its head to the five.

The five screamed and huddled together.

The statue morphed into a strange, tall, lanky man wearing a neon orange tuxedo. "I believe I misspoke." He held up a gloved hand and snapped his fingers.

With a flash of light, the five found themselves on the carpeted floor of a moving vehicle. Looking around, they saw the strange man, a woman who looked like an amazonian warrior goddess, the chief of police and the mayor.

"What I meant to say is, repeat that for my friends, please.", the strange man said.

"Discord, whom are these humans?", the amazon goddess asked.

"The Diamond Point Gang. Fido and his dogs, Rolf, Snuffles, Rex and..." Thunderhooves paused, a snicker escaping his lips. "Mister Barkington."

The amazon goddess leaned right over until her face was right in Fido's. He could swear her rosy eyes were staring straight into his soul.

"Tell me everything. Do not lie. I will know."





It was dark when Blueblood left his favorite cigar lounge. The Diamond Point Dogs were a crude lot, and were more likely to make a complete mess out of whoever they were sicced on. Oh well, no matter. He whistled a jaunty tune, congratulating on a job well done that couldn't be traced back to him. Slipping the key into the ignition, he turned it and began driving down the highway. He was in too good of a mood.

"I warned you time and again. Leave Sunset, her friends and her special someone alone. I told you that if you didn't, Kay-kay and Moony were going to get you. But you couldn't leave well enough alone. Such chaotic potential wasted.No matter, I always get mine."

Blueblood looked over to see the strange man sitting in the passenger seat. "Scratch!", he snarled. "How long have you been sitting there?"

"Just after you pulled into traffic."

Blueblood sputtered. "But that doesn't make any sense!"

The strange man broke out in laughter. "What fun is there in making sense?" He wiped a tear from his eye. "If you had heeded what I said, the beautiful chaos we could have wreaked. The universes I could have shown you. The first universe I would have shown you has a human empire that spans the galaxy, constantly at war, besieged from without and within. Oh well. Such chaotic potential wasted. Oh well. Tomorrow Kay-kay and Moony will get you. By the time the sun sets on the day after, I will come to take what's mine."

Blueblood looked over at the strange man. "Who are Kay-kay and Moony, Scratch."

The strange man pointed out the windshield."You really should watch the road."

Blueblood looked forward and swerved to avoid a car merging into traffic. "Who are..." Looking over, he saw he was completely alone. Slamming on brakes, he pulled over into the breakdown lane. Switching on the interior light, he looked in the front floorboard, checked the back seat, checked the rear floorboards, looked in the rear view mirrors. There was no sign that the strange man, Mister Scratch, anywhere.
> Comeuppance and debts paid
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Now former Senator and businessman Blueblood stared down at his hooves after being shoved through the base of that statue and experiencing the odd rainbow kaleidoscope that stretched and twisted his body. Looking up from the floor, he stared up at the face of a pink horse with wings and a horn, ceremonial gold armor adorned its chest and hooves, a little golden crown sat atop its head. Its mane, instead of being normal horse-colored, was stripes of pink, purple and white. Standing next to the big pink winged and horned horse was a smaller white horse that had a horn coming out its head and an electric blue mane. Flanking the two horses were other hoses with crystalline coats, wearing crystalline armor.

As the big pink horse spoke, he didn't bother to listen, instead going over the event that led to him becoming a horse.





When it came time to go to his office, Blueblood was a mental wreck. Instead of sleeping, he had been up all night mulling over who Kay-kay and Moony were that Scratch had said were coming for him. At some point he had started drinking as he searched all his files and even the government database. Not even an inkling who Kay-kay and Moony were. By the time the clock chimed that it was time for him to go to the office, he wasn't just an emotional wreck, he was also a drunken mess. The intercom buzzed. It was the limo driver his office had sent. "I'll be down in a few minutes.", he said into the intercom. If he had been sober, he would have realized that he never put in a call to his office for a limo.

Blueblood put on a clean, fresh suit fifty thousand dollar suit made of Kashmir wool. Ran a comb through his blonde hair. Slipped on a pair of thousand dollar black silk socks and slipped on the new five thousand dollar Italian leather shoes. Looking through the tie rack, he chose a simple black one made of imported Chinese silk that matched the color of his suit. He picked up a pair of eighteen karat gold cuff links with mother-of-pearl inlays and matching tie tack. To top it off, he put a pair of two thousand dollar sunglasses on his face. Stepping out his front door, the outfit he wore cost more than most people's mortgages Note to self: call up the One Horse bank main branch and have them revoke the mortgages of the teachers of Canterlot High. That should make my two aunts sweat as they try and figure out how to help those trash people out.

Stepping into the back of the limousine, Blueblood noticed a fresh cup of coffee and two aspirins waiting for him. Picking up the cup, he took a sip of the hot, rich, dark liquid. It was the perfect blend, the perfect temperature. Popping the two aspirins in his mouth, he swallowed them down with a gulp of the hot, dark liquid. As he sat in the back of the limo as it drove off, he went over his itinerary for the day. It looked like today was going to be a light day, he only  had a meeting scheduled  for that morning in an hour.

As the limo pulled a couple of blocks away from his mansion and slowed to make a turn, Blueblood heard the whine of sirens. Looking out the back window, he saw a long row of black SUVs that had red and blue flashing on top pull up tothe main gate of his mansion. "Driver. Turn around so I can find out what's going on.

The driver,instead of turning around, or saying anything, simply let up the partition. The electric door locks engaged with a *clunk*.

Blueblood jiggled the door handles. He tried to pull up the locks. No dice! They were the completely rounded and smooth ones. He unscrewed the plungers. The little threaded bolt was too far down for him to get a hold of. He tried the switch for the window. The window locks had been engaged! He tried the sunroof. It had been locked too! He tried kicking the windows. No such luck! They were made of thick bulletproof glass that only a high caliber bullet designed to penetrate armor could get through. He banged on the partition. "Driver! I demand you pull over this instant and let me out!" No response. The partition didn't even slide a fraction of an inch, nor did the car even change its speed in the slightest, just maintaining its constant speed to its destination, his office. He began to frantically pound on the partition. "Do you know who the fuck I am?! I am Senator fucking Blueblood! I have more money than God himself! You will pull over this very instant and let me out, or I will make you watch as I have the guts of everybody you've ever loved and known pulled out in front of your eyes! Your spouse! Your children! Your siblings! Your aunts! Your uncles! The guy you bought breakfast from this morning! The little girl who live next door to you! Their guts all over the floor! You want that?! Let me out! Let me out this instant!" His threats and insistences were ignored. He began begging. "Please! Just let me out! I'll give you anything you want! Just name it! A million dollars! Two million dollars! Men! Women! Boys! Girls! Animals?" His begging was ignored and the car continued on its route.

Blueblood resigned himself. The driver was either deaf or stupid or had no one who loved them or... He began banging on the partition again. "Are you Kay-kay? Moony?! Scratch?! I know that's you up there you bastard! You fucked up now! There won't be a hole deep enough that I won't be able to find you!" He slumped back in the back seat. He picked up the partially drunk cup of coffee and threw it at the partition. The dark liquid splattered across it and dribbled down, the ruptured cup and broken lid bounced into the floorboard. He smirked at his small victory, no matter how insignificant it was. The driver would have to take time out of the day. He just wished he could poop right now, he'd leave them a real mess to clean up.

The limo pulled up to the office. Blueblood looked out the window. He saw people wearing windbreakers bearing the seals of all of the alphabet agencies. They had set up simple wooden barricades. Across the street some of them were holding back the tide of journalists. Agents walked in and out of the building carrying boxes in their arms marked "evidence". Intermixed with the agents were people wearing archaic armor. The limo came to a stop, the engin cut off and with a *clunk* the door locks disengaged.

A Secret Service agent walked up and opened the car door. "Blueblood, come with us, please." As he got out of the car, several agents quickly ushered him to the building.

Blueblood pushed back against the agents ushering him to the building and shouted to the journalists,"Whatever they've told you. I assure it's all lies. This is a witch hunt! A WITCH HUNT!" The agents quickly shoved him forward."I'm going! I'm going! Just had to throw chum to the circling sharks." As he with his entourage of agents reached the front door, the agent standing by it opened it for them. The agents that had armfuls of cardboard evidence boxes stepped aside for them. He sneered defiantly at the evidence-toting agents.

There on a chair was his secretary, Gladys. Streaks of mascara marred her cheeks as she dabbed her eyes with a tissue while an agent was talking softly to her. Looking up, she locked eyes with Bluedblood, anger, hurt and rage flashed at the same time across her face. Getting up, she stormed over to him. "Is it true?! All those people you hurt?! All those people you killed?!"

"Gladys, I assure it's all--"

She spat in his face, causing his words to cut off.

"Don't you dare lie for me anymore! Don't. You. DARE! And to think I defended you all these years to my friends and family! And now here at the end of it all, you can't even look me in the face and tell me the truth! Consider this my official resignation." With that, she turned on her heel and stormed out of the building.

Blueblood wiped the spittle from his cheek. "Well that could have gone a lot worse."

A middle aged woman wearing a badge with the seal of the CIA on it walked up, her greying blonde hair done up in a bun. "I can assure you, Blueblood, it's about to get worse."

"Co-director, I mean Director Molly Williams. How nice to see you.", Blueblood said in his best smarmy, condescending tone.

Molly waved off the agents. "Go back about picking this place clean for evidence. Remember to tear down every wall panel and rip up every floorboard. Who knows where this slimy snake has stashed evidence of all his crimes and the routing numbers for his offshore accounts." She gestured to the elevator. "This way."

As the two stepped into the elevator, she pressed the button for the penthouse office.

"So tell me, Molly. Your family ever find out what happened to your brother and sister?", Blueblood said with a smarmy snicker.

"I know exactly where Megean is buried, Prince. As for what happened to Danny, well, now that there is a new group helping, I'm sure his remains will be found and buried where they belong.", Molly said. She turned to face him. "I remember before you changed your name to Prince, it was Gaylord. Is your ego so big that you couldn't stand teasing by high school kids as an adult?"

Blueblood clenched his fists and fumed. He hated his parents for naming him Gaylord. The teasing from his fellow students was bad enough, but his stepfather had also mercilessly taunted for his name until he had it legally had it changed to Prince.

"You know people call you Purple Rain." Molly gave a chuckle-snort. She couldn't help herself.

"And your name is for a popular party drug."

"At least my name is synonymous with a good time. Your name is synonymous with a rock star who is remembered for much better songs."

Blueblood had to give it to her, that was a good one, not that he'd ever give her that benefit.

The bell dinged signaling they had reached the penthouse office. The two stepped out of the elevator. Standing by his closed office door was a Secret Service agent. He whispered into his lapel, then pulled the door open for them.

President Lewis Theisman was sitting on the desk thumbing through Blueblood's Rolodex as he chatted with two giantesses. Their hair gently flowed on ethereal breezes. The one on the right's hair was a flowing pastel rainbow. The one on the left's was a flowing field of stars and constellations.

"Ah, Prince Blueblood, Director Molly Williams! Come in! Come in!Allow me to introduce you to Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, ruling diarchs of Equestria.", President Theisman said. "I really wished this visit of theirs was on better circumstances. So you could tour their country. A land of ponies who talk! Ponies, I have the correct term, princesses?"

"Yes, you are correct, president.", Luna said. "We are ponies."

"A land of talking ponies! And they've built a society as complex as any here on Earth.", President Theisman said. "And the best part, magic real! Freaking magic! They use it in everything from things as mundane as moving boxes to providing near unlimited, clean energy for their country! Think about it! If we had those magical generators! We could use it to provide every home with more than enough power! They also use magic to grow food so plentiful that no one there goes hungry unless they choose to do so! And they control their weather with flying ponies called pegasi! Her eon Earth Pegasus was a mythical winged horse from ancient legends, but there, they make one third of their population and are as common as an average person here."

"Mister president, not to interrupt your praising of our country and what we can do for one another. But I have many responsibilities  to take care of. And my sister isn't normally up this long after sunrise without a nap or buckets of coffee. Let us get to what we discussed.", Celestia said.

President Theisman stood up from the desk. "Ah, yes. What had been discussing. He gestured to the chair. "Please take a seat, Prince. You'll want to be sitting down for this."

Blueblood tentatively took his seat behind the desk. He shot suspicious glances at the president, the CIA director and the two princesses.

The president walked up behind him and clapped both hands down on his shoulder, then reached over to the desk and pressed the button on the intercom. "Show our guest in, please."

Blueblod's eyes practically bugged out of his head. Standing there across the room was a clone of him. "Wha...huh?!"

"Former Senator Prince Blueblood, you are to be remanded into the custody of the Equestrian authorities for the repeated murder attempts of the princesses subject, Sunset Shimmer.", Molly said.

"This has to be some sort of sick joke!", Blueblood exclaimed, gesturing between his clone and himself.

"I assure you that this is no joke.", President Theisman said, leaning down to Blueblood's ear. "This is your replacement. The princesses adopted nephew, Prince Gaylord of House Blueblood. He's a real prince, not some overstuffed, egotistical asshole who changed his name. Well, I mean he is an overstuffed, egotistical asshole, and overstuffed, egotistical asshole with a real title."

Pony Prince Blueblood sniffed at being called an overstuffed, egotistical asshole, but he refused to allow one who was below his station see his derision. He simply inspected the fingernails at the end of his fingers. "How long must I be in this absolutely disgusting monkey body?"

"In two days the One Horse jail will report that former Senator Blueblood will have managed an escape with the aid of a pair of accomplices and made his way to the airport to board his private jet and managed to fly away. Five hours later it will be reported to have lost radar contact somewhere over the Gulf of Mexico. You see the problem with the small private jets is that they often don't receive as much maintenance as the big commercial jetliners. Forty-eight hours later they will find the jet,but no body will be found. There will be a search for the remains, probably for months.", Molly said. "We can have you back home twenty-four hours after the escape is reported." She looked human Blueblood straight in the eyes. "I'm sure there will be a funeral, complete with empty casket and professional mourners. But within thirty-six hours the stories of all you've done will hit the airwaves and the news cycle will forget the tragic death of former Senator Prince Blueblood, and the story of the corrupt senator who used extortion, blackmail and murder cover up his many crimes, and even used his vast wealth and connections to cover up the multiple gang rapes his son committed. The story of the corrupt bastard Senator Prince Blueblood will live on for weeks in the news cycle for weeks at least, unless a cute kitten does something amazing or a little girl falls down a well."

Blueblood glared indignantly at all around him. They had planned everything down to the minutiae and they were going to orchestrate a kidnapping and replacement by a cheap imitation, all the while the media would slander his his name in a witch hunt! Leaping to his feet, grabbing the drawer on his desk, he flung it open and snatched up the Walther PPK within. "There's no way some horsey whores are going to kidnap so that some imitator can fake being me!" He aimed the pistol at Luna and pulled the trigger.

Blueblood stared in dumbfounded shock as the bullet was held in a golden field millimeters from Luna's forehead. Celestia, her face a mask of rage, stared with murderous intent at him. Her irises were a pair of blazing gold embers. Luna's eyes flashed momentarily with vertical cat-like slits. He felt the pistol ripped from his grip and it landed in Luna's hand. She closed her fist, crushing the pistol. Celestia's eyes went back to their normal rosy pink and the bullet dropped.

Blueblood dropped to his knees in defeat. He had just tried to murder a goddess, and they hand proven not only to be faster than a bullet, but also stronger then gun steel. He had just stared down a pair of goddesses, and he was the one who flenched. He felt empty. He felt hollow. He was one of the richest men in the world, but right now he felt poorer than the most destitute hobo.

Secret Service agents swarmed into the room brandishing sub-machine guns, assault rifles, shotguns and pistols.

President Theisman waved them off. "Stand down! Stand down! Everything is under control here." He bet over and picked up the spent casing, then extended a hand to Luna. May I have the pistol...you crushed?...And the bullet, please? No need to further exacerbate in international, inter-dimensional and inter-species incident by leaving the evidence of an attempted assassination laying around." She placed the crushed pistol in his hand, then picked up the bullet.

"I think I shall keep this and have it made into a necklace as a monument to his failure." Luna gestured to the disgraced senator on his knees.

The president simply shrugged, then placed the crushed pistol and spent casing in his pocket. "I must bid you all a good day. I've got press conferences to hold, hands to shake, babies to kiss, bills to approve and veto, and whatnot. I hope to see you both again very soon under better circumstances. Maybe at the White House rose garden for brunch? My wife makes a quiche that is scrumptious, but a bit fattening."

"We both look forward to it.", Celestia said with the practiced smile of a politician.

The president was quickly ushered out to do presidential things.

Molly walked over to the intercom on the desk and pressed the button. "I need a bag and cleaning."

A dozen CIA agents entered the room. Two approached the defeated and disgraced former senator. One slipped a black canvas bag over his head and the other pulled his hands behind his back and zip-tied his wrists together. He was roughly shoved to the floor.

"How did Megan die?", Molly asked.

"In her sleep at one hundred and forty-five, surrounded by those who called her mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. In her life she had adopted and raised twenty orphaned foals. Her remains are laid to rest in the catacombs under Canterlot Castle.", Celestia said.

"Is that where Majesty's castle stood?"

"Yes. In fact grandmother's old keep is now the throne room where Tia and I hold court.", Luna replied.

"Don't worry, we'll find what happened to Danny and bring him home. All who have been touched by the Rainbow of Light will find their way back to the ponies, even Sunset's friends.", Celestia said.

Blueblood found himself picked up, carried down stairs and unceremoniously dumped into the back of an unmarked van. The last thing he remembered before being shoved into the plinth of the statue that served as a portal to another was the bag pulled from his head and the zip tie cut from his wrists.





Blueblood stared up at the face of the pink pony princess. He hadn't heard what she had said. It didn't matter. He was a man without a world. He couldn't go back home. Back there he would be written off as dead soon enough and all his sins would be lain bare for all to see, and if were to ever show his face there again, he'd be made dead-dead.

"Prince Blueblood the hoomun of Earth, do you understand the charges that have been leveled against you?", Princess Cadance asked.

He didn't, he really didn't. He didn't really hear what she said as he stared up at the pink pony princess. Another goddess. Another fucking goddess? How many fucking horse goddess does this world have simply just walking the fuck around? "Yes.", Blueblood lied. This wasn't the first lie he told today. Why break with a winning strategy?

"Very well.", Princess Cadance said. "Do you have anything you wish the scribes to put into official record before you are clapped in irons and placed on the pegasi chariot bound for Canterlot?"

"The bill always comes due."

The scribes scribbled down his words as the Crystal Guards clapped irons on all four legs and applied a restraining ring to his horn.

The cell Blueblood sat in was much better than the ones he had been shown in tours of jails and prisons back on Earth. The mattress, though a bit lumpy, was clean and usable, the cell, though a bit small, was clean, there were even proper toiletries  and a small spigot to get clean water from. He had half-expected a grungy dungeon cell filled with creeping damp and mold, a pile of hay to lie on crawling with biting parasites, a trough with filthy water and a bucket to shit in.

That morning Princess Celestia came personally to his cell carrying a tray of homemade pancakes and fruit made in the likeness of a funny face. "~Good morning!~", she sang out in a pleasant tone. "I hope you slept well last night." She used her magic to open the cell door, placed the tray on the floor and closed it back. "Eat up. Those are the last homemade pancakes with fresh fruit you might be eating in a long time." She trotted off back the way she came.

Blueblood ran to the cell door and waved a hoof through the bars."Princess, wait! Who are Kay-kay and Moony?"

"Eh? Oh! That's one of the silly nicknames Discord gave Luna and I. ~Eat up!~"

"And Mister Scratch?!"

"That was one of the names his mind came up with when he visited your universe. That's the funny thing about the spirits of chaos. You can petrify their bodies, but their minds can still wander the multiverse. There was this one absolutely awful universe he visited a few times where he called himself each time he showed up Khorne, Tzeench, Nurgle, Slaanesh, Gork, Mork and Cegorach. At least that's how I think he pronounced those names. You'll have to ask him yourself when he pops by. And as Rarity said: ~Ta-ta, dah-ling!~" With a flash of light, she disappeared.

Blueblood flopped onto his haunches. "He gave me every chance to back off and join him, and I squandered it.", he whispered.

"Righty-oh you did little boy blue!", Discord said with a chuckle as he appeared in the cell. "Tsk-tsk. You had such great potential for chaos. But no matter." His voice turned sinister. "I always get what's owed to me in the end."

The walls, floor and ceiling rolled upand flapped like a pull blind. Blueblood found himself floating a realm where stars were born in the forge of creation one second, ripped apart by the forces of entropy the next, then remade into new and interesting shapes the next.

Discord's voice took on a menacing and distorted tone. "Oh the sights I will show you!" He turned and looked at the reader. "But not for you to see." He reached up with his lion's to a ball chain attached to a lightbulb and pulled the chain. *click*


The next sound was an anguished scream.
> The road has been long and winding
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It has been twelve years since graduation. Eight years since Sunset and Wallflower married. The girls having moved on with their lives, stayed in close contact.

Fluttershy, having received her doctorate was currently working on her residency to become a veterinarian.

Rainbow Dash had received a full scholarship for a university in Barcelona where she discovered her passion for aircraft mechanics and engineering. After receiving her Master's Degree, she moved back to the States and became famous for designing a jet that travels using magical currents in the air. Earth's new scientific magical theorists, bolstered by Equestria's Thautomatic experts have surmised that as the planet's magic fields grow stronger, the jets will become more efficient, one day no longer needing to burn fuel.

Sci-Twi was the first human to travel to Equestria and receive a Doctorate in Advanced Applied Magic. Her designs combining Equestrian magic with human technology led to the construction of a massive portal complex that allows a constant flow of trade, tourism and immigration between the two worlds. Currently only eight such complexes  are current in a completed state around the world, with another four slated to complete construction and activation within the next few years. Currently she is living in Equestria, having met a stallion there and married him. She has two foals with a third on the way.

Pinkie Pie teamed up with her pony counterpart to create a confectionery empire called Double the Pinkie Double the Pie. They have over five hundred stores and restaurants across both worlds. Both wound up marrying a guy named Cheese Sandwich and having a son named Lil Cheese. They both gave birth on the same day.

Applejack stayed on the farm for a while and helped her brother keep it running. Her reason for staying was "don't need no fancy-schmancy book learnin' to know how to farm". After Apple Bloom went off to college and Granny Smith died at the age of one hundred and two, she decided to travel for a while. Currently she is the reigning Heavyweight Champion of the Earth-Equestrian Wrestling Federation(EEWF). Her finishing move, The Atomic Apple Masher dazzles audiences across both worlds. Her only threat to her current run as EEWF Heavyweight Champion is an enigmatic that comes out to the ring wearing a long black trenchcoat and organ music playing a funeral dirge, named the Nightmare Knight.

Rarity partnered up with her pony counterpart and would have made a fashion empire that would have taken both worlds by storm, if it weren't for the outright brawl they got in to over which color sequins goes on the new gown they were designing.

Wallflower received her Master's degree in botany. Her groundbreaking study into cross pollinating Equestrian crops with Earth crops led to new strains that were resistant to fungi and parasites in both worlds, and helped further the studies that ended world hunger. For her efforts she was rewarded with the Nobel Peace Prize and the Pony Friendship Medal. Her marriage to Sunset Shimmer on Earth was a small, private affair. Not so on Equestria, where it was a massively celebrated state affair, where High Princess Twilight Sparkle officiated their wedding, followed by weeks of touring the nation. Currently her partnership with a pair of business folk, a human man and a pony mare, has started a modest pair of nurseries in both worlds. The quarterly dividends she receives allows her the quiet, simple life she's always wanted. Her days are spent tending to the plants in her personal hothouse and raising Snowdrop, her and Sunset's adopted daughter.

As for Celestia and Luna. After the massive criminal investigation and reported death of their disgraced nephew, they, being the only beneficiaries of his estate, were awarded all of his above-the-board bank accounts, stocks, bonds and properties. Instead of flaunting their wealth and making themselves wealthier, they invested the wealth into communities. They even had his mansion bulldozed and built a community center in its place. In interviews when asked why they were "squandering" the wealth they inherited, they would answer, "You only get one pass at this life. It's not the ones who has the biggest and most toys who wins, but those who use the means provided to them to enrich the lives of others'.".

Retired Princesses Celestia and Luna worked for a time as good will ambassadors to Earth. They helped broker lasting peace between warring nations, set up extensive and mutually beneficial trade networks between nations and worlds, and their crowning achievement, brokering a deal between the various human nations' space agencies and the young Equestrian Space Agency. The fruits of their labor has led to the development of a prototype engine for a space exploration vessel that would allow said vessel to "jump" lightyears instantly at a time.

Retired Princess Celestia then went on to found Celestia's School for Extraordinary Humans where she began teaching children who showed extraordinary magical aptitude. Conspiracy theorists and nutjobs claimed to she was training an elite team of magically trained teenagers.

Retired Princess Luna went on to join the EEWF.




Sunset woke up in her bed. She felt the familiar warmth of Wallflower pressing against her back. She rolled over and pressed her forehead against her wife's.

Wallflower's big brown eyes opened to stare at the blurry cyclops staring at her. "Good morning, you beautiful blurry cyclops."

Sunset planted several pecks on her wife's lips. "Dork!"

"You know you love it."

"I gotta pee." Sunset rolled over to get up.

"Not before me you don't!"

The two squabbled, wrestled and tried to sprint past each other to get to the bathroom first.

Sunset, being the more physically fit and athletic of the two, beat out her wife...just barely. Dropping her panties to her ankles, she sat on the porcelain throne. "Ah!"

Wallflower burst through the bathroom door. "I can't hold it anymore!" She ran to the bathtub, dropped her panties and sat on the edge. "Ah!"

"You know babe, this is the part they always leave out of the romance movies.", Sunset said, grabbing  toiet paper from the roll.

"Hmm?"

"The whole peeing and pooping in front of each other, and the racing to see who's the first in the bathroom in the morning."

"That's why I prefer documentaries about plants."

Sunset gave a faux snore.

"Yeah, yeah! I know you like movies with guns and explosions and ax murderers." 

"Don't forget hot babes in string bikinis. It has to have at least one scene with hot babes in string bikinis Speaking of a hot babe in a string bikini."

Wallflower waved her hands in front of her."Oh no! No-no-no-no-no! You'll not get me on the beach wearing one of those! I'm barely comfortable enough wearing one around the house when Snowdrop's not home."

"But babe!", Sunset whined. "Haw's the world supposed to know that my baby's got the hottest goods there is if I don't show'em off once in a while."

"It's just three tiny triangles of barely there cloth."

"That's what I love about it."

"The answer is no. I won't wear it to the beach and that's final."

"What about when we go to Equestria? We'll be walking around naked all the time."

Wallflower's cheeks flushed red.

Sunset giggled. Even after all these years, she could still get her wife flustered. "Speaking of Equestria, we need to get ready. The limo will be here in about an hour."

"You know we'll wind up making love in the shower."

"Shower sex is the best sex. You get clean as you get dirty." Sunset waggled her eyebrows.

Wallflower blushed again.


***


Sunset, Wallflower and the daughter, Snowdrop stepped out of the limo and began walking up to the statue plinth in front of the old high school. A small crowd of all their friends and their families had gathered to see them off.

"Mommy, is it gonna hurt?", Snowdrop asked. The blind girl trembling with a mixture of fear and apprehension.

Sunset knelt down and hugged her daughter to calm her nerves. Planting a kiss on the girl's cheek, she said, "No baby, it won't hurt. It'll feel a little weird. Remember last year when you were scared to go down the water slide for the first time and how weird it felt when you went down it?" The blind girl nodded. "We'll think of this like a water slide. Only when you reach the end, you won't make a big splash in a pool, you'll come out a pony that can talk."

"A pony?!"

"You remember when you asked me and mamma Wally for a pony?"

"Mmhmm."

"Well you'll be the pony! And who knows? Maybe you have wings, or a horn, or both, or neither. Just be brave for me and mamma Wally. We'll be right beside you the whole time."

Sunset and Wallflower paused to wave to their friends, the former paused to pose and grandstand for the small crowd until her wife nudged her.

Sunset took Snowdrop's hand."Alright baby, on three we all take a big step. One...two...TTTHHHHRRRRREEEEEE!"

It never got any less weird stepping through the portal, literally seeing and feeling yourself twist and warp as you passed through the spinning, swirling rainbow kaleidoscope.

The world felt topsy-turvy every time she stepped out of the portal. Though the physical effects passed quickly, it always took her a couple of days to mentally recover from the effects of changing species. Standing there waiting for them was Princess Twilight Sparkle.

Sunset helped Wallflower and Snowdrop to her feet. She marveled at her daughter's wings. "Snowy, why don't you give your wings a flap?"

"Let me see...how do I..." Snowdrop gave her wings a flap. The blind filly gasped. She gave her wings a few more flaps. "I can feel the air moving! It's like I can see with the air! I CAN SEE WITH THE AIR!" She skipped around flapping her wings, using the air currents to "see". She stopped in front of Princess Twilight, turned her face to look up at her and gave her wings another flap. "Wooooow! You're a really big pony!"

Princess Twilight giggled. "Why yes, I am a really big pony. You must be Snowdrop. I've heard so much about you from your mothers. I am Princess Twilight Sparkle. Welcome to Equestria!"
> Epilogue: Friendship and family grows
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunset stood in front of the bathroom mirror. Her red and gold mane was interlaced with streaks of silver. Her tail matched her mane. She had wrinkles at the corners of her eyes and the corners of her mouth, crow's feet and smile lines they were called. Her coat had lost some of its luster. Her light cyan eyes still shown bright. Levitating a brush in her magic, she ran it through her man and tail.

As Sunset walked into the bedroom, Wallflower walked out of their walk-in closet wearing a simple yellow sundress. Like her, the former human had wrinkles at the corners of her eyes and mouth, and her coat had lost a bit of its luster. Wallflower's mane and tail had gone almost completely grey, with only a few streaks of dark green. But those brown eyes still shown brightly, like a pair of deep, dark, beautiful pools.

Snowdrop had grown up into a beautiful mare. She had moved to Cloudsdale and was working at the weather factory making snowflakes. Each one she made was a unique work of art and a few were preserved in the Royal Canterlot Museum in magical stasis fields. She always came home to her mothers on birthdays, Christmas, Hearth's Warming, Winter Wrap-up, Easter, Spring Celebration, Worlds United Day, Summer Sun, Winter Moon and First Frost. Today was special though. Snowdrop had met a young stallion and had been dating him for a while, they had even met him a few times. He had recently asked for her hoof in marriage, and she said yes. Or more to the point..."YESYESYESYESYESYESYES! YYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEESSSSSSS!"

Sunset pulled on a simple teal dress. She had thought about putting on her wife's favorite dress, a form fitting black cocktail dress. Even in middle age, though she had lost some of her athletic tone and had gained a bit of a pooch, she still had an amazing figure. The dress would always make Wallflower's eyes pop out of her head, but today was Snowdrop's special day and she wouldn't upstage her daughter.


Sunset and Wallflower sat on the couch watching the clock. Snowdrop said she'd be by at five o'clock and it was one-till. The filly was so punctual that many joked if she was really High Princess Twilight's secret daughter. The two watched as the seconds agonizingly ticked by. They held their breath looking at the clock face. *Tink-tock-tick-tock* *oooooooooooeeeeeeeeeee* The tea kettle on the stove whistling broke them out of their clock staring.

"I got it.", Wallflower said. As she stood up and trotted off, flicking the tip of her tail ever so slightly against Sunset's snout. All these years and that filly still knew how to tease her wife.

The clock began the gentle chiming  signaling the time. One chime...two chimes...three chimes...four chimes... *knock-knock-knock* There was a knock at the door right as the fifth chime struck and Snowdrop walked in, her fiance, Cran-Apple Punch. One of the many sons Apple Bloom had...the Equestrian one, not the human one. He wasn't a traditionally handsome stallion by any measure, but he treated their daughter well and made her happy.

Snowdrop flapped her wings a couple of times.

It still amazed Sunset how she could see feeling the air currents.

"Mamma Sunny, where's Mamma Wally?"

"I'm here in the kitchen getting the tea ready!", Wallflower called out. "Why don't you three move out to the patio? I'll be just a few more minutes. The local weather team said it'll be clear and sunny all afternoon with light showers in the evening."

The four sat on the patio chatting and laughing as Snowdrop showed off her engagement necklace, a simple white gold braided chain with a little silver snowflake charm.

Cran-Apple rubbed a hoof on his foreleg sheepishly. "It ain't much an' I woulda got her a diamond, but things have been rough on Sweet Apple Acres this year, what with Uncle Macintosh breaking his back when that dead rotten tree fell on him and Aunt AJ catchin' pneumonia that messed up her lungs real bad."

Wallflower patted the stallion on his withers. "It's not the engagement gift that matters, but what it signifies. I'm sure Snowy would have been just as happy and excited if you had given her a piece of string with a bit of macaroni on it."

"Well that'll make what I get her for the weddin' a whole lot easier.", Cran-Apple laughed.

The four laughed as they shared in the joke.

The four talked and laughed as they sipped tea and snacked on cucumber sandwiches well into the afternoon...that was until an errant rain cloud got away from the weather team and caused an accidental downpour on the little tea party. The four, their bodies dampened but not their spirits, quickly gathered up the tea and little sandwiches and moved indoors.





Sunset was old. Her mane and tail had gone completely silver. She sat on the bed holding her wife's hoof in hers. Wallflowers health was failing, the former human was one hundred and twenty-five. Equestrian magic did wonders for extending life, but time still marched on, and as flowers come forth from a seed, grow, bloom, produce seeds, wither and die, so to must ponies and people.

Snowdrop, her mane having gained streaks of silver as her husband's had gained stripes of grey at the temples. Standing around them were their four foals gathered around them.

Wallflower, her vision dimming, looked into the sad faces of her family and summoned up the last of her strength. "It...it was a good l-life. Th-though the r-r may have been rocky and r-rough, I-I'm glad to have w-walked it with you." Her vision went dark, her eyes closed and the world fell away.

Sunset listened as Wallflower's breaths became shallower and shallower, and the time between each one became longer and longer. When it was clear that her wife's last breath had left her body, a wail of sorrow poured out of the mare's throat. The other six immediately gathered up around her to comfort her.

Sunset would not see the end of the year. She was laid to rest in the same grave as her wife, their bodies entwined in an eternal lover's embrace.

As time marched on, more graves would surround Sunset and Wallflower's as their family grew old and died. Over the march of decades as Snowdrop's foals had foals of their own and so, they began to build houses and cottages of their own around the little house of the matriarchs of their family until it grew into a village of it's own.

The High Princess of Equestria would visit the grave of Sunset and Wallflower on the same day every year, an anniversary only she knew about and would lay a pair of flowers on the grave. As the centuries marched on, the ponies of the town would make it into a celebration to honor generations past, and when the princess would arrive, the ponies of the town would go out to the cemetery with her to lay flowers or small gifts on the graves of their families and friends.