>Solitude is where the mind is found
>Or so you have always thought
>You are Anonymous, a self proclaimed philosopher
>And a self proclaimed Nihilist
>You've spent a long time reading on various topics
>And even longer experiencing life
>With all of its cruelty, kindness, and absurdity
>And it has led you to be this way
>It has made you a stranger to almost everyone you once knew
>And thus, your loneliness becomes perpetual
>But does this bother you?
>Humans are biologically designed as social animals
>Friendships and other relationships form naturally from the proximity of other individuals
>Yet you, despite your constant surrounding of those your age, have no desire to make a connection
>It is not as though you hate any of them, or think yourself to be morally superior
>It all mainly stems from the inability to form a connection or recognise humanity
>For you, they are merely faces and voices passing by
>Since you have become this way, you have been a loner
>You had no friends, and that didn't make you feel happy or sad
>But it did draw attention
>Mainly from bullies
>They would berate you
>They would mess up your work
>They would beat you.
>Yet there was never any desire for revenge
>You never really cared
>And it drove bullies crazy
>Absolutely nothing could get a rise out of you
>And it would all become a silent affair eventually
>They wouldn't berate you
>Nor would they mess up your work
>But they would end up beating you
>Hoping that you would cry out or do something

>Your parents were mostly indifferent to anything that you did
>So long as you did not get yourself in trouble
>They left you alone, and you left them alone
>It had become an understanding
>Nonetheless, they were still your parents
>And they still cared about you, to some capacity
>Familial bond tends to do that
>And when they saw the many bruises that lined your body
>They grew more and more afraid
>They were scared of losing you
>And so you found yourself moving away from the town you were born in
>To a new city, called Canterlot
>And you would make your entry into Canterlot High School at the age of 17
>You were in your junior year
>The new city was vibrant and full of life
>Happy people were always walking by on the streets
>They talked excitedly about everything going on with their lives
>The architecture was warm and welcoming, and many restaurants dotted the city centre
>One in particular, The Sweet Shoppe, was popular with many students at your high school
>And you could certainly see the appeal
>Really good food
>While you went on walks or wanted to sit down and read a good book, you would go there
>You'd get a few things with your vast allowance money, and most were high in calories
>Yet you never seemed to gain any weight
>You were still very skinny
>And you would spend many hours there
>You, however, despite your quiet manner, seemed to draw attention
>Many people from the high school frequented the place, as was previously mentioned
>And they did not know you, and you could hear faint whispers as you read
>But you could care less

>You were, however, to find that your peace was not to last
>Only a few days out from the beginning of the school year
>As a girl would come to your table
>With cool teal eyes, a leather jacket, hair of fire, and an arrogant smirk
>"My, my, what do we have here?"
>You look up at her with a bored expression
>It seems to stun her that you do not react, but she quickly regains her mask
>"A new kid who has no friends, and makes no attempt to make them. That's a dangerous kind of practice, you know?"
>She says as she sits down across from you, smirking at you with a sultry and domineering attitude
>Again, you do not say anything. Hoping that she would become bored and move on.
>She does not, however, and her attitude quickly turns to anger.
>"Hey, dumbass, I'm speaking here!"
"And I care, why?"
>A collective gasp escapes from those surrounding you
>All of which have been eyeing you closely as the girl had made her approach to you
>You guess she must be important in some way
>To them, at least
>"You should care, limp dick dumbass, because I will make your life hell."
"Other people are hell, and here you are."
>Though you do not care, it is fun to mess around with people
>Watching them squirm is entertaining, so long as it doesn't take too much effort
>"You have quite the nerve saying that, you know."
>She says, losing her anger and falling back into the seat
>"You've got balls, I'll give you that."
"As if I need approval from anyone, especially you."
>Her anger returns quickly, but disappears suddenly
>Being replaced with her arrogant demeanor
>"We will see about that, new kid."
>You hope that this will end as most of these types do
>They'll spread gossip and rumour, but eventually will become bored and move on
>She more than probably made the connection that you would be attending Canterlot High
>As your parents had bought you a jacket bearing the logo
>It was probably what provoked her interests

>You are now Sunset Shimmer
>And following that encounter with that guy, you really don't know what to think
>He certainly has that new kid vibe
>And he was certainly a nerd, as he was only focused on reading
>But most nerds, when they encounter a pretty girl, they squirm
>He was bored by your mere presence
>He was not intimidated in any sense
>You thought for a second he might be autistic
>But autists don't produce quick comebacks
>They succumb to the weight of social pressure and melt
>This guy obviously wasn't a social idiot, but he did not play the game
>Ever since coming to this world, you've found that human social interaction have many rules
>Thus making them a game
>One that you could play well
>It made you angry that you couldn't get under his skin
>You had the whole school at your mercy
>Perhaps, in time, he will fall to their levels
>Even the thick skinned Applejack and Rainbow Dash did
>But a faint part of you finds it unlikely
>Your attention is captured, however, when the new kid begins to leave
>You decide to follow him
>Maybe you could find something about him that you can use to your advantage
>He walks slowly and lazily down the street, observing everything around him
>He takes in the surrounding area with a bored expression and reaches for his pocket
>Revealing a cigarette, in which he lights
>Looks like it's your lucky day
>The perfect piece of evidence to bend this man to his knees
>You pull out your phone and take a picture
>Just as he starts to cross the street
>The cigarette hangs out of his mouth and burns brightly
>While he gazes at the stopped cars as he walks
>The picture, is, however quite aesthetically pleasing
>Too bad it will be used as a tool for demise
>For him at least
>You chuckle, knowing that you will win against him
>You always win

>You are now Anon
>And you have finally made it home
>Your mother's voice rings out from the kitchen
>"Anon? Is that you?"
"Yes, mom. I'm home.
>You hear the click of her heels as she walks towards you
>Her piercing blue eyes are the first thing that you notice
>Her brown hair and pale white skin greet you
>But she is clad in a business suit
>Your mother was off to work, a little bit behind your father
>"I've left you dinner, it's in the fridge. We'll be home sometime around 4 in the morning. You better not be up by then, mister."
"Ok, mother."
>She sighs at you, exasperated by the lack of enthusiasm in your voice
>However, she walks up to you and gives you a hug
>"I love you, and I want you to know that.
"I know mom, I love you too."
>You say returning the hug
>She backs away from you and makes her way towards the door
>"By the way Anon,"
"You turn to look at her
>"You stink of cigarettes, where have you been hanging out in? It doesn't matter, just go take a shower."
>A chuckle escapes you
>"I love you Anonymous."
>"I love you too, mother. See you tomorrow."
>Now, you are left to your own devices
>Making your way to the kitchen, you prepare your dinner
>But your mind starts to wander
>To the girl who would likely become another bully
>She was pretty
>An attractive and authoritative woman
>Willing to take what she wants and bend the world to her knee
>You, honestly, were not that different from her
>But your desires never pertained to the world
>But rather to knowledge and wisdom
>But this does not mean that you were without your own ambitions
>You had ambitions to become a professor, and to pass on the wisdom you have learned from your years
>Nothing may matter, but that doesn't mean you can't do something
>But you saw no point in making friends during high school
>High school was the transition stage for your dreams
>Your eyes are upon the horizon
>But you mind the land only as far as it leads you to the horizon
>This is why you have not fallen apart in terms of school work

>You spend your night finishing the summer homework you were given
>You finished Tell Tale Heart and had written a report on it
>And then you finished
>The next day soon finds you
>And you rise from your bed groggily
>The house is silent, being interrupted only by the alarm
>You survey your room as you shut off your alarm
>You have a book stand right be your closet
>It is filled with over a hundred books
>All of which are on various topics
>Nietzsche, Hume, Sartre, Marcus Aurelius, Epicurus, and many other authors line it
>Only your favourite authors had the good fortune of adorning your bookshelves
>Everything else was digital
>Your laptop, which you had used last night, sits neatly at the centre of your desk
>The walls are a plain blue, with not a single picture
>Save for one
>One of yourself and your parents
>You were 10 in the picture
>You looked happy and so did they
>It makes you smile
>You stand and begin to ready yourself for the day
>A brief shower and quickly getting dressed before you head out the door
>You grab your bag, laptop, and a light breakfast before you head out
>The walk to school was relatively quiet
>Your parents were quite well off
>Which allowed you to secure a house close to the school 
>You see other students walking towards the school
>All are relatively giddy with excitement
>You see pretty girls chatting away
>And you see dude bros being bros
>You see quiet nerds walking alone, reading their books
>And you see cars driving past you, as you pass houses
>Neat lawns, friendly people, and bustling activity
>All typical of suburbia
>Eventually, you make it to the school

>In front of the school is a massive horse statue
>The lawn is flat and green, with only a few bushes and a horseshoe sign on the front lawn
>There's a fence with some trees in the back, in looks like a garden area
>Quite a nice touch
>But there, standing at the entrance, was the girl from yesterday
>All would move past her, avoiding eye contact and hurrying as quickly as they could
>She stood at the top of the staircase with a smug expression on her face
>Seems like she was waiting for you
>Looks like you're in for another round of abuse
>Oh, happy day.
>You keep your eyes on her as you walk up the steps
>"Well, looks like the new kid is quite the delinquent."
"As though you weren't, bacon hair."
>You quip back
>"As if you and I were on the same level, I rule this school and you break the law."
"A tyrant doesn't break the law, because they set the law. Doesn't make them any better than a criminal."
>This is probably the first of many rumours that will spread, all being created out of thin air
>But you decide to roll with it because it's too much trouble to fight
>"Most criminals would deny their crimes, but you're an honest person. But I'll give you the chance to avoid any problems."
>She pulls out your phone and it makes your heart stop
>On her phone is a picture of you
>With your cigarette in your mouth while you wear your school jacket
>How could you have been so careless?
>Your brows furrow at the picture and your stern gaze meets hers
>Her smug grin weakens for a second, likely because she was intimidated
>But her smugness quickly returns and begins to grow
"What do you want from me?"
>You ask carefully, eyeing her as she begins to pace around you
>"Let's just say that I admire someone with balls, but I need someone with a brain. You clearly have both."
"I'm listening."
>"It's quite simple really. I'm very generous, and I'm willing to offer you a position."
"And what would that position be?"
>This cannot be good

>You are now Sunset Shimmer
>And since that night, this new kid has been on your mind
>Initially, everything you had done was to get back at him for disrespecting you
>But now, you are intrigued by him
>And you can easily see that he has potential to be quite useful
>And, rather than being a tool, he could be an ally
>Because of his intelligence and his lack of fear
>Though the laziness and indifference will be something you will have to fix
>Thus, you aim to employ him through blackmail
>His question still lays in the air
>To most, his appearance would be average
>But you find yourself more and more attracted to him
>Perhaps because of his great potential to further your own hands
>You don't waste too much time trying to put on a sultry face
>Because that didn't really work on him
>But you're certain this will, because he won't be expecting it
>"You're going to be my new boyfriend."
>His eyes light up with shock, but before he could even get a word out you move to him
>And plant your lips firmly against his
>There is a collective gasp coming from around you, but you let your eyes fling open
>And flick glares at all who are nearby
>Which makes them divert their attention or walk off
>Celestia, you love having power
>You break the kiss and see that he is blushing quite profusely
>It seems you've broken that indifferent exterior
>A light giggle escapes you
"I suppose if this is going to work, I'm going to need your number."
>You say as you grab at his phone, which is in his pocket, and he lets out a yelp of surprise
"Oh relax baby, we're not on that level yet."
>Surprisingly, he doesn't put up a fight
>But you don't think it's because of the excitement of it all
>Rather, he's understood what his place is
>And he is going along with it
>You command him to unlock the phone, to which he does
>Most guys are anxious about such things, given it's where their porn is
>But his indifference is returning, though the blush is not diminishing
>You put your contact name as Master
>And send a text to your phone

>The text message reads: This is Servant (With a heart emoji)
>You hand him back his phone and he cringes at the message
>He might be a typical, but he's still a boy
>You give him a ditsy cute pose and then hug him
>You then lean into his hear
"Meet me during lunch period. I have something for you to do."
>And with that, you walk into the building
>Leaving him standing there in a daze
>You almost feel bad for him
>Almost
>As you enter, people make way for you as you head off to class
>It's good to be queen

>You are Anon again
>And that was certainly a curve ball that had been pitched to you
>This girl was dangerous
>Intelligent, manipulative, and can read people like a book
>And she, in the short time that she knew you, was unable to unravel your plans
>And sweep you from out from under your feet
>All in order to do her bidding
>It left you with some respect for her
>Not because she was willing to hurt others and blackmail them
>But she was willing to do these things to get what she wants
>That, is the mark of determination
>Something you don't really have
>Your thoughts, however, are interrupted again
>Not from the bacon haired Machiavellian
>But from the bystanders around you
>All of them looking at you
>And you briefly shrink with discomfort
>This does not last long, however
>As two guys rush to your side
>The first of them wears a beanie and an orange jacket
>The other one has blue hair and is wearing a sports jacket
>You were expecting them to be angry fuckbois
>But they look concerned
>It's off putting
>"Yo, new kid. You alright?"
>The one with the beanie asks you
>You're again ripped out of your thoughts
>You look him in the eyes before answering
"Yeah, I'm fine. That was just, her being her. I guess."
>They look at you with a skeptical look
>"So what was that all about? When did you guys meet?"
>The one with the blue hair asks
"Um... We met at the Sweet Shoppe. We're dating, I guess."
>"You guess?"
>They look at you with increased inquisitiveness
>Maybe they are fuckbois after all
"I think I'm just going to head off. See you later, I guess."
>You quickly leave them behind as you enter the school
>But the curious eyes do not cease as you enter
>In fact, they increase in magnitude
>You march slowly, but surely
>Intent on ignoring them as much as possible
>You keep your eyes on the room numbers
>And you pull out your schedule from your bag
>Trying to find a match with your homeroom
>You do eventually find it, but it was on the second floor
>You didn't pay much attention to what was around you

>Mainly Because from floor to floor, it was pretty much all the same
>There were trophies, green lockers, and banners lining the walls
>Excited students talking with their friends
>It was no different when you entered Harshwhinny's class
>What was different, however, was spotting the girl sitting with an empty chair
>And an amused grin adorning her face as you walked in
>You already know how this dynamic is going to go
>You take a seat next to her
>Not saying a word in the beginning, merely looking towards the front of the classroom
>However, your new slave owner has other plans
>"It's good to see you so soon, babe. You didn't tell me you had the same class. I would've walked with you."
>She says this in a cutesy sort of way while batting her eyelashes at you
>Physical contact is pretty much the only thing that can really both you, however
"I didn't know, being new and all."
>"I suppose I can forgive you, then."
>And she grabs your right hand and takes it in her hairs
>If the girl wasn't as cold and authoritative, it would have been cute
>You can feel your face heat up a little bit, but you continue to stare forward
>Not letting your eyes fall upon the devil herself
>This is when the teacher walks in
>She gives the class a cold look and everyone moves to their seats
>The teacher's gaze falls upon you, and her eyes light up with slight interest
>"I understand that we have a new student attending Canterlot High, would you care to introduce yourself?"
>You stand and move to the front of the class
>And she looks at you smugly, thinking that she has complete control of you
>But all of this attention is starting to irk you
>And the girl is responsible is for a great deal of it
"Hello, I won't tell any of you my name, because I have no intention of being friends with any of you. I would have preferred to go through unnoticed, but the delicate lips of the bacon haired beauty in the back shattered that hope. I merely want to get out of school and claim her hand in marriage. That's all."

>The teacher and the class stand in astonishment
>The teacher looks at you with admiration
>The class looks disrespected and pissed
>And the girl looks positively livid
>It could be for any number of reasons
>But you couldn't careless
>Your dignity will not be stripped from you, even though you are under her command
>You walk back to your seat and the girl looks at you coldly
>But it is brief, only enough to let you know her displeasure
>And her mask quickly returns
>One that is bubbly and inviting
>And masking the danger that lies within
>"Very well then, if you do not wish to let the class know your name, I will respect your privacy."
>You are somewhat surprised, but grateful
>The woman looks to be in her 40s or 50s, and looks very strict and cold
>She was likely hated by her students
>But you reason that embarrassing the fire haired girl puts you on good terms with her
>So that's a plus
>It's an AP European History class
>But it's mostly going over the rules and expectations
>Though you briefly talk about the black death and the fall of the Byzantine Empire
>Which you were quite knowledgeable about
>Given your extensive study of history
>Class passes you by and you are off to the next one
>Your new girlfriend in tow
>And it looks like she hasn't forgotten your blunder
>As you walk through a mostly desolate part of the highway, you are stopped
>By the girl wrapping her arms around you from behind
>With a vice like grip
>She leans into your ear, but does not whisper
>"Claim my hand in marriage, huh?"
>Her words are like ice and you turn to her having a sadistic smirk
>"You know, I would have probably let you go after a while, but I think I'll keep you for a while longer."
"And how long will that be?"
>"Until you can fulfill that promise."
"Fuck."
>She giggles at your misfortune and points her finger at you
>"You are going to require a lot of work, you've got quite a bit of bark for one who doesn't seem to care to bite."
>She circles around you, asserting her dominion over you

>"But I intend to take care of that."
>And with lightning speed, she delivers a punch directly to your stomach
>It doesn't knock you down, but since you weren't expecting it, it did cause you to stagger back
>She then gives you your second kiss almost breaking your mind
>And as quickly as she started, even quicker did she leave
>Leaving you standing there flabbergasted
>You should care about all that is happening now
>But your mind wanders to stupid places
>Why the fuck did you just use the word flabbergasted in your thoughts?
>It doesn't matter
>You continue on your way to your second class
>Not before stopping in the restroom to have a smoke
>You've done it in the past in old schools
>And the teachers weren't able to discern who it was because everyone did it
>This might be different here, but those concerns are beyond you
>This is a mess and you need a cig to clear your mind
>White light showers the bathroom in a dim glow
>The cold blue contrasts with the black and white of the stalls and sinks respectively
>It very much interrupts the bright and lively atmosphere of the rest of the school
>Not even bothering to check if anyone was in, or go into a stall, you light your cig
>And out of the stalls walks the two guys from earlier
>And thus an intense stare down begins
>You must look pretty intimidating
>These kids are jocks, but they're the prim and proper jocks
>And you, with your black jacket, white undershirt, and black jeans are the spitting image of a delinquent
>The concerned and inquisitive expressions they once wore are now intimidated and defensive
>Finally, the one with the blue hair speaks
>"You know those are bad for you, right?"
"And I care, why?"
>Looks like your off a great start
>They look agitated
>How bothersome
>"Look man, the last thing we need is more trouble in this school."
>The one with the beanie says trying to defuse the situation
"I presume you're speaking of my girlfriend, then?"
>They look shocked
>"You know about her?"

>"Why are you with her knowing that she's bad news then?"
>The blue haired kid interrupts his friend
>So you decide to kill two birds with one stone
"It doesn't take a rocket scientist that she rules this school with an iron fist. As for why I'm with her, we just... Hit it off, I guess."
>They don't look very satisfied with this
>"What is with you and saying "I guess." all the time? You have quite a bit of balls hanging with the girl that makes everyone's lives a living hell, so you shouldn't be guessing."
>And here comes their attempt to intimidate you, in a vain attempt to establish dominance of the conversation
>You finish your cigarette and put in the trashbin before answering
>You turn them and give them a stern expression, which is effective in turning their game on their heads
>"Because the only certainty that is certain is that absolute certainty is implausible. For that reason, we analyse a situation and make our best guess on for what it means. And for me, I am with her because I am bored and women with balls are a cure for boredom."
>They cringe at you saying a woman with balls
>Fucking juveniles
"I do not need concrete reasons to go out and live my life, or do the things I want to do. I do as I do because there is no purpose to my existence, so I do as I wish. She is part of maintaining the things I want in life, and thus I am with her."
>You answer cryptically, only hinting that you're with her against your wishes
>But you doubt that these fools would realise this
>But you ponder on the truth of your words
>Technically you could just walk away from all of this
>But that would lead to trouble with administrators, detention, and likely vengeance from the fire haired demon
>And it all seems so troublesome to you
>But the road ahead is unclear
>This could possibly spell more trouble depending on what she will have you do
>Perhaps social suicide or expulsion depending on what it is
>However, she is clearly infatuated with you
>In her own demented way that is

>So you doubt that she is necessarily out for your destruction
>However, it is not an impossibility
>It is easy to read the masks that people wear
>But the problem is that masks can change without your knowledge
>Thus, people remain as unpredictable
>Including her
>You should play it safe and not take the risk
>So you resolve to follow her orders and go along with what she wants
>Perhaps she'll be pleased with you and mostly leave you only
>And no one would bother you being so close with the tyrant
>There is much to potentially gain
>And all the potentially lose
>You take out a coin from your wallet and flip it
>Heads for staying, tails for leaving
>As you toss it up in the air, but are interrupted by a cough from the other direction
>Sending the coin to the floor and your eyes towards the boys
>They're confused at your antics
>You completely forgot that they were there
>"Why did you flip a coin?"
"I was making a decision, sorry."
>"Do you always use coins to make decisions?"
"Only when everything I've thought of is on equal footing."
>You pick up the coin and put it in your palm, clutching it and maintaining eye contact
"Well gentlemen, I am going to be late for class so I can't stay. See you later, I suppose."
>You just threw that ending in there just to piss them off
>But it fails
>Instead, they gain some resolve
>"What is your name, new kid?"
"My name is Anonymous, but you can call me Anon."
>"That's a weird name, you know."
"Yeah, but I didn't chose it. It is somewhat fitting, however."
>"Why?"
"Because people do not know me, just as I do not know myself."
>And with that, you walk out of the bathroom and head to class
>You've given them a lot to think about
>But you know they'll probably take it in the wrong way
>And get the idea that you're hostile
>Which will make you hated
>It will be best to stick with the demon for protection

>Getting to class is not troublesome
>As soon as you enter the bell rings
>And everyone takes a seat
>This is a Philosophy class
>A class that will likely intrigue you if you actually get to discuss things
>Or bore you if it's merely lecture
>Either way, it will all be easy for you
>That's why you decided to take it
>Because it interests you
>And because it is easy
>The teacher walks in and he is dressed very formally
>He has scruffy brown hair and a tan coat
>You survey his desk and find an hour glass
>The man looks fairly young, in his early 30s
>Yet he possesses any almost jovial childish manner about him
>He smiles warmly at the class
>"Good morning class,"
>The typical chorus of good morning follows
>"I'm Dr. Hooves and I will be your teacher for philosophy this year. However, before we begin, I wish to ask you all a question: What is philosophy?"
>A smart ass nitwit behind you answers
>"Shouldn't you know that if you're teaching the class?"
>There is a little bit of laughing, but no one really thinks it's funny
>They're simply laughing because the kids is popular
>He's a muscular dude, more than probably a football player or wrestler
>It's easy to deduce the head trauma has effected his intelligence
>But Dr. Hooves quickly rebounds
>"Sure I do, but I want to know what you think. And I will give you a hint, this class is rooted in thinking."
>It was a subtle insult that only a few people picked up on
>You included
>And you chuckled
>You decide that you'll give an answer
>"Yes, Mr...?"
"I'd rather keep my name private, but I am on the roster."
>You walk up to him and point your name on the board
>He gives you a nod, seeming to respect your wish
>You sit back down and give your answer."
"Philosophy is, in its original Greek, meaning the Love of Wisdom. It can be classified within 5 different branches: Logic, Metaphysics, Ethics, Aesthetics, and Epistemology."

>Your teacher looks at you impressed
>The rest of the class does as well
>"That would be correct, actually. Have you taken Philosophy before?"
"No, but I have studied Philosophy quite in depth. My primary influences are Nietzsche, Hume, and Max Stirner."
>"Have you read anyone else?"
"Yes, I've read from the Greeks, to the Christians, to the Enlightenment, and beyond. Aristotle, Plato, Augustine, Aquinas, Machiavelli, Locke, Marx, Kant, etc."
>Now you're just showing off
>But it feels good, so who cares
>The professor smiles at you, likely happy that someone shares his enthusiasm
>"Well, I'm sure you'll find this class pretty entertaining. We'll be talking about a lot of them throughout the year."
>This makes you happy, because he implied that there will be discussion
>Because philosophy majors normally think about their words and use the full meaning of their words
>"Like he said before, Philosophy is the love of Wisdom, and it is divided into 5 branches..."
>He goes on laying them out and briefly explains them
>He also goes over intellectual values
>It's new to them
>And old to you
>But you do pay attention and follow along
>Simply with the expectation that he'll call on you again when no one is saying anything
>Which does happen quite a bit
>As soon as class began, it ends
>And your teacher waves goodbye to the class
>But stops you to give you thanks and that he would like to hear more from you
>You've developed a fondness for him and you promise to take him up on the request
>But lunchtime has finally come upon you
>And with that the meeting with the demon
>You are not excited, but you make haste
>Perhaps if you arrive sooner, it will be over sooner
>You weave through the crowds with ease due to your vast experience in crowds
>And after a few minutes of searching, you find her tormenting a girl
>Her skin is purple, with her hair being a dark shade of purple with a pink stripe
>From her bag you also spot a pair of eyes gazing out
>It is unsettling

>Yet you watch on
>They appear to be having an argument
>Something over a crown
>You are confused, and have no idea what they are talking about
>You steer closer, but keep yourself hidden
>It seems they are fighting over an "Element of Magic"
>What the hell are they talking about
>Their confrontation ends and Sunset walks off saying
>"You don't know the first thing about fitting in."
>Which causes her to walk right into you
>Not literally, that would be too cliche
>But her eyes meet yours and her devilish grin of hers furthers
>"Just the boy I wanted to see,"
>She says as she continues to walk
>You follow along
>"We have work to do, some plans have changed."
"And what will that entail for me?"
>"You babe, with a few lesser slaves, are going to sabotage the new girl."
"You know, you shouldn't go around calling so many boys your boyfriend. People might get the wrong idea."
>It was spoken thoughtlessly, and you immediately regret it
>She turns to you slowly, looking pissed
>"I really have to work on taming you, I can't have you making me out to be a whore. Because I am not a whore."
>She says poking you in the chest and looking you in the eyes sternly
>"The lesser slaves are nothing more than lackies that follow me around, you, on the other hand, are intelligent and deserve to have that high honour of being my boyfriend."
>She then delivers a hard punch to your stomach, which you were prepared for this time around, but it still hurt
>"Don't let it go to your head, or I WILL knock you down and make you suffer. Do I make myself clear?"
"Crystal."
>You really need to control your words, this girl is very dangerous.

I am taking a few liberties with the events of the first movie, as I have not watched in years, and I don't want to buy it. So some events will be omitted or potentially happen in the wrong order.

>A few weeks have gone by and there has been a lot that has happened
>You've settled into your classes
>And you have been working for the demon in various ways
>From working to divide the new girl and her new group of friends
>To collecting money from bullying kids, dividing friend groups, and looking menacing
>All the way to the grand operation that she was having you plan she first gave you
>The plan to sabotage the fall formal and have it be delayed
>You don't know why she wants this, but she does
>The lesser slaves, as she has called them, are very deserving of their titles
>They are literally dumb as dirt
>And they view the demon to be a goddess, following her absolute word
>Or according to the best of their ability
>You've had to work monumentally hard in order to avoid getting into trouble
>You honestly hope they get hit in the head more so they could literally become brain dead
>And never have to deal with them again
>You've also gained the demon's respect and trust
>And she fulfilled her promise of bringing you a lot of power
>Everyone is afraid of you, but not to the degree they are of the demon girl
>And it allows you to be free of trouble, for the most part
>Work is work, as it were
>The ironic thing about all of this is that you still don't know her name
>And you're not sure if she knows you
>You don't know how you've gone so long without picking up her name
>And you've repeatedly had it in your mind to ask what her name was
>But it would be weird to ask what your own "girlfriend"'s name was
>Thus you sit without knowledge and working
>The damages have came together nicely
>Snips and Snails may be down right retarded, but they certainly are destructive
>It makes you chuckle
>The gym, where the decorations were set up, are now thrown about and destroyed
>You feel bad for the poor sods who put this together
>You call the girl and tell her that it has been done
>And she is pleased

>"I want you to meet me at the Shining Inn on the southside of town tonight."
"What for? Taking me out on a formal date after all this time?"
>A dynamic has settled between you two
>One that isn't just purely business
>You've begun to joke with one another
>And it is quite amusing
>So you've almost become happy with being her "servant", as she has called it
>"I'm afraid not, babe. We have business to discuss, in preparation for the formal."
"Darn, oh well. Business is business, after all. What time do you want me to be there?"
>Around 6, make sure you dress nicely. It is a high class restaurant, you know."
"So I've been told, I presume I'll be paying?"
>"Nah, I've got the money together for this. When we're done, we won't be needing any money anymore."
>This comment intrigues you
>Are we moving to higher levels of crimes?
>It is uncertain, so you tuck them in the back of your mind
>You're willing to trust her until she goes too far
"Sounds good, I'll see you then. Later."
>"Love you~"
>She says with a teasing voice, and you chuckle as you hang up
>Snips and Snails come up to you with dopey grins
>You're pretty sure Snips is drooling a little
>Literal fucking retards
>"Was that the boss?"
>He says in his retarded slur
"Indeed it was, her and I got plans after school today. She wants you two to go home and stay low until the formal. Do you understand?"
>"Sure can do boss!"
>Snails says enthusiastically, with Snips nodding vigorously
"You two have your tickets right?"
>They pull out their tickets and show them to you
"Good, we don't want to fail the boss lady, do we?"
>"No, sir!" 
"Alright, now get home and be quiet! We don't want to be caught."
>And with that, you go home
>Walking home, you admire the scenery around you
>The Sunset casts the world in beautiful rays of yellow, red, and orange
>The falling leafs match it, creating a serene atmosphere
>Cars pass you by
>Some students walk by
>And you think to yourself
>What a wonderful world 
>You can't believe you just thought that

>You come home, again, to an empty house
>And with another note telling you to make something for dinner
>Such is the way of things
>Since you're going out, that won't be necessary
>So you bide your time by reading until it is time to go
>You grab your phone and take your car to the southside
>This side of town is far more urbanised
>The apartment complexes and various buildings tower over your side of town
>And convey an early 20s aesthetic that is rare in a non major city
>It is nonetheless impressive
>After a long number of turns, you find yourself at the restaurant
>It was also a hotel, given its name, but many well off locals come here
>And, you suppose, yourself included
>You typically don't like going out, you generally avoid social events
>They're mostly tiresome
>But you're here on business
>So these thoughts do not bother you
>You walk up to the counter and say that you're here for a friend
>You give your name
>The waiter nods to you, leading you into the main restaurant
>You walk around a bit before finding her
>The demon herself
>And she looks downright stunning
>An elegant red dress highlights her curves
>She hasn't used much makeup, but every ounce of it is used with maximum efficiency
>Her lips are tinted a beautiful red
>And her eyes radiate power, intelligence, and beauty
>But most importantly, they show her ambition
>She has a goal in mind
>She was like a god queen, in all honesty
>But you know her intentions are malicious in nature
>Yet you obey, at first because of self preservation
>But now it was because you were becoming infatuated with her as well
>She notices you and gives you a sultry smirk
>Yet your mind is still in disarray
>You can't stop staring at her
>What does, however, break you out of your mind is her calling you over
>"You can stand there gawking, or we can get down to business."
>You have a purpose for being here
>And your mind adjusts to this reality
>But your subconscious still remains fixated on her beauty
>You sit down slowly and deliberately
>And a stern, matter of fact sort of face comes to you
>You wait for her to begin speaking

>"You know, it's kind of rude to stare at a lady. People might get the wrong idea."
"I don't care, I've followed your orders with complete fidelity. Let me have this."
>You notice, though it's brief, a slight blush and a small shy smile adorn her face
>But it's quickly replaced with her normal look
>You also take time to survey the restaurant
>The floor and the furniture of a polished mahogany 
>There are various inclines and rails that lead to different parts of the restaurant
>You can see the bar from your seat and it is lined various expensive wines and liquors
>The walls are painted a deep red and there are torches and candles around the walls and tables
>Bathing the building in hues of red, orange, and red
>It gives the feeling a romantic sunset
>High class, and you somewhat feel out of place here
>Because romance hasn't been one of your strong suits throughout your life
>But the place is so beautiful and radiant
>So lively with young and refined couples
>It was a scene straight of a painting
>And it prevented you from feeling discomfort
>The girl is following your eyes, as you survey the place
>You don't know why, but you like it when she's looking at you
>You spot a waiter dressed in a tuxedo approaching you
>And before you know it, you've both given your orders
>You've ordered a simple steak with potatoes and green beans
>She has ordered a fruit salad with a huge number of fruits
>She listed them specifically, but you can't recall what she ordered
>But the waiter doesn't seem to mind the complexity of her order
>It seems he is used to this sort of thing
>He eventually leaves you two and the girl looks at you, seemingly ready to begin
>"There are many things that I've left you in the dark about, and since you've become a valuable asset, I believe it's time to bring them all of them to light."
>You sit back, listening intently

>"We are going to completely take over the school as soon as I win the formal."
"Don't we already rule it? Everyone is afraid of us, save for the little rebellion from Twilight and her friends."
>"We rule it through a limited amount of fear, and that rebellion is a threat to our plans."
"And I've been working to quash it, through the "forced persuasion" as you've put it."
>"And you've done well, but sadly, they are still rebellious. I've heard their whispers and many are turning to Twilight in secret. That is why, with the help of the crown, we will take control of their minds."
"How is a simple crown going to "take control of their minds."? People care about crowns for prom and shit, but not to the degree that it's going to bend them all to our will."
>She looks at you with a bit of disgust, thinking that this should be obvious
>But she quickly resolves that she hasn't explained everything
>And her expression returns to neutrality
>"That is because the crown itself is not of this world and neither am I or Twilight."
>This takes a surprising amount of effort on her part to admit, as you can see her struggle to get the words out
>You are thinking that she's speaking metaphorically, but there's no indication that she is
>She is being literal
>Have you gotten yourself involved with a crazy bitch that is delusional
>Perhaps, but she doesn't seem so unaware or centered in her mind in such a way that she's lost touch with reality
>She clearly wasn't an autist, so what does she mean?
"What exactly do you mean by that?"
>She seems pleased that you haven't completely blown her off
>"I meant what I said, we're not of this world. We're from another world called Equestria, and that crown is a magical artifact called an Element of Harmony, more specifically, it is the Element of Magic. The most powerful of them all. As I'm sure your rational mind thinks, magic doesn't exist. But that assumption is wrong. It does exist, even in this world. And I aim to use it to further our goals.

>Magic and other worlds?
>Is this girl out of her mind?
"And why exactly should I believe you? This sounds like delusional nonsense and you haven't given any evidence to back up what you're saying."
>She takes a deep breath, as if anticipating that this would have come
>She looks at you with anger and hostility, in a way that is supposed to put you in your place
>And for the sake of not making things any more difficult, you can't help but obey
>But also because you don't like seeing her angry with you
>"I don't need you to believe me, I just need you to follow along and understand what I say."
>You give her a nod, allowing her to continue
>"It is important that I get the crown through any means necessary. So that means, if Twilight somehow wins the crown, you need to run up to the stage and steal it and bring it to me."
>She hasn't let you down before with having some safenet for insane things
>But this is taking it up to 11
"Do you want me to be masked or something? I'm not really trying to get suspended or expelled."
>She chuckles for the first time that night
>"Don't worry about that. You won't be getting in trouble because I will create a distraction for you."
>She says cryptically, so you press on for more
"What do you have in mind?"
>"It's best if I don't tell you, you'll be more likely to mess up if you knew what I was doing."
>You don't like it, but you give a nod of acceptance
>It's not like you have much control over any of this
>A silence passes over the two of you as the server comes with your food
>You begin to eat, not making any small talk to pass the time
>It is kind of awkward
>So you settle on just listening to everything around you
>Soft jazz music echoes throughout the restaurant
>You can hear the faint whispers of conversations around you
>That feeling of serenity that you began the night with returns
>Because you are whisked away from the gravity of your own life
>And free to think about the simplicity of others'.

>"I'd like to ask you something, if you don't mind?"
>The demon is being polite?
>That's pretty odd
>You look at her more directly and give an inquisitive look
>You take a moment to study her face
>Gone are the expressions that are typical of the Machiavellian
>Instead, her face briefly flashes with insecurity, loneliness, despair, and finally curiosity
>All of this happened within the span of milliseconds
>Yet you've always been awfully perceptive of people, their motives, and the windows to the soul
>You saw the first flash of it today, that she doesn't want to be wearing the mask she's wearing
>It almost hurts you, because you know it's tearing her apart inside
>One major blow to any of her plans would send that mask crumbling
>And you didn't know who you would find inside
>And that scared you
>You then realised that she asked you a question
>And you've been silent for like 10 seconds
>Not good
>Say something, you fool.
"W-what's up?"
>Good one Anon
>Way to break your stoic passivity
>Maybe you are an autist after all
>"You...You're a very intelligent person. I knew that from the beginning, but since I've had you under my control, I've seen that that intelligence is something... well... a little out of this world."
>You chuckle a little bit. That's rich coming from a self proclaimed alien.
>But the chuckling doesn't hinder her confidence, in fact you see her relax a little bit
>She continues
>"I figured that, within the first few weeks, you'd find a way to get out of my clutches and be done with me. Yet you never did. I knew you could, with more time and our text messages, and everything. So I want to know why? Why do you still serve me?"
>Well, that was surprisingly candid
>And unbelievably perceptive
>You had already thought of a way to get out of this within the first two weeks
>You had screenshoted your conversations
>There was plenty of incriminating evidence filling it
>Yet you never used it

"I think it was because I was bored, at the end of it all."
>She looks taken aback
>And a little bit offended
>"You were bored?"
"Yeah, it was odd. Before you came into my life I mostly just read and made myself as small as possible. You can read a lot of things, keep enraptured in stories, and learn many things. But most people like to actually do something other than those things. And even more people like to spend time with people."
>You sit up and look at her with seriousness
"I think you can agree we haven't really been a positive impact on most of the people we've interacted with at this school, but with you, it's been different. You've taught me a lot of nuances in the character of other people and you've given me something to do with that knowledge. And because of that I have power and I've accomplished the first goal I set out with. Which was to be left alone. But it's not the power that makes me happy, that I instill fear in others, rather it's the simple act of doing something. It's been like a drug that I can't stop."
>You say, taking a breath and looking at her
"It also helps that the one I'm working for is very beautiful and is intelligent."
>She actually blushes hard at your words
>You suppose she's never really thought of any of this
>She's been so focused on her goal that she's forgotten the reason she set out on the goal
>Most determined people are like that
>But she's intelligent enough to recognise it, and you see her sink into thought
>But her eyes are locked with yours, waiting for you to say more
>Yet there's nothing more to say
>Until it suddenly hits you
"You know what's ironic about this whole dynamic between us?"
>"What?"
"I never learned what your name was."
>Time seems to pass very slowly
>And then, suddenly, she becomes alight with anger
>But aware enough not to start yelling or causing a scene
>At least for the restaurant
>You, on the other hand, are about to experience fury

>"After all of this time, you seriously never bothered to ask around for my name or at least listen?!"
"I didn't exactly have anytime to do that when, as soon as I entered the school, you up and kissed me and told me I was your boyfriend."
>"Still, you could have just listened around the school or asked someone before the word spread around!"
"The problem with that is 1. Most people wouldn't dare by talking about you, especially if I wasn't around and 2. It would add confusion and doubt to my whole being your boyfriend thing if I were to up and ask someone."
>You do realise you could have just looked at the names of the contestants for the dance but somehow that never crossed your mind
>And, luckily for you, it didn't cross hers either
>She immediately deflates, looking at you tiredly
>"Maybe you're not as intelligent as I initially thought."
>You chuckle and quip back
"I've never heard you once refer to me by my name, so that makes me think you don't know mine either."
>Now this, immediately, causes her to freeze up
>And her face heats up dramatically
>"I-I do know your name! It's... uh..."
>This causes you to go into a fit of laughter
>That quickly spreads to her
>And soon you both are nothing more than a giggling mess
>With the patrons looking at you both with a mixture of contempt and nostalgia
>Yet you pay them no mind and continue to laugh
>"Wow.. I.. I haven't laughed like that in a really long time..."
>She says still breathing heavily from her giggle fit
"I suppose introductions are in order, then?"
>This only starts another round of laughter
>Here you are, laughing with the girl that has held you under pain of blackmail
>And yet you never even bothered to learn each other's names
>It is painfully ironic

>You're both smiling warmly at each other now
>Like the two of you were old internet friends who had met face to face for the first time
>And you only referred to each other by your self imposed nicknames
>Because your real names didn't really matter at that point
>It was just the connection that you had with the other person
>"My name is Sunset Shimmer."
>My name... is Anonymous!"
>She looks at you with astonishment
>Like she can't believe that you just said that
>But you know what you've done
>And you've sprung the trap for her
>"I just told you my name and you're not going to give me yours?"
>She says this is a sultry tone
>Something you does when she really wants something out of you
>She moves over to your side of the table and presses her body against yours
"I'm serious, my name is Anonymous."
>You reach into your pocket, but in the process you brush her leg
>She ends up moving a little bit away from you
>Clearly embarrassed
>You pull out your wallet and show it to her
>It has a picture of you with your name. Anonymous.
>"You're name is literally just Anonymous? You don't have a last name?"
>She stares at your wallet in disbelief
"Yeah, my father is quite a strange man. He always has been. He doesn't trust the fed boys so he used a little loophole in the law to only give me one name. The only downside is that if I were to marry, I would automatically take their name instead."
>She ends up chuckling at your response
>"Fed boys? Did you really just say that?"
"You can never trust a fed boy."
>You say in a Rolf from Ed, Edd and Eddy like accent
>You're not sure if she gets it, but she does burst out laughing
>And you chuckle yourself
>You love pulling this whole number
>Especially with her giggles of delight filling your ears
>It's soothing and fun
>Your joy seems to be infectious, because the other patrons aren't looking at you with contempt
>Most of them smile warmly, and you give a shy nod to them

>The server comes by again and asks if you wanted to dessert
>You both decline, and ask for the catch
>But in the mean time, you simply enjoy each other's company
>It seems you've made your first friend
>And a wall that once stood between you has been torn down
>Giving you access to part of who you were
>Or whatever that means
>Sunset has moved back to her side
>Nonetheless, you're still smiling at each other
>This was surprisingly fun
>And you find yourself wanting to do this again
>The check comes and Sunset moves to pay for it
>However, you don't let her
>She's looking at you confused
>But you sign the check, hand the card, and give the tip all before she can say anything
>She's astounded at you
"I wanted to pay you back, for this night. I haven't had this much fun in a while."
>She pauses and takes the time to gather her thoughts
>"Me too, Anonymous. Just don't forget that we still have to work to do."
>You nod to her and you both walk out
>The cool autumn air chills you both and you can see that Sunset starts to shiver
>Though the outfit was beautiful and shimmering, it couldn't protect her from the cold
>Ha, you made a pun
>And you take off your coat and give it to her
>She looks at you with a grateful smile
"You can take it home with you, I don't live that far away plus I've got a few back home.
>"Thanks, Anonymous. You've been... a great friend. Remember though, you still have a job to do."
"I know, and I haven't forgotten. I'll see you tomorrow. Also, before you go..."
>She leans to you expectantly

"Call me Anon, it's too formal."
>She seems to deflate a little bit, but you don't think she even noticed that she did
>She chuckles and gives you a punch on the arm
>"You could've said that earlier, but you had to go on that whole performance just to mind-fuck me."
"What can I say? I like to perform. And you seemed to enjoy it, so why are you complaining?"
>She laughs again 
>"Because you were an embarrassment in there, that place is supposed to be high class. And yet you made me laugh like an idiot."
>You laugh too
"Well hey, I was laughing too. So I guess we're both a couple of idiots, aren't we?"
>"I suppose we are."
>She gets close to you again and suddenly wraps you in a tight hug
>Her hair melts into your face and her scent overpowers your nose
>It's not a bad smell, in fact its intoxicating
>As quickly as it begins, it ends
>"See you later, Anon."
"See you later, Sunset Shimmer."
>Then she walks away into the parking lot
>And she disappears into the night
>She was like a staunch contrast with the world around here
>She was bright in a dark cascade of modern buildings
>Illuminated only be the moonlight
>She was like a light of the dark
>And as she walked away, your heart fell with pain
>Because you wanted to go after her and walk here home
>But you know she can handle herself
>She's a strong woman and she's had you spar with her before
>And she whopped your ass every time with fluid elegance
>So you march back to your car and flip on the ignition
>And you plug into the ox cord and you listen to some music
>Good music from a really good band
>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnLAa6_hB9A
>A bit of a sad song, but you pay that no mind
>All that matters is the music
>And as you drive home, you sink into it
>You bob along to the beat and you survey the land around you
>By the time you get home, you see that your father is home from work
>You wonder if your dad is going to give you a lecture
>It is always something with him

>Despite his absence, he always feels the need to lecture you on something
>You think it's his way of trying to seem like he has a presence in your life
>Especially if you make the slightest of errors
>Such as not telling your parents what your plans are
>Especially when you're leaving the house
>You park the car and walk up the driveway
>There are solar lights planted in your lawn that combine with the moonlight
>The night is dark and there's a slight breeze
>The tree in the centre of your yard sways slowly
>And you head into the house
>The hallway is paved with the light of the television
>He's in the living room
>You can see the reflection of the TV on the various picture frames that dot the wall
>It looks straight out of a horror movie
>Perhaps you made that connection because you are dreading what's to come
>"Welcome home, Anonymous."
>He says in his typical stoic fashion
>You wonder if he'll be too tired to even lecture you
>You answer back briefly and with obedience
>As to not indicate defiance
>"Thanks, Dad."
>You walk into the living room and find him lounging on his recliner with a beer in his hand
>Despite being highly stressed middle aged man, he doesn't assume the form of an angry drunk
>It calms him down and oddly enough, unless he's had too much, makes him more willing to listen and understand
>You hope that is the case this time around
>You sit down on the couch next to him and briefly glance at the television
>It's a football game
>Typical middle age man behaviour
>"Where were you?"
>He asks, seeming to watch your face in the pale moonlight
>Looking for any trace of guilt or wrongdoing
"I went out to dinner with a friend."
>He sinks back into the couch
>He takes a sip from his beer and continues to look at you
>"Is that all you have to say? You know if I were your mother she'd be panicking about you going off without any word."

>You give him a nod, accepting this as being true
>And you move your hands to your head
>Knowing that this will probably be stressful
"I know that, but it was supposed to be a quick dinner, but we spent a lot of time talking and getting to know each other better. We have an assignment for school we're working on and we got a little distracted."
>You say, revealing the truth, but not the whole truth
>"I'm glad that you're making friends, but if you did actually know that you would have told us."
>He says, looking at you sternly
>You sigh, knowing how this is going to play out
>"You won't be going to that dance that you've been talking about. You need to learn some responsibility, so you're grounded for a week."
>Your heart stops and you feel your stomach drop
>All of the work and progress you've made with Sunset will be going down the drain
>Normally, you'd just accept the punishment and be done with it
>But this time, you feel your anger rise
"What?! Just because I don't fucking call you and tell you my plans I'm out 80 dollars plus my date?!"
>You don't even think about letting the last part slip out
>And your dad's eyes go wide
>He's astonished, but also pissed
>"Yeah, you're not going to be cussing at me you little shit."
>He stands up and smacks you across the face
>Which only makes your blood boil
>He goes in for a second hit, but you grab his hand and push him back into the couch
>This sets him over the age and he stumbles up
>You waste no time and begin to sprint up the stairs to your room
>You hear him thundering behind you, but you pay it no mind
>You make it to your room and slam the door in his face, locking it behind you as he struggles with the knob
>"You're fucking dead when you come out of there."
"Good thing I won't be coming out then."
>He snickers at you in a mocking way
>"You've got school tomorrow, dipshit. You're going to have to come out."

>He pounds on the door hard one last time before he slumps away from the door
"Then I won't go. What's the point of it?"
>"If you think I'm bad, you're going to have a lot to answer for with your mother."
"Some fucking man you are, using your woman to get leverage over your son."
>He punches the wall in frustration
>You wonder if he's left dents or if his hand is cut up
>He doesn't think while he's drunk, so he'll catch flack from your mom
>Hopefully enough that you'll be let out with a lesser punishment
>However, something snaps you out of your thoughts
>Your door just lurched forward
>Because your dad just slammed against it with all of his force
>He's trying to break into your room
>You've underestimated his stupidity and his level of energy
>You try to block it with something, but as you move across the door, you find it futile
>The door breaks off its hinges and he comes stumbling into the room
>Splinters from the wood scatter around you, cutting you in a few places
>But that is the least of your concerns
>You're cornered with your angry drunk dad
>Before you can do anything, he stands up and grabs you be your shirt collar and drags you to the dresser
>He slams you against it and your head hits the wooden knob
>Which hurts like a motherfucker
>"I am your fucking father, Anonymous. And I'm not going to tolerate you becoming an ungrateful and rebellious brat."
>He says while he continues to hold you against the dresser
>"I'm sick of you being a depressed apathetic bitch boy. Just because you've got a friend doesn't make you king shit, you live under MY house and you follow MY rules. Do you understand?"
>You say nothing because your thoughts are completely a mess
>You're too scared to say anything
>"I SAID DO YOU FUCKING UNDERSTAND ME?!"
>He shouts while punching you hard in the stomach
>You cough and groan from the force of the punch
"Yes..."
>You mutter as you slump down from the pain
>"Good, now go to bed. You'll say nothing of this to your mother."

>"He won't be needing to."
>From behind your dad, your mother stands there in the doorway
>And she looks utterly pissed
>Your dad turns around, and he briefly shrinks at her presence
>But that drunken anger returns
>And you fear for your mother
>"Get the fuck out of his room."
>Your mother says coldly
>And your dad, surprisingly, obeys
>Your mother gives you a look of sympathy
>Conveying a look of "we'll talk later."
>And then a real fight begins
>Lots of yelling and you hear a few things break
>But you doubt they're coming to blows
>This tends to happen when they fight
>But it doesn't make it any less traumatic
>All you can really do is lean your door against the opening
>And you put your headphones and turn the music up to 100%
>Hoping to drown it all out
>You end up crying softly in your bed
>And you don't really notice it at first
>You can feel the house shake as they continue to fight and yell at each other
>You really can't wait to get out of this shit house
>You're sick of the uninvolved and violent attitudes of your parents
>You contemplate making a run for it
>But where would you go?
>There's nowhere to go
>So you're stuck
>The fighting stops after a while
>And you watch the form of your father move past your door
>He takes a look at you before going down the stairs
>And, a few minutes later, your mother makes her appearance by the door
>You mentally prepare yourself for what's about to come
>"Anonymous? Are you okay baby?"
"Yeah, mom."
>You say it quietly, lacking a lot of energy
>Not that you were the most energetic person in the world, but your voice is far more tired then it normally is
>Your mother moves the door out of the way and leans it back against the door frame
>She's clad in her business suit and her hair is disheveled
>She looks at you tiredly, exhausted from the weight of the day and the fight
>She comes and sits at the side of the bed and strokes your hair

>"I'm sorry about this, Anonymous. Your father... He really shouldn't be drinking. And I'm forbidding it for now on."
>You move your head further into the pillow, attempting to hide the tears and your sorrow
>She leans down and gives you a kiss on your cheek
>"You're my baby boy, Nonny. I wish I could be with you like I used to, but life doesn't allow that. We're both really stressed at work. It's more than likely the reason why your father flipped out on you, but it's still no excuse. Please, Nonny, talk to me if he ever pulls that again."
>You give her a nod, but don't remove your head from the pillow
>"Has he hit you before?"
>You shake your head
>"Well, that's a little comforting at least. Your father still loves you, it's just he has so much on his plate. But it is still no excuse. He'll be leaving in two days for a few days on business, so that will give you both time to calm down."
>She grabs you by your shoulders and pulls you out of the pillow
>You don't offer much resistance
>Your face is covered with tears and you're sure you look pathetic
>The night you had with Sunset being ruined by this shitty turn of events
>She nearly starts crying herself
>And she wraps you in a hug, burying your face in her neck
>"My poor baby boy."
>She mutters in your ear over and over
>You just sit there kind of limp and your mind is scattered
>You feel very emotionally exhausted and it's all you can do, just sitting there
>"Your father stepped out of line, but his reasons for doing so were still valid. You're still going to be grounded, but it will only be for two days."
>You breathe heavily, showing your lack of contentment with that
>But your mother doesn't seem to pick up on that

>"You need to go to bed, but I won't make you go to school tomorrow if you don't want to. Your dad will be here, but I've made sure he understands that it's better that you don't talk. Just try to relax and we'll move past this. One step at a time."
>She says this standing up
>Your eyes meet hers and your expression is pretty much blank
>"I love you Anonymous, you'll always be my baby boy."
"I love you too, Mom."
>There's anger boiling again
>But you can't manage to get it out
>Especially since your mother just saved you from your dad's onslaught
>She leaves the room, leaning the door closed again
>And you stand up, turning out the light and you go to bed
>You check the time and you find that it's only 8 o'clock
>It's still pretty early to go to sleep
>Part of you doesn't care
>But the logical part of your brain says you should wait a bit longer to sleep
>So you chose to pick up your phone and find a book to read
>You decide upon reading the assigned book for your English
>Moby Dick.jpeg
>It's pretty boring
>And the anger and stress of tonight befalls the novel
>The story of revenge does hit home, though
>You almost want to get back at your dad for what he's done
>You finish the whole book before midnight
>You turn off your phone and listen to the world around you
>The house is dead silent
>And the moonlight shines into your room, showering it in a pale white
>You spend a while looking at the full moon outside
>Your mind doesn't wander in any particular direction
>Your thoughts are mostly blank
>You think that you're going to stay home from school tomorrow
>So you don't bother setting an alarm
>However, you go to Sunset's contact and you let her know you won't be coming
>You tell her something came up
>Before you close your phone for the night, however, you change her contact name
>From Master to Sunset
>Now, at least in your mind, your relationship is out of mutual respect
>Sleep finds you almost immediately

>The sun comes up the next day, blinding you as you wake up
>You check the time and find it's 9:34
>You yawn and head to the shower
>As you walk out of your room, however, you see your dad from the bottom of the stairs
>He looks at you somewhat remorsefully, but says nothing to you as he heads into the kitchen
>So you're probably not going downstairs anytime soon
>It would feel awkward
>After finishing the shower, you head back to your room
>And you find that you are immensely bored
>You don't see any texts from Sunset, perhaps she hasn't checked her phone yet
>Who knows at this point
>You do end up going downstairs, almost immediately, however
>Because your dad calls you down
>You have no idea what to expect
>You begin to prepare breakfast and he's sitting in one of the chairs at the table
>He's eyeing you inquisitively and not without a bit of scorn
>He's still probably pissed about last night
>Then, breaking the silence between you, he speaks
>"I'm sorry."
>And with that, he moves past you and goes back into the living room
>He turns on the television and goes to watching whatever he's watching
>It leaves a sour taste in your mouth
>You're normally not allowed to eat in your room, but either your dad doesn't care or doesn't notice
>Because you bring your bowl of Applejacks upstairs without a word being spoken between you
>For the rest of the day you just sit on your computer browsing through various boards on 4chan
>And arguing with people on Discord
>It's somewhat refreshing, but the pain in your heart doesn't go away throughout the entire day
>At about 1 in the afternoon, however, your phone buzzes
>It's a text from Sunset

>You take a moment to process the text
>"Twilight and her bitch friends were able to fix up the auditorium, so the formal is back on."
>Literally how were they able to do this
>This is reflected in your text
"How?"
>"I don't know, but I will need you tonight. Will you be there?"
>You take some time to ponder it over
>You could sneak out, but it would have to be when your dad leaves
>And he's more than likely here for the entire day
>You're stuck between a rock and a hard place
>You're scared of running out because of the wrath of your father
>But you're also scared of shattering the bond you've established with Sunset
>But one has to trump the other
>And you reply
"I don't know, I'm grounded right now and I can't get out of the house."
>It's brief and it's a rational excuse
>She's a reasonable woman
>You hope that she understands
>You see the little dots indicating that she's typing
>"It's fine. You've done enough. When I have the crown I will come and get you. I'll see you tonight, Anon."
>Her words scare you
>If she comes to your house, it's going to be a massive shitshow
>Especially if your father is still here
>But you don't reply, because you don't know how to respond
>The day goes by, and it's soon night time
>More specifically, it's time for the formal
>You've been a nervous wreck since the afternoon
>And your anxiety is only heightened because you're half expecting Sunset to come knocking
>You didn't eat lunch nor have you had dinner, because you've been so worried
>And your dad is still in the living room, having not moved since then
>You decide it's time to face the music and you head downstairs
>Your dad is watching another Football game
>And at first, he doesn't seem to notice you
>But you make your presence known by taking a seat on the couch
>He looks you over, somewhat, but his eyes remain focused on the game

>You look out the window, and you can make out the roof of the school in the distance
>It only serves to fill you with dread
>Your dad seems to pick up on this
>"Something wrong, Anonymous?"
>You look at him somewhat disoriented by it all
"It's nothing, it's just that... My girlfriend might be coming here."
>He takes in a deep sigh before looking at you
>"I thought that dance or whatever was supposed to happen tomorrow?"
"It was, but they've... rushed things and now it's happening today."
>He looks at you, waiting for you to continue
"My girlfriend, she's kind of forceful. I don't know if she'll show up, but she really wants me to go. She's very popular and it would look really bad if we weren't together."
>You rationalise and he continues to look at you sternly
>"You're still not going, I hope you know. I don't care what the bitch really wants."
>Your anger briefly flares, but you manage to control it
"I know, I understand. It's just that... please let me handle it if she comes. I don't want you two to get off on the bad foot."
>He seems to consider it, but seems to reject your proposal
>"Your little act of defiance hasn't been forgotten Anonymous. When she comes here, you're going to stay in your room and you're not going to say shit. I am the man of this house, and so long as you are under my roof, you're going to follow my rules."
>It's always the same old shit with him
>He's so uninvolved with your life, yet feels as though he has the right to tell you how to handle your relationships
"That's fucking bullshit, Dad. You crossed a line, and I'm still obeying the rules, but I deserve to have the dignity to face my own girlfriend and tell her I can't come."
>He stands up and is about to yell
>But is interrupted by a huge burst of light
>And a loud boom

>You both turn to the window and see that it's coming from the school
>Your mind floods with panic
>Sunset, your only friend, could be hurt
>And you don't hesitate to run to the door and grab your keys
>"ANONYMOUS, COME BACK HERE!"
>Your dad bellows as he chases you out the door
>But you make it to your car, hit the ignition, and you're already speeding off towards the school
>You see your dad standing in the driveway looking really pissed
>But that is the least of your worries
>You have to make sure Sunset is alright
>You make it to the school in no time and you park your car
>It was difficult finding a spot, but you do manage to find one
>You park the car and begin to sprint towards the school
>At the front of the school, you can see Twilight and her friends standing together
>The front of the school is completely destroyed
>And floating in the air is a demon like being that resembles Sunset
>And there are students standing at the entrance, with the kid in the blue hair in the centre, and their eyes are glowing blue
>You can't tell what they're saying exactly, but Twilight and her friends begin to glow purple
>Before being levitated in the air and striking the demon with a rainbow beam
>Your heart stops, fearing for the worst
>A massive crater has appeared in the ground
>And you begin to sprint towards it
>Twilight seems to be talking with Sunset from the crater
>She has wings on her back and the girls stand behind her
>But you can't get past the crowd of students huddled around the crater
>Despite your best efforts
>You hear her voice ring out from the crater
>Confirming at least she was alive
>"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I didn't know there was another way."
>Twilight begins to speak in response
>"The magic of friendship doesn't just exist in Equestria, it's everywhere..."
>She turns to her friends
>"You can seek it out, or forever be alone."
>She sees you standing there, and briefly shrinks at your presence

>The crowd of students notices you for who you are
>And they begin to gather around you, with looks of murderous intent
>Twilight and her friends quickly run to you though
>And surround you before you can be harmed
>Your heart is racing, and you're sure that they want first dibs
>But you break their encirclement and manage to force your way to the crater in the confusion
>Sunset is on her hands and knees with tears in her eyes
>And she looks shocked to see you
>You were fortunate enough to have had a jacket on when you left
>And you quickly wrap it around her, allowing her to hide herself
>You can see cuts and bruises have formed all around her body
>She's been beaten badly
>And she looks so broken
>The confident Machiavellian is no more
>And what remains is a broken girl with a blood thirsty crowd surrounding her
>No fear remains in you, other than for Sunset
>You'd rather die than have any one of them lay a hand on her
>Twilight and her friends make their way to the bottom of the crater, with none of the other students following behind
>At least you won't die by the swarm
>There's mixed views on the faces of the girls
>Rainbow Dash looks at you with murderous intent
>Applejack looks at you waiting for you to attack
>Fluttershy is looking at you with fear
>Rarity with a look of scorn
>Pinkie Pie looks like she wants to rip your heart out
>And Twilight looks at you with resolution, preparing for another fight
"You won't lay a fucking finger on her."
>You say through gritted teeth
>The girls seem to shrink a little bit at your defensiveness
>Twilight is the first to come forward
>"We don't want to hurt her. She was evil and we had to stop her from taking over Equestria."
"Then why does Rainbow Dash look like she wants to rip our throats out?"
>You lock eyes with Rainbow Dash and her expression doesn't seem to shrink

>Twilight looks at Rainbow and she returns to a more neutral expression
>But her eyes remain focused on you, with that same hatred emanating through them
>She turns back to you and gives you a sheepish smile
>You give a huff of annoyance before turning to Sunset
>You lean down to her and she has stopped crying for the most part
>But the fear in her eyes still remains
>You hope she isn't afraid of you
"Come on Sunset, I'm taking you home."
>You lift her up from the ground and she wraps you in a tight embrace
>One that you can't help but return
>She sighs heavily into your chest and you take a moment to take her her scent
>It still remains, but it is masked by the smell of burnt dirt
>You make your way out of the crater, and everyone starts to move away from you both
>You eye them with suspicion and look as intimidating as possible
>Before you make it away from the school, however, the principals are standing there
>And they look pissed at Sunset
>"Sunset Shimmer."
>Vice Principal Luna says with her authoritative voice
>But behind it, you see a faint amount of concern behind her gaze
>"You have caused a great deal of trouble since you've came to this school, but this is the final straw. You will be expelled, but we will call an ambulance if needed."
>Your heart seems to stop at the mention of these words
>And Sunset looks absolutely petrified
>The sorrow from earlier returns in earnest and she begins to cry again
>"I'm sorry, princesses. I'm so sorry. I'll... I'll clean up the damage as best I can and I will be out of your hair."
>She says through many gasps
"If she's getting expelled, than so am I."
>The crowd around you looks shocked, and so do the principals
>"Do you care to elaborate, student?"

"I've had just as much a part in this as she has, I was the one who sabotaged to the gym yesterday so I'm also deserving of expulsion."
>They seem to ponder on your words for a moment
>"Is this the truth, Sunset Shimmer?"
>Principal Celestia asks
>She doesn't answer though, likely holding her words to protect you
>But you won't let her answer
"It is the truth, I have our text conversations as proof if you require it. I am also to blame, and I will also take that punishment. I will also be helping her clean up from "
>"Very well then... I suppose you both are expelled."
>Celestia says finally, looking a little saddened by the declaration
>You nod to her and you grab Sunset by the hand and start to move away from the school
>Everyone is looking for you, but you can't care less at this point
>You've only got one thing on your mind, and that is keeping her safe
>"WAIT!!!!"
>You turn around to see Twilight and her friends running up to you and the principals
>"Principal Celestia, Vice Principal Luna"
>Twilight runs to to them with her friends trailing behind her
>"Princess Twilight, we wish to thank you for having saved our school from Sunset Shimmer. If there is anything we can do for you, just ask
>Your blood still boils at the sight of her, and you wait to watch her next move
>You're half expecting her to ask for your arrest
>"If that is the case..."
>She looks over to you both with a sympathetic smile
>"I would like you to not expel them."
>The whole crowd gasps and gawks at the proposal
>Yourself included
>Sunset doesn't look surprised, but she's shrunk even further
>The look of sadness and shame adorns her face
>"I think they're both capable of being good poni- people."
>She quickly corrects
>"Everyone deserves a second chance. And I see a lot of potentially within both of them."
>She walks up to you both and wraps Sunset into a hug
>Which she quickly returns
>The principals look touched by this

>"Very well, princess. If this is your wish, we will grant it. However..."
>Principal Celestia looks at both of you sternly
>"You both will be serving detention until we deem fit. And you will be tasked with various things such as cleaning and working in the library."
>"Thank you, Principal Celestia."
>Sunset walks up the Principal Celestia and hugs her
>She seems taken aback by Sunsets actions, but nonetheless returns the embrace
>At this time, most of the students go home
>And you watch Twilight, who is apparently a Princess of some sort, walk up to the statue with her friends
>She says goodbye to them and then proceeds to walk through the fucking statue, disappearing
>Wtf.jpeg
>You're left gawking, and a little flash of magic appears as the moon climbs high in the sky
>Pinkie Pie then proceeds to run into the statue, but bounces back comically
>Wtf2.jpeg
>Your gawking isn't left unnoticed, however
>You see Vice Principal Luna chuckling at you as she walks to you
>"You know, that was very admirable of you."
>You look at her inquisitively
"What was?"
>"The fact that you were willing to be expelled alongside her. Most people wouldn't have done that."
"Mainly because it's a dumb decision."
>Now it's her turn to look at you inquisitively
>"So you regret doing it?"
>You shake your head
>"No, I don't. I live with a love of fate and I'll go along with it. I care about her, and I was willing to go with her. It's what friends are for."
>She looks at you with admiration
>She then, surprisingly, wraps you into a hug
>You don't return it though, due to your shock
>"You're a good kid, I hope you know. If you need anything feel free to come to my office."
"Thank you, Vice Principal Luna."
>"It is my pleasure, take care student."
"My name is Anonymous, but you can call me Anon."
>She takes a moment to consider this and blushes
>Out of embarrassment for not knowing your name
>"Very well then, take care Anonymous."

>With that, she begins to walk off
>You watch her as she goes
>Studying her form
>Damn that ass
>Shutupbrain.jpeg
>Still though, she is quite the attractive figure
>And beneath that cold exterior, you got a glimpse of a warm woman
>You find Sunset and Celestia talking
>Both seem to be laughing a little bit
>And the tension that once existed at the beginning of the confrontation has all but vanished
>That is, until you go to them
>Sunset shrinks back with a lack of confidence
>And Celestia gives you a small sad smile
>"I suppose then you two have work to do. I won't make you stay all night, given it's getting kind of late."
>She says looking off into the distance
>"Your parents might be angry if you stay out too late, Anonymous, so I'd recommend that you get home soon."
>You scoff and look angry at their being mentioned
"Don't worry, my dad is already pissed that I came here. I probably won't be going home until tomorrow."
>This only causes both of them to worry
>"I don't want to pry into your personal life, Anonymous, but where will you go? From what was explained when you transferred here, you're completely new to this town and don't have any other relatives. I'm afraid that I'll have to ask that you.."
>"He can't stay with me."
>You both look at her surprised
>She shrinks a little and blushes
>"I have an apartment here that I've been paying for with my savings from back home. Since our currency is literal gold, it's quite valuable so it's not a problem for me."
>You both take time to consider this proposition
>But Celestia seems to draw a conclusion first
>"Very well, I suppose this is an acceptable arrangement for the time being. However..."
>Her expression changes to a sly smile
>"There better not be any kids coming out this."
>The gears begin to roll in both of your heads
>And you both blush profusely
>Celestia begins to chuckle and bids you farewell

>She joins her sister and they disappear into the distance
>Leaving you alone with Sunset
>The awkwardness is still there
>But a tension has settled over you both
>Neither of you really have any idea on what to say to each other
>But she looks at you expectantly
>She's wrapped up in your jacket and her eyes shine in the moonlight
>You look up at the stars and you study the sky for a moment
"I suppose we should get to work, then."
>"Yeah.. Let's get to it."
>You walk through the huge hole in the front of the school
>You survey the damage caused by her demon form
>It's truly impressive, but also terrifying
>Sunset notices your fear and shrinks again
>But you give her a smile which seems to calm her down
>You go to janitor's closet a little ways in the school and pick up brooms
>And you go back to the front of the school and begin to sweep away at the debris
>Large chunks of concrete, glass, and rebar are swept into dustbins and put in a trashcan that you have brought out
>You had to go back in and get another one because it was becoming full
>You do all of this in complete silence
>You think that because you've been focused on your work, the tension has mostly gone away
>But you hear Sunset sobbing a little
"Are you okay?"
>It's not the best question to ask, given the night, but it's the only one you can
>She doesn't say anything and looks away from you
>You sigh heavily and move towards her
>And you wrap your arms around her belly and hug her closely
"It's okay if you're not."
>You stand there for God knows how long
>Sunset does continue to cry, but she seems to be more relaxed than she was
>Given that she has sunken into your embrace
>You begin to pull her down so you can sit down
>Which makes her sit in your lap
>Your head is pressed on her left shoulder and you look out towards the street
>And you see your mom and dad standing there, gawking at the destruction

>You quickly, and discretely, pull out your phone from your pocket
>And send your mother a text
"Please just give us a minute. It's been a really stressful night and she doesn't need any more excitement tonight. I am fine though, no one was hurt."
>As they make your way over to you, your mother pulls out her phone and looks to be reading it over
>Your father too
>She looks at you and gives you a nod, returning to the car that is parked in the street
>"Why did you do that?"
>She turns to face you and you give her a confused look
"Do what?"
>"You almost got expelled because of me! I've just been using you and yet you put your whole school career on the line... for someone like me..."
>She's angry and crying, but there aren't any tears left to cry
>You ponder her words for a moment
>She was certainly manipulative and in the beginning it was a bad deal for you
>But you've become attached to this girl
>Being with her, experiencing her, you've seen little glimpses of her true self
>Which was on near full display when you went out for dinner
>And was now on full display with her broken state
>All of the repressed emotion came flooding out and you were scared for her
>Because you cared for her
>Your lack of an answer in that short period of time leads her to get up from your lap and she almost begins to walk away
>But you quickly snap from your thoughts and grab her by her arm
>You quickly stand up and look her in her eyes
>Your face has a look of resolution and care
>Both things you typically lacked
"I'm sorry, I was just thinking of how to put it.."
>You say, letting go of her hand
>She looks at you with expectation
"The simple version is that I care about you. The long version, however, is far more nuanced. Sunset, when you blackmailed me at first... I really didn't like you and I was doing it out of self preservation."
>She looks saddened at this declaration, but accepts it to be true

"However, as time went by, doing all the work it became a routine that I actually somewhat liked doing. It gave me power and purpose, even though it wasn't fun hurting everyone in the school."
>You take a deep breath before continuing
"But last night, Sunset, that was the first time I have had fun in years. Talking with you, experiencing with you, laughing with you. It was a joy; a genuine joy. And it made me realise that I really care about you and I don't want to lose you. So if you were going down, so was I."
>"But it was all predicated on me using you to get my revenge. You were just a tool for me and I treated you like an object, not like a friend or a boyfriend."
>She says looking away with shame
"I actually found that somewhat admirable."
>She looks at you with confusion and shock
>So you begin to explain yourself
"You had a goal in mind and you were absolutely committed to that goal. You were willing to do anything to get it, and in that way, you wore your heart on your sleeve. But when we went out to dinner, it wasn't just business. Correct me if I'm wrong, we spent that night talking and laughing with each other and we had fun."
>She takes a moment before speaking
>"I did have a lot of fun that night..."
"And to me, that is all that matters. It doesn't matter how we got to that point, all that time we were being genuine with each other and we loved every moment of it. Watching you go that night was one of the hardest things I've had to do, because I just wanted to spend more time with you."
>She then suddenly wraps you into a tight embrace and looks into your eyes
>"I care about you, too."
>She says earnestly, with a lot of love in her voice
>She looks absolutely stunning, despite her makeup being ruined, her hair being disheveled, and her body being scratched up with cuts and bruises

>So you go in for the kill
>Her soft lips meet yours
>It wasn't like the previous kisses, which were quick and loose
>This kiss was slow and passionate
>Conveying to each other what you felt
>All the love, sadness, grief, loneliness, and fear flowing into it
>And you find that you're crying too
>You wrap your arms tightly around her waist and hold her close
>The kiss seems to last forever and you savour every moment of it
>But all good things must end and you both break the kiss
>You smile at her and she gives you a sad smile back
>But it is a smile nonetheless
>It's filled with tenderness and contentment
"So..."
>"So..."
>You both say at the same time
>And you both chuckle at yourselves
"You're probably going to need a drive back to your place."
>She looks a little nervous at your declaration
>But nonetheless agrees
>"Yeah, I think I've missed the bus."
>You chuckle at her poor choice of words
>You know she was referring to the city bus, but you are at a school afterall
"By like a few hours."
>The gears begin to turn in her head and she gives you a light punch to your shoulder
>She's also chuckling
>At least you can make her laugh
>"You're such a dork."
"Well, from now on, I think I'll just be your dork then."
>"Where's your car?"
"It's just in the parking lot, it should be the only one in the parking lot so just wait for me. I gotta go talk to my parents."
>You say pointing to them, standing away by the street
>They notice your pointing and give Sunset a wave
>To which she waves back
"I'll be right back. Feel free to get in and put the radio on to something you like."
>You tell her handing her the keys and you begin to walk to your parents
>You begin walking towards them, to which they perk up with expectation
>Here we go, you suppose.

>As you walk to your parents, a tension starts to build
>Your dad is hiding his anger
>And your mother looks to be both inquisitive and a little disappointed
>You sigh and begin to speak
"Sorry that I ran off, it was just automatic and I was planning to come right back."
>Your parents remain silent and wait for you to continue
>You look down the street and survey the various houses that are illuminated only by the moonlight
>A few cars pass through a distant intersection
>But your focus returns to them
"She's very important to me, and when I saw that light and heard that boom, I got scared and I had to make sure she was safe."
>Your parents look to be in thought about this
>It makes you somewhat uncomfortable
>Your mother is staring at you intensely
>Your dad looks disgruntled about your behaviour
>Eventually though, your mother ends up speaking
>"You shouldn't have run out like that, but I'm glad that you did."
>You and your dad look at her curiously
>"Whether we like it or not..."
>She gives a stern look to your dad
>"You are becoming a man and you did what a man would do. You thought your girlfriend was in danger and you went to protect her."
>She says coming closer to you
>"I'm glad that you're both safe, I think you've earned being ungrounded. Just please don't make this a habit."
>She says wrapping you in a hug
>"I couldn't stand the thought of you being hurt."
>Your dad seems to be pondering her words
>And you think he's either accepted them or thinks its not worth fighting
>He gives you a look conveying this and moves back to the car turning it on
>Your mother breaks the hug and is smiling at you
>"You can take her home, but please come home tonight. I don't need grandchildren."
>You blush a little bit at her words
>"I also expect for you to introduce us, so you better not shirk that responsibility."
"I understand mom, I love you."
>"I love you too baby."

>With that finished, your mother gets in the car and they begin to drive home
>You end up just standing there, watching their car make its way back to the house
>Disappearing from the intersection and into the night
>That definitely could have gone worse
>So you've got a little bit of a reprieve, at least from your mother
>You walk across the damp grass and you feel it coolly sink into your shoes and pant legs
>But you pay it no mind
>You pull out a cig from your pocket, but you think you've left your lighter in your car
>You walk up to your car and hear the music blaring
>And you see Sunset bobbing a little to the beat
>For all the hardship of tonight, at least she seems to be having fun
>You twirl the cigarette in your mouth and you open up the driving seat door
>Sunset is bobbing side to side to the beat, but only now notices you coming in
>You see her jump at your presence and you chuckle at her
>Her face flushes with embarrassment
>And it only makes you laugh harder
>The song that's playing is California girls
>It's a little grating on your ears, but it is hysterical
>So you tolerate it
>You teasingly ask her
"Having fun?"
>She shyly smiles at you and gives you a nod
>She also turns down the music so you can speak
"Would you mind opening the glove compartment?"
>She does so, revealing within the stack of papers your lighter
>You quickly grab it and light it before she can say anything
>A small cloud of smoke escapes you and Sunset coughs a little bit
>You chuckle a little bit
"Come on, take a hit."
>You say handing her the cigarette
>"These are really bad for you."
"So I've been told, but I could really care less. I need my nicotine."
>She looks apprehensive to take a hit
>But nonetheless complies
>She puts her hand very close to the lightened end
>And very nearly burns herself in the process
>You move to stop her but the cigarette falls
>But you managed to catch it in time

>You both end up chuckling at it
>She then readjusts the cigarette and takes a proper hit
>But it's only for a second, before she starts coughing
>You bust out laughing
>"It really fucking burns."
>This only makes you laugh harder
>While she's still recovering, you take the cigarette out of her hands
>You recover from your laughing fit as well and Sunset looks at you
"You want to suck in like you're taking a breathe. but for you I'd just lightly suck and then fully inhale."
>You give her a demonstration and blow the smoke in her face
>She doesn't cough this time, but she's a little bit blinded by 
>And she looks a little angry
>"You're a jerk, you know that?"
>She says before chuckling
>You chuckle too
>It seems Sunset is a quick learner
>Because this time she smokes it like a champ
>But also begins to cough
>You had rolled the windows down and you've told her to shake it a little bit to get the ash off
>Which she has been doing, surprisingly
>She continually takes hit and sinks in
>It's probably her first nicotine high
"Damn Sunset, don't be chiefing my shit."
>You take the cigarette from her and begin to take hits of your own
>Before long, the cigarette is finished and you throw it into the parking lot
>You look at the embers before they burn out
>"I feel really dizzy."
"Yeah, nicotine will do that to you. Especially if you're not used to it."
>You put the car into reverse and you back out of your parking spot
>You then take your phone and plug it in, putting on your own music
>Because the previous shit was grating on the ears
>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJ5bZuUlftI
>You decide for something a little upbeat and also good
>Sunset also seems to like the beat, but she's still coming down from the nicotine high
>Which means she's not moving much
>You take off down the street, not exactly knowing where you're going but wanting to be moving

>You finish your cigarette and throw it out the window
>The cool night air hits your skin and extinguishes the light for you
>It is a little cold, but you need another one
>So you pull out another one as you stopped at the intersection and quickly light it
>"Where are we going?"
>Sunset asks sitting up from her seat
>You take a moment to think about this
>You haven't had anything to eat, so you're kinda looking for something to eat
>Though you didn't realise it at first
"I'm kind of hungry; what about you?"
>She takes a moment to think
>Only for her stomach to start growling
>That settles it then
>You start driving through the city centre
>"Are you fine with us going to the Sweet Shoppe?"
>She says while looking out the window
>You see a few students from the school entering the store
>Including Twilight's friends
>You look at her worriedly
"Are you sure that's a good idea?"
>She grabs your hand from the wheel and takes it in her's
>"I'm sure. I need to do this."
>She smiles warmly at you
>You park the car in a nearby parking spot
"I hope you know what you're doing."
>You get out of the car and take some time to finish the cigarette
>With Sunset contributing a little bit
>She does start coughing again though
>She'll get used to it
>Walking up to the Sweet Shoppe, some of the students notice you
>They give you both dirty looks, but you return them
>And they don't have the balls to fight you, so they do move past you
>The Sweet Shoppe is bustling with activity
>Before you enter, however, you send a text to your mother
>Telling her that you're going out to eat because you hadn't had dinner
>But you don't wait for a reply before heading in
>The Sweet Shoppe is bustling with activity
>Sunset is in tow behind you as you walk around surveying the place
>Sunset gives a pull on your shirt and points towards an empty table

>It's fairly large, but surprisingly hasn't been taken
>Some of the students are looking at you both but you pay them no mind
>You sit down and pull out the menu
>You let Sunset sit on the inside of the table, closer to the wall
>That way you can protect her should anything happen
>You keep your eyes on everyone around you, but you ask Sunset a question
>"What are you looking to get?"
>A brief moment of silence indicates that she's thinking
>"I think I'm going to get a coffee with extra creme and two bagels with creme cheese."
"I'll get the same thing, but I'll have my coffee black."
>You say turning to her
>"How can you drink coffee black? It's so bitter."
>She shakes with disgust
>You chuckle at her antics 
"I like my coffee stronger, it gives me more of an energy boost and it's not so bad."
>Your eyes return to the cafe floor
>And you see some students looking like they're gonna make a move
>A few stand up
>Fortunately, however, a waiter is able to get you before they do
>"Welcome to the Sweet Shoppe, what will y'all be having today?"
>You two give your orders
>And make a little small talk as a means to break the resolve of the other kids
>Or at least delay them
>The waiter seems grateful for the reprieve from having to work
>So it's mutual benefit
>You do, however, end up giving your orders
>And the waiter leaves quickly towards the kitchen
>A group of male students, 4 of them, start moving towards you quickly
>You put your arm around Sunset in a protective manner
>And you look as intimidating as possible
>They don't shrink at your behaviour and their anger starts to rise further
>"You've got some nerve coming here."
>One of them says, looking at Sunset
>"Yeah, you fucking demon bitch. You should leave before this gets ugly."
>He says, cracking his knuckles
>Sunset quakes in fear behind you and it only makes you angrier
"If you lay a finger on her, I'll make at least two of you sorry."

>You don't really have any fighting experience
>But you reckon you could do some damage at least
>You stand up and begin to move towards them
>But Sunset grabs your arm stopping you
>You turn around to look at her
>And one of the shitheads makes his move
>The punch collides with your face, knocking you back into Sunset
>It sends you staggering back, but you manage to not land on Sunset
>You turn around and are about to retaliate
>But suddenly, Twilight's friends come rushing in
>They pull the guy back and they all look sternly at the dudes
>"Leave."
>Rainbow Dash says coldly
>They look pissed, but they do comply
>"Can't believe you're siding with the demon and her little puppet."
>They look at you and you look at them with murderous intent
"You're a fucking coward bitch."
>This enrages him and he launches himself towards you
>But Applejack and Rainbow Dash are able to intercept him
>Forcing them to leave
>The adrenaline starts to ware off and your jaw somewhat hurts
>You take a look at the girls before sitting down
>Sunset wraps her arm around yours
>"Are you okay?"
>Sunset asks sympathetically
"Yeah, I'm fine..."
>You give Twilight's friends a resolute look
>"Thanks for that, by the way. That probably would've turned ugly."
>"It's no problem, sugarcube."
>Applejack says tiredly
>The girls all take seats at your table
>To your right, Rainbow Dash and Applejack sit down
>Whereas Fluttershy, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie sit across from you
>An awkward silence passes over you all
>So much for a semi-relaxed dinner
>You could really use another cigaratte right now
>But you can't smoke in the building
>"So..."
>Rarity says breaking the silence
>"What are you two doing here? I would have assumed, given the... excitement... of the night... You two would have wanted to go home."
>Before you could answer, however, Sunset interjects
>"I wanted to talk to you girls. We were driving around and I saw that you all were here."

>You give a nod, confirming her story
>"We just got done cleaning up as much as we could, and we decided to come over here. I honestly didn't expect anyone to really be here."
>Sunset returns to silence
>Not really knowing how to continue on with the conversation
>Pinkie Pie, however, seems to be able to deliver an icebreaker
>Being the ball of chaotic energy that she is
>"It's so awesome that you two are together though, At first it was just because you were blackmailing him but then you both ended up becoming friends at that restaurant and you had that whole emotional event at the school and kissed and Anon got cleared from being grounded so that means I can throw you both a Congrats on getting together PARTY!"
>She shouts party at the top of her lungs
>Which gains everyone in the restaurant's attention
>But that's the least of your concerns
>How the fuck did she know about any of that?
>Was she there with us?
>You and Sunset are both blushing heavily at her words
>Which confirms to them that what she said was true
>Their eyes light up with interest at Pinkie's declaration
>However, Applejack is able to overcome this
>And reaches over the table and pushes Pinkie back down into the seat
>"Sorry 'bout that. That's just Pinkie being Pinkie."
>You stare at her with a combination of amazement, confusion, and thankfulness
>"Were you at the Shinning Inn, Pinkie?"
>Sunset asks with a lot of embarrassment
>"Nope! It was just a hunch."
>Your mind proceeds to break at the declaration
>Rarity seems to notice this though
>"As Princess Twilight says with Pinkie "Don't ask, just accept."
>The girls give a nod to it
>Which means this kind of shit has happened before
>Just what the hell are these girls?
"You all aren't from Equestria too, are you?"
>They look somewhat surprised about the question
>"You know about that, darling? Well it doesn't matter, you probably would've figured it for yourself. But no, none of us are from Equestria except Sunset."

>Sunset gives you a small shy smile
>Clearly nervous about talking about her home
>So you don't want to press her for information
"Well, it doesn't bother me none. I think it's pretty sick I'm dating an alien."
>You wrap your arm around her shoulder bringing her close
>Which she does accept
>However, Rarity doesn't seem to pick up on her apprehensiveness on talking about home
>"What's Equestria like Sunset? What do your people wear over there?"
>Her eyes are alight with interest
>And you're also interested
>But you don't say anything
>Instead resolving to let Sunset say as much as she's willing to say
>"Things in Equestria are really different, ponies don't really wear anything except on special occasions mostly. It also really depends on what area you're in too. Ponies in the country very rarely wear cloths whereas ponies in places like Manehatten and Canterlot are normally dressed with suits and dresses and stuff."
>Well, that's interesting
>Apparently you're dating a horse
>So you jump into the conversation
"So, you're a horse basically?"
>She gives you a disgusted scowl
>"No, we're not horses. We're ponies and I'm a unicorn. There are three other types of ponies though, Earth Ponies, Pegasi, and Alicorns. Though only the Princess are Alicorns."
>What an absurd sentence
>But she is telling the truth
>Being from that world and all
>You chuckle at it before joking
"I'm a unicorn!"
>You say in a dopey voice
>Which earns a punch from Sunset in your arm
>Which causes the girls to all start laughing at your antics
>"You're such a jerk, Anon."
>She says laying her head on your shoulder
>This girl is really bipolar, violent one second and sweet the next
>You worry for your safety
"Well, I'm your dork so it's alright."
>The girls collectively give out an "aw" at your behaviour
>Except Rainbow Dash
>"You guys are so fucking mushy, it makes me wanna barf."
>She says faking a vomit
>Which causes you to laugh

>Your orders do come soon enough however
>And you and Sunset both begin to eat
>While the girls continue to talk and catch up with one another
>You would think this would cause guilt to well up in Sunset
>But she's focused on her food and your presence
>So she's at least not showing it if it's there
>"Anonymous."
>Applejack calls out
>Getting everyone's attention
>"Ah wanted to ask ya something."
"Sure, what's up?"
>"Do ya know what the Philosophy homework is?"
>You take a moment to think about it
>You generally would just do it last minute because it was all really easy
>Mainly answering questions that were talked about in class
>Such as definitions of Value theory, and shit like that
"I think it was a worksheet on Plato or something, it shouldn't be that hard."
>"Do ya know what it's about?"
>"Probably the theory of the forms, given it's one of his most prolific ideas in philosophy."
>"Can ya explain it ta me?"
>The rest of the girls look somewhat interested
>Dr. Whooves class is known for being hard
>And you've been topping it, in discussion and in grades
>So it's natural that they're somewhat curious
"Yeah, I'll put in the simplest terms that I can. Plato theorised that reality is divided into two sections, the physical and the spiritual. The physical world is changing and is thus imperfect. The spiritual realm, however, is unchanging, perfect, and transcends both time and space. Plato argues that everything in the physical realm, such as cats, are striving to become the perfect version of themselves, but for humans, this can only be achieved by physical discipline and reason."
>"That's pretty interesting, we have a somewhat similar philosophy in Equestria, and it's mostly been confirmed with things like Magic and the work of Star Swirl the Bearded."
"Don't take this the wrong way, but I still think it's bullshit."

>She looks taken aback and ready to debate
>It seems this might be fun
"I do not fully have access to the research on magic and its effects and properties. So I will not completely resist the existence of the spiritual realm, as I have previously have, but I will have contention in the concept of perfection."
>Sunset looks perplexed by your declaration
>And so do the girls
>So you explain yourself
"Perfection implies a declaration of a particular thing being "Good". However, what constitutes what is "Good" is merely a matter of perspective. As the philosopher David Hume once said "You cannot derive an ought from an is." One cannot look at, say, the existence magic, or the existence of friendship and declare that they are inherently good. Because, from one perspective, you could believe it gives a person too much power, you could hate everyone around you and want to see their destruction, etc. There is no basis for declaring that one perspective is more superior than the other, in a purely moral sense. Thus "perfection" becomes a universal impossibility."
>They seem to be pondering your words
>Sunset included
>"That's a very troubling sort of conclusion."
"Maybe, but is there any logical fault with it?"
>Rainbow Dash, however, ends up interjecting
>"If you think like that, why even live? If there's not good or evil, then there's no point in living."
>She says this, not in the way of being convinced, but of debating you
>You smile at her
"You're absolutely right, Rainbow. There is no point to living and there are no good or evil. But that really means nothing in the end."
>Pausing for a second for a little bit of dramatic effect
"But I don't need to justify my actions or my desire to live. They just are. I'll do what I think is best and I'll live for the things I want in life. I need no logical reason for it, it just is."

>The girls look conflicted by these words
>They know it makes sense
>But it more than probably leaves a bitter taste in their mouths
>They're relatively normal people
>Ordinary opinions, ordinary dreams, ordinary behaviour
>These are the words of those who have gazed into the abyss and came back from it
>It is probably very depressing
>So you clear the air
"Anyway, Applejack, I hope that answered your question."
>She looks at you thanfully
>"It did, sugarcube. Thank ya kindly."
"If you need any help studying for the test that we've got coming up, just ask me. My metaphorical door is always open."
>With that concluded, the atmosphere relaxes
>If only a little bit
>Everyone settles back into conversation
>You and Sunset finish eating
>Making eye contact from time to time
>She wants to say something, still
>So you nudge her when there is a lull in the conversation
>She clears her throat before speaking
>"I wanted to say sorry for all that I've done. I've caused a lot of hurt here, and thinking back of what I've done makes me sick inside."
>She shivers at it and begins to tear up
>The girls perk up at that declaration
>"Sunset, dear. We weren't exactly at our best either. We immediately assumed the worst of each other rather than thinking about the rumours you were spreading. That also shows a fault on our part."
>The girls nod with solemn agreement
>"It wouldn't of happened if I wasn't the one spreading the rumours though, so the fault is still ultimately on me."
>That depressing comment set something off within you
>Taking her hand before speaking
"That isn't true, Sunset. It would have happened eventually, you just happened to be the catalyst for the incident."
>A few people pass by your table, giving you dirty looks
>But you ignore them to focus on her
"Look at all of the asshats here."
>You say loudly, which does get the attention of some people nearby

"You apologised and yet here they are, sending dirty glares and I got punched in the face."
>You subconsciously rub your hand against your jaw
"That's the nature of high schoolers. Rumours are a part of it and if you hadn't started something, someone else would have."
>You sink back into your seat
"I can personally testify to that, before coming here I was bullied extensively. We're hormonal teens trying to climb a social ladder, and that makes us want power and to put others down."
>They look sympathetic and contemplate your words
"Everyone was at fault in some way with what happened. No one's perfect, as I have mentioned."
>You chuckle a little bit
>Demented thoughts coming to your mind
"I used to get beaten up quite a bit, I've got many bruises and scars. But I doubt y'all would want me to strip down right now to show 'em off."
>A crimson blush crosses everyone's face at your words
>Rarity, however, finally speaks
>Giving an indignant huff
>"That's no way to be talking in front of ladies, Anonymous."
>Everyone shares a laugh at that
>Sunset, however, seems to still have something she wants to say
>So you give her an additional nudge
>She looks at the girls nervously before declaring
>"That being said, I know Twilight requested that you all try to be friends with me. But you don't have to, because frankly I don't deserve it."
>Fluttershy, surprisingly, is the first to rise up
>"That's not true, Sunset!"
>She says somewhat loudly
>Before shrinking down, becoming more nervous
>She's a very shy girl, after all
>Which made her an easy target for your bullying
>But that's neither here or now
>"I think you could be a great friend. You've been really nice tonight and I think you're a good person, in the end, you just fell into a bad way."
>The girls nod their agreement

>"I work at the animal shelter, and I've had many animals that were sent to us because they were in a bad way. All it really took is someone to sit down with them and understand them, and they turned around. If animal can do it, so can you."
>The shy girl declares quietly, yet firmly
>You pull her into a hug and put her head under your chin
>But she pushes you away and continues speaking
>"I really don't deserve your kindness, Fluttershy. I've hurt all of you so badly and I think that getting involved with you all is just going to cause a lot of problems for you all. I don't want to be a burden."
>"Ya won't be a burden to us, Sugarcube. We're not just going this because Twilight told us too, we're willing to shoulder your burden and help build yourself back up because it's the right thing to do."
>You give them a thankful smile
>Before speaking your own piece
"No one deserves anything in life, no matter what they do. We don't deserve to live, to die, to be happy, or to be sad. But each one of us is willing to rebuild what was lost, and to continue to soldier on. I don't see any point in refusing a friendship between people that obviously care about you, so I would trust them."
>"I'll be honest, I had my doubts that you've really changed."
>Rarity says
>Garnering worried eyes from all of the girls and yourself
>"Tonight though, it's been quite fun talking with you both. There's clearly more to you than what you've done and I'd like to extend my friendship to you both."
>A chorus of approval comes from the girls
>And you feel a weight lift off your shoulders
>It's good that she has friends
>Especially with them, it might help boost her standing
>There will obviously be a lot of hostility towards you both
>But with these girls by your side, you think you might make it
>Yeah, we're your friends now. And friends stick together. I'll be coming over to the school tomorrow to help you guys fix up as much as you can."

>You're kind of shocked at Rainbow's declaration
>Sunset included
>The girls also give their confirmation that they will be there to help
>It'll make things easier, sure
>But there's really no reason for them to be helping you
>Even with their declaration of friendships
>Are they just overly good people
>Or are they going to use this as a front to attack you and Sunset
>Of course your cynical brain starts kicking in now, of all times
>Sunsets notices your tenseness
>She squeezes your hand to calm you down
>Which does at least let you relax
>"We'll be at the school probably around 8 o'clock. I hope that's not too early for you all."
>"Not at all darling, though we should probably get going given how late it is."
>You pull out your phone and see that's it nearly 10 o'clock
>You've been here for over an hour at least
>The girls give their agreement before moving out of the chairs
>And they wait for you two to get out
>You make sure to leave the tip with enough money to cover the meal
>Walking towards the exit, however, there are some smug looks on the faces of the students still inside
>It makes you kind of weary about what's outside
>But still continue to push on outward
>The cool night air greets your skin
>Sunset is still wearing your jacket so she's not that affected by the cold
>However, you aren't and you involuntarily shiver from the air
>"Do you want your jacket back?"
"Nah, I'm alright. You need it more anyway."
>The girls follow behind you towards the parking lot
>And you quickly make it towards your car
>Only to find two back tires slashed
"Motherfuckers!"
>You suddenly yell out, startling Sunset and the rest of the girls
>"What's wrong, Sugarcube?"
"They slashed my fucking back tires, and I only got one spare!"
>Applejack walks up to your car, inspecting the damage
>"Well Sugarcube, Ah got some good news for you."
>You look at her inquisitively
>"Ah got a spare that's the right size for the frame. Let me just go get it from mah truck."

>She disappears further into the parking lot
>And you go into your trunk and grab the spare tire
>You're lucky you decided to get a spare
>Before long, Applejack comes back with a red pickup truck
>She shuts the car off in front of the parking space and unloads the other tire
>She luckily had the necessary tools in the truck
>It takes around 20 minutes to get it all done
>The cold has only been increasingly attacking you
>Applejack suggested that you could go into her truck to warm up, but you decline
>Preferring to get this done as quickly as possible
>"Wuh, that was quite a bit of work."
>Applejack declares after lowering the jack and putting everything back into places
>If it hadn't been for her, you would've had to call someone out here and pay out the ass
>You are extremely grateful for her being here
>It also lessens your fears from earlier tonight
>People don't just give out a tire to people they're planning to attack
"Thanks Applejack, I don't know what I would've done without you."
>Applejack smiles at you bashfully
>"It's no problem at all, sugarcube. Glad Ah could help."
>Applejack gives Sunset a last minute hug and waves to you as she gets in her truck
>Then she takes off into a night
>Without anymore words, you both get into the car
>Turning on the heater is a total relief for you
>Before leaving, however, you take a moment to just settle in and relax
>You pull out a cigarette and move to light it
>"Anon, you need to cool down with that. 2 is already enough for today."
>You look at Sunset teasingly
"2? It was more like 1 and a half with you chiefing the hell outta my shit."
>"What exactly does "chieffing" mean?"
>You laugh at her
>She's from a totally different world, so it makes sense she doesn't know the slang
"It's a slang word for smoking a lot of something, exhausting it. Whether it's marijuana or anything else."
>"You guys have really weird slang here."
>"Don't even get me started on that."

>In the end, Sunset wins
>She makes you put away your cigarettes
>So you focus mainly on driving
>Taking off out of the parking lot, you start weaving through the streets
>Sunset tells you that she lives in the southside apartment complexes
>Which are a decent ways away
>Which is about a 25 minute drive
>So you put on an old classic song
>American Pie.mp3
>Sunset really gets into the song
>You told her it's one of the most famous songs in American history
>And you like it for it being jam-packed with meaning
>She gets really into it
>And by the end of it all, she's actually crying somewhat from it
"It's a very emotional song. I cried the first time I heard it too and it reminds me of my grandmother. It does make me cry sometimes if I'm thinking about her."
>Sunset's eyes go wide with horror
>Before carefully asking
>"Did she pass away?"
"No, but I used to go to Church with her every Sunday before moving here. This was always "our" song, as it were."
>You pause before continuing
>Making a stop at a stoplight
>Looking at the empty shops and the few opened bars nearby
"I just miss her, that's all. I sometimes get scared about her passing away before I can say goodbye, and when I hear this song, I sometimes think of that."
>Sunset sighs with relief
>"Well, that's good to hear at least. I hope I'll get to meet here one day."
"Don't worry, I will make sure that happens. She used to tell me "If you get yourself a girl, you better run 'er by me. I wanna see the mama of my great grandkids."
>She slightly blushes
>Whether from embarrassment or from those types of thoughts is unknown
>"Do you think she'd approve me?"
>That's not even a valid question, because the answer should be obvious
"Of course she would, why wouldn't she? You're very beautiful and sweet, and that's what my mom mom always wants for me."

>A few songs have passed
>And you've made some idle chatter
>Just small talk
>Like interests, hobbies, and the like
>And you also jammed out to some good music
>Which made this night a win in your book
>A lot happened, but you wouldn't have had it any other way
>Before long, however, the apartment complexes begin to come into view
>Their 20s architecture is very box like in its design
>But is no wear near ugly, as compared to modernist buildings
>Hanging off the front of the building are multiple patios
>Each having a chair, or some plants, etc.
>It gives it a somewhat lively atmosphere
>Despite the lateness of the night
>The street lights, however, are relatively new
>And they paint the sidewalk intermittently with their light
"Which one do you live at?"
>Sunset doesn't seem to have heard you at first
>But she quickly snaps out of her head
>"Uh, what street are we on?"
>You look for a nearby street sign
>Only faintly being able to read it
"We're almost to the end of Sycamore street"
>"Shoot, I think we might have passed it."
>She turns around and looks through the back window
>"Yeah, we did. I'm at first intersection to Pinewood drive on the right."
>You also look back briefly, seeing it
>It's not that much different from the other buildings
>You look for a place where you can make a U-turn
>Pulling up to the next intersection
>And start to make your way back
>You park your car at the side of the road
>"Thanks for driving me home, Anon."
>She says getting out of the car
>You also turn the car off
>And get out with her
"It's not a problem... babe..."
>Those words feel weird coming out of your mouth
>Sunset seems to agree with this
>"That sounded really weird coming from you."
>You mock being offended
"You're the one who told me that I needed to "start speaking normally". I tried, woman"
>You say doing air quotes
>She giggles softly at that

>"You talk like you're from like 200 years ago, it needed to happen."
>She says with her own mocking defensiveness
>"However, I think you need to take baby steps. You're not at the babe level yet."
>You both chuckle at your little debate
>And you move to give her a hug
>Which she does comply with
"It's not like I'm completely hopeless, you know. I told you to "quit chiefing my shit." tonight."
>"I suppose that is some indication of progress, so I'll let it slide for now."
>She puts more force in the hug
>And you sit there for a while
>And you've started rocking from side to side
>You don't know for how long, though
>But you don't really want it to end
>Her warm body is a stark contrast to the coldness of the world
>Throughout it all, you don't really say anything
>Nothing really needs to be said
>It was a long and stressful night
>One that, unlike most, had a somewhat happy ending
>There would be a new series of challenges facing the both of you
>But, through miraculous means, you had each other
>And a group of "friends" that would supposedly support you
>It was a stark contrast to how life previously was
>Alone with your books and your mind
>You don't regret anything in the past though
>It doesn't bring about any feelings of sadness
>But you can't help but like these circumstances far better
>Humans are social animals, they need to be around one another
>And Sunset seems to be the one that filled that void
>Even though she's technically a pony
>It still counts
>A few cars pass you by as you stand there
>Their light briefly blinding you
>But you pay it no mind
>Finally though, Sunset speaks
>"I had a lot of fun tonight, Anon."
>She looks up to you wistfully
>You can't help but return that look
"Yeah, me too."
>She buries her head into your chest
>Putting it just below your chin
>"I'm sorry about what I've done to you and all the trouble you had to go through for me."

>You sigh, taking in her scent
>You rub your chin against the top of her head as a means to comfort her
"You've got nothing to be sorry for, Sunset. We're in this together, so long as you want me."
>She looks conflicted at your words, but doesn't say anything
>You tilt her head upward
>And her bright teal eyes meet yours
>Their light being reflected by the street light above you
>And flash with insecurity, loneliness, regret, curiosity, and love
>So, for the second time that night, you go in for the kill
>With your heart racing
>You fuel the kiss with reassurance and mutual love
>It's slow and soft
>And it seems to go on for an eternity
>But you don't want it to ever end
>Though, all good things must come to an end
>Breaking the kiss, you're breathing is somewhat elevated
>Hers is as well
>She looks happy at what you've done
>And your embrace only tightens around her
"I'll be here in the morning to come pick you up, and we'll head to the school together."
>She looks a little downcast at your words
>She candidly replies
>"I really don't want you to go..."
>You can understand that sentiment
>You don't want to go either
>But an idea comes to you fairly quickly
"What time do you normally wake up?"
>She wasn't expecting that question
>But nonetheless replies
>"I get up at like 6:45 every morning, why?"
>You smile at her
"As soon as it hits 6:45, I'll be knocking at the door. That way, you don't have to wake up alone... though I have to leave for the rest of the night."
>Tears start to well up in her eyes
>But before she can speak, you ask
"Just tell me what room number, and I'll be there."
>She gives it to you
>But before parting, she gives you her own kiss
>One that is thankful
>"Thank you, Anon. That really means a lot to me... I'll miss you."
>You embrace her for the last time that night
"I'll miss you too."
>You tell her to keep the coat
>She enters the building giving you a wave
>And you get in your car, disappearing into the night

>You wake up bright and early
>At 5 in the fucking morning
>Why?
>Because you promised your new girlfriend you'd be there when she woke up
>Though you are tired, you don't really regret the decision
>Thinking of the night before brings a smile to your face
>When you came home, you gave the basic rundown to your parents
>Omitting the bits about magic and other worlds
>You wrote it off as some accident that happened
>A prank gone wrong
>They seem to believe you
>Your mother was ecstatic at the news of you having a girlfriend
>But your parents did chastise you for your involvement with the "prank"
>Your mother, not wanting to go back on her word, still allowed you to not be grounded
>Though she did warn that if you ever pulled something like this again, you'd be grounded for eternity
>You try to shake off the fatigue that you feel, but it mostly fails
>Coming out of your room, you head to the hallway restroom
>Not bothering to turn on any music or anything
>Half because you were too tired and because your parents were asleep in the next room
>Heading downstairs, you quickly brew a pot of coffee
>You dump it into two thermoses
>One for you, the other for Sunset
>Hopefully she'll appreciate the gesture
>And have some cream at her place
>You grab one of your jackets
>Specifically the CHS one
>And you make your way out the door
>The drive is fairly peaceful
>You don't on any music because it really isn't necessary
>Taking a few sips of your coffee in order to make it last
>You also contemplate taking out a cigarette
>But you decide that can wait until you get to Sunset's
>The city is mostly quiet at this point
>You spot a few people from the apartments getting up from the windows
>And you see even fewer leaving in their cars for their jobs
>The Sunlight bathes the world in golden rays
>And it is somewhat blinding, but you press onward
>Not like you have a choice, given your promise and the fact you're in a car
 
>You manage to park your car just outside of the apartment complex
>But you had to park on the other side of the street
>You check the time and it's 6:36AM
>Just in time
>You pull your lighter from the glove compartment and you make your way into the building
>The hallways are narrow and you survey the room numbers
>The building itself has 11 floors
>And Sunset is in room 1005
>Meaning that you have quite the trek to make it to the top
>Resolving you need to get your energy up, you begin to run up the stairs
>You are, however, sure to be as quiet as possible
>In hopes of not disturbing the other occupants of the building
>You come up the stairs somewhat out of breathe
>It would really help if you worked out more
>You make your way to her door
>Getting your breathing under control as you do so
>You check the time
>It's 6:41AM
>Before you could even wait, Sunset opens the door
>She has light bags under her eyes
>And she smiles tiredly at you
>You return that same tired smile
"I hope you weren't waiting too long."
>You say, wrapping her in an embrace
>She sighs into you before speaking
>"I wasn't; I heard someone running up the stairs and when it stopped at my door, I assumed it was you."
>She invites you into her apartment
>It's a very small place
>You can see a small kitchen from where you entered
>An old flat screen is hung up on the wall and there's a small green couch with a set of blankets thrown lazily about
>The floor is, surprisingly, carpeted but its colour has obviously worn with ages
>The walls are plaster with flower designs on them
>There's a small balcony that seems to have a few plants
>And two doors of a tiny hallway, probably a bathroom and a bedroom
>Sunset seems to have noticed your surveying of the place
>"It's really not much, but I wanted to make what I had of my savings last."
>You kick off your shoes before saying
"I'm not complaining, just observing."
>She looks at you inquisitively before just nodding to you
 
>It's at this point that she notices the thermoses you're carrying
>"You didn't have to do that, you know. I have coffee here."
>You shrug
"Thought you'd appreciate the gesture, it's apparent that we both didn't get a lot of sleep last night."
>She chuckles at your comment
>She sits down next to you and leans against you
>Closing her eyes and taking in the scent of the thermoses
>"That coffee does smell good, though."
>You chuckle at that
"I hope you've got creamer though, they're both black."
>She nods, but doesn't get up to go to the kitchen
>You take it that she's just resting her eyes
>So you do the same
>You take in the scent of her shampoo that is veiled by the sweat of the night
>The couch somewhat smells like her
>She probably slept here last night
>Waiting for you
>It makes you feel surprisingly warm inside
>You also take a note that Sunset is a light sleeper
>But she's also seemed to have dozed off
>She looks cute while she sleeps
>But you've got to wake her up
>You two have a day ahead of you
"Sunset."
>You say nudging her
>She wakes up with a start nearly bumping you in the head
>She looks at you with sheepish embarrassment
>This is even cuter, you think
>"I should probably go get ready."
>She says standing up and moving towards the bathroom
>You watch her go and you hear the shower start
>It seems she's taking a shower
>Meaning you won't have anything to do for a little while
>So you end up lighting a cigarette
>Hopefully she doesn't mind it
>A few minutes go by and you hear the shower go off
>Followed by a muffled declaration of "shoot"
>Then the door opens and Sunset comes stepping out
>Without any clothes on
>It causes you to lose focus and you find yourself violently coughing
>But you don't drop the cigarette
>Because priorities
>Sunset makes an eep and quickly rushes back into the bathroom
>You're honestly too focused on recovering from your coughing fit to really feel embarrassed
>Or to have had gotten a good look at her
>What a shame
 
>A brief moment of silence passes
>Only interrupted by the sound of your coughing
>You do, however, manage to get yourself under control
>And you stand up looking around the room
>You eventually find a towel hanging off a hamper in the hallway
>Not letting perverted thoughts over take you, you move towards the restroom door
>She's probably mortified by her mistake
>But she's also probably wet and cold
>So you knock on the door
"Here, I got you a towel."
>The door opens slightly
>Revealing Sunset's dainty hand that quickly grasps the towel
>Hopefully she's not too embarrassed or mad at you
>You move back into the living room and just flip on the TV
>As a means to comfort her by having something taking your attention
>You hear her voice call out
>"I'm coming out now, please don't look."
>And you of course, respect that request
>You hear both the bathroom and bedroom doors open and close
>In the span of seconds
>She's probably getting changed so you focus on the television
>You've decided to just watch the news
>Tax breaks for the wealthy, escalating conflict in the middle east, and climate change
>All the things that should make you angry
>But it's a neverending cycle that you've just become numb to it
>You're listening to the same repeated talking points of the talking heads
>You're bored, but there isn't really anything else to do
>You've finished your first cigarette and you put it out by throwing it out into the street below
>It doesn't land on anything, so you're fine
>You turn around, however, to find Sunset fully dressed
>She's dressed in tight fitting purple pants with a sun design on the side
>With an orange shirt with triangular patterns of purple
>While she wears her iconic leather jacket
>Her hair is still somewhat damp
>But the wavy beauty of her hair is returning
>She looks stunning
>A blush adorns her face
>So you try to break the ice
"Don't worry, I didn't see much."
 
>Now, there are worst things you could have said
>Such as, "Nice T&A, Sunset!"
>But you reckon that your words are poorly chosen
>Probably embarrassing her further, with her blush only intensifying
>Ever since you've gotten with her, you've somehow always found a way to turn her red
>Perhaps it's out of a subconscious means to get even
>With her embarrassment of you while you were doing her bidding
>These thoughts cause you to chuckle
>And you go and wrap her into a hug
"We've got quite a day ahead of us, so there's no sense in worrying too much over any of this."
>Sunset seems to accept the truth of your words
>Giving a look of resolve, but also a tid bit of regret
>She goes back to the couch and picks up a thermoses
>Then heads to the kitchen and starts to put sugar and creme
>You move towards her, taking out another cigarette, and lighting it
>She's looking at you somewhat intensely
"Sorry, I didn't really ask if I could smoke in here."
>She sighs heavily, sipping on her coffee
>"It's fine, I guess. Just please don't make it a habit in here. I don't want my apartment smelling like smoke."
>You give a nod of understanding
>Taking a long swig out of your own thermoses
>The bitter strong flavour assaults your mouth
>Coupled with the taste of the tobacco
>Which creates in you a burst of energy and wakefulness
>If your fatigue was broken by Sunset's naked form
>You were certainly fully awake now
>Though you reason that you'll start feeling tired later in the day
"How'd you sleep last night?"
>She takes a moment before answering
>Experimenting with the coffee and the creamer
>"Pretty well, all things considering. But you're probably worse off than I am."
>She looks somewhat guilty with the declaration
>You only slept for maybe 5 hours at most
>Your body somewhat aches from the fatigue
>Though your mind is awake
>Still though, you can't help but yawn
"It's fine, it was my choice to get up early so it doesn't matter."
 
>Your eyes find their way back to her form
>Specifically her outfit
>Those pants of hers are hot as fuck
>Rosie'd be proud that pants could fit a woman so well
>She notices your staring and the blush of before returns
>Though you reckon she's taking it more as a complement
>Rather than you just being a perv
>Perhaps it's both
>So you explain yourself
"That outfit looks really nice on you, Sunset."
>She smiles bashfully
>Taking enjoyment in your comment
>"It's nothing really, though I made the pants myself."
>She says, giving you a little twirl
>Showing off every little detail of the pants
"That's impressive, Sunset. I didn't know you could sow."
>"I mainly did it to learn how to use my hands and fingers. When I came to this world, it was really hard to use them."
>The comment intrigues you
"How'd you cope with it? It seems quite a jump going from hooves to dexterous hands."
>She chuckles at your comment
>"It was, but it's somewhat lessened when you factor that we can grip with our hooves and that I was a unicorn. Meaning I could use my magic to manipulate objects with far more ability than human hands."
"So you just made up the difference?"
>She gives you a nod
>You can see that she is, again, becoming uncomfortable talking about her home
>So you decide to drop the topic
>And move onto the pressing matter of the day
"Well, we should probably get going. It's like 7:30 now."
>You say as you check your phone
>You grab your thermos while Sunset grabs hers
>She locks the door behind you both
>And you make your way down the stairway
>Not having to run this time around
>Having made it outside, the streets are now starting to pick up with activity
>People are walking towards their cars going to work
>Some people are just walking around bidding their time
>A group of kids are playing kickball in the street
 
>You're surprised at it all
>You would have assumed that this neighbourhood would be dead of activity
>Or worse, filled with crime
>But this doesn't seem to be the case
>People are happy and the seem to believe they are safe
>There's a sense of community here
>Sunset, however, doesn't seem to focus on them too much
>Perhaps she was so wrapped up in her head that she never bothered to interact with her community
>Not that you could blame her though, community is a chore
>You were just as much wrapped up in your own head, but your thoughts were on knowledge and philosophy
>Sunset takes in a deep breath of air taking it all in
>Readying herself for the day
>You, at the same time, finish your cigarette
>You get a few dirty looks by some of the parents of kids that are around
>But you pay it no mind as you crush the bud into the sidewalk
>You cross the street and take a look at the sky
>It's bright blue, with not a cloud in the sky
>The orange hue of the morning has dimmed in the wake of the yellow of a new day
>The sounds of the city fill your ears
>Harmonious chaos, as it were
>But you break out of your thoughts and make it to your car
"Ready to face the music, Sunset?"
>She gives you a smile and a nod
>Entering the car, you quickly flip connect your phone to the ox
>And you hand your phone to Sunset
"Pick something you like, I'm sure there's something on there."
>You start the car and take off down the road
>She does, after a minute or two, pick a song
>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_i1xk07o4g
>You chuckle at her selection
"Nice pick, by the way."
>You say as the beat gets going
>"I've never heard this before, what's so..."
>Both Ezra and yourself interrupt her
"Who gives a fuck 'bout an Oxford Comma? I've seen those English Dramas too~ They're cruel~"
>You sing a long to the song
>As poorly as it might be
>And you succeed in getting Sunset to giggle at you
>She eventually joins in
>But mumbles the words she doesn't know
>You're having fun, nonetheless
 
>A few Vampire Weekend songs go by
>Giving how your playlist is structured
>Sunset has shared her thoughts on what she's heard
>And so do you, but are respectful in the fact that this was her first time hearing them
>And you used to listen to this shit on repeat
>Sometimes you still do
>The school comes to view before long
>And Sunset's amusement from the morning has vanished
>Showing her regret and sadness over what happened last night
>You hate that you have to be here, but you've got an obligation
>However, it doesn't seem you'll be going in alone
>In the parking lot you make out 3 vehicles parked directly next to each other
>On the side of the line you see Applejack's truck
>You smile
>You're glad that they've decided to keep their promise
>Unless they're here to finally get their hits in
>Which causes your face to return to neutrality
>Masking your inner conflict
>As you make your way closer, you see the girls all gathered at the back of their vehicles
>Seeming just be talking with each other
>Some of them look somewhat tired
>With the exception of Pinkie Pie, who is always bursting with energy
>There doesn't seem to be any conspiratorial expressions on their faces
>So you're probably in the clear
>They've noticed you and Sunset pulling up
>Pinkie Pie bounces up and down, waving frantically at you both
>With the girls giving small waves and nods of acknowledgement
>Parking the car, you unplug your phone from the ox and step out
>Sunset tailing behind you
"We appreciate that you came out here, guys."
>Applejack takes off her hat before speaking
>"It's no problem, Sugarcube. Ah think if we all work together, we can get whatever is left fixed up."
>There's a surprising cheer that the girls behind her
>Sunset smiles shyly, and shrink away from them
>However, she does speak to them
>"You guys really didn't have to do this, but I really appreciate it."
>You suppose you can be happy with that
 
>Now, you have to face the monumental task ahead of you
>Further cleaning up the damages from the night
>Last night, you managed to sweep away most of the outside area
>But the inside is an entirely different story
>Last night, you did manage to clear a pathway to the rest of the school
>"Last night, when y'alls were cleaning up, where'd you put all the debris?"
>"We put them in a two trashbins that we left inside the school
>Sunset says, walking through the hallway and towards the janitor's closet
>Where, sitting there, are two trashbins full of them
>"Ah think we outta dump 'em all out and put 'em in a pile."
>You look at her kind of baffled
"Why? It was a real pain in the ass to get it all in there."
>She seems to understand why you'd be a little mift at the declaration, but explains herself
>"Mah granny was talking with the Principals this mornin' over what happened. There's going ta be repair crews coming, and they might be able to recycle the material."
>That is fair
>Giving a nod of understanding, you make your way to the trashbins
>And you proceed to lift the monstrous weight upward and start to wheel them outside
>However, coming to your aid are Applejack and Rainbow Dash
>"You don't need to carry that alone, dude. You're gonna really hurt your back doing it."
>You give them a grateful smile and with combined effort bring the first bin outside
>And not far behind you, you see the rest of the girls bringing out the second
>With Sunset in the centre of the bin struggling with it
>She looks up from her struggle and gives you a weak smile
>To which you return
>You're all standing on the steps not really sure how to get them down from there
>But you decide that it can wait till later
"We can get them down there later. Let's just focus on cleaning the inside of the building for now."
>The girls give serious nods and disappear into the building
>You take out another cigarette and quickly light it
>And you survey the area around you
 
>Cars lazily pass by in the open street
>Going at a slowed pace
>They're probably gawking at the destruction
>You let out a huge puff of smoke after taking a particularly long drag
>But you hear footsteps behind you
>It's Rainbow Dash and she looks pissed
>Uh oh.jpeg
>What did you do?
>She quickly approaches you
>She grabs the cigarette from you and stomps it into the ground
"What the fuck, Dash?"
>She doesn't say anything and quickly disappears back into the building
>The fucking bitch just wasted one of your Marlboroes
>But you decide that it's not worth the effort to go picking a fight
>You follow in after her and don't say a word
>You decide to go back to the janitor's supply closet as Rainbow disappears further into the school
>And you find Sunset there, trying to get a ladder out from behind a bunch of boxes
"You know, you should probably move the boxes to make that easier."
>She jumps at your sudden entrance
>She stares somewhat blankly at the boxes
>Not saying anything
>The fatigue is probably really getting to her
"Get some more of that coffee in you and I'll work on moving the boxes."
>She gives you a nod of understanding
>And grabs the thermoses and starts sipping on it gingerly
>The fucking boxes are really heavy
>What the fuck do they have in here?
>Sunset, however, starts to speak before you can investigate
>"Sorry, I'm still really tired."
"Eh, It's understandable. I'm used to staying up pretty late so a lack of sleep is fine for me."
>"That would explain the bags under your eyes all the time. Do you have trouble sleeping?"
>You heave one of the boxes outside of the room before answering
"Nah, it's just I stay up late all the time shooting the shit online."
>She seems somewhat confused at your statement
>"I wouldn't have figured you to be on social media."
>You chuckle at that
"Social media is a waste of time. I'm mainly just on discord or 4chan arguing with people."
>"About what?"
 
>You take another moment before answering
>You don't want to detail to her that you fight with retards about Nazism and all that weird shit
>You also don't want to her to think that you're an extremist incel
"Just politics and philosophy, and all that jazz. You know me, prize student of Dr. Hooves."
>She chuckles at that
>"I've never really asked you about your whole internal philosophy."
"Didn't really have time for it back then, when I was working for you."
>You kind of wish that you hadn't said that
>Because she shrinks at its mentioning
>So you try to get back on topic
"What do you want to know? My thoughts on Sartre or the Greeks?"
>She seems to rebound from her mini bout of depression
>And her eyes light up with interest
>"It seems like everyday there's a bunch of stuff that I don't really know about this world. I've tried to play catch up, and for a normal teenage girl I think I have, but there's a lot I don't know."
>You've finished moving the boxes
>But decide you can have a little break to indulge her
"It's not like that's a bad thing. You have the curiosity for it, unlike most people our age."
>"So what specifically do you believe? About like life and all that."
>You chuckle before answering
"I think life is utterly pointless, we've got no free will, and there's nothing to look forward to after death."
>Your particular declaration seems to shatter her
>That look of worry has returned
>And she doesn't seem to know what to do about it
>You don't like seeing her like this
"Relax, I know how grim that sounds but it is the truth."
>A look of fierce contention comes to her
>A fire burns in her eyes
>The mark of a woman that wants to have a purpose
>To believe in a purpose
>"There is so much to live for, Anon. There is so much to do and see and that form of thinking... It's just... awful. I can't believe you actually think like that."
 
>She looks angry
>She looks hurt
>Your philosophy seems to be directly at odds with hers
>And beneath it all is that fierce spark of humanity
>And empathy
>She has gone from a cold Machiavellian
>To an impassioned soul burning with love
>It is perfectly human
>Beautiful and captivating
>It is ironic that this form of thinking comes from a unicorn
"I agree with you Sunset, there is much to live for. But at the same time, I disagree."
>She seems to back down a little bit
>Willing to hear what you have to say
"If we're speaking objectively, there is no purpose to existence and by extension no good or evil. We could go out and murder scores of people or we could kill ourselves and be done with it all. Yet it would all happen because of the chemicals within our brains."
>That statement seems to horrify her
>And she moves to walk out of the room
>But you quickly grab her by the arm and pull her into an embrace
"None of that means that you should or shouldn't do those things. It's just simply stating that, simply by observing our universe or thinking with abstract philosophy, you can't establish a purpose or that things are good or bad. You are condemned to exist and you will follow what the brain dictates your will to be."
>Angry tears are falling from her face
>She doesn't like this
>And you somewhat regret telling her all of this
>But it had to be done
>She needs to understand you, and you by extension need to understand her
>It's the only way that you can really establish your relationship
>You give her a reassuring kiss
>She seems to resist the kiss at first, but sinks into it
>At least she seems to still be attracted to you
"Do you know why I just kissed you right now?"
>She shakes her head
>You rub her back and place your chin on top of her head
>Taking in the scent of her shampoo
>It's a pleasant scent
>It puts you at ease and she seems to be easing back into you
 
"It's because I want you to know that I care about you and that I like being here with you. I don't need some objective purpose to believe that, nor do I need to definitively have free will in order to care about you. I want to live, I want be with you, and I want to do things with my life that benefit others."
>She sighs heavily into your chest
>So you take it as her way of accepting what you had to say
>You can tell she doesn't like it
>But is at least willing to put up with you
>If the increased strength in her embrace is anything to go by
>Your mind wanders off to how you've managed to get all lovey dovey with this girl
>You never really paid girls all that much mind
>When you liked someone, you generally never went after it
>Perhaps because of self doubt
>Or an unwillingness to put in the effort to move past it
>But life had forced you into a contract with this woman
>At first out of self-preservation
>But now out of mutual care and mutual preservation
>There's a lot that you both will have to get past
>You've made many enemies
>And if last night was anything to go by, they'd be out for blood by Monday
>You were going to have to face that challenge
>Along with all of the uncertainty that comes with it
>This school at first glance seems to be of typical teenagers
>And if that is true, it means that physical violence could be an issue
>You'd have to protect not only yourself, but Sunset as well
>You feel your face grow grim at your thoughts
>To which Sunset seems to have picked up on
>And, rather than speaking, pulls you in for another kiss
>But alas, you couldn't be granted that
>Because Applejack comes barging in suddenly
>"What the hell y'all doing? We got work ta do, remember?"
>She gets one look at you and her expression softens somewhat
>Probably at the sight of Sunset's tears
>But she can't help but chuckle
>"Hope I wasn't interrupting something too important here."
>You shake your head
"No, you're fine. Mind helping us with this ladder?"
 
>She makes her way past you and grabs hold of the left side
>You get the right
>While Sunset holds the door
>Heaving the ladder upward, it is pretty heavy
>But it is worsened due to the awkward angle you're holding it
"Wait, I need to reposition myself, Applejack."
>You say as you've made it halfway out of the supply room
>"Nah, come on ya big wuss. Ya can take it."
>The lactic acid burns in your arms
>You really need to start working out
>After getting it out, you set it down on the ground
>Waiting for the next set of instructions
>"Right, Ah reckon' if we're all lifting together it'll be easier. Ah'll get the front, Sunset ya'll get the middle, and Anon you get the back. We'll carry it on our shoulders so we ain't straining ourselves."
>You and Sunset do as you're told
>The slight burn of your arms returns momentarily
>But when you get it on your shoulders it dissipates
>The ladder would be digging into your skin if you hadn't had your jacket
>But you've had to somewhat bend your knees to ladder level to the other two
>It's not a long walk, luckily
>Or else this would have started to become really strenuous
>On the bright side, you're not tired anymore
>The rest of the girls are gathered at the entrance to the school
>The smell of dust and broken concrete lingers in the air
>You can see that the food and drink of last night had been left out
>And you spot some insects flying about it all
>Guess no one was really thinking to clean up when they're under the control of magic
>Once you place the ladder down, you see Rainbow giving you the stink eye
>The rest of the girls seem perplexed at this, but don't say anything
>Whatever her deal is, she'll get over it
"Alright, what are we doing?"
>Despite Applejack seeming to be the de facto leader, Rarity is the one who answers
>She seems to somewhat revel in her new found power
>As she comes to the centre of the 7 of you before speaking
 
>"Pinkie is going to be handling the ladder and removing the decorations, Fluttershy, Sunset, and myself are going to dispose of all the refreshments and trash on the ground, while yourself, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack will take care of the... damages on the inside."
>She delegates to each of you while pointing to you
>Each of the girls seem to give little emotic affirmations of understanding
>Whether grins, sheepish smiles, or mock salutes
>Save for you and Sunset however
>You both just merely nod to it
>Thus, you all set to your relevant tasks
>You have dragged out additional trashbins for this purpose
>And you start heaving the broken pieces of the building into the trashbin
>While the girls do the same
>As you work, thoughts of your security enter your mind
>Specifically those of structural integrity
>And, as if jinxing it, a threat becomes real
>A glass pane that had been loosely hanging on at the top of the building starts to shake lose
>And begins to fall
>Right on top of Applejack
>You don't even think before acting
>You run in and tackle her out of the way
>Also bringing Rainbow down as well
>The sound of the glass shattering echoes behind you
>It catches the attention of the others in the room
>You look around and see Pinkie nearly fall off the ladder
>While the others look horrified
>And come rushing up to you
>"Oh, dear! Are you guys okay?"
>Fluttershy's soft, but alarmed voice echoes out
>"Ugh, what happened?"
>Rainbow asks as her head rests against the ground
>You're all now covered in dust
>But as far as you can tell, none of you are hurt in any capacity
>So that's good
"That glass pane almost feel on Applejack and I got her out of the way."
>You explain simply, standing up and dusting yourself
>They do the same
>"Perhaps it would be best if we left this kind of work with professionals."
>Rarity says, looking over you all worriedly
>You shake your head
"We can handle it, we just have to watch ourselves."
 
>Rainbow Dash is the first to voice her agreement
>Because if there was anything that you knew about her
>Based off her being captain of pretty much off of every sport team at the school
>Is that when she committed herself to something, she didn't want to call it quits
>Even when the task was obviously detrimental to ones' well being
>It had been one of the traits that Sunset, and by extension yourself, had managed to exploited
>She was a fiercely determined woman
"Yeah, he's right. That ain't fucking nothing."
>She declares with an arrogant smirk while leaning on the side of the wall
>And then subsequently has to dodge another pane of glass that had decided to fall
>The rest of your... friends... if you could call them that look at Rainbow with a sort of "Okay buddy retard" look
>Now you're starting to have your own regrets for the plan
>But Applejack is the one who voices them for you
>"Ah think Ah agree with Rares on this one, Dash, Anon. It obviously ain't safe to be doing too much near the front entrance."
>You can't help but agree
>It was kind of stupid for the Principals to assign this task to you and Sunset
>The sea of lawsuits that would follow would make you a rich man
>Too bad you didn't care for wealth, nor reinforcing your rep as public enemy #2 by robbing the school of money and the beloved principals of their jobs
>Plus with this you've got the added benefit of not having to lumber around heavy debris into even heavier bins
>So what do you do?
>You light up a cigarette as you walk back towards the main lobby
>Where the actual dance was celebrated
>You turn around to find Rainbow Dash bolting towards you
>While the rest of the girls look shocked at the whole display
>Applejack is able to get a hold of Rainbow Dash before she can reach you, however
>You don't know what her whole deal is
>But you think you're going to find out soon enough
>"Fuck, let go of me, Applejack!"
 
>Applejack seems to only tighten her grip around Rainbow Dash
>She's strong, given she works on a farm
>But you also know Rainbow is strong
>So she'll likely break out of it
>You put yourself in a somewhat defensive position
>Or whatever that constitutes
>There's mixed reactions among the girls
>Rarity and Sunset looks confused
>While Pinkie and Fluttershy look on with worried understanding
>She must have a strong aversion to cigarettes
>Strong enough that she would act on that aversion
>A least part of her reasoning is revealed by this
>But that doesn't make it a very good conclusion
>In fact you're still somewhat pissed about what she pulled earlier
>And the fact that she was about to do it again doesn't make it any better
>Before you can grill her, however, Applejack gives an ultimatum
>"Ah'll let ya go, but you're not gonna run up to 'em and snub out his cigarette. It ain't yer right to do it."
>She tightens her grip around Rainbow and she lets out a pained grunt
>"Do ya understand, Dash?"
>"Fine! Fine! Just let me go!"
>Applejack finally releases the girl
>And she groans and begins to stretch out her muscles
>That girls seems to be able to put people in death grips
>Good thing you're dating Sunset and not her
>Though, Applejack is hot in her own right
>But that's not important now
>What's important now is getting an explanation for Rainbow's antics
>"Ah'm sorry 'bout that, Anon. And Rainbow should be as well. But there is a reason for what Dash did."
"Which is?"
>"Ah'd rather let her explain it ta be quite honest."
>"It's about my past. There was a girl that I was friends with, her name was Gilda..."
>She says taking a deep breath
>And Fluttershy walks up to Rainbow to wrap her into a hug
>In a sudden act of bravery from the shy girl, she declares
>"It's fine Dashie. I can explain the rest."
>The shy girl shrinks slightly at your gaze, but remains committed to confidence to speak
 
>"Dashie and I lived in Cloudsdale before we both moved to Canterlot. During Middle School, Gilda was really mean. She'd pick on me a lot and make me.. um..."
>The girl shrinks at the intent eyes of the rest of the girls
>To which Rainbow steps in
>"The fucking bitch made Fluttershy smoke half a pack of cigarettes behind the school bleachers. She nearly got oxygen poisoning from it and they both got in trouble for it when the coach found them."
>Fluttershy seems to shiver at the memory
>And begins to breath somewhat anxiously at it
>Which causes Rarity to wrap Fluttershy in a comforting embrace
>"Gilda pinned it on Fluttershy, and they somehow believed her, and she got OSS for like a week. While fucking Gilda only walked away with a week of detention. But I did beat her fucking ass after school for the whole thing, and needless to say, we're not friends anymore."
>A look of understanding falls upon you
>Bad associations coupled with a willingness to act on impulse
>Leading into her smashing your cigarettes
>Out of some respect for the girl, you decide that you won't be smoking them in front of her
>You do, however, feel the need to make her understand that you're your own man
>And free to make your own decisions
"I see where you're coming from. The sight of cigarettes must really piss you off, then."
>You take a particularly long drag out of the cigarette
>And you let the ashes fall to the ground at your feet
>You walk up to Rainbow Dash and let the smoke below out
>Before she can even respond you continue
"I won't smoke when I'm in your presence, but you need to understand that you can't just take the shit out my hand and throw it to the ground. My supply of these is very limited since I've moved here."
>She coughs a little bit at your antics
>And she briefly flares up with anger
>But one look from Applejack seems to temper it
"Let's let bygones be bygones and get back to work."
 
>Everyone seems to have agreed with your decision
>With nothing more being said between any of you
>Save for instructions for where shit was supposed to go
>You ended up joining Rainbow Dash with helping Pinkie get decorations down
>Which consisted of you taking the place of Pinkie at the top of the ladder
>You handed the shit down to Rainbow who would in turn give it off to Pinkie
>Every time, though, a look of remorse crosses her face
>Trying to convey it to you
>Which you in turn give a look of dismissal
>Because it truly is nothing to be sorry for
>She believed it was the right thing to do
>And she acted on it
>Though she hadn't given it much thought
>Given how egotistical it was
>It was still more than what most people did
>Who'd just bitch and complain and do nothing
>Though you were, admittedly, one of those types that did nothing
>The only difference was that you had actually given the matter of ethics thought
>And realised valid conclusions could not be reached
>But most people believe that there are valid conclusions in ethics
>Yet they do nothing but complain
>Thus, you are not a hypocrite
>And neither would Rainbow Dash be
>Thus, you have developed a respect for her
>You think it would be best to somewhat adopt her form of mentality
>Do what you believe is right, even when you know it truly isn't objectively right
>She seems to have worked up the resolve to speak to you
>As you bring down the last banner
>"Hey Pinkie, can you give us a sec."
>The girl in question seems to get the hint, despite her airheadedness
>And she walks away
>However, that turns out to be a mistake
>As the ladder begins to wobble
>Luckily, however, she's able to save it from falling
>And saves you and Dash a trip to the hospital
>These girls are going to be the end of you
>You both come down from the ladder
>Pinkie walks off to go speak towards the others who seem to be finishing up
>"Listen, I'm sorry about stomping out your cigarette. It wasn't cool."
 
>You wave her off
"It's nothing, it's all been forgiven."
>She doesn't seem to be comforted by your words
>You really aren't good with women
>Or people in general
>"Still, it wasn't cool of me to do that. I feel really bad about doing it."
>You ponder on her words
>She probably wants you to give her a way to make it up to you
>And an idea pops into your head
"Do you know anyone that's old enough to buy cigarettes?"
>Her eyes light up with hope
>She seems to have gotten what you were putting down
>Which, according to her reputation, is surprising
>She's apparently not very good at reading into underlying messages
>"Yeah, actually. The old Captain of the Soccer team, Spitfire is old enough."
>You smile, liking where this is going
"Think she'd be willing to pick some up for me?"
>"Yeah, she probably would be. So long as she knows that I'm not the one smoking them."
>Why is this school full of such straight edge kids?
>They're normal in most regards
>But they seem to have such an aversion to drugs
>It's weird
>But it's not really a concern for now
>Perhaps there's a group of druggies you could get to know
>Or perhaps you'll need to be the bad influence to get it all started
>If you can get up to ol' Massive Two Shits, you could even get some weed down here
>It'd be great
>You've kinda spaced out, but you quickly rebound back into the conversation
"Sounds like a plan, thanks Rainbow. Consider us even then."
>You hold out your fist
>In which she accepts the request for a fist bump
>"Hey guys! We just finished up!"
>Pinkie's energetic voice calls out
>So you make your way over, surveying what has been done
>Save for the massive hole in the front of the school, everything's been put away
>The trashbins full of concrete sit near the entrance
>While the other trashbins have been moved off towards the janitor's closet
>You also notice that the tables are gone, probably moved back to the cafeteria
>All of this, in a little more than an hour
 
>Sunset comes up to you and wraps you in a hug
>To which you readily accept
>"Thank you girls, this means a lot to me... Even after all I've done."
>You give a nod conveying that same level of thankfulness
>The two of you doing this alone would've been a giant pain in the ass
>"It's no problem silly, because now you can come to our CONGRATS ON SUNSET AND ANON GETTING TOGETHER, CLEANING UP THE SCHOOL, AND BECOMING FRIENDS WITH US PARTY!"
>She shouts that last bit
>And it's almost deafening
>It also causes another bit of concrete to fall off the front of the entrance
>The girls look sternly at Pinkie
>But she seems oblivious to it
>Her declaration, however, is troubling
>Because you're not a fan of parties
>Especially when it could involve members of the student body
>Who really hate your guts
>Sunset and Rarity seem to notice your nervousness
>And Sunset embraces you more tightly
>While Rarity seems to be the one that addresses your obvious concern
>"Forgive Pinkie Pie, it's not really going to be a big party. It'll be just the 7 of us."
>That does put you at ease
>You look down at Sunset and ask
"You feeling up to this little, 'party'?"
>She gives it a moment of thought
>You're fine with either outcome
>On one hand you could probably go back to Sunset's and just shoot the shit with her
>Or you could get to know these girls a little better
>And slowly work on improving your social standing
>But you reckon, at least with these girls, you're mostly in the clear
>"I guess it wouldn't hurt to hang out for a little bit."
>And so it's been decided
>Pinkie is elated at the declaration
>And she begins to hop up and down with excitement
>"Ooh, this is going to be so much fun! We'll order pizza, and play games, and maybe drink a little."
>Huh, it seems they're not as straight edge as it would appear
>Nice
>"Jus' follow us to Pinkie's. It's not far from here."
>You all then make it out of the building
>Just as the repair crews had arrived
 
>You did roll the trashbins full of debris down the steps and towards the repair crews
>And after briefly explaining yourselves and what was in them, they give you thanks
>And you make it to your cars
>Rainbow seems to be riding with Applejack
>While Pinkie is riding with Fluttershy
>And Rarity is riding alone
>After exchanging brief farewells, you get into your car
"Well, I would say that went better than expected."
>Sunset seems to be bubbling with happy energy
>You're glad she's at least in a good mood
>"Yeah, it was surprisingly fun. Save for our little conversation."
>They mood darkens a little bit at her words
>So you quickly try to rebound
"Like I said, it's nothing to worry about. I'll even give you some books for why I think the way I do."
>You have a few in mind as you take off
>You take out two cigarettes this time
>And hand one of them to Sunset
>You also put on some music
>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rblt2EtFfC4
>You light your cigarette before moving over to her
"Relax and have some fun, this will probably be fun too."
>You instruct her to hold the cigarette in her mouth and suck in
>And you light the cigarette for her
>"You know, for saying you have a limited supply of this you go through them quite quickly."
>She says after taking a small drag
>You chuckle at her words
"It was kind of a half truth, my current plug jacks up the price really high, but I'm willing to pay. Because Nicotine."
>There's worse things you could be spending your allowance money on
>Like crack
>Maybe you should try vaping
>It's a lot cheaper and there's more variety
>Plus it's probably healthier than cigarettes
>With that thought in mind you put your car into reverse
>And follow after the girls' cars
>Briefly watching the repair crews begin to survey the damage
>You can't help but grab unto Sunset's free hand as you move on
>Conveying to her the good feelings of right now
>They'll be difficulty, but you'll make it through this
>Hopefully

You make it to Pinkie's place after a little while of driving
>On the way, you called your mother to let her know where you were going
>She was excited for you
>Glad that you had finally "broken out of your shell"
>It wasn't that you were shy, or anything
>You just didn't feel a need to make friends in the past
>You moved up dramatically since you entered CHS
>While being in servitude to Sunset and becoming her right hand man
>But, alas, you were back at the bottom of the social ladder
>With Sunset occupying the same spot with you
>Dramatic falls from what you once were
>However, you're starting to make your way back up
>Given now you have 5 friends and a girlfriend
>So it wasn't all bad
>You park in the street alongside Applejack and the others
>Because the driveway was already occupied
>Pinkie's house was similar to yours in most regards
>But it seemed to possess more colour and atmosphere to it
>While, somehow, also possessing a calming sort of feeling to it
>You don't know why
>You also seem to notice, from the backyard, a massive amount of rock sticking up from the fence
>Are they doing work on the backyard?
>It isn't that big of a concern, so you drop it for now
>The girls pile out of the car quickly enough
>While you and Sunset take a little longer to get out
>"Do you think this will be fun?"
>Sunset asks as you turn off the car
>You take a moment before responding
"I'm sure it will, it's pretty much just us hanging out rather than a party."
>You say stepping out of the car
>Stretching a little bit to shake off your fatigue
>You kind of ponder on the truth of your words
>As you know, Pinkie has an obsession with parties
>And you heard from many of the students they were known for being pretty fun
>You hope they're not straight edge
>Though you've heard that a kid named Flash Sentry's parties have plenty of drugs involved
>And Pinkie helps with those
>So this could go either way

>You make your way to the girls
>Who are all congregating just outside the front door
>"Are two ready to get this party started?"
>You both give somewhat awkward nods
>Not really sure how this was going to go
>She quickly unlocks the door and sprints through the house
>Leaving the rest of you all in a daze
>You decide to head into the house
>However, you're stopped by a hand on your shoulder pulling you back
>"Ya might not wanna do that jus' yet, Sugarcube."
>Before you can question her on it, you hear a loud boom
>And you turn around to see Pinkie standing in the centre of the living room
>With a fucking canon
>And the previously normal living room has been decorated with party essentials
>Tables for drinks, a table with party hats, banners, confetti, etc.
>What the actual fuck
>You stand there gawking at the whole display
>While the rest of the girls, save for Sunset, chuckle at your reaction
>Sunset seems to be in the same state
>Yet you can't help but enter and continue to gawk
>How the hell is this even possible?
>It makes no sense
>A canon cannot suddenly spring together a party
>Yet here it all is, caused by the canon
>Pinkie is beaming at you as she makes her approach
>Leaving the canon behind her
>"Sooo, are ya ready to PARTY!"
>You're at a loss of words
>Unable to speak and unable to think
>Perhaps at the fatigue
>And perhaps because of the mindfuck of this walking ball of chaos
>Rainbow Dash, however, is the one that comes to your rescue
>"Hey Pinkie, let's just... let them settle into it before we start going crazy."
>Pinkie seems to look a little downcasted at the declaration
>But, nonetheless, accepts it
>You walk into the room still gawking 
>You take a seat on the couch and start to relax
>Applejack says that they ought to order pizza
>To which you give a nod of agreement
>The girls flip on the television, revealing a gaming console
>Looks like a Switch
>Fuck yeah.jpeg

>Pinkie had, somehow, set up a set of speakers in the side of the room
>And they weren't minor one's that you could hide easily
>They stood at about a metre tall
>You know for a fact that they were not there before
>It just progressively gets weirder
>Applejack seems to notice your bafflement
>And moves to answer it
>"With Pinkie, ya gotta remember. Don't ask, just accept."
"That leaves quite a bitter taste in my mouth."
>Sunset, who is sitting next to you on the couch, nods in agreement
>And your eyes befall the television screen
>Which upon it is Rainbow Dash setting up a game of Super Smash Bros
>Applejack chuckles at your declaration
>She then hands you two solo cups
>"Maybe this'll help ya get that bitter taste out ya mouth."
>It looks like fruit punch
>But as you take a large gulp out of it, you feel your throat burn
>And it burns pretty damn hot
>You cough a little bit, trying to recover
"There's alcohol in this."
>She gives you a bashful smile
>"That a problem, Sugarcube?"
>You shake your head
"Nah, I just wasn't expecting it."
>This ought to be fun
>With some Smash and some booze
>Guess the girls aren't as straight edge as you originally thought
>Sunset seems to be sipping gingerly on the drink
>You move down towards Rainbow and take a seat next to her
>She looks siked at your presence
>"Looking to get your ass beat?"
>She says confidently
>You give her a smirk
"Hand me a controller, cause I'm bout to lay a beating on your ass."
>"Ooo, it's on."
>You watch as Applejack and Pinkie come over next to you two
>Picking up controllers of their own
>You've settled on the old Gameboy controller
>Because somehow Pinkie had one
>You call out to Sunset from the couch
"You wanna get in on this?"
>You say offering up a controller
>She shakes her head
>"I think I'm alright."
>Just then, Rarity and Fluttershy sit down next to her and you give them the same look
>She also shakes her head
"Suit yourselves."

>This is where the fun begins
>Too bad there's no Anakin character you could play
>Scratch that, it would be too OP
>However, that doesn't mean you're going to choose someone who is weak
>So you go to your old main from the old Smash games
>Kirby
>Now, you know that's a controversial thing to say
>But there's a good reason behind it
>Kirbysiding
>You always loved doing it to the bots and to your cousins who would play with you on the Wii
>And you would say you're fairly good, at least when it comes to Kirby
>The others take their picks
>Rainbow picks King K.
>Applejack picks Chrom
>And Pinkie picks Snake
>They certainly weren't going easy on you
>They look somewhat menacingly at you
>Thinking that they'll whoop your ass easily
>Rainbow pipes up, saying
>"You sure you wanna go with Kirby dude? He's kinda weak."
"Oh yeah, I'm sure. He's my main, after all."
>The girls snicker
>And you're ready for the fun to begin
>After locking in, Rainbow selects a random option for the map
>And it lands on Final Destination
>Here we go baby
>Your first objective as you load in is to get into the air
>Rainbow and Applejack immediately start attacking each other
>And Pinkie goes after you
>However, you get up in the air quickly to dodge her attack
>You then hit down B and turn into rock form
>Smashing not only Pinkie, but also Dash and Applejack
>You quickly get out of the crossfire, however
>Because their attention has now come to you
>Pinkie, however, intercepts them
>And sends a rocket into Applejack
>Her character gets knocked back by the attack
>And Dash seems to be closing the distance
>So you unleash another down B attack on Pinkie
>Causing her to fly off the stage
>Only to quickly jump back
>You keep this strategy over and over again
>The girls have seemingly forgotten about you for the most part
>Pinkie is the first one of you to run out of lives
>She had been the most aggressive out of anyone
>And she paid the price for it
>However, she did manage to get a lot of K.Os

>Applejack is next to get knocked out, after accidentally going down instead of up on the stage
>Which leaves Rainbow Dash at 1 life with 37% and you with 3 lives at 89% 
>Before you continue, however, Rainbow cries out
>"What the hell?! How do you still have 3 lives."
>You chuckle and begin to launch yourself in the air
"It's all in the strat, baby!"
>You cheer as you smash down towards Rainbow
>You look behind you to see Sunset and the others watching eagerly
>Sunset gives you a thumbs up and you smile at her
>But your lapse in concentration costs you
>Rainbow scores a series of hits on you
>Which causes you to lose a life
>"Hah, where's your strategy now."
>You give a competitive glare at her
>To which she returns
>You focus as hard as you can
>She scores more hits on you
>But you manage to throw her back with your sludge hammer
>But she's able to knock you down to 1 life
>While she also has 120% damage on her
>You try your booming strategy
>But you aren't able to score any conclusive hits on her
>And now you're at an evening playing field
>With pretty much 1 strong hit meaning the end of the game
>Your heart is racing
>And you see Rainbow is sweating too
>Then an idea pops into your head
>A devilish idea
>You lure Rainbow to the edge of the stage
>And she comes charging through
>You block her attack and then suck her in
>The first time you had in the game
>And then, like an absolute mad lad, let yourself fall off the stage
>Just before you both fall of the screen, she is spit back out.0.
>You float a few times and she becomes focused on hitting you
>But realises she needs to get back up
>But she spends all of her jumps before she can make it on the ledge
>And falls to her death
>With you close behind
>The announcer rings out "GAME"
>And the score board rolls
>The girls look at the screen dumbstruck
>You can't believe you actually won
>You hadn't played this game in years, let alone the new one

>In your excitement, you stand up
>And exclaim almost at the top of you lungs
"LET'S FUCKING GO!"
>You admit, you wouldn't have normal done that
>But coupled with the multiple cups of the spiked punch you've had
>And the excitement of the moment
>You couldn't help but celebrate
>Applejack and Pinkie start congratulating you
>"Suck it, Rainbow! Anon jus' whooped yer ass!"
>Applejack says with a large grin
>Rainbow definitely looks salty
>"I hate fucking losing."
>You go down to her and extend your fist
"Good game."
>You say simply
>She looks at you and then sighs
>And returns your fist bump
>You walk back over to Sunset as she chats with Rarity and Fluttershy
>While Rainbow and Applejack start another game
"Mind if I take a seat?"
>You say with a small grin
>You hope you aren't slurring your words yet
>It'd be pathetic if you were
>Rarity gives you a sly smile and scoots over
>Leaving an open space between her and Sunset
>"Not at all, darling."
>Taking a seat, you somewhat feel your head start to spin
>It might be a good idea to lay off the alcohol a little
>Because you don't want to have to stay here because you were drunk
>However, some of your inhibitions are gone
>As demonstrated by your next action
>You pick Sunset up from her seat
>She lets out a slight gasp and the other girls look at you curiously
>"Anon, what the hell are you doing?!"
>And you sit Sunset down in your lap, wrapping your arms around her midsection
>You're sure you're going to catch flack for this
>But at this moment you don't care
>You want to celebrate your victory
>And take a prize while you were at it
>You place your head on her shoulder and smile at her
"I won a game and you are my prize."
>Everyone flushes at your words
>Yourself included
>But again, you don't care
>Because inhibitions have been diminished
>Guess you're one of the cuddly drunks
>But you're sure you aren't drunk yet
>You barely feel a buzz

>Sunset seems to have accepted your antics
>As she sinks into you and lets you wrap your arms just below her chest
>The girls next to you let out a giggle
>Rainbow and Applejack seem too focused on the game to notice your antics
>And Pinkie is rushing around the house getting together money
>"Leg shake! Leg shake! The pizza guy will be here in 47 seconds!"
>An oddly specific number
>For shits and giggles, you start to count in your head
>And just as you reach 47, the doorbell rings
>Pinkie opens it revealing the pizza guy
>Just a random old dude
>Pinkie's abilities keep getting more and more uncanny
>But, instead of having a mind break, you just let it go
>The alcohol more than likely being the culprit for your acceptance of it
>Pinkie takes in 4 large pizzas with two orders of wings and garlic knots
>Seems like she went all out
>And you couldn't be happier
>Because, while Sunset on your lap is nice, pizza is also nice
>And you're hungry
>You were almost falling asleep with how comfy you were
>Only being prevented at the presence of your hunger
>A particularly loud grumble erupts from your position
>And it's not from you
>Sunset smiles sheepishly
"I'm hungry too, don't worry."
>You let her off of you and get up behind her
>There is no man capable of out pizzaing the hut
>And right now, you agree with that sentiment even more than you normally do
>Pinkie has put out Pink plates bearing three balloons on them
>Girly as a rainbow factory, but you don't care
>You load your plate up with 4 slices
>Because hunger
>And you aren't going to gain any weight from it anyway
>Thank God for your lightning metabolism
>Rarity comes up behind you
>And gives a scoff to your plate
>"I don't understand how you cane eat that much greasy food."
>You chuckle
"You don't like pizza, Rares?"
>She blushes somewhat at your remark
>Probably from the embarrassment of the nickname
>You've really loosened up with this alcohol

>"It isn't that I don't like pizza, you just have so much."
>You ponder her words
>You suppose it is a lot
>But you don't really care
"I'm a growing boy with growing needs, and right now, I need pizza."
>You say giving a cheeky grin
>And taking a massive bite out of your slice
>She giggles lightly at your antics
>"Just don't let it get out of hand, darling. I don't want you throwing up in here."
>Suddenly Pinkie appears behind you
>Appearing deadly serious
>"Nonny, I like you, but you better not throw up in here."
>You almost shrink at her
>Even more unexpected
>However, you notice something peculiar about her
>Her eyes are slightly red
>And as you give her a sort of crooked smile
>She can't hold it in and bursts out laughing
>Now you know that the girls are not really that straight edge
>Perhaps wholesome, but not straightedge
>Because Pinkie's on the road to being smashed
>With not alcohol, but weed
>You wonder where she had the time to smoke
>You don't really smell it on her
>"I'm just joshing, Nonny. It's not a big deal if you do, but try not to."
"Pinkie, you wouldn't happen to be stoned would you?"
>You say with a Cheshire grin adorning your face
>She stops as she walks away from you
>And a look of exasperation crosses her face
>"Damn, is it that obvious? I put eye drops in while I was in the kitchen."
>You can't help but laugh hard at her
>Stoners will be stoners
>And, though you didn't really do it often, you did smoke
>And were familiar with all the tricks
>But a more pressing question crosses your mind
>"Yep! I had some edibles while I was in the car."
>Applejack seems to turn her head at the declaration
>Which seems to have allowed Rainbow to score a finishing blow on her
>But Applejack doesn't seem to care
"Ya'll wouldn't happen to have any more would ya?"
>Damn
>Didn't know she would be in on that kind of action
>The country bumpkin betrays the Conservative stereotype

>"Sure do!"
>She says as she pulling a large bag from her pocket
>Somehow
>Revealing a huge bag filled with brownies with green little bits in them
>A wide grin appears on your face
>"I also have a pen if you want to hit it."
>She then retrieves a dab pen from her hair
>Which looks nearly full
"It ain't no hotdog water, is it?"
>Pinkie giggles at your question
>"Nope! I get them from Vinyl who makes them. The strain is a hybrid, but it leans more to the Indica though."
>Sounds like this will be fun
>So you grab it out of her hand
>You turn it on and take a long hit from it
>Pinkie looks at you wide eyed
>So does Applejack
>By the end of it, you're coughing like a bitch
>"Holy shit, Anon."
>Applejack says, while the others turn to you watching the commotion
>The large loud that you exhaled slowly starts to dissipate
>"I didn't know you were a druggy, Anon."
>Sunset says giving you a sly grin
>One that you can't help but return
"I'm not, but I ain't no bitch. I aim to have fun today, and part of that will be in getting fucked up."
>Rainbow gives a fist pump at that
>And the others just chuckle at you
>You take another long hit out of it
>And, suddenly, Rarity takes it out of your hand
>"Save some for the rest of us, darling."
>She then takes an even longer hit than you
>Now it was your turn to gawk
"Holy shit, Rares."
>Rarity passes it on to Applejack who also takes a hit
>Though, not as long as Rarity's
>But pretty close
>"She may not look like it, with all the froo froo proper shit, but Rares can smoke like a chimney."
>Rarity gives a mock look of offence
>"It's certainly not "froo froo shit" as you put it, but I don't expect you to understand that Applejack."
>Now everyone is laughing
>The alcohol and weed is making you super tired
>Being cross faded tends to do that
>But you decide you need to force yourself through it
>"I propose we all play a game."
>Rarity says walking towards where the rest of the girls are sitting

>"Form a circle girls, I will be right back."
>They follow as instructed
>You join the circle as well
>Placing yourself next to Sunset and Fluttershy
>Fluttershy reserves a spot for Rarity between her and Rainbow Dash
>And Pinkie has brought over two boxes of the pizza
>Along with the wings
>Which you can't help but make a grab for
>You definitely had the munchies
>And you were going to satisfy your hunger
>While also moving to sober up on the alcohol
>However, Rarity seems to have other plans
>As she exits the kitchen carrying two bottles of vodka
>Oh boy.jpeg
>You wonder where this is going
>You hope that whatever this is, it doesn't get too fucked up
>You look to Sunset who has a soft look of worry on her face
>However, it is eased by the alcohol in her system
>She gives you a small smile
>And you wrap your arm around her
>Because cuddly drunk
>"To make this interesting, we're going to play Never have I ever."
>Now this sounds like fun
"What are the rules?"
>You didn't really need to ask that, because you already knew
>However, it's a good vehicle for getting the conversation going
>"It's quite simple, darling. Take a shot if you've done whatever is in question."
>Even while stoned the girl manages to talk prim and proper
>You laugh internally at that
>However, Fluttershy pipes in
>"Oh.. um... I think that stuff is a little strong for me."
>A moment of contemplation befalls Rarity's face
>As well as the others
>Such a sweet and innocent girl
>You guys really are bad influences
>"Ooh, I got it!"
>Pinkie says launching up from her spot suddenly
>Albeit slower due to intoxication
>She makes her way over to one of the tables
>Specifically where the punch is
>She then proceeds to bring the whole fucking canister of it towards y'all
>And puts it in the centre
>Some of it spills unto the ground
>But Pinkie doesn't seem to care
>Perhaps not the best idea, but what can you do?

>Fluttershy gives a small smile to Pinkie
>To which she returns with a beaming smile of her own
>Her eyes are now super red at this point
>Pinkie's already fucked up
>It makes you laugh
>And your giggle fit is obviously infectious
>Because everyone in turn begins to laugh
>You don't know how many of them are actually stoned or just drunk
>But you reckon that it has loosened you all up quite well
>So that will mean loosened lips
>A moment of clarity seems to fall over you immediately at that thought
>You have to be careful here
>Don't make anything too personal
>And avoid asking questions that go in too deep
>You hope that you will be able to remember that as this goes on
>The rest of the girls recover from their fits of laughter
>"So, whose going first?"
>Sunset asks as she looks around to the others
>Rainbow gives a confident smirk
>"I'll go, cause I know all of y'all are chickens."
>She says as she takes a swig from her solo cup, finishing the remainder of her punch
>Which reminds everyone to finish their cups, save for Fluttershy
>Then you all begin to pour modest amounts of the stuff into your cups
>"Never have I ever worn makeup."
>Now that was surprising in some capacity
>And not surprising in others
>She seems to be the tomboy type
>Not liking girly shit
>Nonetheless, she was still a solid 9/10
>Everyone takes a swig from their recently poured drinks
>Including you
>Intrigued gazes fall to you
>Rainbow falls on the ground laughing
>With Applejack and Pinkie following suit
>The other girls just look more and more intrigued
>It seems like you're going to have to explain yourself
>But you're going to wait for one of them to make that pitch to you
>They recover from their laughing fits and sit back up
>"Now Ah gotta hear this, I didn't take you to be the one to cross dress."
>That comment both is hilarious and stressful at the same time
>So you grant a chuckle before taking a sip out of your cup
"It was back when I was a kid..."

>Flashback
>You are 10 year old Anon
>And you were hanging out with a group of girls
>Normally this sort of thing would be the greatest of heresies
>Especially for a boy your age
>Girls had cooties
>And were gross
>Yet here you were
>At your older cousin's birthday party
>Her friends had been dotting over you
>They'd been calling you cute and wrapping their arms around you
>And now you sat in your cousin's room on her bed
>While the rest of the girls were around you
>"Come on, Anon. Won't you let us at least try it?"
>One of them says
>You're flushing with embarrassment
>Normal girls were easy
>You could just ignore them or beat them at recess
>There was a clean line of distinction between you
>But older girls were different
>They were trying to convert you to their gross ways
>And you really didn't have the courage to tell them no
>Because they were older and bigger than you
>You were somewhat afraid of them hitting you if you said no
>But part of you knows that would never happen
>"Fine... I guess."
>The girls scream with delight
>Including your cousin
>From your older cousin's dresser, they begin to pull out makeup
>And then a wig
>They start applying the makeup to you
>The brushes tickle your face
>But they tell you to hold still
>And you do your best to
>They eventually bring out the lipstick
>Your mind screams in panic
>Yet you don't let a sound out
>They apply it to your lips and then put on the wig
>The girls seem to be admiring their handiwork
>Your cousin gives you a sympathetic smile
>And they all begin to take pictures of you
>"Thanks, Anon!"
>You take a breath trying to collect yourself
"Can I take all of this off now?"
>They giggle collectively at you
>"You can, just show Mom and Dad first."
>You, begrudging, accept
>And walk out into the living room where your parents and your Aunt and Uncle are talking
>They look at you
>And they all begin to cry in laughter
>Flashback end

>The girls all tilt their heads back in laughter
>Including Sunset
>The laughter, however, isn't infectious to you
>That whole incident was traumatic
>Not in the sense that it left emotional scars
>But rather because it is a long standing joke in the family
>You still get teased for it
>And your uncle has the picture of you hanging up on the fridge
>Your Uncle still calls you "Princess" sometimes
>Though, seeing Sunset in such bliss at your expense fills you with some joy
>But the one who is dying the most in laughter is Rainbow
>"I... I can't breathe."
>This only makes them laugh harder
>To which you can't help but join in
>Because, despite its effect on you, it is admittedly funny
>But you have it in your mind to get back at Rainbow Dash
>As everyone recovers from their little fits
>"I bet you looked really cute, darling."
>Sunset seems to be mulling over the thought in her head
>"I really want to see that picture."
>You look at her with dead seriousness
"I will straight up burn every copy before you can even get your hands on one."
>The girls snicker at your reaction
>"Well, I suppose it's Anon's turn now."
>A sinister grin comes across your face
>And you direct it towards Rainbow
>Who looks at you with fear
"Never have I ever hooked up with Big Macintosh."
>Rainbow's face goes beat red
>And Applejack's eyes go wide
>So do those of the girls
>So much for not going for the low blow personal questions
>But you wanted revenge
>For both your wasted cigarette and that blunder of embarrassment
>But the one who seems to be getting the most enjoyment out of this is Rarity
>You knew that she was the gossip type
>And this, of course, was too juicy to pass up
>However, Applejack looks pretty intrigued herself
>And not in the sort of way that conveys friendliness
>She walks over to Rainbow and sits down right next to her
>Getting closer to her
>"Y'all best explain what he's talkin' bout."
>Rainbow looks conflicted, but quickly makes up her mind
"Ugh, fine... It was two weeks ago."

>Flashback
>You are Anon two weeks ago
>Out doing your "Master's" bidding
>You had recently collected dues from a group of kids known as the "Diamond Dogs."
>Ugly bastards, but they seem to understand your place
>You light up a cigarette as you walk through the Football field
>Letting the ash fall to the ground as you walk towards the bleachers
>"Alright Mac, I think we're alone."
>Rainbow's voice rings out from behind the bleachers
>Well, this ought to be interesting
>You're sure your master would enjoy this bit of information
>In seeking to divide Twilight and her friends
>Specifically, Applejack and Rainbow
>You take a position just out of sight
>And you take a long drag of your cigarette
>Waiting for the show to begin
>You see them with their arms wrapped around each other
>Big Macintosh towers over Rainbow Dash
>The dude was built like a fucking brick wall
>You suppose working a farm would do that to someone
>"I've liked you for a really long time, Big Mac. Like, since we were kids. I just never had the confidence to make a move."
>He somewhat chuckles at that
>And you do too, though very quietly
>"Ah suppose ya don't have a problem with mah sister anymore."
>Rainbow shakes her head
>"It's all in the past, it was just Sunset manipulating us and we just assumed the worst of each other. I feel really bad for it."
>"Y'all ain't trying to make amends with me just for that reason, are ya."
>Wow
>That's quite an insightful observation from the Silent brick wall of a football player
>It gives you a bit of respect for him
>"No, Big Mac. I've always wanted this, it never really went away even after me and AJ weren't friends anymore."
>Before she can continue speaking, however, you watch him lean down and kiss her
>"Ah suppose ah got a liking to ya too, then."
>They then proceed to start making out
>You've got what you wanted
>And not wanting to be anymore of a creep, you walk away
>Leaving them to do what ever horny and emotional teenagers do.
>Flashback end

>Rainbow's face is basically purple now
>She is blushing and hard
>Definitely more than just the alcohol would allow for
>They look at her with genuine looks of shocked
>No one would have guessed they would have liked each other
>Not even you, before that day
>You do, however, brace yourself for your own line of questioning
>Because you know it's coming
>"Well, shit. Ah don't even know what ta say."
>Rainbow looks really embarrassed
>And somewhat ashamed
>You feel kinda bad
>Maybe you went too far with that
>"Ah suppose Ah can't really be mad at ya. Ya like who ya like, and if Mac likes ya, it means y'all could be mah sister."
>She wraps Rainbow into a big hug
>And you hear Rarity squeal with excitement
>"That's honestly so romantic, Rainbow Dash. I never knew you had it in you."
>The rest of the girls give their nods of affirmation
>She looks even more embarrassed by that statement
>You must have been 2nd coming of Jesus
>Because you just avenged the blunder against you seven fold
>She looks at you
>"How... how did you know about that?"
>All the girls turn their attention to you
>While Sunset looks away in shame
>Knowing how you came up with that knowledge
>You sigh, and take a drink
>Not really caring for the rules
"I happened to have been walking through the field while I was taking care of... business."
>You say as you readjust in your spot
"I heard you guys talking and I decided to stick around."
>Rainbow goes pale as a sheet
>"How much did you see?"
>She asks somewhat frantically
"Really up to what you decided to relay to us, I left after that."
>She breathes out a sigh of relief
>Applejack, however, seems far more perturbed by your statement
>And looks at Rainbow Dash sternly
>"Now Rainbow, Ah'm happy fer ya and everything, but I better not be becomin' an Aunt."
>She says as she grips Rainbow's arm hard
>"Because Granny will have Mac's head and Ah'd have yers. Y'all understand?"
>Rainbow recoils at the pain
>"Crystal, AJ."

>It seems you were able to dodge a bullet there
>You didn't get branded as a creep
>You're sure that the girls understand why you had stuck around
>But Sunset looks guilty at the thought of it
>You're glad you were able to convince her to not make your recently acquired knowledge public
>Arguing that Mac would probably put you in the hospital
>No one needs to know that Sunset had known about it
>So you give her hand a squeeze which seems to comfort her
>The game continues on normally
>With far more tame Never have I evers coming out
>Well, tame wasn't the right word
>More like less personal and more of superficially embarrassing
>Such as who was dating who
>And what they've done with those particular people
>Because very few shots were being taken, the game switches to Truth or Dare
>Rainbow, Applejack, and Pinkie all seem to light up at this change
>Likely because this was their element
>At this point in time, you all are pretty much hammered as you're going to get
>However, that doesn't mean you're gonna be skipping out on weed
>As you have taken 3 edibles
>So needless to say, you're pretty loosened up right now
>"Alright Rainbow, truth or dare?"
>Pinkie asks excitedly
>And, of course, you know which one she's going to pick
>"Dare."
>She says with a confident edge in her voice
>Pinkie gives it some thought
>"I dare you to take two full gulps of your drink and then black out the pen."
>Now that's gonna be hard
>Your mind briefly goes back to her warning of you vomiting
>And this was an almost surefire way to cause that, for Rainbow at least
>But Rainbow seems to take it in stride
>She tilts her head back and you watch two full gulps descend down her throat
>You wince, knowing that had to burn
>And then she takes the pen
>As she smokes it, you watch tears flow down her eyes
>But she does, however, make it
>Then proceeds to cough hard
>And rock back and forth in pain
>Rainbow, it would seem, is an absolute unit

>The girls give cheers and applause to her
>What a fucking legend
"What a fucking legend."
>You say as you join into the clapping
>After she has recovered, she does continue to wobble
>"That was fuckin' nothin'."
>Her words are somewhat slurring
>But the fact she's still able to speak is a testament to her strength
>"Alright Anon..."
>She says pointing to you
>"Truth or dare?"
>You guess a rivalry has started between you two
>But no one seems to mind indulging you two
>If you picked truth, you'd be forced to confess something embarrassing
>If you picked dare, you'd be forced to do something embarrassing
>You are caught at a metaphorical cross roads
>You pull out the trusty coin that you had in your pocket
>Because you needed to make a decision
>You flip it and everyone gives you a confused look
>Save for Sunset
>"Sugarcube, why'd ya just flip a coin?"
>Sunset answers for you
>"He does it all the time. A lot of the time when I made him decide something he'd just pull out that coin and flip it."
>The rest of the girls look at you waiting for your answer
>Whether for your decision or the reason for your method of deciding is unknown
>But you decide to go with the later
"When everything I've thought of is on equal footing, I flip a coin. Let it be decided by fate and all that jazz."
>You say waving your hand
>You look at the coin in your over hand
>And you see that it has landed on tails
>Guess you're going with dare
>You take a breath, mentally preparing yourself for what's to come
"I pick dare."
>Rainbow gets a wicked grin on her face
>You hope this won't be too embarrassing
>"Alright Anon, you're going to sing for us." 
>Now you suppose that it could have been worse
>She could have made you makeout with Sunset in front of them
>But this was up there
>It wasn't that you were bad, but you weren't good either
"Okay, but I get to pick the song."
>"Sounds good to me."
>Rainbow says and all the girls nod their agreement
>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BiMUOuYUy1w

>You close your head and wrack your brain for the lyrics
>You hope you don't mess this up too badly
>You begin to sing
"I'm a Hussar, I'm a Hun, I'm a wretched Englishman. Routing Bonaparte at Waterloo. I'm a Dragoon on a dun, I'm a Cossack on the run, I'm a horse soldier timeless through and through."
>You slowly sing, attempting to get the rhythm down in your head
>And you continue on with the rest of the song
>Sunset briefly looks horrified and disgusted at mentioning drinking Mare's blood
>More than likely because she was a pony herself
>But she seems to shake it off and continues to listen
>The girls tap along to the beat of your voice
>While it seemed to take forever, it was eventually over
>It seems your voice is at least tolerable
>They applaud you as you finish
>"I'm amazed, darling. I didn't know you could sing."
>You shrug
"I can't really sing that well, I just do it a lot."
>That earns a chuckle from Sunset
>"When I first met him, I wouldn't have believed that. But as I had him... working for me... and this morning; he does sing a lot."
>You lean over and kiss her on the forehead
>Which earns a bit of awes from the others
>And the customary vomit noise from Rainbow Dash
"Please Rainbow, you were sucking face with Big Mac. You got no room to talk."
>Rainbow, again, shrinks with embarrassment
>The girls all give out their own little snickers at that
>Now it's your turn to give out a dare
>And perhaps because you were a tad bit horny because of the weed
>Or because you hadn't had a good amount of loving from Sunset
>You pick her
"Sunset, truth or dare?"
>The flash in her eyes seem to convey that they have mutual energy
>Sunset had also had some of the brownies
>And her eyes were definitely red
>But you're also sure that it's her first time being stoned
>"Dare."
>She says with a sultry sort of edge in her voice
"Make out with me for a whole minute."
>Everyone's faces flush at that
>But you could care less

>Sunset seems to recover from your request
>And accepts it in stride
>With no regard for those around her, she grabs your face
>And forces her lips against yours
>You feel her tongue invade your mouth
>Your tongues wrestle for dominance within each other's mouths
>And she moves to sit in your lap
>As she wraps her arms around your back
>She subconsciously rubs herself against your lap
>And you cannot lie, it is turning you on
>But now is not the time to be too horny
>Merely to enjoy the taste of your girlfriend's mouth
>Which tastes of alcohol, pizza, and weed brownies
>Odd combo, but there aren't any complaints coming from you
>You feel her grin against your lips
>"Oh my."
>Fluttershy says
>While your eyes wander around to the rest of the girls
>Who haven't lost their own blushes
>And continue to gawk at you two
>What you were doing was certainly a break in your character
>You generally don't let your instincts get the better of you
>But you were loosened up
>So you suppose it is excusable
>Hopefully the rest of them would understand this
>But Sunset was also the wild card in all of this
>You had no idea if she'd do this sort of thing normally
>Though part of you thinks it might be the case
>Given her willingness to up and kiss you when she had "employed" you
>You also suppose that she likes to fuck with other people
>But this time, not in a malicious way
>You're glad that this trait isn't lost with the events of yesterday
>At least for now
>The minute is probably up by now
>And somehow, someway, you were able to hold your breath for an entire minute
>But you both come out of it gasping for breath
>A trail of saliva breaks away from your mouths
>And falls loosely between you
>"Well, that was certainly a way to make this more interesting."
>Rarity says looking between the two of you
>However, Sunset seems to get a little bit territorial
>"I hope you know he's mine. So don't try anything."
>She says as she wraps her arms tighter around you

>She looks a bit taken aback from Sunset's warning
>But quickly rebounds
>"Heavens no, darling. That would be unbecoming of a lady."
>You move Sunset off of you
>And finish the remainder of your drink
>But you're not going to pour anymore
>Deciding that you were already too fucked up
>And you didn't want things to go any further
>However, you were fine with hitting pen some more
>To which you do, letting a huge cloud form in front of you
>But you remember that there had been tension brewing
>And rather than letting that escalate, you quickly pipe in
"I think I'm going to pass over to Fluttershy."
>Fluttershy had abstained from the THC train you were all riding
>And was probably only lightly buzzed
>She is the best option for deescalating this
>Because she at least was in somewhat of the right mind
>And her shy nature likely would mean something less crazy
>She looks a little panicked by being put on the spot
>But does manage to get her pick out
>"Oh, um... Anon. Truth or Dare?"
>The look on her face is that of curiousity
>So she's probably hoping that you pick truth
>Naturally, you're willing to grant her that
"Truth."
>"Did you spend the night over at Sunset's?"
>The question is harmless
>It was posited out of genuine curiousity
>Of which everyone is indulging in
>It seems this is a running theme of the night
>But it is understandable
>You didn't really talk much about yourself
>You were just the mysterious enforcer of Sunset's will
>And you wielded Sunset's power with mastered efficiency
>However, they want to know the real you
>And you're willing to give them an answer
>Because that's what friends are for, you suppose
>"I really wanted him too, but he couldn't. His parents had to call him home for the night."
>Sunset says as she again wraps you into an embrace
>"But he promised me that he'd be there when I woke up in the morning, and sure enough, there he was at 6:45."
>"Wait, so he just walked into you apartment and waited for you to wake up?"

>Ah Rainbow
>She was really bad at reading underlying messages
>And now basically suggested that you broke into your girlfriend's apartment
>And watched your newly christened girlfriend until she woke up
>It does cause you to chuckle
>And the rest of the girls join in
>Save for Rainbow, who still looks confused
>Which makes it even funnier
>You can't help but lean back against the couch
>Enjoying the moment
>Sunset finishes her bout of chuckling
>"No, Rainbow. He woke me up when he came running up the stairway and I went out and opened the door for him."
>Rarity looks at you with a look of satisfaction
>"That was very sweet of you, Anonymous."
>You shrug your shoulders humbly
"I had a promise to keep. And I always do my best to keep them."
>The game goes on from that
>With various sorts of things being revealed and done
>Apparently Fluttershy had a crush on Professor Discord
>You had seen the guy before, bit of an odd ball, but he seemed alright
>Applejack was dared in prank calling her grandmother
>Which, with her intoxication, proved to be a difficult task
>Though she was somehow able to get in the cheap line of the refrigerator running
>Between slurs
>You hope, for her sake, her grandmother didn't recognise her voice
>Pinkie ate a ghost pepper
>And proceeded to bounce around the room for a solid 15 minutes in agony
>Which had you all crying with laughter
>The game, however, eventually concludes
>So everyone just separates into different groups
>You decide it has been a bit since you've had a smoke
>So you go out into the backyard
>And Sunset ends up joining you
>You pass her your lighter and a cigarette
>She lights hers and you light hers
>You watch the sun as it starts to lower in the sky
>You had no idea how long you've been here
>So you check your phone
>Showing that it's 4 o'clock
>And that you had a message from your mom
>But you don't worry about that right now
"This has been quite fun."

>You say as you scan the backyard
>It's like a maze of rock
>With various different types interlinked
>There's marble, limestone, igneous rock, etc.
>Thank you Earth Science for your ability to distinguish pointless detail
>You take a drag off your cigarette
>Sunset leans against the wall of the house
>Also surveying the backyard
>With a content look on her face
>"It has and I think I'm starting to see the appeal of cigarettes."
>She gives you a sly smile
>One that you match
>It's great being a bad influence
"Just do it in moderation, outside, and brush your teeth twice as much and you'll be fine."
>A soft breeze crosses the yard
>Likely strengthened by the narrowed corridors created by all the rocks
>You watch as the embers of your cigarette fall and scatter across the barren ground
>Taking in the smell of the air and your cigarettes
>You also feel somewhat dizzy and your mind is hazy
>Given you were still stoned and a little tipsy
>Yet you haven't lost your ability to take in the beauty of everything around you
>Especially the girl standing at your side
>She walks up to you and leans her head on your shoulder
>While you have your eyes closed
>"Thanks for being there for me."
>She says simply and calmly
>You smile and look at her
>Her eyes are closed as she takes another hit from her cigarette
>The end burns brightly before the ash again scatters in the wind
"It's no problem to me, Sunny."
>The cloud of smoke flows into the cold autumn air and quickly dissipates 
>A soft smile crosses her lips at your words
>And your smile only continues to grow
>Just as you two finish your cigarettes
>And begin to light new ones
>"Sunny?"
>She says with a teasing grin
>You chuckle at her
"Yeah, it's got a nice ring to it. You got a problem with it?"
>You say with mock offence and intimidation
>She easily sees through it
>More than likely because of the dopey grin on your face

>"Nope, Nonny."
>You nearly choke on your cigarette
>And go into a huge coughing fit
>No, she cannot call you that
>That's what your mom calls you
>As you recover, Sunset is giggling at you
"Do not call me Nonny, that's what my mother calls me."
>This only furthers her giggle fit
>"Whatever you say, Nonny."
>Some mock anger comes to your face
>And she continues to laugh at your expense
>You're glad that she's having fun
"But seriously, don't call me Nonny. Pick something else."
>A moment of contemplation comes across Sunset's face
>You take a hit from your cigarette as she thinks
>The nicotine feels good as it courses through your system
>"How about Nonners?"
>You shake your head
>"Nope, too dumb."
>She tries to think of more
>But obviously you can't
>Your name is just way too simple to give a nickname
>Though, that doesn't stop her from trying
>"What about Noncakes?"
>The backdoor beside the two of you suddenly swings open
>And a blur of Pink comes running out
>"Did somebody just say cake?!"
>Pinkie says as she bounces up and down in front of Sunset
>She scared the ever living piss out of you
>Her eyes are still somewhat red
>But she somehow is just a ball of energy
>Fucking Pinkie
>"Uh, no Pinkie... I was trying to give Anon a nickname."
>She looks somewhat dejected at finding out there wasn't any cake
>But quickly perks back up
>"Noncakes sounds really good. Because it's a combo of cake and Anon and that's just really awesome."
>Pinkie says extremely quickly
>Before taking a massive gasp
>"I could invent a cake called Noncakes that's your favourite flavour, Noncakes."
>She says as she bounces around the two of you
>You decide that it's not worth fighting
>And take a long drag from your cigarette
>"What's your favourite flavour, Anon?"
>You sigh and answer
>"I really like vanilla or banana."
>With that in mind, she zooms into the house like roadrunner
>Don't question, just accept
>You tell yourself

>You both finish your cigarettes and enter the house again
>You can hear the sound of kitchen utensils being thrown about
>And just various chaos from the kitchen
>Which means you're probably going to be getting your "Noncakes"
>The rest of the girls are sitting on the couch and on the floor
>While Rainbow Dash fiddles with the remote
>It seems they're working on deciding on a movie to watch
>Fluttershy and Rarity want to watch a Disney movie
>Applejack and Rarity want to watch a horror movie
>But Rainbow Dash seems to be fighting harder for it than Applejack
>It seems you two are going to have to be the tie breakers
>You and Sunset take a seat at the right side of the foot of the couch
>And everyone's attention focuses to you
>"Anon, what do you think: Horror or girly Disney movies?"
>Rainbow quickly asks, getting in your face
>A smirk comes to you as an idea forms in your head
>Why not mess with her
"Just so you know, I'm quite a fan of Bambi." 
>You say looking at the selection at hand
>The other option is the first of the new IT movies
>A good pick, but you're just being a contrarian
>Sunset seems to be getting in on the fun as well
>"I think we should go for the horror movies."
>"Ugh! We're back to where we started!"
>Rainbow yells out in frustration
>And you laugh
"You know, we could play rock paper scissors to settle this."
>You suggest, which causes her to perk up
>"You got a deal."
>She moves to sit in front of you
>And she gets her fist ready
>You look at Rarity and Fluttershy who seem to be sitting anxiously
>Hoping that you would win
>Sorry girls, but you're in the mood for a horror movie
>Because they're funny as hell
>Especially IT
>You lose intentionally for the first round
"Best two out of three."
>You manage to win the second round
>But end up losing the third
>Which causes Rainbow to yell out with victory
>And she goes to hook up the movie

>You spend the next few hours watching movies
>Alternating between Disney movies and horror movies
>Though you asked to have some comedies thrown in
>Which were granted to you
>You had been here for while
>Yet the time just seemed to fly by for you
>You were all working on sobering up before you decided to head out
>It had been quite a bit of fun
>Pinkie had finished cooking your "Noncakes" around 2 hours in
>They looked like mini pieces of cake
>They were covered in white vanilla frosting and the actual cake seemed to be yellow
>Likely indicating that it was banana flavoured
>Though, intermittently, you could see flakes of green speckled throughout it
>Knowing immediately that they were edibles
>She had brought out a plastic bag for you to store them in
>For later, of course
>The sun had long since disappeared from the horizon
>And you've checked in with your mother every so often
>Which she was grateful for
>"Ah think it's 'bout time Ah got back home. Granny wanted me to help Mac fixing up the barn tomorrow."
>You look at the time, realising it was 8 o'clock
>The rest of the girls nod in agreement
>You each get up from your spots and say your goodbyes
>Sunset thanks each of the girls for their kindness tearfully
>And it makes you smile a little bit
>You also give your thanks for the "party"
>You hope that you can do this again sometime
>With everything all said and done, you and Sunset depart
>You are mostly sobered up by now
>Though you still feel a little bit of the head high
>Which is quite pleasant as you drive

>Flashback
>You are Anon from 1 year ago
>The air was thick with the smog of urban living
>Through it, you could see the headlights of cars passing while you made your way from your apartment
>The trees that had been planted to give some semblance of life within the gloomy city were thick with soot
>The trees, needless to say, had withered and died away
>Not a single leaf hung on them
>Whether that was because of the winter snow or the pollution of the city is unknown to you
>The sidewalks are cracking at various places
>However, despite this, not a single weed grows in their crevices
>You stare up at the skyscrapers around you
>Light from the rooms only shines intermittently from them
>Giving the fact that it was the morning
>And most people had already gone to work at this point
>Hence the traffic in the area
>You lived somewhat close to the school, so you never took a bus
>Preferring a 40 minute walk over a 40 minute drive
>And also gave you reprieve from the various stares and whispering that always came with your presence
>You always dressed in dark clothing
>Despite the insistence of your mother that you ought to brighten up your wardrobe
>Black was the colour of professionalism
>Black was the colour of the city
>And Black was the colour of your heart
>Was this a sign of depression?
>No, you would not say that
>For you felt no saddness in your heart
>You rose from your bed every morning
>And carried on with the responsibilities of being a teenager
>Or lack thereof
>You had no particular care for anything that teenagers typically did
>Visiting coffee shops on the way to school
>Which you could see was happening as you walked by a Starbucks
>They were of live and brightly faces despite the gloom of the city
>But you knew, hidden behind those masks, were the instincts of piranhas
>Eagerly waiting for the metaphorical prey to step out of line
>And make a social blunder
>And they would sink their teeth in and have their fill
 
>It was the way of humans within the world of every changing hierarchy
>One that was not founded upon the merit of men
>But rather of the appearance of merit
>And the ability to sway the crowd to one's favour
>It was natural that the mentality sank to that of the youth
>For you all were, indeed, humans
>Less accustomed to the reality of the world, sure, but nonetheless human
>You, however, refused to play the game
>And were easily made prey by the aforementioned piranhas
>Yet from your mouth arose no shriek of terror or pain
>You had been numb to it all, because you knew it did not matter
>They would have their meal and be done with you in time
>So your blood stood to be bitter within their mouths
>Yet starving piranhas will take a meal from even the most diseased of prey
>For even meager sustenance is effective in boosting their social standing
>And the maintained habit of your bullying pressed ever forward
>For, as it had been said in House of Cards,
>"From a Lion's den to a pack of wolves, when you are Fresh meat, kill and throw them something fresher."
>This mentality did not persist, for you at least, in the sense of your freshness
>But rather of that desperation to throw out a piece of defenseless meat when one found themselves vulnerable of being consumed by their fellow piranha
>Because teenagers and their social hierarchies are nothing if not vulnerable and ever changing
>As you walked, cigarette in hand and lazy smoke contributing to the gloom of the city, you came to face one of the most notorious of your repeated attackers
>They were of the school's popular class, of which consisted primarily of those within the sports programs
>The three young men before you were members of the football team
"Denis, Jack, Allen."
>You say calmly as you watch them emerge from an alleyway
>Their massive figures towered over you, in some capacity
>Though you all were roughly the same height
 
>A chorus of snickers comes from them as they make their approach
>There is a sinister glint within their eyes
>For they were the truest of the piranhas
>Perfect reflections of their nature
>Who proudly displayed it as a testament of their "strength"
>Yet all would fail to see this sort of thing
>For the mask is an omnipresent force for you all
>Or it could be that those who were beaten and oppressed were too fearful to point it out
>Or were perhaps waiting for the opportune moment to take their place
>It did not matter, in the end
>It was horridly vain
>And the pleasure of your cigarette would be gone from you following this encounter
>So, as rarely as it did manifest, a sentiment of annoyance came from your lips
"What do you want?"
>Their masks do not falter at your declaration
>But rather, the hunger within their eyes only seems to heighten
>They begin to circle you
>The passersby on the street notice what is occuring
>Yet they do nothing
>Because no one wants to be the hero when there are others to do it
>So they move past you four and turn their attentions to other matters
>"Oh nothing, Anon. Just wanted to have a little chat with the school's resident freak."
>Seriously, how cliche
>No better opening sentence they could make
>You'd rather for them to simply just jump you and beat you already
>This was boring
"Well, Denis, you can have your little chat if you'd kindly fuck off to math class with me."
>The words flow from you effortlessly
>Deliberately inflammatory, in order to provoke your inevitable beating
>Just to get it over with
>And they certainly don't disappoint
>You are grabbed by your arms and dragged into the alley
>Then roughly thrown against the cold snow laden concrete
>The ice crystals create cuts on your face
>Then it begins
>A serious of violent kicks and punches fall upon your sides
>Spikes of pain chorus through your body
>So you focus on relaxing your muscles to ease it
 
>They mutter insults as they go on their violent spree
>Yet you do not move from your place from the ground
>Knowing that they will become bored
>And it ends with you being flipped over to face them
>And you receive a strong punch to your face from Denis
>They then take turns spitting in your face
>Before flipping you off as they walk out from the alley
>You focus on getting your breathing under control
>And you notice that you didn't drop your cigarette
>Which makes your smile briefly
>As you lay on the ground, you take a large drag from it
>And the smoke bellows from your mouth as if you were a dragon
>After finishing your cigarette, you begin to rise
>The cold ice snips your entire body painfully
>Which is only amplified by the various bruises you had sustained
>But you don't think anything is broken
>Given your ability to get it up, albeit with a slight limp
>When you on your feet, you feel warm fluid on your face
>Your nose and lip are bleeding
>You'll have to make a trip to the nurse
>Or simply hope that the bleeding stops as you march on through the gloomy city
>You imagine that your appearance is quite frightening
>The dead neutral stare of yours coupled with your beaten body will have that effect
>As people quickly move out of your way as you march on to school
>You wipe the blood on your mouth with your sweatshirt
>Streaks of dark crimson staining it
>But you could care less
>It'll all come out in the wash
>You reach for your pack of cigarettes in your pocket and your lighter
>You find that its somewhat wrinkled from the attack
>But the cigarettes seem to have been spared
>You light one and inhale again
>The pleasure is mixed with the burning pain in your lip
>But you need your nicotine
>The walk to school is much the same as it always been
>People stare at you with fear and scorn in their eyes
>Especially your peers
>Echoes of "creep" and "freak" following you past iron gates
 
>It was now finally lunch time
>And you were making your way towards your secluded spot at the throat of the world
>Or, more realistically, an empty classroom in the back of the school
>The bleeding, despite your wishes, had not ceased as you made your entry into the school
>And one of the nearby teachers immediately sent you to the nurse
>As you had marched on, sympathetic gazes fell upon you from the teachers
>They understood what was happening, yet were powerless to stop it
>Because 1. They knew making a scene about it would make it worse for you
>And 2. Because you refused to disclose names
>It was a hassle not worth dealing with
>You were fortunate to have a cushioned bookbag
>Because if you hadn't, your laptop would have been destroyed
>And one of your only means of communicating with your "Study buddy" would be ruined
>A few years back your middle school had the gifted students working with other gifted students from another city
>The city of Canterlot, to be specific
>There, you would meet the one person you had limited familiarity with
>Names were honestly never disclosed
>Mainly because the teachers in charge had some stupid poetic agenda
>In which you would communicate as though you were penpals who had never met or seen each others face
>Needless to say, that assignment had passed
>Yet a bond of friendship, which was rare in your life, had manifested
>Mainly because it had came up that you were both social outcasts that shared similar circumstances and hobbies
>You both were on 4chan, watched Anime, and would play games with each other
>You sat down and opened a video call on Skype
>As outdated as that means of communication was
>It instantly declines, however
>You see that she's typing
>"Just a sec."
>A few moments of waiting leads to her opening a video call
>The username: SciTwi flashing on the screen
 
>You accept the call and see her sitting in a chair in a dimly lit room
>Pieces of equipment and papers are scattered around it
>And she sits in the centre of the screen, wearing her hoody and her Anonymous mask
>When your first started communicating, she said that she was very self conscious about her appearance
>Which seemed to you a completely stupid sort of sentiment
>Because she had a very pretty voice
>You could practically hear the chants of "SIMP" echoing from your subconscious
>So you suggested she get one of the masks as a joke
>However, she seemed to take it literally and actually went out and bought one
>And thus you were graced with an acceptance of a video call
>Her dainty purple hand waves to you immediately after you accept
>"Oh my God, Anon! What happened to you?!"
>She shrieks at the sight of your face
>Your nose had been bandaged up and you were carrying an ice pack for your black eye
>You wave your hand in response, flashing the crimson stain on your sweatshirt
>There's no point in lying to her about what happened
"Some dickheads attacked me on the way to school, I'm fine though."
>Her expression is obviously hidden by the mask, but you can tell she is worried
>"I know you say that it isn't worth the trouble, but don't you think it's time to do something?"
>You sigh, sinking back into the chair of the desk you sat at
"There really isn't anything I can do, SciTwi, if I told someone about who was doing it, it would just make it worse."
>You were caught in a place you, for the foreseeable future, can't escape
>Now would be the time to pull out a cigarette
>Except for the fact that she's specifically forbidden you from smoking while she's video calling you
>Explaining that if a teacher were to walk into her lab and saw you, it would put her work in danger
>Because she goes to some snotty rich kid school called Crystal Prep
>So all you can do is let out a sigh and run your hands through your hair
 
>Her bout of silence doesn't go unnoticed by you, however
>She's very conflicted about what she's seeing
>You've become quite good internet friends
>And she's genuinely worried about you
>She seems to be sinking into thought
>You didn't really want to talk about it, to be quite honest
>It was just one of those things were words couldn't help
>You'd either just have to suck up and deal with it
>Or go on an epic training montage
>Master self defence
>Study the sword
>And wait for them to come begging for your help when the world is burning
>Like a bullied autistic kid's wet dream
>You preferred the later, to be honest
>Because one, you had dignity
>And two, because it would all be so tiresome and pointless
>It would only invite further conflict
>And frankly, you'd just be happy continuing on with your meager existence
>So you move onto the next topic
"So, anything interesting going on with that program you're trying to get into."
>This seems to break her from her thoughts as you can see her purple eyes are looking at the camera
>Which is only possible with how the light shines from her own laptop
>You can see her dog in the background moving various books around
>Seeming to be organising them
>You don't know how she did it, but she trained one hell of a dog
>Like, it should be making headlines around the world
>"It's going well enough, I suppose. I've been working on formulating a theory of a new type of energy."
>Now that sparked your interest
>And the girl was smart, so she had to have known the gravity of that declaration
>"If I am able to discover it, I'll be able to get into get into the Everton Independent Study Program."
"More like guarantee you a place in the history books and a Nobel Prize."
>You say as you pull your lunch from your bag
>Somewhat crumpled because of your fall, but whatever
>At least its a good ol' peanut butter and jelly
 
>You honestly weren't one for the sciences
>However, you did understand them to some extent
>Due your many conversations you have had over the years
>From an early age she had a fascination with Astronomy
>And, needless to say, she maintained that fascination
>To the point where, when you first met her, she had mentioned she wanted to be an Astrophysicist
>And continued to pursue that route all of these years later
>She regularly read through scientific papers on the subject
>Actively studying it and even contributing to the field
>If one could magically scan her brain and hand her out a diploma, she would easily have her masters
>But she also expressed interest in the other fields of science
>She was versed in biology, anthropology, chemistry, ordinary physics, medicine, etc.
>She was a prodigy child in everyway
>Your parents would argue that you were the same way
>However, unlike SciTwi, you preferred matters of the humanities and the social sciences
>You preferred to study Philosophy, History, Literature, Politics, and Psychology
>With Psychology being the bridge between both of your interests
>And would lead to you both intermixing what your other interests with the relevant matter of conversation
>So she had become somewhat versed in your particular study matters
>And her in yours
>But, due to the lack of availability of programs to show off your gifts
>And your specific lack of interest in pursuing those nonexistent programs
>You were content in simply taking Semi-advanced classes and breezing through school
>SciTwi was the overachiever, always striving to better herself and always had the spark of ambition
>You, on the other hand, had the motivation of road kill
>It was fun, nonetheless
>Fellow autists nerding out over nerdy things no one cares about
>But you were pretty sure you weren't an autist
>Right?
"So, what are the properties of this new type of energy?"
 
>She seems to light up a bit
>And quickly stands up from her desk
>Spike jumps up onto the table and has his signature puppy grin at the sight of you
>Something which you cannot help but return
>Though you could see the look of worry in his eyes
>You could almost swear that the dog was sentient
>Probably due to one of her experiments
>But you would never say that outloud
>You didn't want to be called completely mad, after all
>Being a nihilistic teenager who couldn't even bother to do something against bullies had well established that fact in the minds of those around you
>You cannot help but chuckle at it all
>She returns with a stack of papers
>She then holds up a map of her city
>And it shows points of interests scattered throughout its layout
"So what am I looking at here, SciTwi?"
>She takes a breath before speaking
>"The energy seems to be originating from around this epicentre."
>She points to a large area near the centre of the town
>Then she begins to follow along different lines which branch out throughout the city
>"The energy seems to be branching out, following multiple different points throughout the city."
>She points to one particular building, the Sweet Shoppe
>"This seems to be its most popular form of destination, but it does branch out to other parts of the city."
>She says indicating to the various areas around the map
>"What is strange about it is that I've been looking around the city, and there is no obvious route that it could be taking. Yet it follows predictable pathways. Which leads me to conclude that the energy is somehow conscious."
>Now that certainly was a bombshell to drop
>Not like an Ancient Alien History Channel documentary bombshell
>That was really just a poorly constructed explosive that had no purpose or reason behind it
>But rather, a bombshell that could potentially turn science on its head
>But not only science, but philosophy
 
>Energy having the capability of being conscious would throw a monkey wrench into your ideas of material determinism on the matter
>This doesn't, however, lead you to doubt that your own consciousness is a byproduct of the chemical reactions in your brain
>However, it does open a window that consciousness is even more complex than originally thought
>A conscious god could exist and would be interacting with the world
>Which would help bolster your theory that life was just a shitty game of SIMS
>But hey, at least it's not the Abrahamic god
>That should would suck
>And be completely illogical
>You wonder if God's wife is getting plowed while he's at work
>Heh
>God could be a cuck
>But your attention is brought back to SciTwi
>Who has been continuing on with her explanation
>She goes into a lot of scientific terminology and begins to reference the various bits of equipment she has been using
"You know SciTwi, I'm glad you're smart and everything but that shit didn't make a lick of sense to me."
>You say taking a bite out of your sandwich
>Her face is obstructed by the mask, but you imagine that she's looking sheepishly at you
>"Sorry, I was nerding out there wasn't I?"
>You give her a small nod with a smirk on your face
>The air conditioning unit behind you turns on, creating a lot of noise in the room
>You can't help but stand up from the desk and pace around
>It's something that you normally did, you liked to walk around
>You hated sitting down for too long
>However, you are mindful to keep yourself in front of the camera
>In order to keep up conversation with SciTwi
"So, how are things going at your new school?"
>You ask with genuine curiousity
>She had similiar experiences to yours with regard to her peers
>However, you don't think she ever was beaten up
>That doesn't mean that she wasn't without her own hardships though
>From what you could tell, she was alienated and belittled by her peers
 
>"It's been going well, I guess. No one really talks to me, so it's definitely not as bad as middle school."
>She says sinking back into her chair, likely dejected
>You know that she puts up an exterior of not caring about having friends
>She drowns herself in her research in order to bolster that illusion
>She was human, she had emotions
>And being completely alone and without friends had that toll upon a person
>Though it never really occurred for you
>Perhaps you were wired differently?
>Were you even human?
>Of course you were, you're descending into insane drivel
>SciTwi continues speaking after your brief bout of inner monologue
>Because your thoughts generally go by really fast
>"It's not all bad though, I have my BBBFF and Cadence. Since they started dating, we've all been spending a lot of time together."
>She reminisces with a slightly more positive tone in her voice
"Your brother is really luckily that he's going to be marrying that hot piece of ass."
>As if God the Cuck had forsaken you for calling him a cuck, Cadence enters the room
>She was the dean at SciTwi's school
>And if her face is any indication, she had heard your comment
>An amused smirk adorns her face as her shapely form makes its approach to SciTwi's desk
>"Well hello to you too, Anon."
>You can't help but give a bashful grin
"How ya doing, Candy Butt?"
>Her smirk only seems to grow
>While SciTwi seems to be progressively more uncomfortable
>She stands up from her chair and begins to walk towards one of the tables
>Where Spike is happily sitting
>She begins to scratch his head and his foot begins to patter like a drum on the desk
>"I'm doing well, Anon."
>She gets closer to the screen and lets out a gasp
>"Jesus, Anon! What happened to you?!"
>Now your bad mood was returning
>But you don't want to sour the conversation
"Just little dick fuck boys getting cheap shots. It's not a big deal."
>She doesn't seem to be satisfied with your declaration
 
>She then adopts an expression that you could only imagine SciTwi had on her face
>"I really don't like this, Anon. This is starting to get out of hand."
>She says in a worried motherly tone
>You two, surprisingly, had developed a fond acquaintanceship
>Having met her through her various intrusions of SciTwi's room while she was younger, she'd stick around and talk with you and SciTwi
>Because she was, apparently, her babysitter
>Despite the fact of her being in middle school
>You supposed that SciTwi's parents were very doting over their daughter
>She didn't seem to mind Cadence though
>Because they had apparently been close for a very long time
>As indicated by the little dance that you got to witness from time to time
>The first time you had seen it was when SciTwi forgot to turn off the camera
>She did not, however, remove her Anonymous mask during that time
>So you still never had a glimpse of her face
>And this information was relayed to Cadence who nonetheless accepted it
>Despite thinking that it was somewhat weird
>She would occasionally join the two of you when you were playing games like Brawlhalla
>"Anon, I have a proposition for you."
>You look at her intrigued
>She sits down in SciTwi's chair and stairs at the screen
>SciTwi and Spike are also looking at you
>"I don't know how well off your parents are, but if you can afford it, I can offer you admission into CHS here in Canterlot."
>Now that intrigued you
>The shear magnitude of that offer does take you aback for a second
>And your astonishment naturally comes to your face
>Despite the slight pain that it causes in your jaw
>"I am quite close to the Principals of the school, and I don't think you're really safe where you are. So if your parents are willing, we can pull some strings and get you admitted to the school for free."
>This certainly was an offer that you were considering
>Your parents had been talking of moving recently
>Due to your repeated bullying
 
>It also doesn't hurt that you'll have at least one friend in the area
>As you really did not have any friends where you currently lived
>You were a loner in a city that was increasingly becoming more violent
>Strife was only rising in the city
>The piranhas were becoming more blood thirsty
>And those unable to defend themselves were suffering the brunt of it
>Which included you
>It wasn't something you really needed
>Despite your nihilistic outlook on life, you still didn't want to find yourself with a dagger in your back
>And remembering the murderous intent of your bullies, it would not be long before that nightmare would become a reality
>Teenagers were stupid and violent
>Denis, Jack, and Allen were the exemplary examples of that fact
>You did not need a coin in order to make this decision
>It was all clear
"If what you're saying is true, I will take you up on your offer."
>SciTwi seems to light up with excitement at your words
>And a look of relief befalls Cadences's face
>"That's one of the things I really like about you, Anon. You're not stubborn and are willing to take advice."
>Cadence gives a somewhat stern glare to SciTwi who looks away from the weight of her glare
>You can't help but give a chuckle
"It comes with the territory of being aware of the world, Candy Butt."
>A playful grin finds her face
>"You say that, but you do realise that I'm engaged right?"
>Now that causes you to raise your eyebrows in interest
>SciTwi seems to be in a state of elated shock
>Cadence quickly puts a hand over her mouth before saying
>"I wasn't supposed to tell you that."
>She says to SciTwi who seems to be having a happy mental breakdown
>SciTwi quickly runs up to Cadence and wraps her in a tight hug while bouncing up and down somehow
>She lets out a girly squeal of excitement
>Cadence makes you both promise to not reveal the fact she had let it slip
>Which you, of course, agree to
>Today started out pretty shitty, but you suppose it's not all bad
 
>You spend the rest of your lunch break talking about random things with the both of them
>However, you do reserve the last 10 minutes of your break to yourself
>You bid them a farewell, wishing Cadence well in her marriage
>She also flirted with the idea of inviting you to the wedding if you moved to Canterlot
>Which was certainly a further incentive to convince your parents of the move
>Not that it would be particularly difficult to do
>You'd get to finally see what your long time friend looked like
>And you'd get to admire the eye candy which was Candy Butt
>Though you were certainly respectful of her relationship with SciTwi's brother
>You didn't like the thought of violating trust through adultery
>Despite knowing that it wasn't objectively wrong to do
>It didn't need to though, it felt wrong so it was wrong
>It was as simple as that
>You had packed up all of your things into your bag and took out one of your cigarettes
>Lighting it in the empty classroom would be of no consequence to you
>You sat there pondering the inner workings of the universe as you let the embers of the cigarette fall out the opened window to the ground below
>Such as God being a cuck
>Stupid thoughts certainly are intriguing and amusing
>You finish your cigarette just as the warning bell sounds off in the classroom
>As you make your way back towards the crowded areas of the school, people are looking at you strangely
>Your face had a grin on it, despite it looking like total shit from your beating
>You couldn't help but laugh as you made your trek towards your classroom
>Denis, Jack, and Allen are leaning against the lockers talking to some of the school thots
>They take notice to you and you can't help but give them the bird as you grin
>However, you slip into the crowded mass of students before they can even do anything
>Soon they will no longer be an inconvenience for you
>And God the Cuck does it feel good
 
>The day seemed to have passed you rather quickly
>Though your teachers had assigned you a great deal of homework, it didn't dampen your mood
>However, there will still protocols that you had to observe in order to guarantee your safety
>You had to wait until football practice had officially started
>Why?
>Because the three stooges would be loitering about the school trying to catch you
>So you had retreated to the classroom that you went to during lunch
>No one came by it and it was the perfect spot
>You spent time twirling cigarettes in your hand as you smoked them
>Listening to good music
>You had pulled out your laptop and went through your emails
>SciTwi would likely busy with her experiments, so you didn't bother to call her
>In your email is an email from Dean Cadence
>Relaying the details of your admission into CHS and the reasoning behind it
>It had typical notes of your supposed brilliance
>But also contained the fact that she was worried about your safety
>It was an informal email in formal form
>Likely to be given to your parents
>You make a note to thank her for it whenever you get the chance
>The time had come to make your departure
>You pass by a few random people in the hallway
>Doing various things for their clubs and what not
>No one bothers to talk to you, so you don't bother to talk to them
>Though the fearful stares of earlier still remain on their faces
>And the whispers are constant
>But you pay it no mind as you make your way out of the school and into the streets
>You cross through rows of stalled traffic as rush hour was upon the city
>The gloom of which only seemed to magnify as the day progressed
>The sky was almost completely black
>Despite it only being around 5 o'clock
>People walked huddled into their jackets and bouts of mist came from their exposed mouths
>Yet through it all no one said a word
 
>Unlike this morning, barely anyone paid you mind as you walked
>Mainly because wage slaves have better things to do than worry about a bruised teenage fuckhead
>Which was perfectly acceptable for you
>As you didn't really care for the staring
>You got enough of it at school
>A small smile adorns your lips as you walk
>You decide today is worth celebrating
>So you find yourself approaching a doughnut shop that you frequented
>Mainly because they had good coffee and they had an area where you could smoke in
>The sound of the bell greets you as you make your entrance
>The cafe only has a few people in it, idly talking about the hum drum day to day
>You make your approach to the counter and find one of your favourite people in this god forsaken city
>He's working with the coffee machine and has just put a batch of donuts into the oven
>The warm and inviting smell being a stark contrast to the cold disgusting one of the outside
>He turns around and nearly jumps out his skin
>He's an older man with short jet black hair
>His face is wrinkled with age, yet in his eyes exist a fire of mischief and ambition
>He wore a suit, which was somewhat odd, but he always had the excuse of "dressing for success"
>"Fuckin' Christ, Anon. Little shit bags popped ya good, didn't they?"
>His jovial tone greets you as you make your approach towards the counter
>He has a thick Italian Brooklyn accent
>He hands you a cup of coffee and you immediately take a long gulp out of it
>Not caring that it was hot as almighty hell
>You honestly barely felt it
"Yeah, they got me on the way to school. Drug me into an alleyway."
>He lets out a gruff of annoyance at that
>"Ya know, I can't stand the kids nowadays. They got no class, no respect, an' no honour."
>He says as he pulls out a batch of donuts from the oven
>"They'd pull that shit in my time, my boys would've beaten 'em to an inch of their life."
>You can't help but chuckle at that
 
>Chris was quite the peculiar man
>He was the son of Italian Jews who immigrated to the US after World War II
>Grew up poor in Brooklyn
>Yet was one of the hardest working men you had ever had the pleasure of knowing
>He was, surprisingly, a devout Christian despite the foulness of his mouth
>He was in the navy with your grandfather during the second world war
>And they had become the best of friends
>Which effectively made him part of the family
>Most of his family still lived in Italy and he had no children of his own
>Making him almost like a second grandfather to you
>In fact, in an act of defacto adoption, he was named as your godparent
>Which you didn't mind at all, you loved the man dearly
>You'd go with him to mass with your grandmother
>He was the only one in your family to know of your Atheism
>And, rather than go tell about it, said a rosary for you everyday
>In hopes that you'd convert back to Christianity
>Yet he never shunned you, nor knocked you for disbelieving
>Always remarking
>"You're a smart kid, Anon. Whatever decision you end up coming to isn't my business, it's God's."
>He was also a tough son of a bitch despite his age
>Likely due to his rough upbringing
"They're just assholes, Chris. It ain't worth getting riled up over."
>He gives a hearty chuckle at your words
>"There ya go again with all that stoic crap. Ya honestly impress me kid, even though ya ain't got a fighting bone in ya body."
>He says sitting down in front of you
>"Honestly, Anon. This shit's gonna end up getting ya killed one 'a these days. Ya need to fight back."
>You wave him off
>"They're not stupid enough to do anything that bad. They're really just pissed that I don't cower like a little bitch and they want my lunch money."
>He stands up suddenly and yells out to the backroom
>"Oy Ron, take over for a minute will ya? Me and Anon going to have a smoke."
>You here an affirmative from the backroom and he makes his way out towards the smoking room
 
>You were somewhat tall, but Chris towered over you
>Even more so then the three stooges of asses that gave you hell everyday
>He hands you a cigar from his shirt pocket and you gratefully accept it
>You pear through the glass door that separates the cafe from the smoking room
>There's a pool table, a flat screen television, and an unoccupied bar table with empty cabinets
>Entering the room, you take a further look around
>You've been in here countless times, but it's just something you did
>Always preferring to scan an area before getting comfortable
>Chris always made a note of that, saying it was a good trait to have
>You look through the glass window that reveals many people walking by and the activity of the city at night
>A peace falls over you as you enter, you liked this place
>You also liked strong black coffee and cigars
>Because you were nothing if not a fan of the bitter in life
>Lighting up, you take a huge drag and blow it into the air
>"Y'know, if your grandmother knew I let ya do this she'd kill me."
>He says as he flicks of the television, which is automatically on the news
>But you pay it no mind
>He moves over to one of the walls and throws you cue stick, which you happily accept
>"Ya best be brushing your teeth well, Anon. Can't let all that tobacco ruin perfectly good teeth, like mine for example."
>He says giving a toothy smile, which does reveal his almost perfectly white teeth
"Yeah, yeah. I hear ya. I'm about as excited to being caught as you are."
>You say with a smirk as you set up the pool table
>You make the first shot and manage to pocket two stripes
>Making you stripes and him solids
>You take another drag of your cigarette
"Your move, Chris."
>If gives a grunt in response
>Despite his age advantage, you were better at pool than him
>Probably due to your analytical and careful nature
>You always were one of precision and calculation
 
>"So anything new going on with ya, Anon?"
>He says taking his shot, after you had missed yours
>He then proceeds to pocket a 3 and moves around the table for another shot
>Meanwhile a sleet begins to fall from outside
>Which lets you know it's going to be a bitch getting home
>But whatever, you're here to have fun
"My parents are talking about moving, giving how bad it's getting for me here."
>This causes him to miss his shot with shock
>He takes a long drag of his cigar as he looks at you with astonishment
>"Really? Well, shit. Y'know you could easily fix it if ya actually fought back, right?"
>You give a shrug
"I don't have any friends, so if I were to fight back they could easily just tell on me and I'd get on trouble."
>He spits into an ash tray at this
>"What a bunch of pussies. Jumping a man and then telling on 'em when they fight back. If I was your age, I would've taken the suspension and given out an ass whooping."
>He lets out a sigh of defeat
>"I'm glad you ain't got my fire, Anon. Ya turn the other cheek, and in that way, you're very Christlike. Saints smile on that kinda thing, y'know."
>You give him a tired smile at his words
"I actually got an offer through a friend of mine's... sister in law to be, I guess."
>He looks intrigued at that
>"Well come on then, spill it kid. What's the deal?"
"If I ended up moving to Canterlot, she'd have the rest of my high school paid for in a private school called CHS."
>He lets out a whistle at that
>"Well damn, it'd probably be better than that shithole of a school you're going to now."
>You give a chuckle at that and move to make your play
>Your cigar dangles out of your mouth as you take your shot
>However, you miss it but do ending up breaking up the balls better
"The only problem with it all is convincing my parents. Plus, I'd miss coming to his place after a long day."
>He waves it off
 
>"Forget about it, kid. That's a damn good offer ya got. I've been to Canterlot before, it's a very beautiful city. Way greener and has less people than this place, so it ain't so stifling. You sure you can handle the curriculum, though?"
>Now it's your turn to wave him off
"It isn't that kind of private school, it just has more money to do shit apparently. You can take high level courses or just go through a normal curriculum."
>"Well, you're a smart kid anyway. You could do it if it was hard. If you want, I can call your parents and help convince them if they aren't willing."
>You give him a grateful nod
>You both continue on with your coffees, cigars, and the game
>Ron had come in wondering what was taking Chris so long, but he waved him off
>Telling him they could close early for the day
>Which wasn't all that surprising to you
>Chris had a nice spot in this part of town
>Which meant it was frequently trafficked, and he had a good source of income
>Allowing him to take days off whenever he felt like it and close down the store
>Which didn't bother you as you wasted the evening away simply enjoying the finer things in life
>You seriously would miss this when you eventually moved
>You'd make it a duty to visit as often as you could
>As you continue on with multiple games, you attention can't help but be drawn to the television
>Headlines of riots breaking out in the Crystal Empire
>And violent suppression at the hands of King Sombra
>One of the riots, in the capital, is being live streamed on the television
>The camera pans to a group of soldiers marching in formation towards a crowd of empty protesters
>They beat their buttons against their shields in order to threaten the crowd
>Which causes them to become blood thirsted and begin to charge
>From the television screams break out as they clash
>And then you hear the horrid sounds of machine gun fire
>Which causes the feed to die and the news anchors to stand back astonished
 
>Chris's attention is also on the television
>And he can barely believe what he just saw
>"World's only seeming to get more violent, nowadays."
>He says solemnly as he smokes his cigar
>"Y'know, violence used to mean something. It was the last resort, no one wanted to use it after World War II. But now, everyone seems to not be able to get enough of it."
>You nod your head in agreement
>He says obvious things, sure, but he's an old man
>He's allowed to reminisce on the past
>And mock the modern world
>Because that is the duty and function of older people
"What do you reckon will come of all of this?"
>He looks off through the windows before replying
>"That Sombra is an evil bastard, just like his father before him. But now, with how crazy it's all getting, it won't be long their war spreads here too."
>There were many things to be angry about in the world
>War was flaring in the middle east
>The powers that be are barely doing anything to combat climate change
>And the middle and lower classes were getting poorer and poorer
>The piranhas will become even more fearful
>And they were becoming more blood thirsty
>Everyone wants a scapegoat to blame
>The sides will clash and blood will be spilled
>And yet, despite it all, so long as the fear and desperation remain, it will continue
>No matter how high the mountain of corpses stands
>And soon, there will be no hope of rebuilding from the destruction
>The world was barely able to do it after the world wars
>And yet, despite this knowledge, they made weapons far more destructive
>And attempt to control the masses ever more than they did
>"I'm scared for your generation, kid. So much potential, yet so unable to actualise it. You alls are smarter and more conscious of everything, but you're so few in number and even less likely to act. It's a tragedy, really."
>He walks up to you and wraps you into a strong embrace
 
>"But that's neither here or there, kid. Keep your head in the moment, worry about what's directly ahead of you instead of what could be. Cause it's all up in the air at this point."
>You return the embrace
>He's a very sentimental old man
>And you don't feel any sense of awkwardness from the hug
>He's human and he's allowed to follow his heart
>Though your heart might be that of a pessimist, and stoic in the face of it all, it fills you with happiness
>The sign of a man among sheep is not necessarily his intelligence, but rather his ability to follow his own heart unabashedly and know why his heart beats the way it does
"I know, Chris. If there's anything that you ever taught me, that's one of the lessons I keep close to my heart."
>He lets out a hearty, but sad chuckle
>"Damn am I going to miss ya when you're gone, who am I going to share my smokes and thoughts with?"
"Perhaps not close down your shop and smoke cigars with a minor?"
>You reply with a sarcastic grin
"Pfft, I'll probably end up doing it anyway. I need a break from all this shit."
>You both make your way out of the smoking room
>Finding the lights off in the main cafe and the neon light sign outside signalling that the store was closed
>"If you want, Anon, I can give you a ride home. It's not too much trouble."
>He pulls out his keys and dangles them in front of you
>The metal ringing echoing throughout the cafe
>But you deny his offer
"No, I need to walk home so I can get the smell off me. I'm not really looking for my parents to have a hissy fit."
>He gives a nod and walks out of the cafe
>With you following close behind him
>"If you need any help convincing them, I'll put my two cents in and tell 'em it's a good idea for ya."
>You turn and start walking down the street towards your apartment complex
>"Wait, Anon. Before you go..."
>You see that he's holding out a box of cigars
>"Save 'em for a special occasion. Consider it a parting gift."
 
>The walk home is a stark contrast from the walk to school
>The air is still cold, sure, but there are barely any people out at this time
>The streetlights illuminate the area around you creating a mystical sort of atmosphere
>Though the stench of the city and its pollution does not let up
>You take the time to put the box of cigars, along with your cigarettes, in your bag
>As a means of hiding them from your parents
>If they ask why you smell like smoke, you'll just say you were hanging out with Chris
>It works every time
>Though they always say that you should try hanging out with people your own age
>You didn't even need to go into the reasons why that wasn't possible
>Your eyes find themselves to the sky above you
>Not a single star, due to the light pollution
>Only the bright shinning moon
>Whose magnificent white light seems to be dulled by the oranges and yellow of the city
>And the veil of mist that has settled over everything
>In the distance, you see three figures begin to approach
>And you quickly recognise them
>"Yo, Anon!"
>Denis's voice calls out from the distance
>They had been waiting for you
>You waste no time and begin to sprint across the street
>They try to intercept you, but a car blocks them
>You take off sprinting down a nearby alleyway
>Hoping to lose them as quickly as possible
>Some homeless people are gathered around a barrel that is on fire towards an intersection in the alleyway
>Their eyes look at you curiously, then with fear
>But you ignore them and take off going right
>Hopefully, you can make it to second street from this direction
>Darkness settles over you as you begin to run further through the alleyway
>And the way is becoming more obstructed by trash and debris
>So your pace has slowed somewhat
>You're also not trying to step on a hobo, because you reckon that will be more dangerous for you
>Fortunately, you are indeed on second street
>But unfortunately, so are your pursuers
 
>They quickly spot you and they start gaining distance
>You were no means a runner, so they are quickly gaining on you
>The feeling of one of their hands trying to grasp you quickly makes itself known behind you
>As you hear the thundering sound of their feet following you
>Two cars are coming from opposite sides of the road
>So you make a daring escape
>You quickly brake left and straight into oncoming traffic
>The cold bites at you as you run and fragments of ice blind you as you run
>Nonetheless, you keep going as fast as you can
>The horns from the cars follow your escape
>Just in time to see one graze you as you make it to the other side
>The force of the car leaves a sharp pain in your bruised side
>And it causes you to hit the pavement hard
>Though you ignore it due to the adrenaline that is pumping through your veins
>You let out a cough as you quickly get to your feet
>Only to receive a hard strike to the back of your head
>So close to home, and they had caught you
>Your body goes limp as they begin to drag you towards the same alley they had cornered you previously
>There are two forms of wetness on your form right now
>One from the cold snowy ground
>One from the warm blood that was no trickling from your head
>Everything is blurry and you're having a hard time staying conscious
>You do get a good look at their faces, however
>Their eyes are bloodshot red and they are grinning like animals that have caught prey
>They begin by kicking your already bruised sides hard and fast
>Which causes you to fall over and bury your head into the snow
>The monsters don't even have the decency to blind you from your torment
>In fact, they want you to witness it
>They turn you back around and you are greeted with a switch blade in Denis's hand
>"You put me in a real difficult spot with my girl with your fucking freakish face, Anon."
>You swish the blood that's pooling in your mouth into a massive ball of spit
>And then spit it into his face
 
>He, of course, did not like that one bit
>The switchblade he has begins to get closer to one of your legs
>And you attempt to get away, but Jack and Allen hold you down
>With the same looks as Denis's
>They're on something quite potent to be willing to do this
>So there's no reasoning with them and no escape
>Tonight could be the end of your life
>He then raises the blade and sends it straight through your thigh
>At first, it barely registers that it happened, but the sharp pain finds its way to your brain
>You try to move away, but due to being held down, you can only squirm in their grasp
>They had covered your mouth in order to prevent you from screaming
>"By the end of tonight, Anon... no one is going to fucking remember you."
>He says in laboured breathe
>"We'll throw you in the trashcan over there."
>He says pointing to a dumpster behind you
>"Hopefully you're dead before the rats can get you."
>He raises his hand for another strike, this time in your stomach
>Just as the blade starts to graze your stomach you hear a chorus of footsteps come thundering from outside the alley
>"POLICE. GET ON THE GROUND NOW!"
>Two police officers come running into the alleyway with pistols drawn on all of you
>There is fear and anger in all of their eyes
>And whatever they are on, makes Denis do something fucking stupid
>He immediately stands up and begins to charge them with the knife in his hand
>The loud patter of their bullets coupled with the smell of gunpowder fills the air
>You don't even know how many shots were fired
>The ringing in your ears hadn't just yet
>Jack and Allen are now making a run for it
>And the cops waste no time by firing at them too as they disappear within the alleyway
>Splitting up
>The officers are forced to follow after them
>"Shots fired on second street, civilian injured. I need an ambulance and backup immediately."
 
>As they make their way away from you, you start to put pressure on your wound
>You have nothing that can obviously help you in it, so you use your hands in order to stop the bleeding
>They're becoming caked in blood
>They must have struck an artery given how much blood you had lost
>So, with your limited knowledge of medical procedure, you do the best that you can do
>You lean back on the ground and fight to raise your leg in the air
>While maintaining as much pressure on your wound as possible
>The blood will have more difficulty flowing out of you that way
>Though you are in intense pain, and your vision is going blurry, you fight to stay awake
>More shots are fired as the minutes press on
>But for you, it feels like an eternity
>Your eyes can't help but follow Denis's corpse as blood flows out of him onto the damp concrete laden snow
>In fears of any of your blood mixing with his, you manage to craw to a safer distance
>Before long, however, the officers emerge and start making their way back towards your position
>With only Allen being cuffed
>He takes a look at you and tries to lunge at you
>But he is easily held by the officers
>The officers take a look at you and you can see that they're impressed
>Probably because you're somehow still alive despite all of your blood loss
>But you reckon that won't be for long, now
>They take him away, more than likely to a cop car, and more police begin to show up on the scene
>Along with the ambulance
>Thank God
>The paramedics quickly rush to you and lower you back down
>And begin to work their magic
>They have bandages and gauze
>Telling you to brace for the pain, which you do
>And surprisingly, you aren't knocked out by how intense this is
>One of the officers, specifically the one who first started yelling, makes his approach
>"You're putting up one hell of a fight, kid."
>You give him a nod of acknowledgement
>Mainly because it hurts too much to speak
 
>The paramedics end up lifting you up and place you on a gurney
>They work on elevating your leg as they begin to roll you out of the alley
>By now, a small crowd has formed around the scene
>And officers work on holding them back and setting up a secure perimeter
"Wait a second."
>You say faintly, though they are able to pick up on it
"Someone bring me my bag, it's over there."
>You say pointing towards the alleyway where your blood was caking the snow
>The officer that complimented you is the one to bring it over
>"You did well today, kid. Just focus on resting up and you'll be fine. Do you have anyway that we can contact your parents?"
>You grab your bag, despite the protests of the paramedics, and pull out your phone
>However, your cigarettes and cigars fall out in plain sight
>And your blood runs cold
>"You 18, kid?"
>He asks simply
>There's no point in lying
"No, sir."
>He seems to be thinking for a moment
>"You shouldn't be smoking, y'know. But lets just put these back in your bag and pretend that we didn't see this."
>He says with a charming smile and the paramedics nod in agreement
>Thank fucking God
>At least this wouldn't get any worse
>You do find your phone, however, and pass it to the officer unlocked
>You also tell him your passcode
"Please contact them as soon as you can, and please say firstly that I am okay. My mother is already going to be panicking."
>He gives you a nod of thoughtful understanding
>"Ya get stabbed and your first thought is on your mom. Good job, kid. We'll be by the hospital to collect a statement."
"What about the other one that you didn't come out with?"
>He takes a serious look at you
>"We shot him, but he's still alive back there from what I can tell. We only grazed him in the leg."
>Now it is your time of thoughtful understanding
>This is easily going to manifest into one hell of a shit show
>However, you can pretty much guarantee that you're going to be moving
>So that's a plus
 
>The drive to the hospital goes by fairly quickly
>And despite your desire to pass out, you manage to stay awake
>The paramedics do multiple tests on you
>They discover that you have a mild concussion
>And that you've lost a significant amount of blood
>Which was obvious
>You make idle conversation with them to pass the time
>And keep your mind off the pain
>Before long, you are rushed through ER
>That night was spent with you undergoing surgery to get stitches in
>You awoke from it to the sight of your tearful and worried parents
>Your mother immediately wraps you in an embrace and your dad looks to be fuming
>Not at you, however
>The officer from before eventually comes in while you and your parents had been talking
>"So, Mr..."
>He begins
"It's just Anonymous. I don't have a last name."
>He looks baffled at that declaration
>"Really? Well, damn. I didn't even know that was possible."
>Your mother buts in
>"You can thank this one for that."
>She says pointing to your father who looks proud of it
>"I found a loophole in the law to do it, so I did. Because fuck the feds..."
>He says without thinking
>"No offense to you, officer."
>The officers lets out a hearty laugh
>"I feel you there, brother. Feds are always trying to make it difficult for us to do our jobs. You can't ever trust a fed boy."
>Somehow, someway, the officer just used the strange Ed Edd n' Eddy parody that your dad does
>Fucking hell, now there's two of them
"So, anyway, I'm ready to give my statement now."
>They finish up and you begin to tell your tale
>All of them watching with interest, while the officer begins to take notes
>He's in his early 30s, yet has somewhat of a bald spot on the top of his head
>You feel sorry for the bastard
>Hopefully you do not meet the same fate
>You omit the parts about you smoking, but you detail everything
>Both the morning incident and tonight's incident
>Throughout it all, your parents only continue to look more and more pissed
 
>You conclude the statement with everything that happened before the officers got to you
>Including their words of murderous intent
>This sets your dad over the edge and he punches the wall hard
>You know it hurt, but he refuses to show it
>"Sir, I know this is stressful, but you need to calm down. If not for me, but for your son."
>Your dad looks at him before nodding his agreement
>And he begins to comfort his aching hand
>"Thank you for this information, Anonymous. With this, we have solid grounds for them to be charged with 2nd degree murder. But it could honestly go either way as more details are revealed. However, you have my assurance that they will be put behind bars for a long time."
>Your parents give him a thankful nod, while you continue to look blankly at him
>"You can also file in civil court to get some money for all of this. It would help pay your bills. I can even recommend you to my brother's law firm, if you would like."
>Your mother looks extremely grateful at that
>"Do you know if he is willing to also handle a lawsuit against a school?"
>She asks, which takes the officer aback
>"Anonymous here has been bullied excessively throughout his time there, and the administrators have done nothing to ensure his safety."
>The look of understanding befalls the officer once again
>"I suppose he can, but that's a high risk gamble you're going for there. I wish you luck if you decide to go through with it."
>Your parents go off and shake the officers hand
>And he leans over the bed to shake yours
>"Your son is quite tough, despite his wounds he didn't pass out. We'll have more information in the coming months, and again, good luck to all of you."
>You wave your goodbyes as he makes his way out of the room
>Your parents look like they've barely slept
>And you reach for your phone, revealing that it's 5 in the morning
>You were certainly out for a while
 
>To cheer your parents up, you fill them in on the offer you were made today
>They seem elated by it
>"We were already planning to move, but now that's going to happen faster. We're going to take you out of school and home school you until all of this mess is over."
>You nod in agreement, honestly having no complaints
>They ask you various questions about how you got the offer
>You tell them about SciTwi and how you got to know her and her sister in law to be
>They had seen your injuries this morning and were concerned
>So they gave you the offer to come to Canterlot
>With the decision made, there isn't much to be said
>Months go by
>Your family wins all of your court battles
>Jack and Allen are both convicted of second degree murder and possession of cocaine
>You also won money to cover your medical expenses
>And your parents won against the school for their inaction
>It didn't make you millionaires, but it made you damn near close
>Your wounds, however, had healed nicely
>Though you did have multiple scars along you body due to all of the abuse
>Especially on the leg
>You informed SciTwi and Cadence of the news and everything that was happening
>They were horrified at first, but relieved that you would be coming to Canterlot
>Saying that you all would have to get lunch together sometime after your move
>Things were going pretty well
>Your old laptop had broke, which allowed you to get a really nice gamer one
>Running for sick specs
>i7 9750HK, 16GB DDR4 at 2666, RTX 2070, and 240HZ
>The thing was a fucking beast
>You nerded out over it with SciTwi
>Life was pretty good from that point on
>And it would be even better after you moved away from the city
>However, part of you will miss it
>This place had long been your home
>And you were leaving behind Chris and your grandparents, but it couldn't be helped
>You had to be safer and more prosperous in a new city
>Hopefully it's better than this one
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnlPtaPxXfc
>You hand Sunset a cigarette and you both light up again
>You're going through these like water, but you could care less
>It was a fun day, so why not enjoy the finer things in life?
>You drop Sunset off and give her a goodnight kiss and hug
>Much like the last night
>But this time, you had thoughts of the coming Monday on your mind
>Whatever happens, you'll have to be ready for it

>As you have always thought, humans are like piranhas in many ways
>At the sight of weakness in the adversary, they will go for blood
>Despite the fact that, beforehand, they wouldn't have dared to speak out against you
>Wielding and then losing power has that effect
>Sunset would typically take the bus during a morning like this
>And like a regent, she would rain supreme at the back
>No one daring to mess with her
>Today, however, had you witness the piranhas striking
>Driving to school just as the buses pulled into the parking lot, you see Sunset step out from her bus
>She's covered in food and a group of piranhas, male and female, walk past her in boisterous laughter
>Your first inclination is to step out of your car and go to protect her
>But you were caught in the line waiting to enter the school's parking lot
>Some of your peers have spotted you through your car's windows
>And the pass a myriad of different symbols to you
>Middle fingers, dirty scowls, and looks of interest
>It was just as it was in your old city
>Worse in some ways, but better in others
>You were now the centre of attention for the school
>But at least you didn't have a knife rammed into your leg yet
>Watching your girlfriend disappear into the school, being followed and harassed by members of the student body is making your blood boil
>Yet you are helpless to stop it
>Because traffic
>You curse yourself for having driven today, it would of just been easier to walk
>But a need for a quick breakfast at a nearby Wawa had to stop you
>At least you have a pretty good sandwich out of it
>It isn't that much consolation for your blunder, however
>After about 10 minutes of waiting, you finally get into a parking spot a bit of a ways away from the school
>You can see a few late teachers rushing to the school
>And students loitering around the parking lot talking to each other
 
>Checking your pockets before you leave, you assure yourself that you have the essentials
>Your wallet and your cigarettes
>You finish the already lit cigarette in your mouth by stomping it out in the parking lot
>"Fucking delinquent asshole."
>Someone in the distance calls out to you
>It's the asshole that punched you in the mouth at the Sweet Shoppe
>However, he seems to be alone
>He's of a taller sort, with blonde hair, blue eyes, and a perfectly punch-able face
>Perhaps it was why you forsook your typical stoic attitude to inform him he was a "coward bitch"
>Deciding he was not worth your time, you walk towards the school
>He tries to intercept you, but you've become good at this kind of game
>You bob and weave through cars and make it to the school grounds
>Where you are safely in the sight of facility should the idiot become violent
>Which he more than likely would, given the opportunity
>Yet the fool is hot on your tail
>And he does catch up to you
>He shoulder checks you hard and you're nearly spun around
>The anger in you flares up, but you have more pressing matters to deal with
>So you ignore him and continue to walk
>He spits on you and it hits the sleeve of your sweatshirt
>Yet you continue to walk
>Because a minor bully means nothing when your girlfriend is possibly hurt and in danger
>For once in your life, it seemed you had an actually motivating will and ambition
>And you were willing to act on it
>The spark of love is a powerful emotion
>One that, with Sunset, only seems to grow
>You had only known the girl for less than two months, and had been with her for only 3 days
>Yet you were sure of what you felt
>For you, you didn't need a reason to feel as you did
>Because what you felt was genuine and not formed out of hormonal lust or idealism
>But rather the sense of connection you felt for her
 
>You felt a rush of air suddenly start moving towards you
>And without thinking, as if something had caused you to do it, you move to the left
>Which made you avoid a particularly devastating kick to the back of your leg
>An energy seems to be coursing throughout your body
>You feel it crawl throughout your veins, swirling around in your head
>You have no idea what this is, perhaps it's adrenaline?
>It could be, but it doesn't feel like adrenaline
>It feels alien to you, but it is somewhat familiar
>Like it had been lurking within you for a long time
>Why would it come about now?
>Whatever it is, it causes an intense rage to course through your being
>Like your blood was boiling as the energy swirled within you, which only increased its magnitude of power
>Before you could ponder it any further, you cast a death glare at the asshole
>And, to your surprise, he looks fearful
>So do the other students
>You say absolutely nothing; because nothing needed to be said
>Whatever it was about you that caused them fear made that very clear
>So you continue to walk towards the school
>The repair crew had managed to fix up the debris
>Though there was still a gaping hole in the entrance of the school
>Not your problem to deal with
>You find a group of students surrounding Sunset's desk when you enter the classroom
>And it isn't because they wanted to congratulate her on being reformed
>You briefly observe them and their words
>The venom laced with their tongues, their threats of violence, their belittling insults
>That energy that you had come into contact with magnifies at the sight
>Sunset has her head down, trying to make herself as small as possible
>While some of the girls are swinging close to her head as a means to intimidate her
>In this moment, the genders were perfectly equal
>You grab one of the girls' hair and push her down against the desks
>Hard
>The noise gathers the attention of everyone in the room
>Luckily the teacher wasn't here yet
 
>She had not sustained any visible injuries from your violent act, which was good
>As you have said, you were typically stoic
>You were typically passive
>You tended to want to avoid violence whenever you could
>And you certainly could have, by making your presence known and looking intimidating
>But the energy that was swirling within you called you to act
>And, with the soul crushing weight of addiction, you found yourself thoughtlessly obeying
>For the anger you felt was intoxicating, the further you sank into it, the further it grew
>Creating an infinite loop
>"What the fuck do you think-"
>One of her male harassers tries to get out before you grip him by the throat
>And then, somehow, proceed to lift him into the air with one hand
>You stare at him with pure unadulterated wrath
>His eyes and expression indicate that he is downright terrified
>And so is everyone in the rest of the class
"If I catch anyone messing with her, I'm going to make you sorry. Do we have an understanding?"
>They nod vigorously while creating as much distance from you as possible
>You let the guy go and he briefly holds his throat
>You weren't choking him, just holding him by the throat
>Sunset, despite what happened, has not lifted her head from the table
>Likely indicating that she had not seen your superhuman feat just now
>Which makes you somewhat relieved for some reason
>The energy that had been swirling in you slowly starts to dissipate
>And you find yourself drained from the whole sorted affair
>You gently stroke her hair, brushing out fragments of food from it
>She looks up curiously to see you sadly smiling at her
>Her makeup is ruined from crying and the food that was thrown at her
>"Oh my God, Anon. You look like shit."
>You can't help but chuckle at that, although only briefly
"I should be saying the same for you, let's go get you cleaned up."
 
>You offer her your hand, but her moment of hesitation causes you to grab it for yourself and pull her up
>She gives little protest and you both begin to walk towards the door
>Though you adjust your hand in such a way as to not be gripping, but rather holding affectionately
>The uneasiness that you felt in Sunset seems to vanish at this
>As you walk, the students move away from you in fear
>You spot Snips sitting at the door looking terrified at you
"Tell Ms. Harshwhinny that there was an accident and that I'm taking Sunset to get cleaned up."
>He looks away from you in fear, but nods in acceptance
>So you waste no time marching towards the restrooms with her
>The hallways are mostly empty which makes traversing them easier
>Though it doesn't stop you from carefully observing every corner and hallway that you pass
>You did not need to be attacked right now
>Cast were you into the den of the piranhas, and from experience, one must be on their toes in order to survive
>You arrive at the bathroom swiftly
>You direct her towards the men's restroom and she gives her protest to it
>"Anon, I can't just go.."
"Relax. You're going to need help getting all that shit out, and it's not like we're going to be fucking in there."
>She blushes heavily at your words, but remains firm in opposition
>"There are cameras Anon! Someone in the office could see, or a boy could just walk in on us!"
>You give it a moment of thought
>Those were some good points
"Here's what I got. I'll step out of the bathroom every 2 minutes and wave to the cameras. That way, if the office does see, they know we aren't fucking in there."
>"What about if someone walks in?"
"From my experience, a sharp glare and a firm warning always seemed to work."
>She sighs heavily in defeat
>"Today's already turning out to be a real mess."
>You couldn't agree more with that sentiment
"Well, we should just focus on surviving, at least for now."
 
>Entering the restroom, you're greeted with the depressing blue walls and the bright white light of the massive LEDs
>It's fairly disgusting and fairly depressing
>But you suppose bathrooms aren't supposed to be the place you'd want to admire aesthetics
>That's for whatever you were jerking off to or whoever you were fucking in the stalls
>Sunset looks around and checks every stall; finding them all empty
>Probably wasn't the best idea for her to do that, but you got lucky
>"You know, the boys' bathroom smells way better than the girls'."
>You can't help but chuckle at that
"Girl, you sayin' the pussy stank?"
>She rolls her eyes while she smirks
>At least you're able to bring her into better spirits
>She walks to the sink and focuses her attention on you
>You can't really get a feeling based off her facial expression, other than that you should get to work
>Setting the water to hot, you wait for it to heat up
>So you take the time to step outside and wave in both directions of the hallway
>That way, both cameras can see you and your face
>Stepping back inside, Sunset is already at work with her hair
>Her hands are dampened by the water, and she's knitting out bits of meat and other foodstuff from her hair
>You walk up to her and begin to help her in the back
>There's a particularly nasty knot at the end of her hair on the left side
>And you go to work trying to get it out
>Though, you must have been too rough
>"Jeez, Anon! Easy back there! You're being too rough!"
>She looks at you with pleading eyes
"Sorry, I'll try to go slower this time."
>And you make good on that promise, and are able to get the knot undone
>Which is another opportunity for you to step outside and wave to the cameras
>You wonder if the Principals are watching this whole sorted affair
>At this point, most of the food in her hair is gone
>But it's also soaking wet, along with her signature jacket and shirt
>They were also covered in food, though to a much lesser degree
 
>You step back outside and walk around, waving to the cameras again
>You're about to head back in before you hear the sound of two guys talking
>It seems like they're about to round the corner and see you
>So you resolve to do the most reasonable thing you can, rush back into the restroom
>While also startling your girlfriend as she rips a chunk of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich from her hair
>Hopefully that doesn't cause significant damage
>Focus Anon
>Now's not the time to worry about your girlfriend's hair
>You two probably need to hide, because those girls are coming
>Stop the monologue, you fucking fool
"We need to get into one of those stalls. I think someone is coming."
>You whisper yell to the startled girl in front of you
>Her eyes also indicate a sense of fear and worry
>Though in a different context than you had seen this morning
>"They didn't see you come running in here, did they?!"
>Fuck, you didn't think of that
"No..No, I don't think they did."
>You two quickly get into one of the stalls and close it behind you
>Sunset is left to crouch on top of the toilet seat while you try to use your body to block her from the crack in the stall's doors
>Probably extremely futile, but something is honestly better than nothing
>Then you hear them enter the bathroom
>It's Flash Sentry and Norman
>Or, in other words, the two fuckbois you met in the beginning of the year and had that little chat about women's balls with
>Though, you think this a different restroom from the one where it went down
>Or is it?
>Who knows? Who cares?
>"Dude, last week was fucking crazy."
>Norman says somewhat wistfully as he enters the stall directly next to you
>"I know, right? Sunset turned into that whole demon thing and we all got our minds taken over."
>"What did it feel like for you, man?"
>Flash takes a moment to ponder his answer
>While this is happening, Sunset is looking downcast
 
>"It was the weirdest thing, man. Like I was aware of everything, but my thoughts were all in a daze. It was overpowering and crazy."
>He says as he lets out a torrential downpouring of piss
>It is frankly comical how such harsh words, that were unwittingly forced upon Sunset, would carry with them such a downright disrespectful and thoughtless stream behind them
>Not that you were laughing, however
>You could say that it's because you've had to avoid Flash's piss covering your shoes, because he's fucking missing the toilet
>Or you could say that it's because you know those words hurt Sunset
>However, you still had to admit that it was cosmic humour
>Though you didn't necessarily find the humour because you were in the moment
>It's only funny when it's happening to others
>That's it, yeah
>You take a moment to look upon your girlfriend reassuringly
>And you're glad that you did, because she looks like a mess
>Her eyes are tired, are filled with sadness, and she's shivering
>Though she's doing a good job at keeping herself quite, at least
>You don't know whether or not her shivering is from emotion or from the cold of the water
>Her hair and clothes are still pretty damp
>She'll catch a cold if this keeps up
>So you set a quickly thought out plan in motion
>"It wasn't all bad though,"
>Flash says as you move your hands to Sunset's sides and remove her jacket
>She looks at you with alarm, probably wondering what you're doing
>You attempt to reassure her with your eyes
>"I got to dance with Twilight and they won the day, so it'll probably turn out okay."
>You slowly remove your sweatshirt and pass it to Sunset
>She moves to put it on but you quickly stop her
>You shake your head and mouth to her "Take off your clothes."
>Definitely not the best choice of words you could have came up with, but whatever
>A deep blush falls on Sunset, which is honestly a good thing
>At least she's not entirely focused on what they're saying
 
>To your surprise, Sunset complies with your request
>However, due to your current predicament, you can't risk turning around
>You have to keep her covered
>She removes her pink t-shit, revealing her shapely womanly assets
>They're probably a C-cup, if your knowledge of the females' breasts is correct
>The black bra she's wearing reveals quite a bit of cleavage
>Making it very much arousing
>While also making this extremely difficult
>Your eyes can't help but be drawn to them, but your attention splits between her breasts and her eyes
>She doesn't seem mad at you being a pervert, but she does look pretty embarrassed
>Which you certainly aren't faulting her for, you're probably just embarrassed as she is
>And desperately trying to prevent yourself from popping a boner
>"What do you think about Twilight letting Sunset and Anon off the hook like that?"
>You'd thank Norman, if his way of killing your boner didn't hurt so bad
>Because Sunset's attention is completely hanging on what's going to be said next
>"Dude, I honestly can't wrap my head around it. Twilight is so nice and so good."
>He says as he steps out of the stall and presumably walks over to Norman
>"But those two, they were a fucking nightmare for the school."
>Norman lets out a little "bur" as though he's freezing
>"Tell me about it, man. I thought things were bad with Sunset, but Anon just brought it up to 11."
>"I know what you mean, the dude is genuinely scary. There's something really off about him... It's like, when he looks at you, he knows everything about you. What you want, what you think about, what you've done. It's like you're never safe with him."
>Flash says as he turns on the sink
>"It's really no wonder that he was her Enforcer, the dude doesn't even need to fight to be intimidating."
>Some sick part of you feels pride at Flash's fearful declaration
>And Sunset seems to be less ashamed with herself, but she does look more worried
 
>"Do you think that Twilight was under the spell when she asked for them to be let off the hook?"
>You again don't turn around, but can imagine what they're doing
>Flash is probably taping his fingers along his chin in thought
>Or perhaps you're imposing your theatrical thoughts onto reality
>Either way, he's paused in thought
>"No, I don't. Twilight was strong enough to beat Sunset in that form. She was definitely more powerful than that spell."
>Norman probably shakes his head at this
>"Not just her, but Anon. Do you think he could have magic and caught Twilight off guard?"
>His voice is filled with worried speculation
>"I... I don't know. I don't think so, there's nothing about him that really seems magical."
>"But what about... Eh, nevermind, it's probably nothing. I think everyone's just hyped up and is reading into things too much."
>You and Sunset both share an intrigued look at this declaration
>"What is it?"
>Flash asks as he walks towards the door
>Norman makes his way to the sink and turns it on
>"I heard it from some people today. Something is going on with Anon; they're saying he..."
>Their leaving the bathroom cuts off whatever was about to be said
>That was certainly a close one
>In more ways than one, Sunset could have found out about your super human feat
>Not that you were trying to hide it, but more of avoid it?
>If it came up in conversation, you'd answer truthfully
>If not, well, you'll keep it under wraps
>Sunset has enough on her plate right now, the least she needs is to worry about you
>You have control, whatever caused you to have that strength likely is just your adrenaline and anger
>Perfectly reasonable and based in your knowledge of yourself and the physical world
>It's at this moment that you realise that Sunset has yet to put on your sweatshirt
>Her eyes remained fixated on you, like she's trying to read what's going on in your head
>"Anon, are you okay? What were they talking about?"
 
>You mind your words carefully before speaking
>It doesn't seem like she knows about what happened, so you can probably get away with just giving her the gist
"Well, when they were talking shit about you, I kinda put a girl's face into my desk and grabbed a guy and threatened him."
>She looks at you stunned and then with anger
>Hopefully not because she knows that you aren't telling the whole truth
>"What the hell, Anon?! You're going to get yourself suspended if you pull shit like that."
>Well, you're somewhat relieved
>But her words introduce a whole new layer of worry
>What if they go the Principals and tattle on you?
>This school isn't like your old one, you don't know whether or not snitches get stitches here
>The student body is far more caring and rule abiding, at least while at school, then most other schools
>But how that will translate with your current predicament is unknown
>However, you're going to wing it and say they do follow it
>As a means to bring comfort to not only yourself, but also Sunset
"Relax, no one's going to tell. You know the whole deal, snitches get stitches."
>She lets out an exasperated sigh at you
>"Dear Celestia, what am I going to do with you?"
>You let out a chuckle at that
>And see your opportunity to transition to a lighter atmosphere
>At least for a little bit
"I'd advise that you put my sweatshirt on because I'm finding it increasingly difficult to resist that fabric temptation."
>Spoken like a true gentleman, who is also secretly an asshole and a pervert
>Which perfectly describes you
>Her face flushes red and she quickly puts the sweatshirt over her head
>It's quite easy to tell that it is very over-sized
>Her fingers don't even make it out of the sleeves, which makes the scene before you even more adorable
>You can't help but wrap her into a hug as she pouts with embarrassment
"God, you are so fucking cute, you know that?"
>Her blush somehow only increases in magnitude
 
>Releasing her from the embrace, she continues to look embarrassed
>She looks really good in your sweatshirt
>Mainly because it was the basic trope of marking a girl as "Yours"
>Everyone knows that when a girl wears your clothes, it means y'all are close
>It's a wonder why the effect can't be reversed
>Like you wearing her clothes around
>Perhaps you should ask for a set of yoga pants from her?
>Nah, too much effort. Plus she'll think it's weird
>Might as well just stick with the traditional gender roles and customs
>You walk out of the stalls, with Sunset following behind you
>"You're such a perv, you know that?"
>You shrug
"I can't help it if my girlfriend is beautiful. I'm a man all about expression, baby."
>You say as you make a cheesy finger gun pose at the mirror
>This causes a giggle from Sunset
>"And you're a dork, why do I put up with you?"
>She says as she leans her head against your shoulder
>It's quite comfy, especially since the cold air is more hostile to you without a sweatshirt
>"Hmmm, maybe it's because you're also a dork and you need to magnify your dorkiness?"
>You say as you boop her on the nose
>You don't know why, it just felt like the right thing to do
>She blushes hard and gives you an angry pout
>"Ugh, please don't touch my nose. It feels weird."
>Feeling mischievous, you begin to hover your hand in front of her face
>"Anon... I'm warning you."
>You itch closer and closer
>But then she decides that she's had enough and forces you into an arm lock
>You wince in pain and begin to hop around, trying to escape
"Alright, alright! Please just let me go! It fucking hurts!"
>She lets you go and giggles to herself
>While you try to set the bones back into place
>That actually fucking hurt
>Damn abusive and cute girlfriends are dangerous
>Making your way out of the restroom, you pause and allow yourself to wave to the cameras
>Hopefully they know no funny business happened, assuming they're watching
 
>You and Sunset make your way back to class
>Albeit at a slow pace
>Because who the fuck wants to be in class?
>"You know, there's something different about you."
>You give her a curious look
>"You're much more... I don't know, lively? You're normally so stoic and serious, only cracking very minor sarcastic jokes when you felt like being an ass."
>You mind recalls your previous self
>And you nod in agreement
>Maybe something has actually changed in you
>Though you don't really feel like you've changed that much
"Do you not like it?"
>"No, it's definitely not that. I like seeing you like this, energetic and happy and all."
>You both continue to walk towards the class in a calm silence
>And you grab onto her hand and intertwine her fingers with yours
>Having giving it some thought, you attempt to give an explanation
>Based upon how you currently feel about it
"I wouldn't say that I've changed all to much, besides having discovered that magic exists. I would say that I was stoic and serious because there really wasn't much for me to enjoy or care about. Then you came into my life and that all changed."
>She looks at you with a blushing smile
>Looks like you're saying the right things
"I still have the same core values and beliefs about life and my existence, but I've never been opposed to having fun or goofing off. Life might be pointless, but it's nice to just kick back, do what you want, and feel emotion. It's part of life, and life is worth nothing, at least to me, if you're not enjoying it."
>That's some profound existentialism right there
>But at least it's happy and not depressing, like Nietzsche is sometimes
>Before you enter your classroom, Sunset stops you
>She then wraps you into an embrace and gives you a kiss on the lips
>It's chaste and conveys that she understands and that she's happy with what you said
>"I guess that makes sense. Your philosophy sounds really twisted on the surface, but you make it inspiring."
>You give a chuckle at that
 
>You both take a breath before entering
>Knowing that you're about to break the warm feelings of the moment
>And enter the den of piranhas and mundane high school academics
>Everyone's attention is upon you both
>Including that of Ms. Harshwhinny
>The regal appearance of the woman conveys an air of professionalism and no nonsense
>Which translates into scrutiny of yourself and Sunset
>"Anonymous, Sunset Shimmer."
>She says as her attention focuses back onto the board
>"Please see me after class, for your tardiness."
>Sighing, you nod in agreement and go back to your seat
>The rest of the kids are eyeing you with a mixture of fear and hate
>You do your best to ignore them by focusing on Sunset and grab hold of her hand as you sit down
>She appreciates the gesture, as a small smile adorns her lips at you
>During the year, you both had decided to move your seats to the back of the class
>She agreed to give you the window seat while she sat to your right
>You keep your hand intertwined with hers throughout the period
>Despite the fact that your hands get somewhat sweaty from the shared body heat
>It's also a good thing that you're ambidextrous or else you'd have to forsake either Sunset's hand or being able to write shit down
>When it comes to European History, you definitely know your shit
>But it's best to know what the actual topic is, should you be given a surprise quiz or have to take a test
>The notes also help Sunset, who somewhat struggles with the class
>Though her grade, as far as you remember, is a B, so it's not that bad
>Class proceeds on without a hitch
>Other than the glares that you're giving by your classmates
>Sunset has lost most of her confidence and happiness from earlier, so you remedy it by squeezing her hand in reassurance
>The rest of the students quickly file out of the classroom, but you both stay behind
>Ms. Harshwhinny makes her approach to your desks
 
>She takes a seat in the chair in front of you, spinning it around to face you both
>Did you forget to mention that these are rolly chairs?
>They're fun, but that's besides the point
>"I would have thought better of you, Anonymous. You are indeed my top student, but that does not mean that I will excuse your behaviour."
>You don't know whether or not she's referring to the altercation you had with your peers or your being late to class
>So you decide to just roll with it
"I understand, ma'am. I will do my best to assure that it doesn't happen again."
>Being a suck up to teachers has it perks
>They're more likely to forgive offenses and leave you alone
>She seems to accept your words and she begins to walk back to her desk
>She retrieves two pieces of paper and then walks back to you
>The sound of her heels echoing off the walls as she does so
>You look to Sunset to see that she has a worried expression
>"The principals have brought me up to speed with recent events, along with your escapades, which I also expect to see immediate ceasing in."
>She gives you a stern look before sitting back down
>"They have informed me that I am to give you these forms. Fill them out as soon as possible and return them to me."
>You skim through it and it details your involvement with a "prank" and that you'll be doing community service for the rest of the school year
>Which includes a number of things, janitorial work, library duty, etc.
>It honestly could have been worse
>Hopefully you and Sunset will be working together for it
>"With that matter safely addressed, I'd like to ask... Are you okay, Ms. Shimmer?"
>She certainly wasn't expecting that question
>Ms. Harshwhinny gives you a sympathetic look
>"I was told there was an incident involving some harassment. If you would like to report this, I'd be more than happy to help."
>She takes a deep breath, trying to compose herself
>And her downcast depressed expression comes to her easily
 
>"No, it's okay. I honestly deserve it, after all I've done."
>Sunset stands up and walks out of the classroom as quickly as she can
>Leaving you and Ms. Harshwhinny to just stare at the door
>You both look at each other, not really sure what to do or say
>She is, however, the one who would break the silence
>"Well, Mr. Anonymous you should get to class; the warning bell is about to ring."
>You nod your agreement and proceed to follow in Sunset's steps
>"One more thing, Anonymous."
>You turn around to look at her
>"She's going to need you, don't abandon her during this time."
>A grim expression falls upon you as your mind lingers to all the shit everyone's going to put her through
"Don't worry, I don't intend to."
>With that, you walk out of the classroom
>The energy from earlier is slowly starting to return
>Your body seems to heat up and you're far more aware of your surroundings than normal
>You're tracking nearly everyone's movements around you
>Time seems to be moving somewhat slowly
>The same typical expressions adorn their face as you walk, but you don't focus on that
>All you want to do is get to class and then get to lunch
>You just hope that Sunset will be okay in the meantime
>However, as you're walking, you spot the asshole from the parking lot talking with his friends
>They notice you and you're locked in an intense stare down as you walk past
>As you pass them, however, it seems that they want to make their move
>Two of them begin to walk behind you, on either side
>While the asshole from this morning is behind you
>To track them, you briefly turn your head
>It seems that they're looking for a fight
>However, you refuse to reward impudence and quickly pick up your speed
>The masses of students try to move out of your way, but you're moving too quickly for them
>So you bob and weave throughout the crowd at a near jogging pace
>It's quite surprising how many kids go to the school, or at least like this particular hallway
 
>You eventually lose them, however
>And manage to get to class just as the bell rings
>Dr. Hooves seems to have been waiting for you
>He greets you with a sad and sympathetic smile
>"Good morrow, Anonymous. How are you doing?"
>He says in his quaint way of speaking
>You give him a tired smile, knowing that in him you can confide your troubles, or whatever is going on in your head
"Madness is rare in the heart of an individual man, but within the mob, it is the rule."
>You say this walking to your seat
>The doctor gives a hearty chuckle at your words
>"I think you'll be pleased with today's discussion, Anonymous. We'll be talking about him today."
>You look to Applejack, who sits near the front
>She has a seat next to her that is left open
>Canterlot High had the same seating rules of a University, just pick a seat and shut up
>So you oblige her and take your seat
>Most of your classmates, at least in this class, know not to cause a ruckus
>Mainly because Dr. Hooves, despite his jovial manner, did not tolerate interruptions or rudeness
>In his words
>"This class is for civility and fostering a healthy mind, not for petty drama or feuds"
>And to that, you are eternally grateful to the man
>"As I am sure you are all aware, your syllabus says that we are not due to be discussing Nietzsche until after Winter Break..."
>He says as he begins to write on the board
>"However, in light of recent events, I have decided to bump him up to our current area of focus."
>He gives you a casual wink as he begins to write Nietzsche on the board
>"Are any of you actually familiar with Nietzsche, besides Anonymous?"
>Most people shake their heads
>However, Applejack decides to answer
>You're genuinely surprised, you wonder what she knows about him
>"He's the feller that said God was dead, right?"
>You have to suppress out right laughing at the sheer normie level of that comment
 
>Dr. Hooves chooses to ignore your obvious amusement and answer her
>"That is correct, but do you know the meaning of that quote?"
>She shakes her head, but not before scowling at you with disapproval
>And also giving you a hard punch to the arm
>She likely thinks that you're being an arrogant prick
>And from a certain point of view, you are
"I can answer it, if you want, sir."
>He chuckles again
>"If Ms. Applejack can't give an answer, you're more than welcome to. But I'd like for her to give her best guess of what it means."
>Applejack starts to scratch her head
>"Ah know it's gotta be a metaphor fer something... Cause ya can't kill God, but Ah don't know it."
>Earlier in the year, you would have figured the girl to be stupid
>But she is smart, just uninformed
>From what you have learned about her, she spends a lot of time on her farm
>Along with her older brother, Big Macintosh
>So there certainly is a deal of respect for her
>"You're on the money, but I'll let Anonymous explain it."
>You clear your throat before speaking
>It honestly tickled your ego to be able to show off your knowledge
>Not because you really cared about how others viewed you
>But rather because you like demonstrating your knowledge
>Plus speaking in public is good practice for when you eventually become a Professor
"To put it simply, Nietzsche is referring to the idea of God being dead among the "intellectual vanguard", which were the highly educated people of the time. Atheism was on the rise within this class of people, and Nietzsche predicted, and would later become true, a decline in Christian morals. It's the reason why a man can kiss a man without being harassed by the government."
>"Precisely, with that out of the way, we can talk about the Philosophy that Nietzsche helped pioneer: Existentialism."
>He says this as he writes the word down on the board
>"Now, I want to ask you all a simple, but not easy question. What is the meaning of life?"
 
>"Why are we even doing this? I thought we were here to study philosophy."
>The idiot football player arrogantly voices his annoyance
>It pisses you off that you have to share the floor with an imbecile
"It's one of the foundational questions of philosophy, but I suppose you wouldn't understand that."
>You'd normally wouldn't have had an outburst like that, but coupling your bad mood with an opportunity to talk about one of your favourite philosophers makes your anger boil over
>You hear the sound of his metal chair scrapping against the floor as he quickly stands up
>"You wanna say that to my face, demon lap dog?"
>You can't even grace the fool with a comeback before Dr.Hooves defuses the situation
>By asserting his authority
>"Enough! Both of you, I know you two don't like each other, but save it for outside the classroom."
>Dr. Hooves gives you a disappointed look and it somewhat hurts you
>Because you have a respect for the man, as a fellow philosopher
>You're supposed to have better composure, so you settle down and listen to what he has to say
>"To answer your question, Michael, we're talking about it because of the events of the fall formal."
>If everyone didn't have their attention on him, they certainly do now
>Yourself included
>"I chose to bump Nietzsche up to our current subject because many of you, including myself, have been under something that is entirely worldview altering."
>He says as he walks around the class, looking upon every student
>"We've learned that magic exists and it throws everything into chaos. Nietzsche experienced a similar phenomenon, with his loss of faith and the increased rationalism in the world."
>He returns to the board, smacking it hard with his hand
>"That is why I brought this topic up. It's important, and through understanding Nietzsche's philosophy, we can have a better capacity to move forward. So I will ask you all again, what is the meaning of life?"
 
>He looks specifically to you, prompting your answer
>However, for the sake of allowing everyone else to have their input, you wait until a few people have gone
>They throw out a number of different things
>Such as following God, or being a good person, or achieving one's dreams
>Some even say that Princess Twilight's magic showed them that it was to be a true friend
>As fucking cringe as it sounds, a lot of people agree with it
>However, you are not swayed by crowd opinion or the mere surface level of events in your life
>Being the contrarian that you are, you raise your hand
"I would say that life doesn't have meaning inherently speaking. In life, you can do as you want and in the end, there will be no consequences. You're not endowed with any purpose, you have no creator, and you're condemned to be ruled by the chemicals in your brain and to be without an afterlife."
>You look around to see that everyone is offended by your declaration
>Applejack, however, looks at you worriedly
>Like she knows that you're digging yourself into a hole
>But you couldn't care less
>It's better for a man to die proudly than to live without pride
>As your good friend Nietzsche would say
>Dr.Hooves, however, seems intrigued by your answer
>"But what of the magic of friendship, as the Princess was able to demonstrate? Certainly that holds some influence in the question, does it not?"
>You wonder if he actually believes in friendship giving purpose or is merely drawing out your logic through the question
>Whatever it might be, you decide to give your answer
>And you stand up and start walking towards the professor
"Sure, the magic of friendship does exist, but it's not the only form of magic..."
>You say as you grab a ruler and twirl it around in your fingers
"I believe my girlfriend showed that off, with her hate, fear, and loneliness manifesting the magic in her "demon form". But that is beside the point."
>You look directly at the class, who watch with expectation
 
>You take a deep breath before speaking
"It may seem that the magic of friendship is stronger, and therefore the good one, but that isn't true. As I have told Applejack and her friends, it all comes down to a matter of perspective. If you despise other people, you could use magic to destroy them. If they have stronger magic than you, you can slowly corrupt and undermine them so you can take the victory. It doesn't make you right or wrong, it merely makes you the victor."
>You take your seat, but continue to speak
"It is for this reason that I say that a true meaning to life is impossible. You have the possibility to go in different directions, and if God or whatever declared a universal purpose, there would either be a lack of divergence in the actions of individuals or there wouldn't be a universal purpose."
>Dr. Hooves eyes light up at your declaration
>He sees the direction you're going with this
>However, it seems that the other students are lagging behind
>They might understand it in time or they might not
>Who cares though? It's irrelevant to you
"We live in a determined universe. Whether you subscribe to materialism or believe in God, it remains true. If Materialistic determinism is to be believed, you are condemned to follow what the chemicals in your brain tell you, and since everyone is making different decisions and holds different beliefs, there is no universal purpose."
>You look to Applejack, who is watching you intently
"If you believe in God, you believe that He is all knowing, and having created you with the knowledge of all that you will do, you are condemned to go on whatever path he has chosen. Whether heaven or hell, it is irrelevant. Everyone makes different decisions and holds different beliefs, so there is a lack of universal purpose on that end as well."
>Dr. Hooves looks at you with a smile
>"Thank you, Anonymous, for your perspective on the matter. Would anyone else like to contribute?"
 
>Class goes on pretty much as it normal does
>Dr.Hooves lectures and students give their input
>Well, it is mostly you giving input
>You tend to dominate discussion in the class, which gives you mixed feelings
>On one hand, you'd like to see more people engage with the topics
>But on the other, you recognise the general stupidity and lack of depth of your peers
>You considered yourself of the intellectual vanguard class
>A thinker and a philosopher, above the petty thoughts of the common man
>You were superior not for your wealth, popularity, or your looks
>Merely the strength of your mind
>This was your highest virtue and you guarded it with a sacred sort of reverence
>Always seeking knowledge and always willing to pass on knowledge
>As class ends, Dr.Hooves requests that you stay behind to talk, promising to be quick
>Applejack remains at your side for this, which perplexes the Doctor
>However, you explain that she has plenty of right to be here
>You spend about 5 minutes just giving a summary of what happened during the Fall Formal
>He congratulates you on having embraced and forgiven a reformed Sunset Shimmer
>And wishes you luck in continuing your relationship
>To that, you are thankful
>And proceed to exit the class with Applejack in tow
>The walk to lunch is ultimately uneventful
>And it is filled with silence, between both Applejack and yourself
>Everyone has already made it to the lunch room, meaning that the lunch line has already filled up
>Making it pretty much impossible for you to get food
>This doesn't bother you, however
>You rarely eat the slop here anyway
>As you start to near the lunch room, the sounds of students talking begins to ring out through the doors
>Whatever is behind that door, you dread
>Whether because of the inevitable talk you'll have to have with your girlfriend or facing the entire school
>You suppose the hate for Sunset is far more tame than it is for you
>Probably because you're a male, and thus more acceptable to punch
 
>A few students watch you both as you enter the lunch room
>They look somewhat confused, probably about your being with Applejack
>The chatter in the room is almost deafening
>You hated the lunch room and with good reason
>You couldn't focus on anything with everyone talking about their random shit
>It's why you preferred to stay in Dr. Hooves class and read
>Or, when he happened to invite you to lunch, discuss philosophical topics in the teacher's lounge
>Ms. Harshwhinny would even occasionally join you two and offer her perspective on things
>It was pleasant, but it was an after thought at the moment
>Business had to be settled today
>You spot the rest of the girls sitting at their normal table
>Which also includes your girlfriend, who still seems to be sulking
>However, at least she isn't covered in food again
>Rainbow and Pinkie sit beside Sunset while Fluttershy and Rarity sit directly across from her
>They seem to be trying to make conversation, but it's failing fast
>"Girls!"
>Applejack calls out as you both make your approach
>Their eyes seems to light up at your presence
>Looks like it's gonna have to be Anon to come rescue the day
>Rainbow slides over so that you can sit next to Sunset
>She only briefly makes eye contact with you, before returning to staring at the food in front of her
>At least no one was dumb enough to attack her in the lunch line
>Or so you thought
>You can see a slight bruise on her beautiful face
>And you feel your blood boil at it
>Along with the energy returning
>You use all of your strength to suppress it, because you have more important things on your plate
>"Y'all alright there?"
>Both of you look to Applejack who is looking at you with concern, along with the rest of the girls
>Sunset is the one to answer for you
>"Yeah, we're fine. It's just been very stressful is all."
>She follows in your footsteps, trying to decrease the magnitude of the threats you face to those that care about you
 
>That strategy is certainly not unfamiliar to you
>You did it with your loved ones back in your old city
>And it nearly costed you your life, and scarred you physically
>It was a heavy price that you had to pay, a foolish mistake
>"Darling, I know that we've only been friends for a few days, but you can confide in us."
>Rarity says looking at Sunset with sympathy
>Sunset lets out a deep sigh
>You know that she doesn't like this and that she is uncertain about a great many of things
>Having friends, people to trust, etc.
>You were both forced out of the mindset that you grew up with
>You didn't know anything concrete about her past, but you could see the signs in her and her demeanour
>She faced it by leaving behind everything that she knew, coming to his world, and filling her heart with hate and a thirst for power
>While you sank into knowledge, isolated yourself, and killed your heart
>You were both certain that these were the correct paths to take
>Sunset retained her heart, however, upon her defeat
>With it broken and dismantled, she is left trying to regain her ability to trust in others
>However, you have mostly remained constant in your beliefs and the path you have chosen
>Though your heart, at least because of her, has been revived
>And you began to love people again, especially her
>Perhaps it was too early to say that you loved her, but it was what you felt
>It creates some sense of uncertainty within you, because you're wondering when it will come backfiring on you
>But that uncertainty is put to the back of your mind because of Sunset following in your misguided steps of dismissing obvious problems that threatened her safety
>Yet the solution does not come in directly confronting her about it, at least not yet
"Thank you, girls. It means a lot to us, but I think we're going to need time on this one."
>You grab Sunset's hand and intertwine your fingers, which earns you a sad smile
>It comes from you handling the threats yourself
 
>However, the task of accomplishing that isn't certain for you at the moment
>There are many routes that you could possibly take
>You could technically go back to being threatening, but you reason it would only further the problem of Sunset and yourself being hated
>There was also the option of being a snitch, but that would only increase the odds of you being hated
>It seems there isn't a simple means to accomplish your task
>But then, in a low whisper, a voice rings in your head
>"Perhaps you should kill them?"
>Whatever it was, it is related to the energy
>But it seems to have the opposite effect on your body
>You feel drained and cold
>You feel your face go pale at it, and you involuntarily start to sink into your seat
>Weakness is the only thing that you can perceive, and everything starts to move out of focus
>Which includes your vision, hearing, and your thoughts
>It's all a jumble
>"Anon?!"
>Sunset shouts in shock and you begin to slump over
>The girls quickly surround you and try to pull you back up
>Your vision begins to come back into focus, but with it comes a violent coughing fit
>A bile of deep black blood begins to fall from your mouth
>It spills on your clothes, but it seems to be cold to the touch
>Not at all like blood
>Then just as suddenly as it all began, it ended
>Your mind refocuses, your hearing entirely returns, and you feel mostly fine
>But you seem to be out of breath and in a daze
>You look at the girls and they look terrified
>But Sunset is on the verge of being hysterical
"I'm fine... What the hell just happened?"
>Rainbow is the one that answers
>"You just went completely pale and then you threw that up."
>She points to the bile, which covers your section of the table
>You didn't even register that it went on the table
>Something possesses you to clean it up before they can
>So you quickly grab all of Sunset's napkins and clean it up, along with the bile on your face
 
>There are many questions going through your head right now
>Mainly, what the fuck is going on with you?
>But the girls all look like they have their own sets of questions and theirs naturally take priority
>You don't need them worrying, not until you have your head wrapped around what is going on
>The first thought that comes to mind is that you might have cancer
>But that's impossible, you had a full on physical last month, which included blood testing, and you were cleared
>You also hadn't experienced any symptoms even remotely related to this
>Your mind searches for a way to explain this to the girls and have them calm down
>But that's proving to be a very difficult task
>So you naturally go with the simplest route that you can
"There's something wrong with me, I'm probably really sick."
>You don't attempt to cough or make any theatrical exaggeration
>"You... you don't think it's cancer, do you? I've seen you smoke cigarettes and that could be it."
>Fluttershy worriedly asks as you quickly walks up to you and begins to check your vitals
>You didn't know she could do that, but that isn't your concern right now
>Sunset seems to be on the verge of a nervous breakdown
>And her grip on your hand has become vice-like
"No, or at least I don't think it is. I had a physical last month, with blood testing, and they said I was in perfect health."
>You say trying to get up, but are unable to because of Sunset holding you down
"Right now at least, I feel fine. But I'm not one to take this up to chance, so I will make a doctor's appointment."
>You tell them, but to Sunset in particular
>You don't like seeing her scared like she is
>The thought of her being heart broken is enough for you to want to continue living
>And you were going to get to the bottom of whatever was happening to you
>It was a wordless promise not only to yourself, but to Sunset
>Something tells you things are going to become very strange soon
 
>You are now Sunset Shimmer
>And you were certainly scared out of your mind right now
>Anon was showing symptoms of magical corruption
>You had read about it while you were Celestia's student
>You don't know how he possibly could have come into contact with corrupted magic
>Maybe it was because of your presence?
>The thought scares you and makes you feel profound guilt at the same time
>You care about him a lot and couldn't bare the thought of him becoming corrupted
>It ponies who experienced it without treatment, they would either go mad or be turned into horrific monsters
>And you had no access to Equestria or Princess Twilight for that matter
>Wait a minute...
>You remembered that you still had the journal that you had communicated with Princess Celestia with
>Hope wells up in your heart at this thought
>There is a chance that you could get Anon the help he needs
>He seems to be deep in thought, probably monologuing internally
>It was one of those things about him you'd notice, he'd sometimes mutter words under his breath
>He might not even be infected with the corruption, but you need to make sure
>You're going to need to monitor his behaviour and see if he starts becoming aggressive or is having super natural abilities
>He has been aggressive today, but you can probably chalk that up to him being protective
>Under that stoic demeanour of his is a big softie
>You really liked that about him
>Whether because you wanted to reassure him or to reassure yourself, you wrap him into a tight embrace
>You kiss him passionately despite him having thrown up the bile
>Luckily for you, the taste of it doesn't linger and you don't even taste it
>You ignore the various reactions of the girls, which are a strange combination of disgust and adoration
>You're making a promise to not only Anon, but to yourself
>And that promise is to stay with him, through thick and thin, and make sure that he survives
>After all, he is the boy you care about
 
>You had spent lunch just talking to the girls and enjoying Anon's presence
>Despite him being sick like that, he even cracked a few jokes
>He said that he felt fine at the moment and that it was perhaps a fluke
>You definitely want to believe him on that
>Your classes seemed to just be mundane jibber jabber
>You barely even paid attention to anything, because your thoughts were almost entirely on Anon
>Luckily for you the only thing everyone seems to be doing is shooting you dirty glares
>It does hurt, but the thought of losing Anon trumps everything
>In such a short period of time you became very attached to him
>He was the ice to your fire, a voice of reason and clairvoyance
>Yet he was always willing to crack a joke and bump heads with you over stupid little things
>You liked that about him; he was very sweet
>Then your final class ends and you find yourself rushing out of class
>This is one of your last days before you have to start serving detention
>Along with the various other community service jobs you would have to do
>But Anon will be along with you, so it certainly won't be a horrible experience
>You check your phone and see that you have a text from Anon
>"Hey, I'm staying after for a little bit with Dr. Hooves. Are you fine with Rainbow and Applejack taking you home?"
>Just as he sent that, you get two additional text messages from two unknown numbers
>Which are likely them
>Despite being sick with something, he worries about you
>It's a nice feeling
"Sure, but do you mind stopping by tonight? I want to see you."
>His response is immediate
>"I suppose I can. What time do you want me to be over?"
"Around 6, I want to cook us dinner."
>"Sounds good."
>With that you make your exit from the building and join up with Rainbow and Applejack
>As you guys walk, however, your eyes wander to the football field
>And you see Anon standing there looking intently at the players as they practice
>What's that all about?