>You lay there for some time, hoping for Celestia to come back.
>You never hear her or her sister return.
>Eventually, you tire of just lounging there angerly sulking and decide and pull out your phone.
>Maybe some dumb shit on the internet will cheer you up…
>Oh, quit being a whiny bitch. You’re just going to go back to Celestia’s place and pound her ass anyway. You can wait a few hours.
>You shake your head, knocking the nonsense from your mind, and get to browsing.
>You spend an hour or two reading through your favorite Jamaican bobsledding forum before that well runs dry.
>Next, you turn to your local news. The very first headline immediately catches your attention.
>’C.P.D. announces third successful S.W.A.T. raid this month.’
>’Police Chief Top Brass happily announced the third successful S.W.A.T. raid this month, citing his dedicated officers and their hard work as the driving force behind the police force’s recent response to organized crime.’
>’Last night at approximately 10:24 p.m., Canterlot S.W.A.T. teams Bravo and Charlie were deployed to Stonecrest apartments at 709 Chariot boulevard, where the teams raided two apartments believed to have been used as a hub for the trafficking of illegal narcotics.’
>’Police Chief Top Brass happily commended his officers for the flawless raid. No shots were fired, and none of the seven arrested suspects or officers were injured.’
>’Chief Brass declined to take any questions, only further announcing the procurement of several thousands of dollars’ worth of assorted narcotics before concluding the press conference.’
>You scroll to the bottom of the page where you find a photo that quickly piques your interest.
>In the background of the photo, you see what must be Stonecrest apartments, it’s parking lot swarmed with Police cruisers and armored vans.
>The entire complex is lit up by flashing blue and red lights.
>But standing front and center-focus of the shot is a lone, petite female officer. While you can’t discern her skin color from the angle, you immediately identify her by the crimson ponytail poking out from beneath her helmet.
>Stitches.
>Clutching her rifle close to her chest by the pistol grip, she points a hand somewhere out of shot, as if issuing an order to some subordinate.
>It’s a pretty good-looking shot.
>You wonder if she knows about it?
>Doubt it. You don’t think she pays much attention to the news.
>Not local, anyway.
>Suddenly, there’s a solid knock at your door.
>Huh. You don’t have anyone scheduled for today…
“Come in!”
>The door slowly creaks partway open, leaving you in its blind spot.
>”Um… Anon?”
“On the couch.”
>Peeking forth from around the door, Raven’s bespectacled eyes find you.
>”Oh! Right. I’m still not used to that couch… Er, anyways, there’s someone outside for you.”
“Is it that crazy homeless guy again? The one that kept yelling about vampires or something?”
>You swear to god if he sprays you with that garlic shit again, he’s going to learn what police brutality really is.
>Ms. Inkwell chuckles as she steps out from behind the door, brushing her brunette hair away from her eyes.
>”Nope.”
”What about that glow-in-the-dark C.I.A. ziggers guy? If he drove here, I’m not going outside.”
>”Oh my gosh, Anon! You can’t say that word!”
“What? It’s fine, I have tons of zebra friends!”
>Like…
>Like Zulu, at the pump station, and…
>…
>Yeah, Zulu. 
>”Still! And no, it’s not that nutjob.”
>You lock your phone and carelessly drop it onto your chest.
“Well, I’m all out of guesses then.”
>”It’s your police friend. The red-haired woman.”
>Huh. Speak of the devil.
>Er… read of the devil? Whatever.
“Stitches? What’s she doing here?” You ask as you pocket your phone and climb off the couch with sudden burst of energy.
>”She’s here to help with the pep rally.”
“I’m sorry, she’s what?”
>”She said she’s here to help with the pep rally. I just figured you or Celestia knew.”
>Doesn’t ring a bell. Wonder what that’s all about.
>Wait, how does she even know about the rally? You haven’t said a thing about it to her.
>”Which reminds me, the pep rally’s about to start, so you two might want to go ahead and head down to the gym.”
>At that time already? Man, today is just flying by.
“Uh, yeah. Will do. Thanks, Raven.”
>”Mmhm!” She hums with a jovial nod.
>As you go to step past her, she stops you with a hand to your chest. A devious, knowing smile spreads across her face.
>”Oh, by the way… I heard some strange noises earlier. You and Celestia might want to try to keep it down.” 
>Oh god, she heard.
>Does that mean Luna heard as well?
>”After all, it’d be awfully awkward if anyone else had heard any of that.”
>Maybe? 
>No, it didn’t sound like she did earlier. Hard to say how if Raven heard the noise, though.
“Please don’t tell anyone about this.”
>”I won’t. This is some juicy stuff, and I’m not about to rat on Celestia! Besides, she REALLY needs it. I’m just saying to watch yourselves. Maybe see if she’s into ball gags or something.” She nonchalantly states.
“Ball gags? Really?”
>”Well, duct tape hurts to peel off and usually leaves a mark…”
“All right, that’s enough.”
>You grab her by her shoulders and spin her around before giving her a light nudge out the door.
>”What? I’m just trying to help. I mean, people get curious around here. Why, I hear all sorts of weird noises when I’m working, and sometimes I just HAVE to investigate.”
“Well, maybe leave the investigating to someone more qualified.”
>”Oh, sure thing. I bet you’ll solve the mystery of the moaning Principal’s office in no time; or maybe you’ll take your time…”
>You shut your door behind you as you give her another light shove towards the glass door.
>She spins around, smiling as she regains her balance.
>”Relax, Anon! I’m just teasing you. Don’t worry, I won’t tell a soul.”
“Yeah, you better not.”
>”Relaaax!” she urges with a nudging elbow to your arm. “Geez, your no fun today. Don’t ruin the pep rally for anyone or anything.”
“Yeah, yeah.” You somewhat impatiently reply as you brush past her and through the door into the main office.
>Sure enough, waiting just on the other side of Raven’s desk is Stitches, smirking happily.
“Hey Stitches! I was just thinking about you.” You ask, stepping briskly towards her.
>”Yeah? Better keep that to yourself, you don’t want you-know-who to get jealous.” She says teasingly.
“Yeah, you wish. You know you’re in the news?”
>Shifting her weight from her left to her right side, she haughtily raises her chin.
>”For last night? Yeah, I saw the photo. Wasn’t a bad one.”
“Yeah, it looked pretty good. I read that it went off without a hitch.”
>”Yep! We breached in and they dropped everything and started crying for their mommas! Easy peasy. We’ve been on a roll lately.”
>It’s nice to hear some good news about the city again. Hopefully it’ll make a difference.
“Glad to hear it.” You say, giving her a congratulatory faux-punch to her shoulder. “Let me know next time you get called out, though. Just so I can try and keep up with what’s going on.”
>”Well, I thought about letting you know, but you said you were gonna be with your girlfriend last night, so… I didn’t want to kill the mood or interrupt anything, you know?”
“Oh, it’s no big deal, I’d-“
>”You don’t have to worry about interrupting them any, her sister has it covered.”
>You turn, finding Raven sitting at her desk mere feet away, eavesdropping.
>”Oh? Do tell.”
“Raven…”
>Raven, of course, doesn’t skip a beat.
>”They were getting freaky in her office earlier and her sister almost caught them. He’s kinda cranky, so I don’t think they finished.”
>GOD DAMN IT, RAVEN!
“You… You JUST said you weren’t going to tell anybody!”
>Raven just shrugs and rests head her in her hands.
>”Nobody that cares!” 
>You feel Stitches’ tiny hand begin softly patting you on the back.
>”Damn, that sucks, Mouse. But here? Really? I know you and your ex got a little weird, and sure, we tried some stuff out… but in a school filled with kids? That’s kind of risky, you know?”
“Look, it just kind of happened, and-“
>”Ooooh!” Raven giddily squeals.  “You two used to be a pair?”
>Nope. Not doing this today.
>”Kind of. We were never really- Hey!“
>Scooping your arm around her waist, you hoist your slightly vertically-challenged friend over your shoulder and head for the door.
>She immediately begins to squirm and pound her hands against your back.
>”Hey, put me down!” 
“Nope, it’s time to go.”
>As you pass through the doorway, she latches her fingers into the frame.
>”No! I wanna talk to your secretary friend! There’s so many things I have to tell her!”
“Nope.”
>”But she seems super cool! I want to tell her about that that Christmas a few years ago, where we-“
“LALALALALA, SHE CAN’T HEAR YOU, LALALALALA!”
>Being fairly strong for her size, and feisty to boot, Stitches does her best to hold on.
>Unfortunately for her, she just doesn’t match up to you. You rip her right from the doorway and set off down the hall.
>For a little bit, she remains still, pouting. But before long, she takes to thrashing around again.
>”Alright, alright, put me down!”
>With a decent enough space between you, her, and Raven, you decide to comply and set her back on her feet.
>”Man, you really are cranky, huh?”
>You’re steadily getting there.
>”Who do you think you are, picking me up like that? Huh? You only got ten inches on me, so don’t go picking me up like you’re the jolly green giant!”
“Stitches, I’m glad you stopped by and all that, but why are you here?”
>”We’re here for the pep rally. Duh.” She replies, shrugging and letting her arms slap against her sides.
“We?”
>”Y’know, me, Eye, and Armor.”
>Wait, even Armor is here?
“Okay then… Why?”
>”Well, Chief said that if you were gonna get tased, you’d probably prefer it be by people you knew.”
>Oh. Well, that was thoughtful of him.
“Yeah, I guess that makes sense. I guess I’m glad it’s you guys then, and not some random… Wait, why am I getting tased?”

>”For the pep rally.”
>You respond with a vacant, confused, and somewhat worried stare.
>”In case the teachers lose, right? That’s what we were told.”
>In case you lose?
>Wait, is THIS the reward for the students that they settled on?
>You don’t remember being asked about this!
“Wait just a minute. I didn’t agree to this. I didn’t even know about this! You can’t just show up like this and tase me. I mean, there’s forms I have to fill out, health information, and-“
>”Yeah, yeah, boring paperwork. I know. Ugh, you’re starting to sound just like the older officers. ‘Oh, I can’t get tased! I have a pace-maker!’”
“Stitches, you know damn well that that’s a legitimate concern.”
>”It’s a legitimate concern you don’t have to worry about. You really didn’t know about this?”
“Not a thing! No one has ever asked me about this!”
>”Oh boy…” She mutters with a quiet, sadistic laugh.
>Shaking her head, she sets off down the hall without you.
“What? What?!” You exclaim, following behind her.
>”Look’s like there might be some trouble in paradise. Your girlfriend was the one that was talking to Chief about setting all of this up.”
“Bullshit.”
>”Hey, ask her if you don’t believe me. You can ask Chief, too. He’ll say the same thing.”
>Celestia wouldn’t screw with you like this.
>The last thing she’d want is for you to get hurt just for the entertainment of others, right?
>Right. She’d hate that.
>Surely, this has to be a big misunderstanding. Maybe she meant for Eye or Armor to ride the lightning instead?
>Well, you’re certainly going to get this sorted out real fast.
>The two of you continue walking the halls, the conversation shifting to small talk and the usual workplace topics, when Raven’s cheery voice echoes through the halls from the intercom system.
>”Attention teachers and students; it’s time for today’s pep rally! Teachers, please escort your classes down to the gymnasium so we can get the fun started! And students, I know you’re all excited, but please follow your teachers’ instructions and behave. Let’s not get too wild before the games. Please enjoy the rest of your day!”
>Within seconds, students begin pouring into the halls from the classrooms as they head towards the gym, excitedly chatting along the way.
>You and Stitches follow the currents flowing through the halls until you find yourselves entering the gym.
>While the teachers all direct their classes to file into the bleachers, you spot Armor and Eye talking amongst themselves off to the side.
>As you approach, Armor greets you with a friendly wave while Eye does little more than lay his eyes on you.
>”Hey Anon, how’s it going?”
“Oh, just fantastic, Armor! Just found out I might be getting tased today. Real excited about that!”
>”You didn’t know? You didn’t have to sign off on anything?”
“Nope! No one said a thing to me.”
>”Huh. That can’t be right.”
>”Yeah, he’s not too happy about it; which is great, cause he’s already kind of pissy from his blue balls.”
>God damn it, Stitches. If anyone needs a ball gag, it’s her.
>Armor shifts somewhat uncomfortably, while Eye’s curiosity is clearly piqued.
>”Blue balls?” Eye questions.
“Please, don’t ask…”
>A large, conniving grin forms on Stitches’ face.
>”Oh, Mouse just got caught trying to have some one on one time with his girlfriend. He must be getting antsy if he’s trying to get some here.”
>Skipping straight past ‘playful’, you give her shoulder a hard, straight-armed shove, sending her stumbling feet away.
>”What, have you two still not fucked? What is wrong with you?”
>As she recovers, Stitches’ stomps right back over to you and slugs you in the bicep as hard as she can.
“Ow! You little cunt…”
>Before you can do anything back to her, Stitches hops away from you, laughing.
“And no; so what? Forgive me for wanting a real, wholesome relationship and just not loads of sex. A month is hardly any time anyway.”
>With a click of his tongue Eye opens his mouth, only to be cut off by Armor.
>”That’s a good idea, Mous. I think part of the reason so many marriages and relationships fail these days is because everyone just jumps straight into sex. No one takes the time to really live with and get to know their partner; it’s all instant gratification now. As soon as they hit a rough spot in their relationship, most people just abandon ship rather than try to fix it because they never learned how to make it work in the first place.”
>As he continues on, Eye slowly turns his head towards Armor, his upper lip curling.
>”Heck, I’ve been with Cadence for almost a year now and we still haven’t had sex, and we’re completely happy with that. We might even wait until marriage, just to keep our love pure.”
>”…You fuckin’ boyscout.”
>”What?”
>”’Keep our love pure’? I bet you’re still a virgin, too.” Eye says teasingly.
>”Y-yeah, well… so what if I am? At least I have someone!”
>”Ooh, my god. Why would you just admit that?!”
>”Hey, at least he can hold down a relationship for more than two weeks, unlike you.” Stitches interjects. “Maybe you should stop looking for girls on street corners.”
>”It’s not my fault there’s no good women in this town.”
>”Oh, there’s plenty of good women in this town. You’re just not a good man.” She says with a wink.
>As your comrades continue throwing shade at one another, you let your eyes wander the room.
>Sifting through the still filling bleachers, you find Bulk sitting in the first few rows.
>He actually looks kind of pepped up. The kid next to him is even talking with him.
>You’re happy to find him looking in somewhat good spirits.
>Not too far from him, you find Sunset, Twilight, and the others all sitting together. 
>They seem to have already noticed you, as all of them but Rainbow wave happily towards you. She just nods in your direction instead.
>From the corner of your eye, you see Armor wave to his little sister. You wave back to them all as well.
>On the other end of the gym, you see Cheerilee, Redheart, and the other competing teachers congregating together.
>Seems like someone’s missing from that crowd…
>Celestia and Luna. Of course.
>Stitches slides up next to you, staring off at your friends.
>”So, that’s her, huh?”
“Redheart? Yeah, that’s her.”
>Leaning up against you like one would a wall, she watches as Red talks with Cheerilee, her hands stuffed into the pockets of her scrubs.
>”She’s kind of cute, I guess.”
“You guess?”
>”Well, she’s no me.”
“Yeah, you with all those sexy grey hairs.” 
>Reaching for her head, you pluck at one of her greying hairs.
>”Oww!”
“Nothing a man likes more in a woman than some greying hairs.”
>”I never heard you complaining! In fact, you went and picked up a model with more miles than I’ve got.”
>None of those shiny greys, though.
>She elbows you and points out Ms. Harshwhinny.
>”Maybe if you and Celestia don’t work out, you can try for her next. Actually, you know what? That lunch lady is looking pretty good, too.”
>Ha! Ms. Harshwhinny is one thing, but Granny Smith?
>You don’t even want to think of her lying seductively on a bed in a loose, nearly transparent nightgown, giving you bedroom eyes as she removes her dentures for a sensual gum-
>NO NO NO NO NO NO NO
>Why?! Why would you think of something like that?!
>Oh, god, please just get back on topic!
“You got it all wrong, Stitches. It’s not about the age, it’s about the character. You think I went for you or Celestia just because you’re older than me?”
>”Ha! You didn’t go for me, I went for you! Same thing for Celestia, you didn’t initiate, you just said yes.”
“Oh, whatever, you know what I meant. Ms. Harshwhinny’s a nice woman and all, but she can be pretty cold at times. She’s not a lot of fun. I’m actually kind of surprised she’s taking part in this.”
>”Yeah, she kind of seems like that type of lady… so what’s actually going on in all of this?”
“Well, we got an abomination of a race; don’t ask, you’ll find out soon enough. A talent show, some trivia, a three-point shoot-out, and some good old-fashioned dodge-ball.”
>”Hmm,” she hums in contemplation, “Sounds like pretty standard stuff. So which events will you be in?”
“Dodgeball.”
>”Oh, yeah? Well, you better not lose. You don’t want to get tased in front of the whole school, do you?”
“Oh, please. It’s me, the gym coaches, and two old friends against a bunch of kids that probably grew up getting participation trophies for playing flag football. ‘Sides, if I can dodge a bullet, I can dodge a ball. All I have to worry about is everyone else losing.”
>Stepping back to your side, she impishly peeks at you from the corner of her eyes before turning to scan through the crowded bleachers.
>”Yeah, I suppose. Boy, it’d be a real shame if everyone were to self-sabotage and lose on purpose just to see you get shocked.”
“Yeah, right. These guys like me enough, they wouldn’t do that to me.
>Just as you utter those words, Redheart takes notice of you.
>You watch as she points you out to Cheerilee; both of them grant you a smile and a wave.
>Oh, they better not.
>You swear to god you’ll suplex their asses if they try anything like that.
>Give ‘em the ol’ tombstone, that’s what you’ll do.
>”Eh, you never know. I like you plenty, but that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t throw you under the bus to laugh at you while you suffer.”
>What a great friend Stitches is. Where would you be without her?
>What a great friend Stitches is. Where would you be without her?
>Suddenly, just from the corner of your vision, you see the gym door open. Celestia briskly steps into the gymnasium, with Luna right as her side.
“Hey, one sec.” You say as you step away.
>”What, you’re not going to formally introduce me?”
“Nope. You just park your ass right here.” You tell Stitches as you make a bee-line towards your girlfriend.
>You see her eyes light up as she sees you coming, her expression beaming.
>Luna, on the other hand, more or less just tries to not look unenthused.
>”Ah, you’re already here. With the other officers, too.” She says, looking just to your side.
“Yeah, about that-“
>”Hi, you must be Celestia,” you hear, as a white hand extends from just out of sight. “It’s nice to meet you. I’m Quick Stitches.”
>Why? Why does she do this to you?
>Please, please just keep your mouth shut.
>Gracefully, Celestia takes up her hand and gives it a proper shake.
>”Oh, I recognize you! You were here during… Well, let’s just call it our last spot of trouble.”
>”Yeah, that was me. Patching up this guy for the hundredth time.”
>Stitches gives you a friendly slap on the arm. 
>”I swear, you really got to keep your eyes on him. I look away for one second and the next thing I know, he’s all the way on the other side of town fighting a high schooler.”
>”Ehehe… Yes, well,” your lover replies with an awkward chuckle. “it’s a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Quick.”
>”Oh, please, just call me Stitches.”
>”Of course, Stitches.” Giving Stitches a happy nod, she then turns her attention to you. “Anon, was there something you needed? We’re about to start the rally.”
“Yeah, actually. Stitches here says I’m supposed to be getting tased if we lose today. What’s up with that?”
>”That… that was what you agreed to, wasn’t it?” Celestia asks, looking to her sister for confirmation.
>”That’s exactly what we agreed to.” She coolly replies.
“Yeah, except I don’t remember agreeing to anything; or signing any papers.”
>”Shhhh…” Stitches coos, patting your arm. “Don’t you worry about that. We’ll get that sorted out later.”
>”What do you mean you don’t remember agreeing anything? Luna assured me that you were completely fine with it.”
>LUNA!
>Oh, that treacherous cunt! You should have known she was behind this!
”Luna never said a thing to me about it.”
>Celestia turns to give her sister a scrutinizing gaze, a gaze from which she shrinks from.
>”Sister… care to explain?”
>”Oooooh, someone’s in trouble.” Stitches softly whispers.
“Shut up.”
>”Lies and slander! I did ask Anon, and he absolutely did agree to do this!”
“Then why don’t I remember anything about it?”
>”I don’t know, maybe because you’re a simpleton and a buffoon?!”
>”Luna, please! Anon, you really don’t remember any of this?”
>Looping your thumbs through your belt loops, you shake your head negatively.
“Not a word. Is this what you’ve been thanking me for this whole time?”
>”Yes! What did you think that was for?”
“I-I don’t know, dodgeball? Just participating?” You shrug.
>You know, in hindsight, that seems really obvious.
>You really should’ve clarified that sooner.
>Eyes shut, Celestia pinches the bridge of her nose and faces away from you.
>With a frustrated shake of her head, she turns back to face you and Luna.
>”Okay. I’m just going cancel this little ‘prize’ for the students.”
>”Sister, no!  This is absurd! Officer Mous here is just trying to weasel his way out of an agreement he made. You were right there when I proposed the idea and called him to ask about it! I even had to ask you for his number!”
>”I… That is true…” Celestia replies, softly rubbing her chin.
“Oh, yeah right. When? When did you call me?”
>With an infuriating smirk, Luna fishes her phone out from her pocket.
>A tap here, a swipe there; she holds her phone out for you to see.
>”Two weeks ago, Friday, at precisely 9:49 in the evening.”
>Sure enough, there’s a number matching yours at the exact time and date in her recent calls list.
>You dig your phone out to check and, too your shock, there’s a number you don’t recognize listed under the same date and time.
”I don’t remember this. I don’t remember this at all.”
>”That’s because you were drunk off your ass, er… Sorry, excuse me.  You were drinking, heavily, at the pub with me and Eye.”
>Oh, right. That does actually line up, then.
>”W-well, he wasn’t THAT drunk when I spoke with him.”
>”Oh, he sure was, Ms.…?”
>”Ms. Lu-“
>”Well, Ms. Lou, I was right next to him almost the whole time we were there, and he was pretty far gone by the time you called. It was hardly half an hour later that we cut him off.”
“You cut me off?”
>”Yeah. Well, I did, anyway. Eye wanted you to keep going, but I figured it was probably time for you to stop when you tried climbing onto the table to ‘sing’ for everybody.”
>At the mention of your drunken escapades, you feel a hint of warmth from embarrassment creep into your cheeks.
“Thanks,” you utter shamefully, “thanks for just throwing that out there.”
>”No problem!” Stitches cheerfully responds. “I particularly liked your rendition of You Give Love a Bad Name. I could tell, there was some real emotion in that.”
>Luckily, neither Celestia or Luna seem to pay any mind to the off-topic.
>”You never said anything about him being drunk, dear sister.” Celestia says, venom dripping from her words.
>”Argh! Fine! I didn’t know he was drunk when I called, but when I realized he was… I didn’t want to wait until he was sober because I was afraid he’d say no.”
>”Luna, that’s ridiculous! That’s it, I’m calling this off; I was uneasy enough about this to begin with, but after having this situation made clear, I won’t allow it to go on.”
>”But Celestia, the students will love this!” Luna cries. “Please, reconsider!”
>”The students may, but Anon absolutely will not! You went behind both of our backs trying to set this up to hurt and humiliate Anon in front of the whole school!”
“Yeah, what the hell, Luna? That’s pretty messed up.”
>You honestly don’t know what she expected to happen.
>Was she just hoping you’d play along with this, no questions asked?
>It’s like she barely put any thought into this at all!
>With an angry stomp, her head snaps back to you.
>”Oh, as if you’re one to talk! This would be a drop in the bucket compared to the torment I’ve had to endure from you!”
“And here I was thinking we were past all that.”
>You see her visibly tense up in frustration. Flexing the muscles in her hands, she reaches out and snags you by your vest.
>”THE COUCH.” She angerly states, pulling you close.
“I keep telling you, I have no idea how that got in there.”
>Quickly stepping in, Celestia sticks an arm between the two of you and separates you.
>”That’s enough. Luna, I have to say, I’m very disappointed in you. All of this just for some petty revenge?”
>”No! I… I admit that I wanted some recompense from Anon for his actions over the years, but it wasn’t just that! I genuinely think that the students would enjoy seeing this. Come now, you’ve seen the things they talk about on all of that social media!”
>”I don’t care what our students may or may not find entertaining, I will not allow you to strongarm Anon into doing this, and that’s final.”
>Without allowing Luna another response, Celestia briskly and authoritatively sets off towards the gym’s center, leaving you, Luna, and Stitches in her dust.
“Nice try, Luna. Maybe next time you should actually think your plan out.” You say as you turn and step off.
>”No need to act so superior, Anon. Even if my dear sister hadn’t of step in, I’ve no doubt you would’ve chickened out anyway.”
“Chickened out? Luna, I was drunk! You can’t consent while drunk!”
>”That’s just sex, Mouse. Everything else is free game.”
“But-“
>”On top of that, no one cares about a man’s consent anyway. Also on top of that, you being drunk has never stopped you from keeping your word with me. Just sayin’.”
“Oh, shut up.”
>Luna crosses her arms as a self-righteous smirk appears on her lips.
>”Aha! I knew it! Cowardly and craven, trying to go back on your word.” 
“I’m not a coward, and I don’t know what that other word means-“
>”I think she’s calling you a bitch.” Stitches whispers out loud.
“-But how about I go get a cattle prod and shove it right up your-“
>”Anon, please! There’s no need to be so vulgar!”
“Getting tased hurts, Luna! 50,000 volts hurts real bad! So, sorry for being an asshat, but I’m not going to bite the electric bullet here.”
>Not wanting to dignify her with another chance to respond, you turn and set off back towards Eye and Armor, with Stitches right at your side.
>”So how’s it feel, Anon? To be a bitch?”
“I don’t know, Stitches, why don’t you tell me.”
>”Eh, it’s alright. Tons of fun.” She says with a shrug.
>”Wait!” Luna calls out.
>Against your better judgement, you stop and turn back around.
>Eyeing her sister from across the room, Luna covertly rushes back over to you.
“What?” You ask impatiently as she approaches.
>”Okay, look… Let’s make a deal.”

“Make a deal?”
>”Yes. What do I need to do to make you go through with this?”
>For a moment, you find yourself dumbfounded.
>She really won’t drop this, will she?
>”Money? I’d happily pay for a night at the bar for you; better yet, you could take sister someplace decent.”
>Holy shit, is she actually trying to bribe you?
>”Are you… are you really trying to bribe a cop right now?”
“My thoughts exactly.”
>”It’s not a bribe!” Luna blurts out. “It’s a… it’s an exchange. An agreement.”
>”Sounds like something someone who’s trying to justify a bribe would say.”
>”My lord, will you just… No, Luna. Just ignore her.” Luna mutters as she stomps closer to you.
>”Good luck with that.” Stitches replies, a content grin adorning her face.
>Stopping just in front of you, Celestia’s temperamental sister jabs her finger into your chest.
>”What do you want, Anon? Give me something to work with.”
“I’ll tell you what I don’t want; to be tased.”
>”Come now, there must be something you want!”
“Okay, I want you to stop asking what I want in exchange for being tased.“
>”Why is this such a big deal to you? Are you really that pissed at Mouse, or is all this effort actually for the kids?”
>”Both.” Luna retorts. “He was an absolute hellion in his school days, and I’d certainly enjoy a little bit of payback… but, it’s just as much for the students as it is for me. We’ve been complacent with the student reward for some years now; a week off from homework and the last few hours of the day as free periods. While they’ve always been happy for it, there’s no reason we can’t spice things up, is there?”
>”Well, there’s the guy who’s refusing to spice things up. If you’re so bent on giving the kiddos a show, why don’t you step up to the plate?”
>Luna inches away from Stitches, waving her hands in protest.
>”Me? No! No, I couldn’t possibly…”
>”Pssshh. Figures as much. Too scared to do it yourself, so you try to force Mouse to do it instead.”
>”I’m not scared, I’m just… Well, I’m being reasonable; just look at him! He’s big and strong, and tough; I know he’s been tased before, so he’ll know what to expect.”
>She switches her gaze from Stitches to you before continuing.
>”You were up and moving just fine only moments after that encounter with Bulk, and I know all about your scars; I’ve no doubt you…”
>As her voice trails off with sudden realization, you feel a cold, abyssal pit form in your chest, chilling your flesh.
>With such little provocation, the painful memories begin to resurface once again. They madly reach out to you like the drowning crew of a sinking ship, desperate to latch onto you and drag you back into the dark depths of your mind.
>In a pitiful attempt to mask your most noticeable mark, you tug and gather your hood around to the marred skin on your neck.
>”…Must… have a high pain tolerance… I-I am so sorry; Celestia warned me not to mention them, and I-“
>”Man, you are just some piece of work.”
>At the mention of her name, you urgently look around for your lover, looking for any diversion to refocus your mind on.
>You spy her towards the center of the gym, talking with Ms. Harshwhinny and the Coaches.
>”Really, I apologize! It was an honest mistake, a slip of the tongue! I didn’t mean to-“
>”You know, most people have to common fucking sense to just know not to bring stuff up like that, but you were specifically told not to, and you still fucked that up.”
>Even so soon after this little argument with her sister, she’s right back to herself; smiling that cheerful, motherly smile as she prepares to begin the rally.
>You don’t know what she sees in a broken man like you. She deserves better.
>A hand places itself in your palm, intertwining its fingers with yours.
>”Hey, it’s alright, Mouse. Everything’s okay.”
>You turn to find Stitches, standing faithfully at your side, gently patting the back of your hand and uttering words of comfort.
>She deserves better, too. She deserves the best.
>She deserves her team back.
>They deserved to live.
>Why did it have to be them? 
>Blitz and Breacher.
>They had families.
>A fiancé.
>A wife and kids. A happy marriage.
>But they were all you had.
>It should have been y-
>A soft slap across your cheek pulls you from the dark waters and back to reality.
>”Hey, Mouse, you there? C’mon, talk to me.” Stitches says in an attempt at a gentle voice.
>You clearly hear worry beginning to manifest in her tone.
“Yeah… Yeah, I’m okay.” You reply with a soft shake of your head.
>”Oh, good! I was getting worried… Hey, come on, lets get you a seat. You’re looking kind of pale.”
>You couldn’t explain why, but for some reason, sitting still just doesn’t sit well with you.
>She tugs you gently towards some nearby chairs lining the walls, but you tug back.
“Hey, I’m alright.”
>”You sure? You still look a little shaken up.” She asks hesitantly. 
“Yeah, I’m fine. Just… give me a sec, okay?”
>You pull away, freeing your hand from hers.
>Silently passing by a speechless vice-principal, she watches as you step out into the empty halls once more.
>Resting your hands on your head, you immediately set to pacing back and forth as you drive out the last of your dark thoughts.
>Now. Focus on now.
>As you pass back by the gym doors, you peek through their small windows.
>On the other side, you see Stitches back to berating Luna, vehemently defending you.
>Luna just stands there and takes her scolding.
>You’re not really sure if she deserves to had her head bitten off my Stitches, but you’re not going to step in to stop it.
>But seeing her so aggressively chewing out Luna does make you appreciate Stitches that much more.
>You should do something special for her. Her, and Celestia. They both deserve it so much.
>As you stop to guzzle down water from a nearby water fountain, an idea suddenly pops into your head.
>It’s risky, and you doubt Luna will still want to push for her little ‘reward’ for the students, but…
>She did ask what she had to do to get you to agree. You suspect she may be more than happy to accept your terms now.
>A little bit of pain is worth doing something special for those you care about right?
>Three? Five? No, three’s a good number. You’ll go with three.
>Wiping the water from your mouth and feeling reasonably back to normal again, you head back inside where Stitches, still ranting, jabs her finger into Luna’s face.
>”And lastly-“
“Stitches, that’s enough.” You say as the door swings shut behind you.
>”H-hey… You good?” She asks, backing down.
“Yeah, I’m good.”
>As you approach the two of them, you look past them to find Eye and Armor watching intently.
>Hard to tell if they know what’s going on, but judging by Eye’s grin, he seems to have been enjoying the show.
>It’s probably a good thing you all are tucked away into this little nook, and not out in front of the whole bleacher stand.
>Just as you near the two of them, Luna quickly steps forward, stealing the spotlight from Stitches.
>”Anon, I would like to apologize for mentioning… for my words, earlier,” she states morosely. “Celestia had warned me to be mindful of certain topics when speaking to you, and I suppose it just… slipped my mind.”
>You wonder what all Celestia has told Luna. It can’t be much, you’ve barely told her anything yourself.
>”I want you to know that it truly was a mistake. It may be hard to believe, especially after what we were just arguing about, but I swear I meant no ill will.”
>As she continues on, you find yourself impatiently and nervously drumming your fingers against your leg.
>”I don’t know the story behind it, but I would never use something so obviously painful against you.”
>Stitches huffs, blowing a few stray strands of hair away from her eyes before shaking her head in disagreement.
“Luna, it’s fine. It-“
>”No, it’s not fine! I spoke about something I knew I shouldn’t have, and-“
“No, really, it is. I get it, you’re sorry, and I believe you, but I really don’t want to linger on this topic, you know?”
>”O-oh! Yes, yes! Sorry, I didn’t realize…”
“It’s fine. If you want, I’m sure Stitches will happily continue chewing your ass after this.”
>”I don’t know if I’m really all that happy about it…” You hear Stitches mutter.
>”Err… We should probably get to starting the rally, yes? Maybe later.” Luna sheepishly says as she turns away.
“Hold on. You still want to make that deal?”
>”I, well… Are you willing to make an offer?”
“I am. In the event that the students win, I agree to be tased; but ONLY if they win.”
>”Of course.”
>”Mouse, are you sure this is a good idea? I mean, I was all for this before, but now…”
“It’ll be fine, Stitches. Whatever happens, it’ll be worth it.”
>You give her a reassuring pat on the arm before turning back to Luna.
>”And what do you want in exchange?”
“In exchange, regardless of who wins, you’re going to pay for a very nice date the next time me and Celestia go out.”
>”Done!” She exclaims eagerly.
“You’re also going pay for a night at the bar for me, Stitches, and Eye.”
>”Alright, I’m liking this deal.” Stitches adds, nodding happily.
>”What?! No, I’m not paying for that! You and your friends will drain my account! I’ll pay for you.”
“You’ll pay for me and Stitches. Eye can fend for himself, then.”
>You guess that’s what he gets for not stopping you when you’ve had too much.
>Luna turns to Stitches, who stares back at her smugly.
>”Say yes and I’ll stop yelling at you.”
>Luna pauses, staring down at the floor in contemplation.
>”Oh… Fine, I suppose. But please, keep it reasonable; I’m not made of money.”
>”The Canterlot Police Department appreciates your donation, ma’am.” 
>”Yes, well; the things I do for my students. Now, let’s-“
“And lastly…”
>”There’s more?!”
“Relax, it’s an easy one. I need a chauffeur. I want Celestia to enjoy herself, and she’s not going to want to drink if I have to be the designated driver. Same for Stitches, here. She didn’t have a drop last time we were out.”
>”And boy, I was thirsty.”
>”So hire a taxi!”
“I could do that, but… do you want to see me scream like a little girl or not?”
>”Does, does he actually scream like that when he gets shocked?” Luna asks as she looks to Stitches.
>”If I say yes, will you pay for my booze?”
>”Ugh…” Luna groans, shaking her head as she turns back. “So, a chauffeur. Just once?”
“Three outings. I think that’s reasonable.”
>”And nothing else?”
“Nothing else.”
>Again, she falls into a deep silence, contemplating.
>Abruptly, the gymnasium’s speaker system echoes a loud tapping, followed by the low screech of a microphone.
>The crowd in the bleachers groan and holler in response.
>You turn to find Celestia addressing the bleachers, mic in her hands.
>”Oh! Sorry about that, and very sorry for the wait.” 
>She then turns her attention to you and her little sister.
>”But, we’re just about ready to begin, if Vice-Principal Luna could just make her way over here.”
>A sense of urgency instilled in her, Luna looks back and forth between you and Luna.
>Throwing all caution and better judgement aside, she quickly turns to you and extends her hand.
>”Deal!”
“Deal.” You repeat, shaking her hand.
>Score.

>”Fantastic! Now, if you’ll excuse me, I should go inform sister and get things started.”
>The second Luna steps away and out of earshot, Stitches looks to you as she leads you back to the others.
>”You think she’ll actually keep her word? Seems like a bit of a lopsided deal.”
“She better. I’m not worried, though. I don’t have anything to lose unless we actually lose, and I don’t plan on losing.”
>”Fair enough. You better make sure everyone else is on the same page, though. Hey… are you sure you’re okay? Last time you… you know, you didn’t take it so well.”
“Yeah, I’m okay,” you mutter, making sure the marks on your neck are still covered. “Sometimes, I forget about them, and when someone mentions them so out of the blue… Things just get the drop on me, that’s all.”
>”Well, just remember, I’m here for you if you need anything.”
“I know you are. That’s why I’m putting myself on the line to get you some free drinks.” You say, smiling at her.
>”And your girlfriend a nice night out; truly a heroic sacrifice. But thanks, I really appreciate it.” She replies, smiling cheerfully back at you.
>”Alright then. Canterlot High, are you ready for some fun?”
>The students roar in response, cheering and clapping in excitement.
>”Well then, let’s get things started!”
>Again, the crowd explodes into cheering.
“Looks like we’re about to get going. I should probably get with the others.”
>”Okay. Have fun, Mouse. I’ll be rootin’ for you.” She says, stepping backward.
>She gives you a single playful wink before turning back and rejoining the others.
>”Man, what’d she say to piss you off?” You hear Eye ask.
>”Nothing; and wipe that stupid smirk off your face!”
>As you turn and make your way towards Cheeri and Red, you see Luna snatch the mic out of Celestia’s hands.
>”And, to add some extra motivation for you all, we have a special secret reward for you all this year! If you want to know what it is, you better win!”
>Celestia grabs the mic back, covering it with her hand to muffle her voice.
>No doubt she’s questioning what Luna’s up to now.
>They bicker between themselves before Luna points Celestia your way. She locks eyes with you and shakes her head.
>Obviously, she’s still against this little scheme. 
>Maybe she’ll come around once you explain? She’s got nothing to worry about, though.
>Because there is no fucking way you’re getting tased today.
>In response to her worried stare, you give her a confident smile and nod.
>Luna’s lips move in utterance, and the two of them get right back to quietly bickering.
>As you near the other faculty, they seem to put aside their argument and get back on with the show.
>”Ah, yes, well… We’ll see about that. A-anyway, let’s get right into the first event! Starting off the rally, we have the three-legged… the three…”
>Celestia exhales straight into the mic, making her annoyance apparent to all.
>With her free hand, she pulls a folded slip of paper from her pocket and deftly unfolds it with her nimble fingers.
>”The three-legged-sack-egg race!”
>Oh, man, this is going to be dumb. The fun kind of dumb.
>”This will be, of course, a paired event. Vice-Principal Luna and I will be competing for the teachers, while our competitors from the students will be…”
>She gazes down at the sheet once more.
>”Flash Sentry and Derpy Hooves! Come on down, you two!”
>Pivoting perfectly on the ball and heel of your feet, you whip around to watch the competitors come down from the stands as you keep moving backwards.
>As the students start to cheer, you see two bodies in particular pop up from the writhing horde.
>One, a grey-colored girl with blonde hair, wandering eyes, and a happy, innocent, and excited smile on her lips.
>You recognize her from your time patrolling the halls. She’s the girl always bumping into things and dropping her books and work all over the place.
>She’s incredibly clumsy, which tells you that this is going to be a good show.
>And an easy win.
>As she begins to clumsily make her way down from the stands, nearly tripping over every other step, your eyes lock on to the other moving figure.
>Clad in his usual leather jacket, Flash hurriedly makes his way down from the other side of the bleachers, his eyes lingering on Derpy with apprehension.
>As he reaches the bottom, he leaps down from the last few steps and swiftly makes his way towards his partner.
>Derpy, still awkwardly making her way down, begins to pick up speed as she stumbles down the stairs out of control.
>Just before she falls onto the hard gym floor, Flash steps in front of her, catching her along with all of her momentum.
>With a friendly grin, he pulls Derpy back to her feet. Together, they join Celestia and Luna in the center of the gym.
>Her somewhat dopey smile grows as Derpy reaches out and takes Flash’s hand in hers.
>The sight makes you ‘aww’ internally.
>You don’t know if you’d call yourself much of a romantic, but damn if that isn’t pretty cute.
>”Now, I’ll just briefly explain what will be happening this event, and then we can get started.”
>Celestia turns, leading Luna, Derpy, and Flash a handful of yards away, where a few volunteer students scurry around setting up traffic cones to mark the course.
>Stepping into place beside Cheeri and Red, you immediately take notice of the other supplies; some rope, two enormous bags made from some kind of tarp, two ladles, a carton of eggs, and…
>Baseball bats?
>”As I’m sure you can guess, this will be a bit… hectic. Starting off, both pairs will be tied together at the legs; one of them will be given a ladle, in which they must hold an egg. If at any point the egg falls out of the ladle or breaks, the team must go back and get another egg, as well as restarting the lap.”
>You hear a few low grumblings from the bleachers as various cliques begin whispering to themselves.
>”Well, this should be an easy win for us.” Redheart confidently states.
“Yeah, it’s starting to look that way. Derpy is kind of…”
>”Accident prone? She’s a sweet girl and all, but she’s a magnet for bad luck. She’s in my office all the time.”
>”Accident prone is an understatement. Remember last year, when she knocked over that book case and almost flattened herself?” Cheerilee pipes in.
>”Haha, oh yeah! You were mad about that for weeks!”
>Okay, maybe she’s a little worse than you thought.
>Luna lifts one of the bags from the floor, holding it up for all the crowd to see.
>”Now, for this first ‘leg’ of the race…”
>Celestia pauses, waiting for the crowd’s reaction.
>”Ha! I get it!” Twilight shouts from the bleachers.
>Beside her, Pinkie rolls in her seat, red-faced from laughter.
>The rest of the students are dead silent.
>”Ha… Ahaha…” Celestia awkwardly chuckles, “Yes, well; for the first portion of the race, we will be hopping together to the other side of the gymnasium and back. After the first lap, the bags will be dropped and each team will simply have to run back to the far side of the course together.”
>As Luna drops the bag at her feet, one of the assisting student aids grabs the pair of baseball bats and runs to the far side of the course.
>”Once there, the competitor not holding the egg will have to untie the rope. I know that sounds simple enough, but these knots will be tied by our very on Urban Ranger troop leader, Clove Hitch!”
>The aid remaining by the rope snaps to the position of attention, saluting his fellow rangers in the crowd with his finger and his thumb in the shape of an L on his forehead.
>”Once the rope is off, if you can get it off, the egg-carrier will have to spin around on the bat no less than fifteen times! Then, after you’re good and extremely dizzy, the egg-carrier only has to make it back to the starting point. The first team to complete all of these events wins. Now then, Flash, Derpy, any questions before we begin?”
>Derpy over exaggeratedly shakes her head, but Flash steps forward and leans into the mic.
>”Uh, yeah, I just wanted to say that you’re going down and that I hope the secret prize is free ice-cream.”
>”Haha, oh Flash,” Celestia replies with obviously fake laughter, “You guessed correct, it’s-“
>Suddenly, Luna swoops in, stealing the mic again.
>”It’s not ice-cream. Now, let’s get to our starting positions!”
>Not giving her sister a chance to interject again, Luna leads her competitors over to the starting line with Celestia trailing along behind them.
>As she passes by, Celestia takes you by the arm and pulls you away from your friends.
>While Luna watches over Clove Hitch as he ties together Flash and Derpy, Celestia pulls you to the side, just out of earshot of the others.
>”Anon, why is my sister trying to tell me you suddenly changed your mind?”
“Because I did?”
>”Why? Why on earth would you decide to go through with this after she tried to trick you in the first place?”
“Because I got her to agree to an incredibly one-sided deal.” You say, shrugging.
>”Anon, I thought you were… wait, deal? She didn’t mention a deal, she just said that you ‘came around’.”
>Luna seems to have a real issue with deciding to leave out details that others would consider important.
“Well, if she didn’t tell you, maybe I should keep it a surprise…”
>With a glare, she crosses her arms and leans in in attempted intimidation.
>”I’ve had more than enough surprises today, thank you very much. I’d very much prefer you tell me now.”
“Are you sure? You can’t wait until tomorrow night, or-“
>”Now, Anon. You will tell me now.”
>Yeesh. First the library and now this.
>You’re beginning to suspect Celestia is having a bad day.
“Okay, okay. I agreed to get tased if we lose.”
>”Obviously.”
“But, whether we lose or win, she’s going to be a designated driver for me and my friends.”
>”That’s it? If you cared that much, why didn’t you ask-“
“She will also be paying for several drinks.”
>”I… I guess that’s better, but sti-“
“AND! She thought I wasn’t treating you well enough; you know, since we’re always going out to Sweet Snacks. So, she’s going to drive us out to a nice, expensive restaurant, where we’re going to order some five-star food and wine. We’re going to sit, eat, and drink however long we want, and when we’re ready to go, she’ll pay for everything and take us home.”
>Before your very eyes, you see her concern and annoyance fade away as she considers the terms of your deal. 
>”I don’t know… That’s an awful lot of money out of Luna’s pocket; and we could easily pay for that date ourselves. I’m not sure I like the idea of Luna spending so much on us, or you getting hurt just for this.”
“Come on, Celestia. You’re a beautiful, caring woman that deserves something nice like this. Let me treat you like a princess.”
>”You mean, let Luna treat me like a princess?”
“Let me make Luna treat you like a princess.”
>Laughing at your attempt at flattery, her mood takes a turn for the better.
>”Oh… Alright. So long as this agreement was completely voluntary and to the knowledge of both of you-“
“It was.”
>”-Then I suppose I won’t try and fight it. ‘Like a princess’… I think I actually like the idea of being spoiled a little. I just hope we don’t lose; I’d hate to be part of the reason you get hurt.”
>”Sister! Come on, we’ve wasted enough time.” Luna calls out.
>Clove Hitch stands by her side with rope in hand, ready to conjoin the sisters.
“I’ve got complete faith in you. Just make sure Luna actually tries.”
>Gracing you with another of her angelic smiles, she turns away and hurries to her sister.
>With lithe hands, the Ranger quickly wraps the rope around Celestia and Luna’s shins.
>Luna hands the mic off to the other aid as she, Celestia, and the student team all step into their bags.
>As they inch forward to the starting line, Clove hands a ladle and an egg to both Derpy and Luna.
>Awkwardly, the teams hold the bag up with three hands, their fourth extending the ladle out.
>Derpy’s carrying the egg? There’s no way they’ll win this!
>Stepping just ahead of the starting line, the young female aid brings the mic to her mouth.
>”Hey there, everybody! For those that may not know me, I’m News Flash, writer with the CHS newspaper club, and I’ll be commentating today’s pep rally! Are you guys ready to begin?”
>Once again, the crowd cheers.
>”Jesus Christ, just get on with it!” One dissenting voice shouts.
>”Alrighty then! Teachers, students; are you ready?”
>Celestia and Luna nod determinedly, while Flash and Derpy do the same.
>”Good! On your mark… Get set…”
>Both teams prepare themselves, ready to spring at any moment.
>”GO!”
>Bursting forward like a compressed spring, Flash and Derpy leap into action, taking a clean start.
>Not quite to your surprise, Luna lags behind from the get-go, mistiming a synchronized jump and throwing both of them to the floor.
>As her egg launches straight out of her ladle and splats onto the floor inches from her face, the students in the bleachers burst into laughter.
“Oh, COME ON!”
>”I’M TRYING!” Luna shouts back as her and Celestia scramble to their feet.
>Having barely even left the start point, Clove Hitch just goes ahead and puts another egg in their ladle.
>”And it looks like Flash and Derpy are off to a quick start, stealing the lead ahead of the principals; to no one’s surprise, might I add! They fell right at the start last year, too!”
>With the student team in the lead and nearly halfway through their first lap, Celestia and Luna get their senses together and finally leave the starting line.
>”Come on, Luna, faster!”
>Awkwardly, they hobble and hop along after Derpy and Flash, failing to gain any ground.
>At their best, they only manage to keep pace.
>”I’m trying! Would you like to try carrying this- WHOA!”
>As they pass the halfway point, they stumble. Luna tumbles to the ground, dragging her sister with her.
>As they slam against the floor, Luna’s egg bounces up, dancing along the ladle’s cup.
>To your shock, the egg safely rolls right back into place.
>”Wow, would you look at that! Look’s like someone upstairs is looking out for the principals! It’s a good thing, too; they’re going to need a miracle if they still plan on winning.”
>”It’s okay?!” Celestia asks.
>”It’s okay! We’re okay!” Luna cries as they both climb to their feet and get back to the race.
>Just as they make their first hop, Flash and Derpy pass right by them on their lap back.
>Celestia and Luna continue on and eventually make it to the turnaround, but only as Flash and Derpy complete their lap and drop their bag.
>”Look’s like the students are moving on to the second portion of this race. Will the principals be able to catch up, or are they looking at certain doom? What do you guys think?”
>Overwhelming all other sound, the room explodes into shouting and cheering as nearly every recognizable student hollers out.
>”Doom! Doom! Doom!”
>”Well, I can’t say I disagree!” News Flash optimistically replies.
>You are beginning to have some second thoughts.
>Slowly and steadily, the sisters make their way back to their starting point.
>Adding insult on top of injury, the pair of students do the same; putting an arm around each other’s shoulder, they calmly walk along, smiling and chatting amongst each other as they watch their competition flop about and fail. 
>”Well, would you look at that? Nice day for a stroll, huh?”
>Smiling alongside Derpy, Flash looks to the crowd and waves carelessly.
>Again, just as the sisters make it back and drop their bag, the students calmly walk over the turnaround point.
>Still taking their time, Flash bends over to take an inquisitive look at the massive knot holding together his and Derpy’s legs.
>”Come on, come on, we can catch them!” Celestia cries.
>”Ow, care- careful! Sister, please!”
>They stumble with Luna nearly falling yet again. 
>With fast reflexes and a little bit of luck, she catches herself on her knees and free hand, the egg still safe and sound.
>Celestia pulls her sister back to her feet, ignoring her pleas for caution and patience.
>Meanwhile, Flash scratches at his chin, still observing the knot.
>With a sudden realization, he snaps his fingers. With dexterous precision, he pinches and tugs at the knot in seemingly random fashion, loosening it up bit by bit.
>Taking the end of the rope between his fingers, he delivers one last tug. Effortlessly, the rope slips apart, falling around their ankles.
>You begin to feel a slight sense of apprehension and regret.
>”I don’t believe it! He made it look so easy! How on earth did you figure that out?” News asks from across the room.
>Remaining silent, Flash takes the ladle from Derpy as she puts her head to the bats handle and begins to spin around.
>As the crowd begins to chant along in count of Derpy’s spins, Flash looks to News. With a self-satisfied smile, he raises his right hand to his forehead, forming the Urban Ranger salute.
>”One! Two! Three!”
>”Ah! Well, that explains that. Oh, look at this! Look’s like Celestia and Luna have finally caught up!”
>Sure enough, they stumble across the line just as News announces their arrival.
>Wasting absolutely no time, Celestia immediately gets to work on untying the knot.
>”Can they steal the win away from the students? It looks like it’s all up to Derpy now.”
>They’ve got it, they have to! It’s Derpy, there’s no way she can get through this without breaking that egg!
>”Nine! Ten! Eleven!”
>Her fingers fumbling away at the knot in vain, Celestia looks to you with a worried glance.
“Come on, Celestia, you got this!”
>”Thirteen! Fourteen! FIFTEEN!”
>With a wobble, Derpy drops the bat at her side and stands tall. 
>You watch as her misaligned eyes roll from dizziness and, to your amazement, realign perfectly.
>As if seeing clearly for the first time in her life, she slowly looks around the gymnasium, taking the sights in.
>Her wide smile grows as she looks to the crowd, still cheering and shouting for her. Happily, she waves back.
>She turns back to Flash, who looks just as astounded as you do. 
>Suddenly remembering the games going on, she calmly takes the ladle from his hands and sets out on a peaceful walk to the finish line.
“No fuckin’ way……”
>”No way… No way, this can’t really be Derpy, right?!” News asks, shaking her head in disbelief. “This is impossible! What did you do with the real Derpy?!”
>As if walking an invisible tight rope, she keeps remarkable balance; not once does she sway or stumble along her perfect line.
>You manage to tear your eyes from Derpy to check on the sisters, only to find them equally shocked and awed by Derpy, and still tied together.
>As they come back to their senses, Luna tosses the egg and ladle aside, accepting the inevitable defeat.
>Celestia seems to avoid your gaze, hanging her head low in disappointment.
>Only moments later, Derpy crosses the finish line.
>”AAAAAAAAND, THAT DOES IT! STUDENTS TAKE THE FIRST POINT! LET’S HEAR IT FOR DERPY!”
>As the crowd bursts into cheering once more, Flash rushes over to his partner, lifting her up in a triumphant embrace.
>As the students celebrate, Celestia and Luna hobble back to the other side of the room, where Clove Hitch skillfully removes the rope in seconds.
>Before she has a chance to do anything else, Celestia is handed the mic back from News. She gives you a grim, half-hearted smile as she heads back to center stage.
>Though she does not speak, you can clearly read her thoughts.
>’I’m sorry. I tried my best.’
>As you await the announcement of the next event, your eyes wander back over to Stitches and the others, where you find her excitedly cheering for Derpy, hopping up and down in place.
“Oh, you cunt.”

>Disregarding the hordes of impressionable youth in the room, you raise your middle finger towards her.
>Sadly, only Eye seems to take notice. He shrugs with his arms, silently questioning your rude gesture.
>”Well, that was quite the race, wasn’t it?” Celestia asks, adorning herself with a fresh smile. “Just like that, Flash and Derpy steal the lead! Good job, you two. But, don’t let it get to your heads; we still have four more events to go!”
>Yeah, four more events. Keep it cool, man. You still got this.
>”What do you say we move on to everyone’s favorite event, the talent show?”
>As the crowd let’s out a semi excited cheer, Luna begins to head your way. As she nears, she smiles apologetically.
>”Well, that was certainly a mess, don’t you think?”
>Only briefly meeting her eyes as she takes her position beside you, you cross your arms and immediately refocus your gaze on Celestia.
“Well, you lost. Yeah, I’d say it was a mess. Great job, by the way.”
>”Hey, I tried!” Luna exclaims, angerly resting her hands on her hips.
“I’m sure you did.”
>”Now, why don’t we start off the show with Doctor…”
>Celestia passes a panicked glance toward the team of teachers, as if looking for someone or something that wasn’t there.
>You look over the teachers as well, taking accountability.
>You come up missing one head. Dr. Caballeron.
>”Ehehe, actually, why don’t we start with students this year? Can we get a big cheer for everyone’s favorite CHS magician?!”
>Rather then the usual intense applause, the crowd responses with a few mildly uninterested and unenthused claps.
>Only one student, Sunset, seems genuinely excited to see the show.
>From the very back of the bleachers, Trixie arises, garbed in her starry wizard cloak and hat.
>With a smug grin, she flares her cloak out as she sets down the stairs.
>”At last, the time comes for the grrrrrrreat and powerful Trixie to steal the show again!” She boldly proclaims, her head held high.
>”You suck!” Shouts someone from the audience.
>On a dime, Trixie spins around, searching for the dissenting voice.
>”WHAT?! Who said that?! The deadly and destructive Trixie will obliterate you!” She shouts, waving her hands in the air as if trying to cast a spell.
>”Ahem. Trixie? Let’s not threaten anyone, okay? You too, whoever just shouted; let’s all be civil.”
>Pulled semi back to her senses, she pouts in the general direction of the voice before turning back.
>Reaching back into her cloak, she grabs a handful of something. As an excited look crosses her face, she lifts her hand up above her head before hurling it at the floor.
>Smoke bursts out around her, causing nearby students to fall into coughing fits.
>You’re left baffled when the smoke clears, Trixie nowhere in sight.
>”BEHOLD!” You hear her muffled voice shout.
>You look around, finding her nowhere in sight until you notice the weight room door cracking open on the other side of the gym.
>Trixie pokes her wizard hat outside, quickly looking over the room.
>How did she do that? Is she an actual magician?
>All these years, you thought those Las Pegasus magic shows were staged!
>The second she notices you watching her, she ducks back inside.
>Suddenly, a plume of smoke poofs into existence right behind Celestia. 
>”BEHOLD!”
>The smoke rapidly disperses, revealing Trixie, striking a dramatic pose with her hands held high.
>With her chin raised and her eyes closed, she fails to realize she has her back turned to the crowd.
>”Oh, there you are.”
>”Yes, the great-“
>As she opens her eyes, she whips around, doing her best to hold back her embarrassment.
>Despite her efforts, you spy a hint of red in her cheeks.
>”Yes, the great and powerful Trixie is here, ready to shock and awe all of her devoted fans!”
>”That’s great, Trixie.” Celestia replies sounding somewhat disinterested.
>She motions for Clove Hitch to run a mic stand over to her, and he jumps to fulfil her command.
>”Well, I’ll just let you take it away. Good luck!” Celestia shouts as she quickly sets off to your side of the gym.
>”Very well,” Trixie says as she steps up to the mic. “Now then, prepare to be astounded by my magical might! Brace yourself to be amazed by supreme skills! Compose yourselves for my… ”
>Drawing close to your teammates, she prompts all of you to gather around her in a huddle.
>You and Luna rejoin the others at Celestia’s side.
>”Okay, we need someone to fill in for Dr. Cabelleron. Does anyone have anything interesting you’re talented at?”
>Cheerilee, Redheart, Ms. Harshwhinny, every single one of them stares blankly back at her.
>”Nothing? Really? No one has anything?”
>”My mathematics already puts students to sleep in class; I doubt it would fare any better here.” Mr. Doodle bluntly replies.
>With an eager smile, Granny smith raises her hand. Celestia goes out of her way to ignore her.
>”Ms. Harshwhinny? Nurse Redheart?”
>”Well, I suppose if I have to, I could recite some poetry, or a passage or two from some classic literature.”
>”That’s not really a talent, though.” Redheart points out. “You’re just reading from a script.”
>”I was asked what I could do, so I told her. What can you do, Nurse?”
>Redheart sighs, turning her eyes away from the others.
>”Not a whole lot…”
>”Now don’t ya worry Principal Celestia, I’ll-“
>”Spitefire? Soarin?”
>Appearing to be of the same mind, the Coaches meet each other’s eyes. Simultaneously they look back to Celestia and shake their heads.
>”Nah, not really. We’re kind of already doing the three-point shootout.” Spitfire states.
>”Yeah, and coaching isn’t the most glorious skill, you know? I guess I could go outside and give the ol’ pigskin my best throw…”
>”Or see how long we could juggle a soccer ball.”
>”No, you’re right. Oh, this is just wonderful…”
>”Sister, why don’t we ask our dear school resource officer for help?”
>At Luna’s suggestion, you find all eyes on you.
>”Anon? Do you think you could step in for Dr. Cabelleron?” Celestia asks.
>Even with as invested in this competition as you are, you find yourself hesitant to volunteer.
>You’re not exactly someone with a wide variety of skills or talents.
“Sorry, Celestia. There’s only one thing I’m really any good at, and you don’t want me doing that in here.” You say, tapping your index and middle finger against your pistol’s grip.
>You doubt the Chief or any of the students’ parents would appreciate hearing about some random cop trying a few trick shots in front of the whole school.
“What’s the big deal? Where’s Dr. Cabelleron?”
>”Not long ago, Dr. Cabelleron informed us that he had to leave to sort out some family emergency involving his mother. That’s about all we know.”
>”It was on such short notice that we couldn’t even get a substitute for the rest of the day. We had to throw his class in with study hall.” Celestia adds.
>Unbelievable.
>As a new wave of annoyance flares up, you slowly turn your head towards Luna.
“You knew about this and yet you’re only now telling me about it?”
>”I… Yes, well; it would appear that it slipped my mind.”
“Luna…”
>”I’m being honest! It’s been a busy day, okay? Besides, you’re acting under the presumption that Dr. Cabelleron would have been a sure-fire win, and he most certainly wouldn’t have been.”
“Maybe not, but apparently he was the only one good at anything remotely entertaining!”
>”Anon, sister, please calm-“
“Five.”
>”What?”
“Not three, five.”
>Luna narrows her eyes, mercilessly shooting daggers at you.
>”Absolutely not. That wasn’t part of the deal!”
“I am altering the deal. Pray I do not alter it further.”
>”Deal? What deal?” Cheerilee asks.
>”But-“
“I can walk over there right now and tell them this thing is off.”
>”ARGH! Fine! But no more alterations! This is final.”
>You cross your arms, stand-offishly staring Luna down.
“Unless you have any more last-minute information to share, you shouldn’t have much to worry about. So, what is it? Celestia, you have anything to share?”
>”No, Anon.” Celestia quietly utters, clearly uncomfortable with the conversation. “That should be the only issue. I’m terribly sorry you weren’t warned, but Luna is right. It’s been a hectic day, and to be honest, it completely slipped my mind until just now as well. Let’s all just get back to the matter at hand…”
>”No way, tell us about this deal you got, Anon.” Spitfire says with a sharp grin.
>”Yeah, you guys making bets? I want in!” Soarin eagerly adds.
>”Officer Mous!” Ms. Harshwhinny exclaims, “I can’t believe you, gambling like this! How immoral!”
>”I told you he hadn’t changed.” Mr. Doodle self-righteously interjects.
“It’s not a bet, or gambling. It’s just an exchange of favors depending on who wins, alright?”
>”And before anyone has the insulting thought to ask, no, not those kinds of favors!” Luna declares.
>”Duh.” Redheart says, stepping up to the others. “Anon’s a great guy, and I can promise you that he wouldn’t do something like that. Besides, Vice-Principal Luna is a little out of his age bracket, you know?”
>”I… H-how dare you!”
>”Hey, I don’t mean to offend!” Red adds, raising her hands in her own defense. “I’m just saying that if that’s what was going on, he’d probably go for someone younger, you know? Someone like Ms. Inkwell, or-“
>”You?” Interrupts Cheerilee, throwing a skeptical look Red’s way.
>Redheart gives you a quick, bashful glance.
>”Well… I wasn’t gonna say that, but-“
“Alright! Jesus, let’s just get back on topic!”
>”Yes, that’s enough!” Celestia exclaims. “Anon’s preferences in women is none of our business. Whether he likes younger women or, perhaps, a woman who’s a little more mature and experienced, it’s entirely no one else’s business but their own and I’d expect all of you to respect that.”
>Holy shit Celly, really? Why don’t you just spell it out for them?
>As the present faculty eye her in confusion, you bury your face in your hand. Despite the looks, Celestia carries right on.
>”Now then, where were we? Ah, right, volunteers. Who would like to take Dr. Cabelleron’s place?”
“Just… just let Granny Smith do it.”
>”Darn tootin’! I got all sorts of neat tricks! So much, I don’t even know where to start!”
>”Well, for starters, let’s not use our dentures as an impromptu puppet again, ok?”
>”Aw, shucks, Ms. Celestia! The youngun’s love that!”
>”And no ‘extreme square dancing’ either. We’d very much prefer to avoid any more injuries on school grounds.” Luna adds with a stern gaze.
>What the hell is extreme square dancing? 
>”Well! Now yer just tryin’ to stop any fun! Gimme a lil’ bit to think, then.”
>Your eyes wander over to Trixie, who appears to be wrapping up a long monologue about how great she is.
>”…And that is why I, the great and powerful Trrrrrixie, shall become the greatest magician… IN THE WORLD!”
>With the dramatic conclusion to her speech, the throws her cloak out, sending it billowing behind her.
>”Now, to start off this amazing show, I shall summon my fabulous female assistant, SUNSET!”
>She reaches behind her, grabbing another handful of some unknown substance. Holding it high above her head, she prepares to throw it to the ground.
“Well, you got time. It looks like she’s only just getting-“
>*POOF*
“-started.”
>Suddenly, you find yourself surrounded by pale smoke. 
>Blinded and coughing, you desperately wave it away.
>”Ah! You’re not Sunset!”
>As the smoke clears, your senses return to you. You find yourself in the middle of the gym, standing right next to Trixie.
>The crowd erupts into laughter at her flopped spell.
>”Stop it! STOP LAUGHING!”
>You look around, shocked and in disbelief, before turning back to Trixie as she readies another handful of magic.
>SWEET BABY JESUS, MAGIC IS REAL!
“Are… are you a wizard?”
>”YES!” She angerly shrieks.
>*POOF*
>Again, you find yourself enveloped in smoke. The sound of coughing fits from others surrounds you, telling you that you are not alone.
>With the combined effort of other helpful hands, the smoke clears much quicker this time, revealing yourself to be standing in the middle of the bleachers, Fluttershy and Twilight at your sides.
>”Oh, hi Officer Anon! Look’s like Trixie’s a little rusty, huh?”
>”H-hi Officer Mouse…”
>You’re legitimately unsure of what you should be feeling right now.

“Uh… H-hi… hi, girls.”
>”Oh, Anon! It’s quite a nice surprise to have you up here, darling! Are you enjoying the pep rally?”
>You look down on the gymnasium floor, where Sunset happily greets Trixie with a smile and a hug.
“I just got teleported up here. Holy crap.”
>Scarcely comprehending it, you rub your hand against your forehead.
>”Yo Anon, you’re don’t look so hot… Maybe you should sit down and take five?”
>”Oh my gosh, Rainbow is right! You’re looking kind awfully pale. Here, you can sit down with us; Sunset won’t mind one bit if you borrow her seat.”
>Feeling a gentle tug at your arm from Fluttershy, you blindly follow her guidance down into the spare seat.
>She happily scoots toward you, nearly pressing her hip against yours.
“Did… did you girls know that magic is real?”
>”Of course it is, you silly-willy-billy! We’re all super ma- Mmh mmph mph!”
>Glancing over to the girls seated furthest away, you find Pinkie muzzled by Dash’s hand.
>”Ehehe… don’t mind her, she’s just being Pinkie.”
>”Don’t worry yer head over it, Ahnon. Ah know it seems worryin’, but it’s just one a’ those magic tricks. Ya know, smoke and mirrors an’ all a’ that.”
>Zigga, what?
“Yeah, just smoke and mirrors. She just teleported me across the room, Applejack. She just teleported me, twice, with smoke and mirrors.”
>”Ah, uh… Look, just don’t let it get to ya, that’s all.” Applejack says, uneasily scratching the back of her head.
>”Yes, really, darling; it’s nothing to get so worked up about.”
>HOW IS THIS NOT ANYTHING WORTH GETTING WORKED UP ABOUT?!
>”Perhaps you can ask her how she did it after the show, but she may not tell. You know how magicians can be about their trade secrets.”
>Feeling a delicate hand come to rest on your forearm, you turn to Fluttershy.
>”They’re right, Officer Mousey. You don’t need to worry about it; you’re completely fine after all, right?”
>Yeah, you’re okay. Just calm down, man. Deep breaths. 
>You’ll just… find Trixie later and ask her about this then. She’s bound to have a rational explanation for this.
>Right?
>Please God, let there be a rational explanation for this.
>If shit keeps up like this, you’ll be going grey before you’re even thirty.
>”You should just try to relax and enjoy the show. Trixie’s pretty good at magic; one time, she helped me find Angel when I lost him at the mall.”
>”I just wish she got some new tricks already. The teleportation’s pretty cool, but the past few years, it’s been the same old thing.” 
>Rainbow pauses to yawn and stretch before leaning forward and resting her chin in her palm. 
>“Watch this. ‘Now then, for my first bout of magical might, the great and powerful Trixie will guess Sunset’s chosen card!’”
>The pair of friends cheerfully pull away from each other. Putting that smile of extreme confidence in one’s self back on her face, Trixie turns back to the mic.
>”Now then, for my first bout of magical might, the great and powerful Trixie will guess Sunset’s chosen card!”
>”Called it.”
>Huh. Looks like rainbow might be right.
>Ah hell, what do you care? It’s all new to you.
>And so what if she’s got a stale routine? She literally just fucking teleported you!
>Gracefully rolling her hat off the top of her head and down her arm, she snatches by it’s rim at just the last second. Reaching into the grand wizard’s hat, she pulls out a deck of cards.
>Restoring the hat to it’s rightful place on her head, she fans the cards out, their faces facing hers.
>”Now, choose, my lovely assistant.”
>Sunset gazes at the cards, studying the back of each one. As she reaches out for one in particular, another dissenting voice is heard shouting from the bleachers.
>”Oh, come on! We’ve all seen you do this like, a hundred times now! Do something new!”
>”Yeah, do something new already! This is boring!”
>”Boo!”
>”Why, you ungrateful little…”
>”Hey, that’s not nice!” Sunset shout’s back. “Trixie puts a lot of effort into this routine! You’ll hurt her feelings!”
>Trixie steps forward, pushing Sunset back with an outstretched arm.
>”No, it’s fine. Trixie is fine. But, if these unappreciative cretins so desperately need something new to hold their ridiculously inadequate attention, then Trixie supposes she will skip straight to some new materiel.”
>Smashing the fan of cards back together, the deck disappears into her sleeves. Retrieving her hat once more, she digs her hand inside.
>”This audience is unworthy of witnessing the GREAT and POWERFUL Trixie in all of her splendor anyways.”
>Blindly searching for something in her hat, she reaches deeper and deeper within.
>Impossibly deep for the size of her hat. She’s nearly got the thing pulled up to her shoulder!
>”AH-HA!”
>She drops the hat to the ground, where it lands completely flattened against the ground.
>Gripped in her hand and running straight down to the inside of her cap is a long, colorful rope of bandanas.
>”No, that’s not it…”
>She tugs at the rope, pulling more and more out. It seems to go on and on without end.
>”This may take Trixie a moment…”
>She pulls and pulls, until eventually the rope seems to snag on something.
>”Ugh, what now?”
>She pulls with one sharp tug.
>Alas, nothing. Sunset comes to her aid, picking up some slack in the bandana rope.
>A small, metal cage door shoots out from the hat, and from within an explosion of white doves and their feathers bursts forth.
>The crowd gasps as they take to the air. They scatter about, some landing on hanging light fixtures and the basketball goals.
>”Oh, wow… so this is why she asked me what doves like.” Fluttershy mutters to herself.
>Fluttershy holds her arms out towards them, and the birds immediately seem drawn to her. They swoop down from their perches, the quickest taking up new residence on her outstretched limbs while the late arrivals are forced to dive away and roost elsewhere.
>Within seconds, half of the flock rests on her arms, cooing affectionately.
>”Oh my, look at all of you.” Fluttershy says as she giggles to herself. “My name is Fluttershy. Who are you?”
>As if answering her query, the cooing intensifies.
>”Coo, ooh-oo-oor.”
>”Roo, co.
>”Coo-coor.”
>”Well, that’s very good then. It’s nice to meet all of you. It looks like Trixie’s been taking good care of all of you.”
>You can hardly believe your eyes.
>Sure, you’ve seen Fluttershy handling animals before. Her rabbit, of course, and some stray cats and dogs, the odd song bird.
>Hell, she even had her hands on one of the squirrels that hang around the school.
>You were surprised to see her actually handling those wild animals. But you just thought to yourself, surely she had just baited them with some feed until they were close enough to pick up; surely, she just had some sort of calming touch.
>But seeing these doves just flock to her like that, seeing her hold them on her arms and talk to them like she can actually understand them…
>It’s, well… you don’t know what you’d call it. Magical?
>She kind of reminds you of one of those old Wizney princess’ or something.
>She makes it seem so natural, you almost believe she really can understand them.
>”The great and powerful Trixie will trust you to keep an eye on her birds, Fluttershy! …If you don’t mind, that is.”
>”It’s no trouble, Trix- er… Great and powerful Trixie. They have a lot of nice things to say about you.”
>As Sunset and Trixie heave one last time, an unoccupied cage is yanked out from the hat. It clatters against the floor.
>”Yes, well… The caring and loving Trixie would certainly hope so! She had to use quite a lot of her allowance and savings to purchase them!”
>Trixie drops the bandana rope at her feet and quickly gets back to digging into her hat.
>As you turn your gaze back to Fluttershy and the doves, you begin to wonder if all of this is supposed to be intentional.
>”Roo-roo, t’coo-r.”
>”Hehe, yes, she is kind of a funny girl. She likes to say her name a lot. But, she’s actually a really nice person; she just doesn’t like to show it sometimes. In fact, I was just telling Officer Mousey here about the time she helped me find-”
>She turns toward you, finding your amazed eyes lingering on her. Suddenly, she goes wide-eyed, looking from you, to Twilight, then to the crowd of teachers on the floor.
>Her expression baffles you. It’s like a doe got caught in headlights while trying to steal from the cookie jar.
“Fluttershy, how did you get them to come to you like that?”
>”I… I, uhm…”
>Shakily, she breaks her eyes away from you to stare forward.
>”I-I-I-I-I…”
>”Fluttershy’s just that good with animals, you know?” Rainbow says, looking your way. “She volunteers all of her free time at the shelter. She knows how to get ‘em to come to you.”
>”The doves are probably from the city, too. You know how doves and pigeons are so used to coexisting with humans, don’t you?”
“Well, yeah Twilight, I know you can practically walk right through a flock of them and they won’t fly away, but they don’t land all over me when I hold my arms out.”
>Pinkie’s wild hair smooshes against the back of a random student as she leans forward to lock eyes with you.
>”How do you know, huh? When was the last time you tried?”
>Shut up, Pinkie.
>”I-it’s like what Rainbow said; I guess I’ve just spent so much time around them that I just know what they want and like…”
>Slowly and gently, Fluttershy turns back to you, moving her arm closer.
>”Um… W-would… would you like to hold one?”
>Somewhere deep inside you, a repressed sense of childhood wonder pushes you to eagerly shout ‘yes’ over and over again. 
>Just like your urges to pet the K-9 unit dogs every time you see them, you resist the temptations.
“Uh… Yeah, sure.” You say, trying not to sound too excited.
>You raise your left hand, and carefully Fluttershy pushes the back of her right hand against yours.
>You feel a peculiar warmth emanating from her. It flows into you, filling you with a strange sense of clarity and glee.
>A dove perched on her index finger hops here and there but refuses to take your hand.
>”Go one, now. You can trust him; Officer Mouse is a very nice person.” Fluttershy softly whispers, a smile creeping back onto her face.
>With a hop, the dove turns around. It turns it’s head over and over, carefully observing you with both eyes.
>Finally, he puts one hesitant talon forward and latches onto your finger. Then, the other.
>”There we are. See?”
>She pulls her hand away, but a trace feeling of warmth lingers.
>Cautiously, you pull your hand closer to your chest, staring back at the dove.
>The two of you just sit there, looking each other in the eye. Judging. 
>”Talk to her.” Fluttershy whispers in your ear.
“Uhh… Heeeey… Hey there, little guy…” You coo, slowly reaching a finger up towards it. “What’s your name?”
>At first, the white dove does not respond.
>”Go on. It’s okay.”
>”…Coo-oo.”
 >Ecstatic, Fluttershy’s smile beams.
>”Her name is Cher Ami.”
“Cher… Cher Ami, huh? Why does that sound so familiar…?”
>”You know… that does sound kind of familiar. I wonder why?” Fluttershy asks, studying the bird perched on your finger.
>”That’s because Cher Ami is famous; or, was famous. She was a carrier pigeon in the Great War. She was shot in the chest and leg, but still flew over twenty-five miles to deliver her message!” Twilight proudly states.
>That’s what it is! You remember reading about that!
>”Oh, my… That poor bird.”
>With a raised pointer finger, Twilight happily continues.
>”Cher saved the lives of one hundred and ninety-four men in the battle of the Argonne by delivering that message. France even awarded her the Croix de guerre in honor and recognition of her service!”
>”They gave her a medal? I didn’t know they gave medals to animals…”
“Hear that, little guy? Er… Girl. I meant girl. You’re named after a hero.”
>”Coo! Coo!” Cher coos, hopping back and forth along your finger.
“What?”
>”AH-HA! FINALLY!”
>Your attention is yanked back down to the gym floor, now littered with various props.
>Flowers, multiple decks of playing cards, some of those boxes magicians use to cut people in two…
>There’s even a saw, just laying out on the floor.
>But, center stage, you find Trixie triumphantly holding a sizable glass orb over her head.
>With one hand, she reaches down and snatches her hat up off the floor. Smacking the dirt and dust off onto her thigh, Trixie places it back onto her head before sliding a wand out from her sleeve.
>She masterfully twirls the wand in her hand as she stares deep into the orb.
>”Perfect…” She says to herself, a confident smirk adorning her face. “Lights! The great and powerful Trixie demands someone turn off the lights!”
>You see Cheerilee break away from the group and step out of sight around the side of the bleachers. Seconds later, the lights go out, leaving the gym in almost complete darkness.
>A few lights shine out amidst the black. Cell phones of teachers and students illuminate their surroundings. But, from the center of the room, a mysterious blue light begins to manifest.
>It grows forth from Trixie’s crystal orb, illuminating her and Sunsets faces in dull light.
>Taking note of the look of amazement on Sunset’s face, Trixie eagerly continues her ritual.
>The dim light slowly spreads, showing everything within a few feet in blue light.
>You see Trixie raise the orb to her chest. She pulls her hands away from the ball, yet it remains in mid- air.
>The crowd gasps and whispers to each other in disbelief.
>”Now this, this is what I’m talkin’ about! Finally, something new!”
>”Wowee! Trixie’s never done something like this before!”
>”Holy Moley! Ya’ll see that thing floatin’?”
>”My, that is a lovely shade of blue…”
>”I wonder what’s going to happen…”
>”T’coor, coo-oo-“
>”Oh, um… Wait. Please don’t spoil anything, Mr. Winkie.”
>”I wonder how she’s doing that… Do you think she has some kind of anti-gravity device?”
“Twilight, what kind of teenager has an anti-gravity device?”
>”Well, I do.”
>The light flares out even more as Trixie raises her hands, the orb floating higher with them.
>Hovering feet above her, Trixie twirls the wand one more time before taking it firmly in her grip.
>With elegance, its dances and waves through the air, as if writing out some obscure hidden message.
>As a chilling breeze begins to flow through the room, the tip of her wand begins to glow with that same blue light.
>With a snap of her wrist, she points her wand straight up at the orb.
>”To the skies, I look, the stars I see! Now, great cosmos, reveal your secrets to me!”

>A bright bolt of light fires forth from the wand, blasting the orb above.
>The orb seems to absorb the beam of energy, holding it within as it’s lustrous glow intensifies.
>It grows brighter and brighter. Staring at something so bright in the darkened room begins to sting your eyes.
>It just keeps glowing brighter and brighter.
>You raise your hands and avert your eyes. Seconds later, you see a bright flash through your eye lids.
>You hear a few quick screams and yelps. As the light fades, giving way to more of the faint blue glow, the sounds of panic are quickly replaced with astounded gasps.
>”I… Oh, wow. That’s amazing!” You hear Twilight exclaim.
>”It’s… It’s beautiful.” Says Rarity.
>You unclench your eyes. Immediately, you find yourself entranced by what you see.
>All natural light seems to have been washed from the room, leaving you and the rest of the school in a black abyss; no walls, no ceiling or floor, not even the very seat you sit upon. 
>Only the students and faculty remain.
>Shining bright from the depths of the seemingly endless void, the light of stars faintly shine through.
>As they slowly drift and swirl around you, inch by inch, more stars begin to dot the dark expanse.
>Then, distant nebulas materialize, adding a plethora of blues, greens, oranges, and reds to the spotted vacuum.
>”It’s like a rainbow in space…” Utters Dash to herself in amazement.
>Before your very eyes, tiny stones appear. Like the stars, they lazily begin to drift along.
>As a small cluster of the asteroids draws close to you, you feel as though you could reach out and take one in your hand.
>And so you do.
>At least, you try to.
>You reach out and wrap your hand around a small space pebble. But, you feel nothing in your hand.
>The tiny rock floats straight through the back of your hand, evading capture with no effort whatsoever.
>You open your hand and stare down at your vacant palm.
>It’s… It’s not real?
>Having noticed what you just tried to do, Twilight makes the same attempt.
>Again, the asteroid floats through flesh, much like a ghost.
>”A projection? Or, maybe a hologram?” She asks herself.
>Fluttershy and the flock of pigeons watch quizzically as a bright star passes straight through them.
>”Oh, gosh…” Fluttershy says, looking back up to the never-ending expanse. “Trixie really outdid herself this time.”
>Another flare of light ignites in the corner of your vision. You jerk your head in it’s direction just in time to see a small, dusty-brown orb fade into existence.
>Then, a large beautiful blue ball forms not far it. 
>Immediately after it comes another ball, this one a much paler shade of blue. A tiny ring of debris orbits around it.
>Counting off each one, Twilight recites their names.
>”Uranus, Neptune, Pluto…”
>Wait, that little one is Pluto?
>You thought Pluto was blue.
>Suddenly, two more planets appear, each dwarfing those that have come before it.
>”…And Saturn, and Jupiter…”
>Steadily cruising through it’s orbit, Neptune passes by nearly an arm’s reach above you.
>Looking up, you see those behind you reach out to touch it.
>Like yours, their hands faze right through it.
>”Uhh… Y-ya’ll? Are we in space? Ah can’t see any walls or nothin’!”
>As the rest of the solar system’s planets fall into place one by one, Twilight pats her hand against your invisible seats.
>You feel the bleachers shake ever so slightly beneath you. You quickly reach down, jamming your knuckles against the hidden bleachers.
>”No, Applejack. If we were actually in space, well… We’d be dead.” Twilight explains with a slight chuckle. “We’re still safe in the gymnasium, don’t worry. I think Trixie’s just pulling off one heck of an illusion right now; incredibly accurate, too! She really nailed Jupiter’s spot!”
>”Man, I can’t believe she pulled this off. She must have been working her butt off practicing!”
>Rainbow leans forward, directing a snarky laugh your way.
>”Heh. So, Anon… You think you guys stand a chance after this?”
>Man, you are so fucked. At least, for this round.
>Unless Granny’s gonna start throwing hadoukens around or shooting lightning from her finger tips, there’s no way you guys stand a chance.
>And how could you against this? This… this literal magic?
“There’s no way…” You quietly reply, shaking your head.
>”Yeah, I figured.” She says, confidently crossing her arms and leaning back.
>The strangest thing is, you’re not even mad.
>You know you should be losing your shit right now. Not just for what you’re seeing in front of you…
>Well, mostly that, but also the fact that you’re expected to compete against this.
>But sitting here, surrounded by oddly suspicious high school girls while you watch this inexplicable recreation of your solar system go about it’s orbit puts you strangely at ease.
>Watching the clouds swirl over earth and it’s moon turn around it, the stars sparkling forth from this never-ending expanse…
>You feel calm. Tranquil. Zen.
>As though some greater force is watching over you; as though it’s trying to tell you ‘everything will be okay in the end’.
>But most of all, it makes you feel incredibly small. 
>With one final flash, the crystal ball in the center of it all ignites into a bright orange ball of flame, taking on the form of the Sun.
>Despite how incredibly bright it burns, the vast depths of space seem to suck up all the light it puts out.
>Beneath it, Trixie and Sunset stand seemingly suspended in black, starry nothingness.
>Sunset’s jaw hangs open in awe. Trixie stares up at what she has created, somehow appearing proud yet humbled at the same time.
>Turning her attention to the crowd with a grin, she reaches out for some invisible object in front of her.
>Her fingers wrapped around it, she pulls her arm back. Her voice booms through the gym’s speakers as she speaks.
>”So. The mystical and mighty Trixie would like to know if you still find this boring.”
>One by one, idle hands and silent voices give way to excited clapping and ecstatic cheering. Students around you rise to applaud, and likely get a better view.
>Most prominent among them, Sunset; mere feet from Trixie, she excitedly bounces in place, excitedly shouting her friend’s praises.
>Removing her hat and pressing it to her chest, Trixie takes a bow.
>”Trixie thought so.” She says as she stands up straight. Smugly, she turns her eyes towards the faculty. “Trixie believes she may have stolen the show… Was there ever any doubt?”
>Holding her hat out upside down in front of her, she puts her free hand up to the microphone.
>She snaps her fingers. The popping of her finger against her flesh echoes in your ears.
>As the light of the sun begins to fade, so do the stars, the planets, even the blackened void itself.
>As the illusion phases out, the familiar school surroundings show themselves once again.
>Once the illusion completely fades, the crystal ball reveals it’s true form again. It’s light is absent.
>Slowly and steadily, it’s drifts down until it slips out of sight into Trixie’s hat.
>She bows once more before placing it back on her head.
>As the cheering steadily dies down, Sunset throws her arms around her friend.
>”OHMYGOSH, OHMYGOSH, OHMYGOSH! TRIXIE, WHEN DID YOU LEARN TO DO THAT?!”
>Before her friend’s sudden display of affection, Trixie shows a bashful smile.
>”Er, well… Trixie’s been doing a lot of practicing since that little incident we had last year. She wanted to be ready, in case her friend ever needed her help again…”
>”Aww… Trixie’s really come a long way, hasn’t she?” Fluttershy says.
>”She certainly has. I feel a little ashamed to say it, but in a way, I’m glad we had that little bout with Wallflower. Trixie is still Trixie, but she’s slowly becoming a little more… normal.”
>”Yeah, I guess you’re right Rares.” Agrees Rainbow somewhat insincerely. “I kind of just wish she’d pick up the pace a little.”
>Stepping out from the huddle of staff, Celestia heads toward the microphone.
>As she steps up to speak, she places a hand on both Trixie’s and Sunset’s shoulders.
>She opens her mouth yet seems to stumble over her words before they even form.
>”W-well… I, um… I’m not even sure what to say. That was beautiful, Trixie. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
>”Trixie was happy to display her talents for all to see, Principal Celestia.”
>Glancing upwards, Celestia looks to you with concern before turning her eyes back to the general audience.
>”Haha, yes, well… Sunset, if you could take your seat again? And Trixie, could you clear your props from the floor? Your competition is about to perform.”
>”Oh, sure thing, Principal Celestia!”
>”Oh… Right…” Trixie says, turning to look at the mess of props behind her. “Yes, Trixie will clean this up right away… Though, she doubts it will make much difference.”
>As Trixie goes about gathering her toys, tools, and tricks, Sunset excitedly rushes back up the bleacher stairs.
>You feel her eyes lingering on you, but you do not look. You keep yours focused on the magician girl on the floor.
>Moments pass before you see a leg slip over the seating from behind. A slim, light weight body wriggles in between you and Twilight.
>”Wow, that was… I can’t believe it! That was amazing! Trixie was really born for this magician stuff, huh? Oh! Twilight! What did you think?”
>As Twilight lets out a giggle, Trixie takes a knee and begins to shovel handfuls of cards into her hat.
>With the entrancing and mystifying illusion gone, you find yourself slowly sinking back into your rational senses.
>Sweet mother Mary, what just happened?
>”It was incredible! Her attention to detail was perfect, down to every little thing!”
>”I know, it was… OH, I JUST CAN’T GET OVER IT!” Sunset shrieks with glee. “Anon, what did you think about it?”
>Finished with her cards, Trixie sets her cage upright. Taking up her wand again, she taps the stick against the cages small metal bars twice; responding immediately, the birds take flight.
>They glide down to the floor, where they line up and file into the cage in neat order.
>”Aww…” Fluttershy moans. “I hope Trixie will let me talk with them some more later.”
>As Trixie somehow crams the oversized cage into the undersized hat, you feel a gentle prodding at your arm.
>”Anon? Anoooon. Yoohoo, hey, earth to Anon?”
>You turn your head towards Sunset, refusing to let Trixie out of your sight.
“Huh?”
>”I asked what you thought of Trixie and her show. Wasn’t it the coolest?”
>You take a few moments to sit in silence while you continue to watch Trixie.
“I… I don’t know how to word it.”
>Is it possible to feel equally amazed yet terrified by something at the same time?
>”Speechless, huh? Me too, except… Well, I guess I’m not actually speechless, but… You know.” Sunset says, smiling.
“I feel like I just saw God, and he spoke to me…”
>”What? Hey, I’m not a boy!” Pinkie exclaims.
“…And now I’m just sitting here, in total awe of this great mysterious power, but I’m also terrified because I have no idea what it can do and I don’t understand it at all.”
>You briefly tear your eyes from Trixie to look upon Sunset, who stares blankly at you.
“I just witnessed several things that don’t make sense. Not only do they not make sense, they defy all logic and explanation, yet they still happened. They shouldn’t have, but they did, and now I’m just trying to make sense of it.”
>You lean forward to cradle your head in your shaking hands.
“Oh, I am freakin’ out, man.” You mutter to yourself.
>”Oh. Wow, Anon, that’s… that’s some pretty heavy stuff…” Sunset quietly replies, gently patting you on the back.
>”Yeah, lighten up, man. It’s just a magic show.”
>You don’t respond to Rainbow provocatively nonchalant attitude.
>Instead, you stare down at the milky white splotch of bird shit on your boot, your mind racing in thought about Trixie.
>What else is she capable of?
>Can she conjure up fireballs, too? Can she read minds, or brainwash people?
>Christ, and now you’ve got to worry about her on top of Pinkie.
>What’s next, is Pinkie’s weird rock-obsessed sister gonna start throwing giant boulders around?
>Maybe someone can open a portal to some shitty alternate dimension, where everyone’s a talking horse and they fight evil with the power of friendship.
>Fuck, that actually sounds believable at this point.
>”Um… Are you going to be okay? Do you need to go lie down?”
>You remain silent. As you ignore Sunset’s question, you suddenly remember the presence of your friends from the department.
>You glance over to them, finding Armor looking more or less unfazed.
>Eye is suspiciously absent, but Stitches…
>Stitches watches Trixie with the same wide eyes you feel yourself wearing.
>As if feeling you watching her, she suddenly turns your way.
>Your eyes lock onto each other’s. With a simple flick of her head, she points to the hallway before shakily walking out.
>Aww, shit. With how well you’re handling this, there’s no telling how she is.
“I’m gonna go get some water…” You say standing up.
>”Are you okay? Do you want me to-“
“No! No, I’m okay… I’ll be fine, Shy, I just need to… Yeah.”
>The girls fall quiet as you slide past them and set out down the stairs.
>”Man, what’s his problem? It wasn’t even real magic!” You hear Dash blurt out, likely assuming you to be out of earshot.
>”Rainbow! Shhhhh!”
>Real magic?
>If this is the fake stuff, what the fuck is REAL magic?
>Oh god, is that the Cthulu shit?
>Nevermind, you don’t want to know.
>As you hit the floor, you avoid Trixie’s and Celestia’s eyes.
>You feel her watching you, her desire to reach out to you; yet she does nothing to stop you.
>”A-alright, as some of you may know, Dr. Cabelleron couldn’t be here to compete for us today. It’s unfortunate, but we’re not going to just give you the point! So, competing in his place is… Granny Smith!”
>Celestia pauses, anticipating applause.
>You only hear two voices cheer. Applejack and her little sister.
>”Woohoo! Show ‘em what yer made of, Granny!”
>”Yeah, do it Granny!”
>It’s sweet hearing them cheer for their family, despite being on separate teams.
>”That’s just what I’d expect from the Apple family! Now, why don’t you tell us what you’ll be doing today, Miss Smith?”
>”We’re gonna be doin’ somethin’ my great, great, great grandpa invented called extreme square-dancing, an’ this here young’un… What’cher name… Glove Stitch! He’s gonna be my partner!”
>”Granny, no!” The young girl’s voice cries out.
>”Granny, we talked ‘bout this!” Applejack shouts. “Yer not supposed ta do this, on account a’ what happened cousin Bramley!”
>”Oh, now don’t’chu go scarin’ the poor boy!” Granny shouts back. “And lil’ Bramley was fine, once they re-kajiggered his legs!”
>Not looking back to see what the fuss is about, you push through the doors and into the empty hall.
>From the other doors down the hall, you hear footsteps rapidly approaching. You turn to see Stitches powerwalking towards you.
>She marches right up to you and grabs you with both hands by the collar.
>”Mouse, I… What was… How did she…”
>She stops, urgently looking for her words all around her.
>”Gah! Everything went all black like we were in space, b-but I could still breathe-“
“I know!”
>”A-and then the stars and planets started popping up and moving around, but they weren’t really there!”
“I know!”
>”And, and… she did the thing with the smoke, and the poof, and then you were there, and then you weren’t there because you were in the crowd, and-“
“I know!”
>”Mouse, what the hell just happened?!”
“I don’t know!”
>”What the hell is going on around here?!”
>Suddenly, you hear the gym door shut behind you.
>You both turn and look, finding an incredibly normal looking young man standing behind you.
>He stares at you, smirking, before tucking his hands into the pockets his red jacket and stepping off towards the restrooms.
>”Heh. Yeah, welcome to my world.”

>”What? What’s that supposed to mean?”
>The young man keeps walking.
“I think he means this kind of stuff happens a lot around here.”
>”Oh, so teenage magicians just magicing up space like that is a daily thing? Man, these darn kids these days.” She mockingly replies, rolling her eyes before focusing them on you again.
“Yes! Well… No. But a bunch of other crazy shit happens around here!”
>Holding you tightly by your collar, she pulls you down to her level. She stares intently at you with crazed eyes.
>”Like. What?”
“There’s this pink little demon that-“
>Suddenly, you’re overcome with a tingling sensation running up your spine and the feeling of being watched.
>You look over your shoulder at the gym doors, expecting to see Pinkie.
>Nothing.
>As you turn back, you notice something moving just above you. You look up, finding her looming over you from behind a misplaced ceiling tile.
> With a chilling grin on her face, she urges your silence with a finger over her lips before sliding the tile back into place.
>Just like that, she’s gone, but you know she can still hear you; still see you.
>Why must this evil beast haunt you?
“There’s this delightful little pink girl that never did anything scary that might of, I don’t know, almost killed me or something.”
>”Mouse, that was probably the single most terrifying thing I’ve ever seen in my life.”
>Staring up at the ceiling alongside you, her grip loosens and her arms fall to her sides.
>”I-I think I peed a little…”
“It’s okay. I’ve been there, too.”
>”How is she even up there? She was just in the stands with you, and… How is she not falling through the ceiling? Can those things even support people?”
“Man, I don’t know. There’s no point asking with her. It doesn’t have to make sense, it just… does.”
>”What do you mean?”
“It’s like rules don’t apply to her! She’s like a fucking cartoon character, just doing whatever, whenever. She just wills herself into existence whenever she just wants to fuck with you. My first week here, she gave me a heart attack by, I don’t know, teleporting around, and then miraculously saved my life by force-feeding me apple pie!”
>”Teleporting? Like, what that girl did in there?”
“I don’t know, kind of? She was in front of me, then she was behind me; anywhere I looked, she was there. There’s no escape from her.”
>”Oh, man… She sounds less like a cartoon character and more like the monster from a horror movie.”
>You step over to the wall and rest against it, allowing your body to slide down into a seated position.
“I mean… She’s not all bad, but she scares the shit out of me a lot. I think she gets off on it.”
>”Jesus,” Stitches mutters, taking a seat right next to you. “And this is normal? People don’t say anything?”
“Every time I asked someone about it, they just said ‘haha, yeah, that’s Pinkie’, and said I’d get used to it.”
>Stitches looks down the long, empty corridor, towards the glass doors leading outside.
>”Wow. So… What else is there?”
“Nothing so blatant as Pinkie or Ms. Great and Powerful in there, but… those girls I was with, they get kinda fishy every once in a while. Like they’re up to something, or just not telling me everything.”
>”Aren’t they the same ones that showed up at that one house?”
“Yeah, they were looking for Twilight’s boyfriend or something… I don’t know, there’s just something about them.”
>”I tried to tell you, but you didn’t listen.”
>You jerk your head back to the door, where Redheart leans out, watching you.
>From inside the gymnasium, you hear a mixture of heavy laughter and the anguished screams of a young man.
>”I tried to tell you, but nooo.” Redheart says mockingly as she steps out into the hall. “’Stop pranking me, guys, magic doesn’t real!’”
“You were trying to tell me that Sunset turned into a literal demon and started mind controlling people.”
>”Wait, what?”
>”Because she did! Then we had the magical fish-seahorse-thing girls show up and use their singing powers for evil, and then Twilight almost destroyed the world!”
“Redheart, seriously, I thought we talked about this.”
>Wrinkling up her face in annoyance, Redheart angerly rests her hands on her hips.
>”Really? You were just talking about Pinkie, and how those girls are suspicious; I heard you! You KNOW something is up, and I’m literally spoon-feeding you this information. Why is it so hard to believe?”
“Because when you say it out loud, it just sounds fucking stupid!”
>”Fine. You know what? Why don’t you just go ask Principal Celestia; she’s trying to hide it from you anyway.”
>Slowly, you rise back to your feet.
“She’s what?”
>”Earlier, in the library? She wasn’t there to yell at us for watching movies. She was telling us not to talk about this stuff with you. A little late for that, though… For whatever reason, she doesn’t want you to know.”
>As Redheart turns and reaches out for the door, you jump deep into thought.
>No… Celestia wouldn’t keep something like this from you, would she?
>What are you thinking, of course not! This is batshit crazy!
>Pinkie is Pinkie, but-
>Damn it, now you’re doing it, too. 
>Pinkie is Pinkie, but this other stuff…
>Wait. Celestia WAS acting weird earlier. All that crap about the cancer when you were asking what was up…
>Was she covering for something?
>”Ooooooh, hear that Mouse? Sounds like your girlfriend is keeping secrets from you.”
>Redheart stops just short of leaving the hallway. Confused, she looks to you and your faithful companion.
>”Girlfriend?”
>Oh, geez…
>Thanks Stitches.
“We, uh… we we’re keeping quiet about our relationship.” You spitefully utter over your shoulder.
>”Oh. Woops.” She replies with a shrug.
>Staring in disbelief, Redheart lets the door swing shut again.
>”Wait, are you serious? You and her are really… Is that what that whole thing about your preference in women was about back there?”
“Yeah. I know, it wasn’t exactly subtle.”
>”Yeah… Oh, wow. I can’t believe you’re screwing my boss.”
“Well, we’re kind of taking it slow…”
>You don’t think what happened in Celestia’s office earlier could really be called ‘slow’.
>”Mouse has some excellent tastes. He likes ‘em mature with a little bit of experience.” She states proudly.
“I know it’s a little weird, cause, you know… Her being our old principal and all that.”
>”Yeah, a little… A lot, actually.” She says, sadly staring down to the floor. “I’m just… I don’t know; a little surprised you’re taken. You hadn’t said anything about it, so…”
“So?”
>”So… I-it’s not important.”
>”She’s trying to say, but not really say, that she wants you back.”
>What? Pffffffttt, we’re past that. Redheart just wants to be friends with you.
>Right?
>Noticeably avoiding your eyes, Red directs her attention to Stitches.
>”Well… it might’ve crossed my mind once or twice. So what?”
>Oh. Oh, man.
>That’s a no. Like, a hard no.
>It’s nice being friends with her again, but you don’t think you’ll ever be able to look at her the same way after that party.
>You should be careful how you word this. You don’t want to hurt her feelings or anything.
>”Ahaha! Hahahahahahaha!” Laughs Stitches.
“Alright, that’s enough…” You say, giving Stitches a mean glance.
>But she just keeps going.
>”Are you serious? You really think Mouse would give you ever give you another shot after you-“
>Swiftly, you deliver an elbow to her chest.
>Even with her armor, she hisses in pain and clutches at her sensitive flesh.
>”Ow!”
>With anger, she looks to you, ready to bitch and moan.
>She immediately takes note of your frustrated stare and backs away.
>”Alright, alright! Message received! Geez…” She gripes as she turns away and sets off down the hall. “I guess I’ll go find Eye, maybe freak out with him instead. Be careful, now! She’s a nurse, so you know she’s experienced with all kinds of nasty diseases!”
>You watch as she slowly meanders her way down the hall and out the front doors.
>Ugh. She needs to learn to shut her mouth.
>Turning back, Redheart stares through the door’s window, her arms crossed.
“Uh… Sorry.”
>”It’s okay. I mean, she’s not wrong, is she?” She asks solemnly.
>Well, you’d like to hope Redheart is clean, but she did-
>Wait, no, you’re an idiot.
“I don’t want to hurt your feelings, but… No, she’s not.”
>Redheart sighs, her shoulders sagging as she turns back to you.
>”Figures.”
>She seems to pause, waiting to hear more from you.
>Not quite sure what to say, you remain silent until she speaks up again.
>”I had been thinking about asking you about this for a while. I didn’t want to ask too soon and mess things up, but… I guess it doesn’t matter, huh?”
“I don’t think time would have changed things. Even if I wasn’t taken, my answer would be the same.”
>She lets out another deep sigh as she glances away. After taking a few seconds to recollect herself, she turns back and sluggishly steps toward you.
>”Well… That’s alright.” She says with a nod. “You’re back with us and that’s all that matters, right?”
>For a moment, she forces a smile. In just a few moments, it naturally turns to a mocking grin.
>”Celestia, though? Really?”
“What? What’s wrong with her?”
>”Seriously? For one, she’s probably old enough to be your mother.”
>Well, she is very motherly. 
>In all the best ways.
>She’s not that old, though… Is she?
“Yeah, maybe, but she doesn’t look it.”
>”I just don’t get it. Why her, and not, say… Raven, or Spitfire?”
“Man, I don’t know. Raven is nice, but she’s not really my type.” You reply with a shrug. “I’m also not into lesbians.”
>”Spitfire’s a lesbian?”
“Isn’t she?”
>”I… I don’t…” Red runs her palm down her face. She shakes her head before continuing. “Whatever. Back to what matters… Celestia is trying to hide what goes on here from you. She doesn’t want you to know about all of the freaky crap that’s happened. She’s probably afraid you’ll freak and run for it.”
“Right, because that’s something I’d do. Between Pinkie and whatever the hell that was in there, I’m still only mildly terrified and confused.”
>Redheart chuckles and shakes her head.
>”That’s because you haven’t seen the real stuff yet. Just you wait, you don’t even know.”
>For a moment, you almost believe her.
>”Look. Go ask Celestia about it; and don’t take no for an answer, really push for it, okay? You’ll see. Just don’t tell her I told you to ask about it.”
>Without waiting for a reply, turns and steps off down a hallway leading deeper into the school.
“Hey, where are you going?”
>She spins on her heel to look back at you.
>”I’m gonna go take a nap, maybe browse the internet for a bit. I don’t want to make Celestia suspicious, you know?”
>She rounds a corner and disappears from sight.
“Right…” You whisper to yourself.
>With just yourself left alone in the hall, you step back over to the door. Inside, you see Granny Smith mingling the other teachers.
>No sign of the coaches, or Celestia. Time for the next event already?
>If the coaches are up, that means you’re at the three-point shoot-out.
>As if on cue, Celestia steps back into view with the rest of the group. You see her look around the gym as if searching for someone.
>Probably you.
>Maybe you should ask her about all of this. It’s about time you got to the bottom of all of this.
>And she was just here for Trixie’s show, which means she can’t pull the ‘you’re crazy’ card. There’s no way she can deny this!
>As you push back inside the gym, you hear News Flash at it again on the microphone.
>”Six! No, nine! Barely out of the gate and the coaches are killing it! Nine- No, twelve! Twelve points in the lead and the students have yet to score once!”
>With the bleachers blocking most of your view, you only see basketball after basketball being launched at the net.
>Most bounce right off of the headboard, but one makes it in.
>”Fifteen!”
>You step further in, allowing the rest of the room to come into view.
>Spitfire and Soarin toe the three-point line, ripping balls from the already half empty rack positioned between them, shooting for the net like two well-oiled machines.
>On the other end of the court, the student competitors seem to have more than a little trouble scoring.
>Valhallen and Sandalwood just can’t to get one in.
>Doesn’t seem to help that one of them has to stop every other shot to brush the hair from his eyes.
>You think it’s safe to say that you got this one in the bag.
>Which is great, because now you’re really not in the mood to get tased.
>You turn your attention back to Celestia, who quickly takes notice of you as you near.
>”Ah, there you are! I was wondering where you had gotten off to.” She says, stepping away from the others.
“Yeah, I just, uh… stepped out for some water.”
>”Well, I’m sure you can guess that we lost the talent show… B-But there’s no need to dwell on that! The coaches have already gained a strong lead; I’m certain we’ll win this one!”
>”Finally, Valhallen scores one for the students! That’s three to fifteen, no EIGHTEEN! EIGHTEEN POINTS!” News Flash exclaims.
>The whole of the bleachers groans in protest.
“That’s great! That’s real great. But hey, I was wanting to talk to you about something. Got a sec?”
>”Um, o-of course! I always have time for you.” She replies, somewhat uneasily.
“Great,” you say, guiding her away from the others.
>Just as you step away from the group, you catch sight of Clove Hitch shaking in the fetal position in the nearby corner.
>It’s probably a good thing you didn’t hang around to see what happened with him.
>You pull Celestia back to the entrance, where you’ll be tucked away and mostly out of sight.
>You stop and look back to her, where she seems to slowly become more distressed.
“So… Not that I don’t trust you, but I heard a rumor that you’re trying to hide something from me.”

>”That’s ridiculous, Anon,” she says, putting on a confident face. “What would I have to hide from you?”
>Otherworldly magic and teenage demons?
“Well, uh… I’ve heard some strange things about what’s been going on here the past few years.”
>Immediately, Celestia’s smile takes a just barely noticeable change from genuine to forced.
>She quickly recovers, but not quick enough for you to spot her involuntary hint.
>You continue on, intently studying her expressions for any more hints or cracks.
“All of which involve your little star pupils in some, to be frank, unbelievable situations.”
>She shifts her feet but her eyes remain tensely locked on yours, almost afraid to budge.
“At first, I thought people were just messing with me when they told me these little stories, but… After seeing that little light show Trixie put on, I’m… starting to think otherwise.”
>Her eyelids widen by just a hair. She presses her lips tightly together.
>And then, for a moment, she just… stands there.
>No fake laughter, no avoiding eye contact while denying the rumors, no ‘you’re crazy’.
>”That’s six! It looks like the coaches are running out of steam, and balls to shoot! Can we catch up in time?”
>After a few harsh moments of silence between the two of you, she pulls her eyes away from you, wandering the ground around her with them as she formulates a response.
>She turns back and looks to the small gathering of faculty not thirty feet away from you.
>Finding every one of their eyes on the ongoing games, she quickly looks back to you.
>Apparent worry on her grim expression, she struggles to meet your gaze again.
>With a gulp, she reaches out to you and loosely takes your hand.
“Celestia?”
>Pleading eyes beg you as her fingertips brush against your palm.
>”Anon. Before I say anything, I want you to promise to me that you’ll at least let me explain things before you jump to any conclusions or... Just hear me out. Can you promise me that?”
>What does she expect you to do? Just run for your life?
”I promise.” You reply with a hint of doubt.
>As she pulls you closer to the bleachers and out of sight of the teachers, she seems to relax a little.
>”I want you to know, first and foremost, that I never wanted to deceive you. I wanted very much to tell you, but… Well, you know how absurd this all must sound. You wouldn’t have believed me anyway.”
>What sane man would?
“So, it’s all true then?”
>Celestia nods solemnly.
>”I don’t quite know what you’ve been told, but I’d wager that, yes, it’s all true.”
“Sunset turning into a demon and mind-controlling people?”
>”True.”
“The fish-girls showing up and pretty much doing the same thing?”
>”True.”
”Twilight almost destroying the world? Whatever supposedly happened out at Camp Everfree? The other Twilight? Sunset being from an alternate world with tiny horse people? All this magical bull crap?”
>”All true, and then some. I’ve been trying to keep these things under wraps when they happen around the school, but there’s only so much you can do to cover things up; to stop people from talking.”
>For a second, she narrows her eyes as she stares off at some indeterminate object.
>”It certainly doesn’t help when those girls run off and get themselves plastered all over social media by starting magical battles at the amphitheater… or in the middle of the mall… or the movie theatre… or at Equestria Land.”
“Wait, seriously? They’ve been recorded doing… whatever it is they do, multiple times? How have they not been picked up by the government or something?”
>”To be frank, it’s nothing short of a miracle.” She says, rubbing her brow. “Ever since the battle of the bands, their band has become fairly popular and gained quite the following online; something around one hundred-thousand followers. Quite the accomplishment for a group of girls still in high school.”
>One hundred-thousand?!
>When you still cared about that crap, you only had eighteen friends!
“Whoa, that’s crazy! They haven’t actually talked about their band all that much, are they actually good? Er… Never mind, let’s get back to the magic.”
>”Yes, well, they got into some kind of scuffle with some young woman famous for being… I don’t know, young and attractive-“
>Ah, so they beat up a thot.
>At least they’re using their powers for good.
>”-then they ‘ponied up’, and-“
“Ponied…Up?”
>”That’s what they call it when they  transform. They grow little horse ears and… Look, I’ll just have them show you later. Continuing on-“
>As you push the image of your teenaged friends with horse ears out of your head, you pull your hand away from Celestia and take a seat against the metal skeleton of the bleachers.
>”-they ponied up in front of everybody and then Rarity destroyed the woman’s phone with a whip made out of lightning.”
>”NINE! That’s nine! Can I get a twelve?!”
“…Why?”
>”It’s my understanding that she could use her phone to create holograms of whatever she wanted, and she was using this to forcibly change their bands image. Also, she was being quite mean. Several people recorded this on their own phones, but because of their remarkable following on social media, and the fact that they went on to perform in front of the same crowd, everyone who saw this viral footage seems to think it’s just a short video promoting their band.”
>You stare blankly ahead and nod, as if you understand any of this.
>You expected this to make more sense after hearing the explanation.
>Now, you just have more questions. 
>You look back up to your girlfriend, who patiently awaits your response.
“…Are you guys sure you’re not just fucking with me?”
>”TWENTY-ONE! TWENTY-ONE! C’mon, you two, we’re running out of time!”
>Celestia kneels down next to you and rests her hand on your knee.
>”Anon, I swear to you that this is all true. I’m sure one of the girls could easily show you the footage in question. Perhaps you’d like to hear more about another incident?”
>Honestly, you think you’d prefer this was just a crazy dream or something.
>Maybe if you close your eyes and hope really hard, you’ll wake up on Celestia’s couch with your head buried in her chest-pillows.
“I…I guess,” you say, shaking your head in disbelief.  “What’s up with Sunset turning into a demon?”
>Sliding her rear into place next to you, Celestia drapes her hands over her knees. Letting out a resigned breath, she begins to tell another tale.
>”Oh, where to start with that one… Not long after you graduated, Sunset found her way to our world. Back then, she was quite a different girl. She was a bully, cruel and cunning. She knew what she wanted and manipulated those around her to get at it.”
>You knew she used to be a different person, but hearing her described as ‘cruel’ and ‘cunning’…
>It just makes her sound evil to you.
 >”Not long before the fall formal, she crossed back to her world to steal Princess Twilight’s crown, which I’m told is a fairly powerful magical artifact.”
>Holy shit, Flash wasn’t joking either. That dude really did almost have a princess!
>”With it in her hands… er, hooves… With it in her possession, I believe she hoped to use it’s magical power get revenge on her mentor. But, Princess Twilight followed her to our world to get her crown back. On the night of the fall formal, Sunset put on the crown and transformed into this… demonic looking version of herself. Red, scaly skin, bat wings, dark eyes… She used her magic to wreck the front of the school and mind-control all of the students.”
>You try your best to picture this monstrous version of Sunset, but you just can’t do it.
>She’s been nothing but kind and considerate since you met her; you’d be hard pressed to name someone aside from her friends that comes anywhere near her level.
>Was she really this bad?
>”I don’t quite understand it myself, but I guess Princess Twilight and her friends found a way to use the crown’s power against Sunset. As you can probably guess, she was defeated and turned over a new leaf. It took some time for everyone to adjust to the new her, but… Well, she’s become quite an amazing young woman since then. Her, and her friends.”
>As Celestia finishes her tale, you slowly look over to her.
>She, too, turns her head, and chuckles when she sees your face.
>”Hehehe… I know, it sounds ridiculous, but I swear to you it’s all true.”
“I believe you; at least, I think I do… I’m just having a real hard time coming to terms with this.”
>With another short laugh, she leans her shoulder against yours.
>”I understand. It’s a lot to take in, especially when you haven’t seen any of it. You’re the first to actually be told about all of this. Everyone else became believers when it happened right in front of them.” 
“I mean… I kind of just feel like I had the carpet yanked out from under me.”
>”It’s okay, you don’t have to come to terms with it all at once. I’ll talk with the girls after this is all over, and they can show you a little bit of what they can do. I’m sure they’ll be very happy to know they don’t have to hide the truth from you anymore.” 
“Yeah,” you reply with a shrug. “Maybe that will help me wrap my head around this.”
>Out of nowhere, you hear the gym’s scoreboard buzz.
>*EEEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN*
>As the event comes to an end, the crowd groans in disappointment.
>”And that’s it! Coming in at twenty-one points, the winner of the three-point shoot-out is… THE TEACHERS! Sorry, guys; better luck next year!”
>”I think that’s my cue… Will you be okay?” Celestia asks, taking to her feet again.
“Huh? Oh, yeah. I’ll be alright. I think I’m just going to sit here for a bit and think…”
>”Okay, well… If you think up any more questions, just hold on to them for me, okay?”
>As you look up, she leans down, putting her face inches from yours. She smiles lovingly as she runs her fingers down nape of your neck.
>”Thank you for being so understanding, Anon. I was so worried about having to have this little talk with you for so long; I was afraid you’d think I was crazy. I want you to know that this has been a huge weight lifted off my shoulders, so… Just… Thank you so much for being understanding.”
>In the midst of being lost in all of this, you nearly reach up to her for a kiss. But, at the last second, you remember where you are and resist your urge.
>Instead, you opt to return your lover’s smile, and wait until later for that kiss.
“I guess I’m just an open-minded guy.”
>She stands tall, dragging her fingers across your chin.
>”And I’m an incredibly lucky woman.” She whispers as she walks away.
>You watch as she hurriedly steps around to the front of the bleachers and out of sight.
>Well, it looks like this is happening.
>Redheart was right. Cheerilee was right. Even Flash was right.
>Magic is real, and it’s been right under your nose this whole time.
>Do you… do you report this?
>If this shit’s been going on in the mall and the local theme park, how has it not already been reported?
>Did dispatch just not believe them?
>Will they believe you?
>If they do, what happens? Will they take the girls, or-
>No, you shouldn’t. You can’t!
>If anything ended up happening to the girls, and there’s no way something wouldn’t, Celestia would flip.
>And… They’re good girls, aren’t they? They aren’t abusing their powers, whatever they may be, for their own gain.
>It sounds like they’re just putting shitty people in their place.
>They haven’t done anything wrong. At least, that you know of.
>They may be trouble makers, but they aren’t bad people. Not like most of this city.
>No, you should keep quiet. For now, at least.
>You hear a quiet fumbling, and then a woman clearing her throat over the intercom. As the woman begins to speak, you immediately recognize Celestia’s voice.
>”Well, it look’s like you guy’s just lost your chance at a perfect victory. I guess Coach Spitfire and Coach Soarin are just a little too good at their jobs. We’re going to need just a few seconds to set up for the trivia, so just sit tight for a moment.”
>Oh, shit! That’s right!
>Even with News Flash doing her commentary, you completely forgot about the rally!
>With the shoot-out won, that just leaves the trivia and dodgeball.
>And you’re not worried one bit about dodgeball, so that just leaves-
>”Anon? What’re you doin’ over there, sonny?”
“Huh?”
>Snapping out of thought, you find Granny Smith eying you with curiosity mere feet away.
“Oh, hey Miss Smith. Just… thinking.”
>Clutching a hand to her back, she shuffles closer toward you.
>”Yer lookin’ mighty worried, there. Somethin’ the matter?” 
“I just found out about magic and all that other crap that happened here.”
>Stone-faced, she stares at you in disbelief.
>”Ya mean you didn’t know? Boy, have you been strollin’ ‘round here blindfolded er somethin’?”
>You’d like to thing you were just being a reasonable person, but now you’re not so sure about that.
“I don’t know… What about you? Is your back hurting or something?”
>”Hehe. Yessiree! Ain’t as young as I used to be, so now I get ta achin’ when I move ‘round too much. Make’s dancin’ a real pain, but if that’s what it takes to show you young’uns how it’s done, then that’s a price I’m willin’ to pay! Anywho, I’m headin’ home early. Take it easy, young man; don’t let Pinkie get ta ya.”
>That’s not funny.
“Uh… Yeah, you too.”
>With the speed and grace of a sloth, she slowly begins to stagger towards the door.
>With plenty of time to spare, you hop to your feet and make it to the door in time to hold it open for your elderly friend.
>”Oh, look at you. Such a well-mannered boy.”
>Dad raised you right. Mostly.
>With her through the door, you let it swing shut on its own.
>You turn around to retake your seat, but immediately notice Luna strolling your way.
>”There you are! What were you and my sister doing over here?”
“She just told me everything.” You state plainly.
>Confused, Luna cocks her head to the side.
>”Um… Pardon?”
“You know, the girls, the magic, all of that.”
>”Oh! She just… Really? Just now?”
>You nod.
>”Well, I… I thought we might’ve sat down and done that together, if it was ever necessary. You… seem to be taking it well, though.”
“Yeah… Maybe it just hasn’t hit me yet, you know?” You reply, shrugging.
>”Perhaps…” Luna says, somewhat off put. “Er, anyways… As you just saw, Miss Smith just left for the day.”
“Yeah, so?”
>”So, we’re down one competitor for the trivia round-“
>Aw, damn it! You completely forgot she was in the event!
>Man, you’ve got some luck, don’t you?
>“-and since you reacted so strongly last time, I thought I might inform you immediately so that you don’t think I’m scheming against you.”
>You nod and step past her to the corner of the bleachers.
>With a full view of the room, you watch as Celestia, the Coaches, and News Flash all set up what appears to be a small improvised game show.
>Two tables, six chairs, two bright red buzzers and a podium…
“I appreciate that, Luna. Maybe I might’ve jumped the gun, earlier.”
>”Perhaps, but I suppose that, in hindsight, I can’t very well blame you. Would you like to step in for Miss Smith?”
>You shoot her a questioning glance.
“Me? Why not you, or… I don’t know, Cheerilee?”
>”Sister and I cannot compete, as we were the ones who selected the questions. If you’d rather ask Ms. Cheerilee, you’re free to do so. I merely assumed that you might want a chance to step in yourself; after all, you know exactly what is at stake.”
>Wow. That’s actually really considerate of her.
“Maybe… Who’s competing for us again?”
>”Mr. Doodle and Ms. Harshwhinny.”
“Are there categories?”
>”The trivia covers most scholastic subjects, but there are plenty of wild cards. I’m afraid that’s all I can say about that.”
>Hm. Don’t like the sound of that.
>About the only thing you were good at was History.
>”That said… I think you should. I believe you’re more than capable of carrying your weight.”
“Yeah?”
>*EEERRRNN EERRNNN*
>You look back and see News testing each table’s buzzers.
>*EEEERRRRNNNNN EERRN EEERRRRNNN*
“You swear?”
>”I swear on my position as Vice-Principal. If I didn’t think so, I wouldn’t have brought it up.”
>Cheerilee is definitely more well-read than you, but you’ve already got Ms. Harshwhinny for that.
>You don’t really feel as though anyone else really fits the bill, either.
>All things considered, you’re probably not a bad choice. Definitely better than Soarin.
>With the score at two to one, it’s do or die; and, unlike the talent show, maybe you can actually make a difference here.
>You guess it beats sitting on the sidelines trying to wrap your head around all this magic stuff, too.
>It’ll probably be good for you. Just sitting here thinking about all of this is just gonna drive you crazy.
>Fuck it.
“You know what? I’ll do it.”

----------

>”Alright, that’s one more for the students. Eight to six!” News cheers. “Moving back to mathematics… X divided by twelve multiplied by twenty equals two-hundred and forty. Solve for X.”
>Lost deep in thought, you drum your fingers against the table.
>No, that can’t be it…
>”Honestly, who came up with these?”
>From the corner of your vision, you see Cranky stretch his arm out and hit the buzzer placed in the center of your table.
*EERRRRRNNN*
>”Mr. Doodle?”
>”One-hundred and forty four.”
>”Correct! Okay, in the winter of 1944, Nazi Germaneigh launched their last major offensive campaign on the western front. This would later become known as…? ”
>Groaning inside your head, you glance up at them once more.
>Happily, all seven of them beam back down at you.
>Ok, in retrospect, Fluttershy is clearly some kind of druid. You got that one down.
>Pinkie can teleport, that much is obvious.
>But Rainbow… What can Rainbow do?
>Of course! Her shoes burst into flames that one time!
>She’s got fire powers!
>But wait… Sunset’s kind of got the whole fiery hair thing going. Plus, she’s got the word ‘sun’ in her name.
>Fire kind of seems more like her thing…
>Duh, she probably just accidently set Rainbow’s shoes on fire.
>So, Sunset has fire powers. Then what can Rainbow do?
>”Are you even listening?!”
“Huh, what?”
>”Are you even listening? Honestly, why did you even volunteer to come out here if you’re just going to sit here and-“
>Blah, blah, blah. Keep your Toupée on.
“Yeah, yeah…” you mumble, leaning around Cranky to get a look at the other table.
>Their eyes all on you, the kids seem completely clueless.
“Can you repeat the question?”
>”Heh, looks like someone needs to open their ears. In the winter of 1944, Nazi Germaneigh launched-“
>Oh, what’s this?
>You reach forth and slam the buzzer.
>*EERRRRNNN*
>”Officer Anon?”
“Battle of the Bulge.”
>”Correct!”
>As you look back to Cranky with your smuggest smile, you hear a quiet whisper from the crowd.
>”~Yay!~”
>D’aww. Thanks, Butterbuns.
“See? I’m paying attention.”
>”Oh? Is that why you had the question repeated?” Ms. Harshwhinny asks with a joking smirk.
“I just wanted to make sure I heard everything right.” You say over your shoulder. 
>Turning back to Cranky, you rest a hand on his shoulder.
“Don’t worry, Mr. Doodle. I’ll carry this team for you.”
>With agitation, he swats your hand away.
>”Don’t touch me.”
>You should pay more attention, though. You’ve got a lot riding on this, and there’s not much time left to make a difference.
>”This poet-“
>Poetry. Eh. 
>Maybe Rainbow can shoot rainbows?
>”-famous for works such as ‘The Road Not Taken’ and ‘Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Day’, passed away late January, 1963. This poet’s name is…?”
>Like, little rainbow lasers, or… Nah, that’s pretty dumb. You should just come back to her.
>Hmm… What about Rarity?
>Celly said she did something with a lightning whip, right?
>Ms. Harwhinny’s hand shoots out for the buzzer.
>*EEERRRRNNNN*
>*EERRRRRRNNNNNN*
>With a surprised smile, News Flash turns toward the students.
>”Grim Elegy, I’m pretty sure I heard yours first. Your answer?”
>Panning over, you set your eyes on the black-clad and pale-skinned girl at the edge of the other table.
>”That would be the legendary Mr. Frost.” She states confidently.
>”Correct!”
>Ms. Harshwhinny harrumphs as the stands politely applaud the point for their team.
>”Wooooooo. Go Grim,” cheers Pinkie’s weird sister.
>Grim smiles and nods respectfully in her direction.
>”That puts us at nine to eight with the students in the lead! They only need one more point to lock the teachers out of victory! Can they do it? Let’s find out!”
>Crap, this is close.
>Please, give us another history question! There’s only been one this entire time!
>Her smile unwavering, News grabs another card from her podium.
>“On March 14th, 1879-“
>YES!
>”-this theoretical physicist, famous for his mass-energy equivalence formula, was born. What is his name?”
>SHIT!
>…
>So, Rarity is some kind of lightning wizard? That’s pretty cool.
>You bet that looks cool as hell.
>What about Applejack?
>Well, she did shove you so hard you dented that patrol car.
>Maybe super strength?
>*EEEERRRRRNN*
>”Mr. Doodle?”
>”That would be the famous Einstein, miss Flash.”
>”Correct!”
“Wait, that’s what Einstein was famous for? I thought people just knew about him for the whole ‘E = mc2’ thing.”
>Slowly turning his head, Cranky stares disdainfully at you.
“Well, that and the bombs.”
>”You’re an idiot.”
>”Oh, this is close! So close! It’s match point with this next question, and it’s looking like the teacher’s just might be able to pull this off!”
>Trying her best to raise some excitement in the frankly extremely bored crowd, News takes the last card and holds it high over her head before reading it aloud.
>”And… Wow, what a wild card… This particular species of squid is the largest of it’s kind and is famous around the world for stories of sea monsters terrorizing the ocean. This species is…”
>OH FUCK!
>IT’S HAPPENING! IT’S FINALLY HAPPENING!
>ALL THIS POINTLESS KNOWLEDGE THAT’S BEEN HAUNTING YOUR BRAIN, IT’S FINALLY USEFUL!
>Moving as fast as you can, you jump to your feet and smash the button so hard the table jumps.
>*EERRRRRNNNNNNNNNNN*
>*EEEEERRRRRRNNNNNNNNNNNN*
>You jerk your head towards the student’s table, finding a bespectacled young man staring back at you, his pale-violet hand still on the buzzer.
>”Hmmm… I’m gonna have to go with Miro Chips.”
>Oh, what blatant fucking favoritism.
>”The giant squid!”
>Oh, hell no. You ain’t playing this game.
>”Corre-“
>You slam you hand on the buzzer again.
>*EEEERRRRRRNNNN*
>”Correc-“
>*EERRRRRNRNNNNNN*
>News shoots you an annoyed glare as you continue to hold down the buzzer.
>You stare right back into her eyes.
>*EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN*
>”Alright, fine, what?!”
>You crack a grin at her annoyed response.
“Uh, yeah, you said largest? Largest by what? Length or mass?”
>”I… I don’t know,” She replies with a hint of venom as she looks down at the card again. “It just says largest!”
“Well, that’s kind of important to know. The giant squid is likely the longest cephalopod, possibly coming in at as long as forty-nine feet, but the colossal squids easily have them beat in mass. By at least two measures, they come in at an estimated thirty-three feet, but a whopping half a ton in weight! To my knowledge, that’s more than 400 pounds heavier than the largest measured giant squid.”
>Unsure how to react, News glances down at the card again.
>”Umm… I don’t…”
“Oh, and as for that bit about the sea monster stories, well, Micro Chips is spot on about that. The Colossal Squid’s range only extends a few thousand kilometers north of the Antarctic. About as north they get is around the southern tips of South America, Africa, and around New Zealand and Australia. The Giant Squid on the other hand is all over the place, and it’s been washing up on beaches for forever. Even Aristotle wrote about one way back in the day, so it’s probably safe to say that’s where the stories come from.”
>”Anon? Why do you know this?” Ms. Harshwhinny asks.
>Because knowing is half the battle!
“Oh, you know… It’s just one of those things that’s always interested me. Did you know that the Colossal Squid has the largest documented eyes in the animal kingdom?”
>You see News Flash’s eyes dart over to Micro Chips, then back to the card, then back to you.
>”I… You know what?” She replies with a shrug. “The winning point goes to teachers.”
>Again, you hear a single quiet cheer, but it is quickly drowned out by a collection of groans and boos.
>”~Yaaay!~ Go An-“
>”Oh, come on!
>”Booooo!”
>”Really? We totally got that first! He even admitted Micro Chips was right!”
>In triumph, you smugly throw your hands up and cheer.
“YEEEEAAAAAAH!”
>In the stands, you see your hulking young friend do the same and roar.
>”YEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!”
>Those around him immediately scoot away, but he pays them no mind.
>With a manic grin, you fist pump in celebration and point right at him.
“YEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!”
>He leaps to his feet, flexing his arms and yelling again.
>”YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!”
>”Finally, a little bit of excitement!” News comments, turning toward Bulk.
>Quickly, Celestia power walks to the podium. With an uneasy grin, she takes the mic from News.
>”Alright, alright, let’s all settle down for a moment.” She says, eyeing you with a look of disbelief before turning her attention back to Bulk and the crowd. “Let’s save some energy for the last event; you’ll certainly want it to cheer on your team in this tie breaker, right?!”
>”Woooo! Yeah! All or nothing!”
>”You old folks are going down!”
>”Ehehehe… Okay, that’s enough. Now, we’ll need just a few minutes to clear the floor, so just sit tight.”
>You did it, Anon. You pulled your ass from the fire. Now, there’s just one more event.
>You don’t even have to worry about dodgeball. Even if Red and Cheeri completely bomb, you and coaches can totally handle this.
>Hell, you could probably take this on your own!
>”Ugh… I’m going back to my classroom. I have a backlog of assignments to grade, and my job here is done anyway.” Cranky says as he stands and begins to walk off.
>Yeah, see you later, you cranky old man.
>”That was quite a nice save, Anon. It’s good to see you have more than a singular interest in history, peculiar though it may be. But, still; nicely done.”
“Thanks, Ms. Harshwhinny. I knew it’d come in handy one day.”
>Scooting out of her chair, she briefly plants her hand on your shoulder and musters the most complimentary smile her usually cold and tired face is capable of.
>Just as she sets off for the sidelines and your competitors begin to head back to the bleachers, Redheart steps back into sight from around the corner of the stands.
>She takes her place next to Cheeri, and immediately a conversation between the two strikes up.
>You see Red’s eye quickly shift to you. She shakes her head in disbelief.
>You need not guess what they’re talking about. 
>Grinning like a madman, you nod back to her.
>Yeah, that’s right.
>She teased you about your fear before, but who’s laughing now?
>You nearly head over to them to gloat when you suddenly recall your other teammates.
>As News Flash and a zombie-like Clove Hitch get to moving the chairs and tables from the floor, you look back to the opposite side of the gym.
>Armor stands off to the side on his phone, while Stitches and Eye mutter quietly to each other.
>Stitches rests her eyes on you uneasily while Eye scans the crowd warily, as if expecting to take fire from someone at any moment.
>Oh, that’s right. They’re probably still pretty freaked out from Trixie’s performance.
>You’re kind of surprised that you’re taking it so well, honestly.
>You should go clue them in a little, let them know it’s okay.
>The instant you take your first step towards them, your mind hesitates.
>Or… Should you?
>Celestia said she was trying to keep this under wraps… Would telling them be a good idea?
>Would they even believe you?
>Of course, they would! You’ve been through thick and thin with those two! To hell and back! 
>You trust all each other with your lives, so why wouldn’t they believe you?
>You just… You just need to make sure they know not to say anything. To keep quiet about this.
>Yeah, you’ll just-
>”Hey, Mouse. What’d your girlfriend say?”
>Leaping from your train of thought, you find yourself feet away from your friends, and engulfed in the musky stench of cigarettes.
>You thought Eye had kicked that habit. Guess not.
“Huh? Oh, Celestia said-“
>”Wait, you’re dating Celestia?!” Armor exclaims, approaching with his phone still to his ear.
>You cringe and look over your shoulder, hoping no students heard him. 
>A few stare blankly your way, but they don’t seem to have heard him.
“Jeez, just shout it to the heavens why don’t you?”
>”Oh man, this is crazy!” His eyes shift away from you, as if looking to some invisible being. “Honey, you won’t believe this! You know that guy your auntie’s always talking about? I work with him!”
>Oh, great.
>”Well, he’s at the same precinct, but… I know!”
>You don’t like where this is going. Why do you feel like he’s going to-
>”Yeah! Okay, I’ll ask him… Hey, Anon? Think you and Celestia would be up for a double date?”
>Nope.
>Doing your best to ignore him, you put your back to him and slide between him and the others.
“Okay, before I say anything, I need you two to swear you won’t say anything to anyone.”
>With curiosity, your team gathers around you.
>”Hon, I think he’s ignoring me.”
>”Yeah, sure, I swear. What’s going on, Mouse?”
>”Just tell us.”
“For real, Eye. I don’t need this getting out.”
>He rolls his eyes, but after a light jab from Stitches, he resentfully agrees.
>”Alright, fine, I swear.”
“Good. Okay, so- Wait, that goes for you, too, Armor.” You say over your shoulder.
>”Oh, wait, he’s not ignoring me… Okay, hold on, I’m gonna call you back; this sound kind of important.”
>Stepping back to let him step into your little huddle, you begin to recount what you’ve been told.
“Okay, so she told me that-“
>”Yeah… Yeah, I remember. Yeah, I’ll be right over when I’m off duty.”
>You meet Armor’s eyes with a questioning look, but he motions for you to continue.
“…She told me that Redheart was-“
>”Yeah, yeah, I know. I’ll remember to pick it up…”
>The whole of your group looks his way. With an awkward grin, he again motions for you to continue.
“…She said that Redheart was-“
>”Say it? Honey, it’s the same thing you always want…”
>You groan in frustration.
>Through some sort of subconscious hivemind, you and your team opt to aggressively stare Armor down until he finishes his call.
>”I… Do I have to say it? Honey, they’re all staring at me… C’mon, it’s embarrassing… No, not being with you, but… Yes, saying it!”
>As he pauses to let the voice on the other end speak again, a rosy blush bleeds into his face.
>”My friends are right here, they’ll hear me! …Well, duh, of course I want snuggles tonight! Why wouldn’t I want snug- …Aww, fine! I’ll get you your ‘cheese peetzer’.”
>You clearly hear some girlish squeal and giggling from the other end of the call.
>His face now fully red, he sighs as he ashamedly turns away from your eyes.
>”There, I said it! …Yeah… Yeah, okay. I’ll see you in a few hours. I love you, too. Okay, bye…”
>Jesus fucking Christ.
>You open your mouth and-
 >”No, you hang up first… No, you… Noooo, yooouuuu!”
>Finished waiting for this incredibly childish display of love to end, Eye lunges forward and lashes out at Armor, slapping the phone to the ground.
>In a miraculous turn of events for all parties involved, the call ends, and the phone remains in one piece upon impacting the hard floor.
>”Ow! Hey, what the heck, man?!”
>”Dude, here’s some honest advice; kill yourself.”

>”Dude, no need to be so mean.” Armor whines as he scoops his phone up from the floor.
“Shut up.” You quickly utter before turning your eyes back on your team. “She said Redheart was right, right about everything. The magic, all the stories I’ve been hearing… It’s all real; and those girls, the ones that showed up at to that little party at Pleasant Street? They’re at the center of it all.”
>”Magic is real? What a load of-“
>”You didn’t know?” Armor asks.
“…You did?”
>”Duh. Twilight’s my little baby sister, of course I know! We tell each other everything! Wait, is this what you guys were freaking out about earlier? Cause of that one girl with the wizard hat?”
>”I wasn’t freaking out. I just… felt like taking a smoke break.”
>”Yeah, right. Stop trying to act tough, you were just as shaken up as I was. So… Mouse and his civvy friends aren’t full of it then?”
>”Cross my heart,” Armor says, resting his hand over his chest, “I’ve seen it in action plenty of times. She was a little scared to use it at first, but once she got used to it….”
>With a proud grin, he lets forth a sharp whistle.
>”Any time she was in her lab, it was like she had an invisible tool rack following her around. I’ve never seen someone multi-task so much.”
“So, what can she do?”
>”She’s got… What’s the word? Telekinesis. She can grab stuff, move it around with her mind. Pretty cool; it suits her.”
“Whoa. That’s pretty rad.”
>Beaming, Armor’s eyes flick up to the stands, presumably to Twilight.
>”I know, right? Super smart, super cute, AND she can use magic? She’s the best little sister ever.”
>”I don’t believe you.”
>”Heh. I don’t blame you, Eye. It seemed crazy to me at first, but after she showed me…”
>”Whatever. I’ll believe it when I see it. What about that little space exhibit, huh? What was that?”
>Nodding, Stitches throws in her two cents as well.
>”Yeah… Not that I don’t believe you two, but I’m a little more interested in what I actually saw. So, is that magic, or…?”
“Celestia didn’t mention anything about Trixie… Armor?”
>”No idea,” Armor shrugs. “I’ve heard Twilight mention Trixie before. Heh, you know, when she first transferred here she made profiles for every single student listing interests, personality types, and a whole lot of other stuff… Anyway, Trixie was a person of interest to her for a while.”
“Because of the whole wizard thing?”
>”That, on top of her referring herself in the third person and something about having a thing for peanut butter crackers. No mention of magic, though. Well, not the kind of magic Twilight deals with, anyway.”
>Tilting her head, Stitches cocks an eyebrow.
>”Not the same kind? There’s more than one kind of magic?”
>”Heck if I know. Pretty sure she said that Trixie is less of an actual wizard and more of your typical Las Pegasus magician. You know, illusionist tricks and all that.”
>”Oh, right, so it was all just some illusion, huh? Just some cheesy stage trick?”
>”Hey dude, I’m just rolling with what my little sis has told me. If you want, I’ll ask her after all this is over.”
“Don’t worry about it. Celestia said she’s going have the girls show me what they can do to clear everything up for me after this. I’ll be sure to ask about that this time around.”
>”Oh, good. I was pretty sure she would have told you by now… If you’re going to be here, you should know what you’re in for.”
“Yeah, that’d be nice…”
>As the students in the stands seem to liven up, you hear rubber ball after rubber ball bounce into the court.
>You turn to see News rushing about, positioning them evenly along the court’s center line. Behind her, Red, Cheeri, and the coaches move towards you.
>Oh, looks like you’ll be starting-
>”Okay, everyone; it’s just about time to start! Would all of the competing students please make their way down here?” Celestia announces.
>You turn your attention to the crowd, where one by one your competitors hop to their feet.
>Your boy Bulk flashes you an excited grin as he sidles towards the stairs. Near the top back of the stands, an eager Lyra makes her way down the stairs; Bon Bon follows behind her with a frustrated look.
>”Looks like you’re up, Mouse.” Stitches says mischievously as she steps up behind you. “Remember what happens if you lose.”
“Oh, don’t worry. I haven’t forgotten.”
>”I’ll give you a twenty if you throw the game.”
“Shove it up your ass, Eye.”
>”Twenty-five?”
>You shake your head as you lay eyes on Thunderbass, and lastly, Indigo Wreath as they make their way down.
>Not one of them seems particularly athletic.
>Well, aside from Bulk, but he really doesn’t seem like the dexterous type.
>Plus, the dude is huge. Easy target.
>Just as you pop a cocky smile, you see more movement in the crowd. One last person stands.
>Fluttershy.
>Nervously, she takes a few tiny steps towards the stairs. With a sudden but gentle push from Rarity, her stride grows.
>As she rests her hands upon the handrails of the stairs, she meets your eyes.
>She stops and just… stands there.
>What is she doing?

----------

>What are you doing, Fluttershy?
>Oh, gosh, he’s looking right at you!
>You must look so silly! You just know he’s thinking that!
>He knows you shouldn’t be going down there. You didn’t sign up for this!
>You don’t even know how to play dodgeball!
>Pulling your eyes away from Officer Mouse, you look down to the floor at him.
>Just from looking at him, your knees begin to shake.
>Bulk.
>You gulp.
>O-okay, you didn’t think this through…
>Maybe, maybe you aren’t ready to talk to him just yet.
>Oh, why did you let Rarity talk you into this?!
>You should just… You should just sit down.
>No, wait! If you sit down, Officer Mouse might think you’re a quitter!
>You don’t know how he might know what you’re quitting, but…
>Maybe you should just act like you’re going to the bathroom.
>You haven’t seen anyone else go to the bathroom. It’s probably empty.
>You could probably go cry in there and nobody would even hear you…
>No! Be brave, Fluttershy!
>Anon knows you can be brave! He wants you to be brave!
>And you want to be brave for him!
>But… How are you supposed to talk to Bulk?
>What do you say? What do you do?
>”Um… Hey, Fluttershy?” You hear as a hand tugs gently at your dress.
“EEP!” You squeak as you jump.
>Falling harshly on your tushie, you look over your shoulder towards your friends. Twilight holds her hand over her mouth in shock.
>”Oh gosh, I’m sorry Fluttershy! I didn’t mean to scare you!”
“I-it’s okay… I think I’m just going to sit back down…” You whisper, pulling yourself up by the railing.
>”But you didn’t even try.” Sunset says with a frown.
>”That’s probably a good thing. I’m PRETTY sure Fluttershy isn’t really cut out for a game of dodgeball.” Rainbow comments, eyeing your shaky legs. “Er… No offense, Shy.”
“Mmhmm.” You hum.
>”Nonsense! Fluttershy is capable of far more than what we think! Why, think back to the Friendship Games; she had never even held a bow before and she managed to hit her target after only a few tries, even with her stage fright!”
>”She did do great, Ah’ll happily agree there. But this here’s a different game, Rares.”
>”Yeah, and she’s wearing a dress. Not exactly the best outfit for sports and stuff.”
>”Oh my gosh, can you imagine if she fell over and people saw up her skirt? That would be HI-LARIOUS!”
>As the thought of accidentally exposing yourself to the entire school passes through your mind, you squeal and rush back to your seat.
>Rarity catches you and keeps you at bay as you so desperately reach out for the bench.
>”Oh, now look what you’ve done!”
>”Ehehe… sorry. I take that back, Fluttershy, that wouldn’t be funny at all.” Pinkie says apologetically.
>Pinkie’s words do nothing to calm you as you continue to claw at your seat.
>Her arms stiff, Rarity easily holds you back.
>”Calm down, Fluttershy, calm down! What’s the matter with you? Don’t you want to have some fun with…”
>Rarity stops herself, eyeing those around you with suspicion.
>”…You know who.”
“I-I can’t. I can’t talk to Bulk, I’m too scared, and even if I did talk to him, everyone would be watching me, and if I messed up everyone would see and everyone would laugh at me!”
>”Fluttershy, dear…”
“What if I lose and everyone gets mad at me because we don’t get the surprise? And, and, what if I do fall over and everyone sees my… my…”
>Gently, Rarity claps her palm to your cheek.
>”Fluttershy, if anyone, and I mean ANYONE, wants to hassle you for something as childish and unimportant as losing a game, I will happily address their complaints personally. As for seeing your, well… unmentionables… I can’t speak for everyone here, but I have no doubt that you know who is a gentleman and wouldn’t dare try and look.”
>With a smirk, her eyes trail down to the hem of your dress.
>”And even if he did look, he’d like what he’d see.”
>You feel yourself blush at the thought.
>Without warning, Rarity springs from her seat and sets her arm around you as she guides you back towards the stairs.
>”You needn’t be such a worry-wart. Everything will be fine.”
“B-but-“
>”Shush. Look at him, he’s practically waiting on you.”
>Your eyes shoot back down to Anon, still standing where he was. Watching you.
>Only now, the other police officers stare back at you, too.
>Not just the police officers, but Ms. Redheart, and Ms. Cheerilee, and the coaches, too!
“T-they’re all looking at me…”
>”And you’re running out of time. Don’t you want to impress him? This is the way to do it! All you have to do is go down there and convince Bulk to switch places with you.”
“But… what if he-“
>”He will.” She whispers, giving your shoulder a soothing rub. “He has an enormous crush on you, he’ll do whatever you ask him to.”
“He does?”
>”Yes! He’s liked you for some time now, and from what you told me of your little talk this morning, that’s exactly what Anon was trying to tell you.”
>Bulk has a crush on you? No, that can’t be right.
>But… now that you think back on all of the times he’s tried to talk with you, or partner with you, or…
>No. He was just being sweet, wasn’t he?
>”So, get down there and convince him to swap out with you!”
“But, wouldn’t that be mean? I mean, if he really does like me…”
>”All is fair in love and war, Fluttershy. He probably won’t even realize what you’re trying to do, and… Well, not to be insensitive to him, but it clearly wouldn’t work between the two of you. Not anymore, at least.”
>With a sigh, your eyes drift over to Bulk as he prepares for the game with some stretches.
>You know she’s completely right.
>Even if things were different, you just don’t like him like that. Not like you do for Anon.
>You’ve never liked anyone like you do him.
 “You’re… you’re right.”
>But… is it really okay to use him like this? It seems wrong…
>”Of course I am.”
“Rarity? Why are you doing this? Don’t you like him, too?”
>”Oh, I do.” 
>Looking down at Anon, Rarity takes in a deep breath and sighs dreamily.
>”I certainly do. But… I think the reasons you like him are a little bit different than mine; and you just look so adorable when you’re with him!”
“I do?”
>”You absolutely do, darling! And I wouldn’t be a very good friend to you if I tried to steal your first love from you, now would I?”
>That would be kind of mean, but you don’t think you’d blame her if she liked him, too.
>”Alright, everybody, let’s get this show started! Who’s ready for the tie breaker?!”
>You shrink into Rarity’s side as everyone around you erupts into cheering.
>Turning your eyes to the court, you see News Flash pacing around, microphone in hand.
>She seems so happy to be in front of everyone like that. You don’t know how she does it.
>”That’s what I thought! Now let’s start by introducing the teams. In the teacher’s corner, we have… Coaches Spitfire and Soarin!”
>Greeted with some mild applause, the two coaches step onto the court.
>”Times up, Fluttershy! You have to go now!”
“But, but-“
>Ripping her hand from your shoulder, Rarity spins you around to speak to you face to face.
>She stares deeply into you with her azure eyes.
>”You can do this, Fluttershy. Trust me. Trust yourself. Be brave. Do it for him.”
>Do it for him…
>Do it for him!
>You, you can do this, Fluttershy!
>Rarity believes in you! Anon believes in you! So you’ll believe in yourself, too!
>”Nurse Redheart!”
>Emboldened with a sudden surge of confidence, you clench your fists and nod resolutely at Rarity.
“I can do this.”
>”Yes, you can, Fluttershy. Go make us proud!”
>Without a doubt in your mind, you turn and calmly make your way down the stairs.
>”Officer Anon!”
>Carefully pacing yourself so as to not trip on any stairs, you turn and look towards Officer Mousey.
>Stepping forward, he smiles and waves to the crowd. Yet, his eyes return to you every few seconds.
>You step down to the floor and set off towards the student’s side, looking behind you every few feet.
>”And everybody’s favorite librarian, Ms. Cheerilee!”
>He’s still looking.
>He can’t keep his eyes off you.
>He can tell! He can already tell what you’re doing!
>He must be so impressed!
>Oh… Just you wait Officer Mousey!
>You’re gonna win this game, and then you’re going to walk right up to him and ask if he wants to sit outside with you!
>And he’ll say yes, because he’ll be so impressed by your confidence and bravery!
>”And now, onto the crowd favorite, THE STUDENTS!”
>And then you can ask all of your bird friends to sing for the two of you…
>Oh, you bet he’d like that.
>Then you can hold hands, and he’ll look over at you with light shining off of his gorgeous eyes, and he’ll lean in, a-and-
>Just as you look back ahead of you, you slam right into someone.
“Oof!” You cry as you fall to the ground, landing on your tushie again. “Ouchies…”
>The person turns around as you reopen your eyes.
>A huge white figure towers over you. In an instant, you feel all your confidence wash away.
>”F-fluttershy? Are you okay?”
>You want to move, or shout, or yell, or do anything, but your fear paralyzes you in place. 
>”I’m so sorry, are you okay? Please tell me I didn’t hurt you again!”
>He quickly kneels down and offers a hand to you, but all you can do is stare up into his red eyes.
>”LET’S HEAR IT FOR LYRA!”
>More thunderous applause, but it all seems so far away to you.
>”Fluttershy? H-here, let me just…”
>As gently as he can, he wraps his massive hands around your arms.
>You nearly jump out of your skin at his touch.
>But, to your surprise, he pulls to your feet without the slightest bit of harm.
>”Uh… T-there… I’m really sorry, I wasn’t watching where I was standing, so I…”
>He pauses and stares down at you. You stand as still as a statue.
>”I’m really sorry, I…”
>He pulls his eyes away from you, shrinking before your gaze.
>”I… I’m… I’ll just go…”
>Slowly, as if filled with shame, he turns his back to you. He sadly begins to slink away to the others, who don’t even seem to notice you.
>Oh, thank goodness he’s leaving! You were so scared, you thought you were going to…
>W-wait… Wait!
>Lunging forward, you grab ahold of his tight shirt.
>He stops and looks over his shoulder with gloomy, depressed eyes.
“U-um…”
>Come on, Fluttershy!
>Do it for him!
“H-hi… Hi, Bulk.”

>”The one, the only… BON BON!”
>Not far behind Bulk, Bon Bon steps forward. Moderate applause turns to excited cheers and whistles as she points to the teacher’s team and turns her thumb to the ground.
>”Hi Fluttershy…” Bulk weakly replies.
“Um… I-I’m sorry for walking i-into you like that. I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going, a-and…”
>”Oh, no! No, it’s okay, I didn’t… I didn’t get hurt or anything. Are you okay?” He asks, turning back and leaning towards you with worry.
>Your tushie hurts, but that’s not that bad.
“No, I’m okay.”
>Upon hearing your answer, Bulk seems to regain a fraction of his smile.
>”Oh. Well, that’s good.”
“Mmhm…” You hum with a nod.
>An awkward silence falls over you as News Flash continues to announce the participants.
>”Here to rock the competition… THUNDERBASS!”
>Time is almost up! Hurry up, Fluttershy!
“U-um… Bulk? Could I ask you a favor?”
>”Huh? Of course! I-I’d do anything for y- I mean, what do you need?”
>Anticipating his answer, you nervously pinch your dress between your fingers and toy with the cloth.
“Well… I feel bad for asking, but… I was wondering if you would maybe… Um…”  
>Say it! Just say it!
“…Switch out with me?”
>”You… wanna play dodgeball? Why?”
“Well, I, um…”
>You can’t just tell him the truth, can you? That’d be mean!
>And there’s no way you could tell anyone how you feel about Officer Anon without dying of embarrassment.
>Oooh… Think fast, Fluttershy!
“Erm… Pinkie thinks I should try and improve my school spirit and be more involved, so… I thought that I might ask you if I could-“
>”Play in my place?”
“Mmhm.” You nod.
>”INDIGO WREATH!”
>Bulk lets out a slight whine as he looks over towards the teachers.
>”Err… I would be really happy to help you out, but… I was really looking forward to playing with Officer Anon today.”
“Oh…”
>Of course, he would. Anon’s been one of only people still talking to him.
>And this whole time, you’ve been avoiding him.
>Bulk deserves this. You should never have let Rarity talk you into this.
>This is just… selfish and mean.
“T-that’s okay, then… I hope you have fun.”
>Hanging your head low, you turn back to return to your-
>”Hey, wait! Why don’t you go ahead and play?”
“But… You just said-“
>”I know, but… I really do feel bad about what happened; for everything. I know it probably doesn’t mean much to you, especially after what I did… but, go ahead. I don’t mind.”
“…R-really?”
>Bulk grins eagerly.
>”Yeah! I can always just do something with Officer Anon later, I guess; and, I really want you to know that I’m sorry.”
“That’s okay, I really shouldn’t have come down here and asked, so-“
>”Are you two done yet?”
>As if appearing from thin air, you both suddenly become aware of News Flash, who watches from mere feet away.
>Not just News Flash, either. You feel the eyes of the entire room staring you down.
>Just ignore them, Fluttershy. Just ignore them.
>News lifts up her free hand to check the time on her watch.
>”Because we’re already kind of behind schedule, and I gotta get this ball a-rollin’. We have a free period after this, and I’d like to make sure it’s actually a full period and not just a few minutes, y’know? Plus, there’s that super-secret prize…”
“I-“
>”Oh, sorry, uh… Fluttershy was just asking if she could switch in for me.” 
>News Flash turns her eyes on you, sizing you up at a glance.
>”Fluttershy? Really?”
“Oh, no, it’s okay, I’ll just-“
>”Yeah! That’s okay, right?”
>”I don’t see why not, the teachers already swapped out Ms. Smith for Officer Anon last round.”
>”Great! I’ll be rooting for you, Fluttershy!” He exclaims excitedly.
>Oh… Gosh darn it, Bulk. Why does he have to be so nice?
“T-thank you…”
>Officer Mouse is right. He really is just a nice guy.
>And here you are, taking advantage of him.
>You can’t just let him do this for you, can you? There’s got to be something you can do for him, right?
>Oh, that’s it!
>Happily, he begins to make his way back to his seat. As he steps past you, you call out for his attention again.
“W-wait, um… Twilight told me you were having trouble with algebra. I’m… I’m not the best at it; Twilight’s way better than me, but… Maybe I could try and help Twilight and Principal Celestia with your tutoring?”
>He slowly turns around, stunned by your offer.
>”You’d… really do that for me?”
“Mmhm. It’s the least I could do for you. I think…”
>”That’d, that’d be great! Thanks, Fluttershy! You’re the best!”
>You really aren’t…
>”I bet with your help, I’ll have no problems understanding this stuff! See you after school, then?”
“I’ll meet up with Twilight after school.” You reply with a nod.
>”Cool! Okay, well… Good luck!” He says before heading off back to his seat.
>”Aww… Look at you two.”
>”Hey, where’s he going?” asks Bon Bon, her fiery temper showing as she pushes her way over to the two of you.
“U-ummm…”
>”Oh, he swapped out with Fluttershy.”
>”He… He WHAT?!”

----------

>”What is she doing?” Cheerilee asks.
>The whole of the room watches quietly as Bulk makes his way back to the stands.
>Meanwhile, Fluttershy stays right where she was.
“Is she… Did she just replace him?”
>”Fluttershy? Ha! No way, she’d die out here.” Spitfire laughs.
>As Bon Bon shoves her way through the others and over to Butters and the young commentator, Bulk waves to catch your attention.
>As soon as you look to him, he cracks the biggest, happiest grin you’ve ever seen on the dude, paired along with an ecstatic thumbs-up.
>You don’t know what’s going on with her, but there’s only one reason he’d be looking like that after talking with her.
>It might be too early to say, but it looks like your talk with her might’ve worked.
>Nice.
>You grin right back at him and nod.
>”He WHAT?!”
>As you look back, Bon Bon jabs an accusatory finger into News’ collarbone. 
>”You’re sabotaging us, you backstabber!”
>Oh, boy. Here we go.
>With her booming, furious voice, Bon Bon makes her objections known to all.
>”First you give the teachers the winning point when we got the question right first, and now you’re swapping out that moron… FOR FLUTTERSHY?!”
>Without delay, disgruntled murmurs and boos rise up from the stands.
>”She’s in cahoots with the teachers!”
>”They’re cheating!”
>”Miss Bon Bon!” Luna shouts from further down the line.
>As her and her sister begin to make their way towards the commotion, News turns her attention to the dissent in the crowd.
>”I am not helping the teachers cheat! I’m just trying to put on a good show and makes things interesting. You know, spice things up! And I didn’t know anyone was going to switch out!”
>”So put Bulk back in!” Someone shouts.
>”Hey, if he doesn’t want to play, he doesn’t have to!”
>”Oh, yeah right!”
>”Put me in, then!”
>As the two sisters reach the gaggle of students, News turns off her mic to give them her undivided attention.
>Within seconds of scolding from them, Bon Bon storms back to her other teammates, where she leans against the wall next to Lyra and pouts.
>With that ‘settled’, Celestia and Luna turn their attention to News and Fluttershy.
>You watch as News assumedly explains the situation with Fluttershy only occasionally speaking up. 
>Luna’s and Celestia’s eyes bounce back and forth from Fluttershy, to News, and to Bulk.
>You almost head over there yourself just to see what is going on.
>”Man, they sure are taking their time.” Red comments.
>With a quiet chuckle, Soarin agrees.
>”It’s always something.”
>The sisters turn to each other to discuss the situation. As Celestia gives Bulk a fleeting glance, he nods excitedly and motions for them to continue.
>Celestia shrugs at Luna and momentarily takes the microphone from News. She clicks the mic back on and clears her throat before addressing the situation.
>”Ahem. It seems there’s be some concern with a sudden change in roster, as well as how the winning question for the trivia was handled. I understand your protests, but I did put News Flash in charge of that event, and I don’t necessarily disagree with how she handled it; she chose what she felt was the better answer. That said, I can assure each and every one of you that there is absolutely zero cheating going on. News Flash is not helping the teachers win.”
>Bon Bon shakes her head in disagreement, but the rumbling in the stands seems to die down.
>”As for the roster change, we are going to…”
>Celestia pauses to sigh loudly into the mic.
>”…allow it. It seems one of the students would rather someone step in for him, and we’ve decided to allow it, if only because of the multiple substitutions made on our team. However, we’ve decided will be sticking to the roster in all future games, for better or worse. Now, lets get back to the fun, shall we?”
>News eagerly accepts the mic back from Celestia. As the sisters make their way back to the sidelines of the court, News struts back onto the court.
>”JUST TO REITERATE… Nobody is cheating, and I’m not helping anyone. I mean, c’mon guys! Even if they were cheating, they’re just a bunch of old bones. They can’t keep up with you!”
>You hear a few laughs, a cheer here, a woop there. Slowly, she begins to regain the crowds favor.
>Old, huh? Ain’t nothin’ old about this team.
>Though, Bon Bon’s got a bone to pick with someone.
>”Now, I know we’re all a little skeptical about our last team mate, but… Well, we’ve seen her and her friends pull off stranger stuff, haven’t we?  Give her a chance. She floats like a butterfly and stings like a butterfly, she is… FLUTTERSHY!”
>”YEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!”
>Whoa, down boy, you’re gonna scare her again.
>”Wooo, go Fluttershy!”
>”Ya’ll got this, ya hear?!”
>”You can do it, darling! Believe in yourself!”
>”Aim for the head, Shy!”
>Fluttershy steps onto the court, nervously avoiding looking toward the bleachers.
>Instead, she locks her eyes on you and offers a shy smile and wave.
>Her smile grows as you wave back.
>”So, we’re getting her out first, right?” Soarin asks. “She’s easy pickings.”
>”Nah, leave her. She’s always pretty uncoordinated and slow in gym. She’s dead weight; might even get in someone else’s way.”
“That’s a little mean, don’t you think?” 
>Spitfire shrugs as she sizes up the enemy team.
>”Just being honest. I’d watch out for Bon Bon and Lyra, though. Bon Bon looks like she’s got something to prove, and Lyra… Well, she’s a little excitable sometimes. Excitable and weird.”
>”Yeah, watch Lyra” adds Red. “What about the other two? Thunderbass and-“
>”Indigo? Eh. Nothing special.” Remarks Soarin. “If they really cared so much about winning, maybe they should have picked their teams better.”
“Sounds good. Just go easy on Fluttershy. She’s soft, so don’t go nailing her in the face.”
>Spitfire looks your way with a goading, shit-eating grin.
>”Aww, look at you, being the big sensitive teddy bear!”
>Oh, fuck off, you rug-muncher.
>”All right! Just for the sake of transparency, and so no one can cry foul when their team loses, I’m going to run through the rules really quick. It’s simple. One, you must stay on your side of the court! If you go out of bounds or cross over to the other side, you’re out! Two, if you get hit, you are out; however, if the ball bounces off the ground or wall before hitting someone, it does not count! Once the ball touches the ground or wall, it is safe!”
>As News runs through her speech, Soarin takes the time to stretch out.
>”Man, this is going to be fun. I can’t remember the last time we played some dodgeball!”
>”Three! If you catch a ball before it bounces, whoever threw it is out! And four! If you are out, you are out! We don’t have time for a half an hour-long game because people keep catching balls, so no hopping back in. Any questions?”
>No response from anyone.
>”Fantastic. Now, if you’ll all line up on the baseline.”
>The… the baseline? Which one is that?
>From the corner of your eyes, you see Soarin and Spitfire back up to the edge of the court behind the basket.
>You subtly follow their lead, as do Red and Cheeri. Together, you all toe the bold, black line.
>The students, however, seem completely lost.
>”It’s… It’s the big black line behind the basket. Fluttershy’s already standing on it.”
>Curiously, they all watch each other as they slowly step up to the line.
>”Come on guys, get it together… Anyway, everyone ready?”
>Everyone hunkers down, preparing to rush center court for one of the five red balls spread along the mid court line.
>Directly across from you, Bon Bon stares you down. She drags her thumb across her throat and sticks out her tongue.
>Man, what crawled up her ass?
>You think she might still be mad at you for that suspension.
>Well, that’s what she gets for throwing that book.
>And calling your boi a moron? Oh, that ain’t gonna fly.
>You better watch out, Bon Bon.
>Flashing an eager smile, you quickly roll up your sleeves.
>…Only to immediately roll your left sleeve back down.
>”Get set!”
>On the far side of the court, Butters’ knees start to wobble. She does her best to get down and get ready, but it’s pretty apparent that she doesn’t know what she’s doing.
>What the hell is she thinking anyway?
>Just stay in the back, Shy. Just stay in the back and try not to take one in the face.
>”GO!”

>Letting your ego get the best of you, you hang back and watch as the others rush for center court to scramble for the balls.
>Fluttershy does the same, though lacking any of your confidence.
>If anything, she looks utterly lost as to what she’s supposed to do.
>As the teams converge at the mid court line, each side reaches out to snatch the balls from the other side.
>Foolishly, Redheart dives to the ground in a weak attempt to steal a ball from Indigo.
>He narrowly pulls the ball from her grasp. With her vulnerable on the ground, he reaches up to slam the ball down on her.
>Suddenly acquiring cat-like reflexes, she rolls away at the last second, leaving the ball bouncing deeper into your court.
>”Nurse Redheart trying for a risky steal right out of the gate! I bet she’s glad she wormed her way out of that!”
>As the coaches, Bon Bon, and Thunderbass commence their assault on each other, Redheart clambers to her feet and retreats from the frontlines.
>”Whoa, that was close!”
“Yeah, probably not the best idea to action dive right at the dividing li- WHOA!”
>Just as you turn your eyes back to the action, a blurry red ball rockets past, whistling in your ear as it flies by inches from your head.
>”WHOA! That ball almost took Officer Anon’s head off!”
>As it slams loudly into the wall behind you, you trace its flight path right back to Bon Bon. 
>With a malicious grin, she watches you with the eyes of a predator.
“Jesus Christ, take a chill pill.”
>”Wow, she’s really got it in for you, huh?”
>You quickly snatch up Bon Bon’s ball from behind you and kick Indigo’s over to Redheart.
“Yeah, I think she’s still butthurt about her suspension. That, or… I don’t know, maybe she thinks I’m the one that’s cheating.”
>”You? Why would she think you’re-“
>”Will you two get your heads in the game?!” Cries Spitfire as she dances evasively around the court.
“Nah.”
>As the students begin to clump together, you hurl your ball towards their center with no particular target.
>While the rest leap out of the way, Indigo performs a weak dodge, moving only inches from where he was. He flinches even as the ball flies safely by him.
>As if on your mark, the others exchange fire as well, but all emerge unscathed.
>Your eyes jump from Bon Bon and Indigo as you quickly begin pacing along the back lines. Using your teammates to protect yourself from Bon Bon’s attacks, you lurk and watch your prey.
>You watch as Indigo picks up a stray ball and scans for an easy target.
>Surprisingly, his eyes fall on you.
>Step by step, he draws closer and closer to the dividing line.
>With one final, exaggerated step, he hurls the ball towards you.
>With unfortunate luck, his grip slips as he lets the ball loose. The ball travels slowly and bounces before it even comes within a few feet.
>”Oh, c’mon!”
>Shit, son, what are you doing?
>With a sudden burst of speed, you rush the line and take your shot at Indigo.
>He sees the throw coming and again, weakly tries to step out of the way, shielding his face with his hands.
>But, he is far too slow; your shot flies fast and true, and slams straight into his guts.
>”Oof!”
>”It looks like we’ve got our first man out. Indigo Wreath knocked out by Officer Anon!”
>Sullenly and silently, Indigo makes his way off of the court as he rubs at his stomach.
>Your eyes watching the rest of their team, you backstep away from the frontlines.
>Along the way, you pass Cheerilee, who rushes forward to take a shot at Lyra.
>The quirky teen deftly dodges the attack and returns fire, but no one is struck.
>”Hey, nice throw, dude!” Soarin cheers.
>He passes by to hurl a shot at Bon Bon, who easily deflects the ball with the one in her hands.
>Lyra hastily scoops it up and flings it back across the court, where it slams into Red’s chest.
>”Owww…” She moans, clutching at her breasts.
>”Uh… Sorry, Nurse Redheart! I didn’t mean to hit you there!”
>”Yeah, right…” Red mutters, begrudgingly leaving the court.
>”And now Nurse Redheart is out, leaving us at an even four versus four!”
>As Lyra and Cheerilee cautiously move to acquire the loose balls near them, Bon Bon once again turns her sight on you.
>She advances toward the line, preparing to catapult the ball with all of her might.
>Just as the ball leaves her palms, Spitfire looses a shot of her own at Bon Bon. The two collide, sending them to the furthest corners of the gym.
>One bounces out of bounds towards your fellow officers.
>The other comes to a slow halt as it bumps against Fluttershy’s feet.
>”I got her! Shouts Cheerilee as she rushes back to the front line.
>Hardly ten feet from Bon Bon, she flings the ball as hard as she can.
>Without so much as a flinch, the angry lesbian easily catches the ball within her arms.
>”Oh, looks like we’ve got our first catch by Bon Bon! Ms. Cheerilee has been eliminated!”
>”Argh!”
“Are you serio-“
>Setting your eyes back on Bon Bon, you see her already rearing up another throw at you.
>It flies with remarkable speed. Even with seeing it coming, you’re still lucky to narrowly leap out of the way in time.
“WILL YOU GO AFTER SOMEONE ELSE ALREADY?!”
>”No!”
>Soarin quickly scoops up the loose ball; together, the two coaches focus their sights on Lyra.
>”Mouse, behind you!”
>You turn, finding a stay ball rolling right up to your ankles.
>”Take ‘em out, Mouse!”
>You always could count on her in a fight.
>You scoop up the ball and whip around, resolved to take your shot at the first person you see.
>But, you arm hesitates as you see your frightened young friend approaching the line with her shaky legs.
>”Um… y-you better watch out, Anon…”
>She stops just short of toeing the line and thrusts the ball from her grasp with stiff, straight arms.
>”Nyeh!”
>It barely makes it a few feet before falling to the ground, where it leisurely rolls up to your boots.
>Oh my god, she is going to die out here.
>”Aww…”
>”YYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!”
>God damn it, Bulk.
>”Who taught you to throw?!” Bon Bon exclaims, sending a scowl Flutters’ way.
>”I, u-uhm…”
>Bon Bon scoops up a missed shot from Spitfire and again hurls it your way.
>With little effort you deflect it with the ball in your hands, unfortunately sending it back into enemy ground.
“Ignore her, Shy. Just do your best and have fun, okay?”
>As Bon Bon bends over to claw at her deflected shot, you throw yours right back at her.
>She barely manages to deflect it in time, and immediately follows with a desperate throw back, which you nimbly avoid.
>You pick up the ball at your feet; as Soarin scurries after the run-away ball, you get some space away from the line and begin to pace as you size up your opponents.
>Spitfire meets your eyes and nudges her head towards Bon Bon.
>”What’d you do to piss her off?” She asks, bouncing her ball beside her.
“Hell if I know. Hey, Lyra, is she always this angry?”
>Lyra smirks and glances at her female companion from the corners of her eyes.
>”Sometimes; she’s pretty irritable, especially lately.”
“Well, can you tell her to dig that sand out of her hole? This is a little ridiculous.”
>”Sure thing! Hey, Bon Bon!”
>You can already hear Soarin snickering as he walks up from behind you.
>Lyra herself can’t keep a straight face.
>”Officer Anon wants you to dig all that sand out of your va-“
>”SHUT UP!” Bon Bon cries, tearing Soarin’s last shot from Lyra’s hands and hurling it your way.
>You easily block the ball with your own, sending it flying high above where it lodges itself in the ceilings’ support beams.
>You all put aside your differences to stare up at the ball in wonder.
>”Oh, way to go, Bon Bon!”
>”Shut up, Thunderbass, you’re barely doing anything!”
>”Way to go, Bon Bon!” Lyra repeats, still trying her best to keep a straight face.
>”Grrrr...”
“Yeah, way to go, Bon Bon.”
>”ARRGH!” She shouts, shaking with rage.
>Some people just can’t handle the bants.

>The short cease-fire comes to a sudden halt as Spitfire lowers her eyes to stare down Bon Bon, intimidatingly bouncing her ball next to her.
>Soarin steps up next to her, setting his sights on Thunderbass, who now holds the enemy team’s only ball.
>Carefully watching them both, Bon Bon takes a few cautious steps towards their last man standing.
>”Hey. Hey, Thunderbass.”
>”What?”
>”All together now…” Spitfire quietly mutters.
>Squeezing the ball in your grasp, you inch closer to the line.
>”Pass me that ball.”
>”What?! No! You’ll just get this one stuck, too!”
>”Thunderbass, just pass me the friggin’-“
>Spitfire slams the ball against the floor one last time before hurling it towards your nemesis.
>”-BALL!”
>Following Spitfire’s lead, Soarin quickly fires off at Thunderbass.
>Death by firing squad, it is.
>Seizing the opportunity, you take your chance at a shot at Bon Bon.
>She leaps toward Thunderbass, narrowly dodging the balls by an inch.
>Imitating you and Bon Bon, Thunderbass raises his ball in a desperate attempt to deflect Soarin’s shot; he fumbles the block, allowing the shot to slam into his arm.
>”HA! GOT ‘EM!” 
>Groaning and grumbling to himself as Thunderbass quits the field, Bon Bon and Lyra rush to scoop up ammo and return fire.
>”Aaaaaand Thunderbass has been eliminated, courtesy of Coach Soarin! I wonder who’s next?”
>”Nice,” Spitfire says, crouching down to grab a ball as it rolls back into your court. “That just leaves those two, then.”
>With most of the firepower in their court, Bon Bon and Lyra take a moment to huddle together and strategize.
“And Fluttershy.”
>”Flutt- Oh, right.”
>Fluttershy smiles awkwardly and waves to her coach.
>”Not gonna lie, completely forgot she was here.”
>Breaking apart their huddle, the pair of femme fatales rejoin the fight.
>Hogging two balls to herself, Bon Bon gently nudges one forward with her foot until she’s in position.
>Stopping it with an oppressive step, she tightly grips the orb in her hands and scans her opponents, Lyra right at her side.
>Unsurprisingly, her eyes flick over to you.
>What does surprise you is that Lyra does the same.
>They hold their ground, anticipating an attack from Spitfire, but she holds her fire.
>Signaling with a click of her tongue, Bon Bon and her partner in crime raise their weapons, preparing to unleash a barrage of fire upon you.
>With a disgruntled sigh, you ready yourself to leap out of danger.
>This is getting old fast.
>Just as they move to strike, they whip around fast as lightning and open fire upon Soarin.
>He shrieks girlishly as he rushes to dodge in panic, nearly running straight into the first shot.
>He leaps back and out of the way of the second; Bon Bon, quick on the draw, ducks under Spitfire’s retaliatory strike and grabs her last shot from the ground to take one more shot.
>As you rush to recover one of the balls, you see the shot strike Soarin in his knee.
>”Nooooooo!” Soarin cries, falling to his knees overdramatically.
>”I can’t believe it! With just a little bit of coordination, Coach Soarin comes tumbling down!”
>As you and Spitfire rearm yourselves, Soarin hops back to his feet and leisurely makes his way off the court.
>”Yo, Fire, I’m gonna go get a drink. Want something? Maybe some Ponyade?”
>”Hmmm… Nah,” Spitfire replies, taking a quick shot at Lyra before rushing for the other ball. “Actually, I’ll just take a water.”
>”Aight.”
>Tensely squeezing the ball in your hands, you creep towards the line, contemplating your next move.
>You just know Bonnie’s gonna keep lobbing shit at you, but you’ve handled that pretty well so far. Lyde, on the other hand…
>Heh. Bonnie and Lyde.
>You wonder if she’s the one you should be worried about. Was that last play her idea?
>It wasn’t anything amazing; honestly, you should have seen it coming. The ol’ switcheroo is pretty basic.
>Still, something tells you that you should knock her out, and fast.
>”Anon?”
“Huh?”
>”You want a drink?”
>You are pretty thirsty, but… this situation is starting to look a little rocky.
>Oh, man, how shitty would it be if you pissed yourself in front of the whole school?
“No thanks, now’s probably not a good time for me to be drinking a whole lot of fluids.”
>Wait, does your body even process water that fast?
>”Aw, come on, dude! Just cause we’re inside where it’s nice and cool doesn’t mean you shouldn’t drink some water. You gotta stay hydrated!”
“Alright, fine, get me a water. Just scoot already, you’re in the way.”
>”Sure thing. Have fun with the game!” He shouts, tucking his hands in his pockets as he strolls towards the door.
>For some reason, you thought he’d be a little more upset about getting knocked out.
>Putting your head back in the game, you find Bon Bon staring you down from behind her ball.
>In the back, Butters shyly steps over to Spitfire’s side of the field, while Lyra shifts her feet in place, ready for action.
>What could you do to take Lyra out?
>You guess you could just false flag, but… Nah, they literally just did that. That wouldn’t work.
>Would it?
>Fuck it.
“Hey, Spitfire! Let’s focus on Bon Bon!” You shout, staring your antagonist in the eyes.
>”Probably not the best idea to shout that out, y’know.”
>Despite her response, she moves a little closer to Bonnie.
“She’s gonna go for me no matter what. We need to take her out.”
>”Yeah, yeah, I hear ya.”
>Inch by inch, you edge towards the enemy, trying your damnedest to look convincing.
>From the corner of your eye, you see Spitfire awaiting an opportunity to strike.
>Deciding she’s probably close enough, you give the signal.
“Now!”
>Following your command, Spitfire rears back and hurls her ball as hard as she can at Bon Bon.
>A split second afterward, you launch your own attack against Lyra.
>Bon Bon, unsurprisingly, stands steadfast, shrugging off the attack with her shield and sending it bouncing towards Fluttershy.
>Even with your fast ball, Lyra sees the strike coming; with remarkable reflexes, she leaps right over the ball as it nears the ground and quickly moves to recover it.
>”Wow! I think Lyra’s getting a little flashy!” News comments.
>With the knowledge that she is entirely safe for the moment, she tauntingly cartwheels towards the loose balls.
“Damn.”
>”So, are we not focusing on Bon Bon, or…?”
>Setting your eyes back on Bonnie, you slowly pace towards the center of your court.
“Well, I was hoping a fake-out would get Lyra, but-“
>”Saw it coming a mile away, Anon! Better luck next time.”
>She softly kicks on towards the center line; with the other in her hands, she aggressively rushes toward you.
>Bon Bon follows her lead, rushing you down like a charging bull.
>Lyra throws first, the ball flying directly at you with incredible speed. Right behind her, Bon Bon fires your way.
>Your instincts scream at you to run, but at the last possible second, you see it.
>Time seems to slow, and you can see it all play out before you.
>You got this.
>Squatting down just a few inches, you hold your hands out in front of your gut, ready to catch the red orb of death heading your way.
>Not an instant later, it flies directly into your hands where it stops, caught snugly in between your fingers.
>Flying high on adrenaline, you quickly and easily swat away Bon Bon’s shot, sending it careening off out of bounds and towards the stands.
>Lyra hunkers over to grab her extra ball, nearly throwing it before realizing what just happened at the last second.
“HA! Eat that, Lyra!”
>”Holy cra- Er… C-cow, holy cow… An amazing play by Officer Anon, knocking Lyra out and protecting himself in one fell swoop!”
>”Aw, dang it.” Lyra whines, dropping her second ball and sending it bouncing away.
>”Wait, Lyra, no!” 
>Bon Bon rushes over for the ball as it bounces dangerously close to your court.
>Just as she nears and reaches for it, it rolls right over the line.
>”ARGH! Lyra, why would you do that?!”
>”I don’t know, I wasn’t thinking!”
>Furiously shaking her head, Bon Bon puts her friend out of her mind to focus back on the game.
>”Sorry.” Lyra says with a shrug before turning away.
>”Just get out of my way, you airhead.”
>”Airhead?! Lighten up, Bon; it’s just a game!”
>”It’s a game I want to win, and you just gave them a ball! On top of that, now my only help is a girl that wants to be a tree!”
>What?
>Putting her foot firmly to the ground, Lyra turns for one last word.
>”You know what, Bon Bon? I think Anon’s right. I think you do have sand in your vagina. You know what else? You better get it out, because I’m not going to do it for you!”
>Daaaaaaaaamn.
>You don’t if that was just some trash talk or if Bon Bon is low-key in the doghouse tonight, but that sounded pretty rough.
>Bon Bon’s scowl grows, but she doesn’t take her eyes off of you as Lyra leaves the court.
>You kind of want to crack a joke about that, but… Bon Bon probably hates you enough already.
>And you kind of like Lyra, so you decide to keep your mouth shut.
>”Ouch! Tensions are running high as it comes down to the last two on each team, and I gotta say, things aren’t looking good for the students.”
>”That’s gotta sting.” Spitfire laughs, casually walking up to the line. “Look what you’re doing, Anon. You’re tearing these kids apart.”
>Hey, you’re not the one being a salty cunt.
>Toeing the line, Spitfire grabs and tucks the ball away under her arm before smiling Bon Bon’s way.
>”Better apologize to her later, Bon Bon. Take her out to dinner or something, she’ll come right back around.”
>”I don’t need relationship advice.” Mumbles Bon Bon.
>Well, if there’s anyone to give those two relationship advice, it’s probably Spitfire.
>”I’m sure you don’t. I’m just-“
>From seemingly nowhere, you hear the rubbery thwack of a ball hitting something and bouncing away.
>As the ball rolls near you, you trace it’s path back to Spitfire, standing completely still, dumbfounded.
>Hardly five feet away from her, just on the edge of her vision, stands Fluttershy; eyes wide, she hides her face behind her hands.
>”Fluttershy just knocked out Coach Spitfire.” News announces, completely monotonal. “Did we shift into some kind of bizzaro world?”
>”I wish!” Pinkie shouts just before the stands explode into cheers for your timid friend.
>”Wooooo! Good job, Fluttershy!” Rainbow shouts.
>”A sneak attack! Excellent idea, darling!”
>”YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”
>No! Noooo!
>How could you do this, Fluttershy?! You were the chosen one!
>”I… I did it? I did it!” She cries, hopping excitedly up and down.
>Ecstatic, she looks to you for your reaction. 
>Thanks to her cutesy reaction, you barely have to force a smile.
“You… You sure did, Butters. Great job. You’re doing me proud.”
>She squeals at your praise.
>Dropping the ball from beneath her arm, Spitfire steps over the line and towards Fluttershy.
>As the coach reaches out for her, she flinches. With a soft pat to her shoulder, she peeks through squinted eyes.
>”I guess that’s what I get for underestimating you, huh? Nice one, kid. I never saw it coming.”
>”U-uhm… Thank you, Coach Spitfire.”
>With a respectful nod, Spitfire quits the court, and Fluttershy goes right back to smiling.
>”It looks like the teachers are down to their last man standing. Can Officer Anon pull through, or has Fluttershy just secured victory for her fellow students?”
>Aww, crap. This is bad.
>You had this in the bag, but now…
>Wait, you still have this in the bag!
>Fluttershy caught Spitfire completely unaware! She’s no threat to anyone actually paying attention. You’re not going to let your guard down around her.
>And you can easily handle this tilted dyke on your own. With no other distractions, all you need is one good throw! Hell, you could probably get her with a catch, like Lyra.
>Then, well… That just leaves Butterbuns. 
>You’ll go soft on her. Just an easy throw to the shin’s will do.
>Then you can finally get down to what’s really important here.
>This magic stuff.
>As you creep forward once again, you see News Flash kick the stray ball back into bounds.
>”Let’s just get this back into play…”
>In an instant, Bon Bon rearms herself. Fluttershy does the same with Spitfire’s dropped ball.
>”Now, let’s see some real action!”
>Wasting no time, you and Bon Bon leap right back into the fight.

>Without any further taunting or banter, you and Bon Bon go to work.
>You forget all of those watching you, focusing only on Bon Bon and occasionally Fluttershy as you dance the dance of attack and retaliation.
>Minutes pass after numerous turns of throwing, dodging, and blocking, until Bon Bon finally leaves herself vulnerable.
>Hastily fleeing from the line after a risky attack, she trips over her own feet and falls to the floor.
>Like a lion staring down a wounded gazelle, you rush to pounce on the opportunity to finish this game.
>With a burst of speed, you sprint towards the line; your ball held high, your arm primed to strike.
>Just before your hurl your ball into Bon Bon’s smug face, Fluttershy steps into the way. 
>She weakly and inaccurately lobs her ball at you before shielding her face with her arms in fear.
>You hit the brakes, barely stopping yourself from hurling the ball nearly point-blank into Fluttershy’s face.
>You quickly hop to her flank, still eager to take the shot at Bon Bon, but it’s too late.
>Fluttershy’s interference bought her just enough time to get back to her feet.
>She quickly rearms herself with their last ball and steps back toward you with a high guard and a twisted smile.
>Instead of rushing you down again or maneuvering for more space, she steps right up to Fluttershy. 
>It takes you no time at all to figure out what she’s thinking as she shadows Fluttershy, who quickly attempts to flee from the midcourt line.
>Whichever way she goes, Bon Bon sticks to her back or sides, her eyes glued on you.
>Smiling that twisted smile.
>This.
>Fucking.
>Bitch.
>”Um, B-Bon Bon? Could you not stand so close to me? I-if you don’t mind, I mean…”
>”Trust me, Fluttershy. I know what I’m doing.”
>You begin to pace anxiously as you stare your rival down.
“Get away from her, Shy. She’s using you as a shield.”
>”O-oh. Okay, I’ll just… go over here the-“
>Before she can even budge, Bon Bon takes her shoulder in hand.
>”Nope. You just stay right there. You want to win, don’t you?”
>”I, um… Yes?”
>”Then just sit right there.”
“Shy… Move.”
>Fluttershy’s eyes dart nervously around, contemplating the conflicting orders.
>Before she makes another step, Bon Bon pokes out from behind her.
>You jump at the chance to strike at her, raising your arm to put her down.
>Fearing the worst, Fluttershy shrieks and turns her head away.
>”Eeeek!”
>Bon Bon quickly hops back behind Fluttershy. She smirks at you as you resentfully lower your weapon and stare her down.
>”That’s what I thought. Stop freaking out, Fluttershy. He’s not going to throw at you.”
>”He’s… He’s not?” Flutters asks, peeking through her hair.
>”Well, not hard, at least. Probably doesn’t want to have to deal with you crying anymore. I don’t blame him.”
“C’mon, Bon Bon. I know you hate me, but this is just pathetic.”
>”I’m going to win this game, Officer. You might as well just give up now.”
>Yeah, we’ll see about that.
>Well, you wanted to take out Fluttershy last, but it’s starting to seem like that isn’t an option.
>She had a pretty good run, though. You never thought she’d get anyone out, let alone Coach Spitfire.
>Oh, well.
>You trudge nearer to the line, inching just close enough to Fluttershy to make a soft throw.
>Satisfied with a distance of about ten feet, you hope for the best and lob an under-handed toss at her shins.
>No later than you release the ball, Bon Bon leaps out from behind Shy and slaps your slow attack away.
>”Aww, look, he’s going easy on you.”
>Fuck.
>You.
>Fluttershy emits an uneasy whine, but otherwise remains silent.
>As you backpedal to rearm yourself with one of the two remaining shots, Bonnie tosses Flutters her ball and rushes to nabs yours.
>You speed back, grabbing your shot and hurling it at Bon Bon while she’s vulnerable.
>With your aim off by a few feet, she pays it no mind as she casually moves back to Fluttershy.
>Damn!
>Quickly peeking over your shoulder, you see your last ball just a few steps behind you.
>Turning back, you lock your eyes on Bon Bon as you begin to blindly step toward it.
>She immediately sees her chance and rushes the line.
>You keep moving, your eyes on her as she hurls the ball as hard as she can.
>As she fires, you throw all caution to the wind and sprint for your ball.
>You’ve got to make that shot before she gets back to Shy!
>Only when it’s nearly too late do you realize that she didn’t throw the ball at where you were.
>She threw it at where you were going.
>Unable to stop at your speed, you leap desperately forward in hopes to move from its way.
>As it soars by, inches from striking your side, you prepare to rejoice.
>But, your celebration is cut off as your foot slams down on your little red ball. 
>Like a slippery bar of soap, it shoots out from under you and your thrown painfully down to the hard floor.
>With a nasty thud, your head slams into the court’s wooden boards.
>You see a flash of black before your vision hazily returns. 
>The room fills up with the sound of a mixture of laughter and worried whispers.
>”Oh! Oh, gosh! That looked bad. Is he okay? Nurse Redheart!”
>Your body groans at you as you try to pick yourself up, and you groan right back.
>As the bones in your arm ache as you prop yourself up, you find Redheart rushing towards you from the sidelines.
>Sitting up fully, you shoo her away with a wave of your hand.
“Hey, I’m fine. I’m alri- Ow!”
>The back of your skull pulses in agony as you turn your head.
>She slows her pace, but doesn’t stop.
>”Are you sure? Anon, that sounded really bad.”
>As gently as you can, you nod and turn your head back to Shy and Bon Bon.
“Yeah, just a really bad head-“
>As Fluttershy looks on, distraught by your potential injury, Bon Bon easily rips the ball from her hands.
>Fluttershy recoils in fear, but reaches out to stop her as she realizes what she’s doing.
>”Bon Bon! S-stop!”
>A scowl overcomes your face as Bon Bon lets loose her revenge.
>With a fierce throw and true aim, you can only watch as the ball speeds toward your face.
“Oh, I hate you so mu-“
>*WHAM*

----------

>You open your eyes, yet again, to a barrage of blinding light.
>You struggle to look away, but your attempts are in vain, your head held in place by a strong hand.
>”Will you stop struggling? Geez, Mouse, you’re like a baby.”
“Stop shining that light in my eyes!”
>”I’m just trying to see if you’re responsive.”
“Hey, guess what, I’m responsive!” you shout, slapping the flashlight from her hands.
>With an annoyed groan, Stitches lightly squeezes the top of your skull between her fingers before lightly tossing your head into the wall behind you.
“Ow, watch- OW!”
>”Hey, don’t be so rough with him!” Scolds Redheart.
>You clench your eyes and jaw shut as you ride out the new wave of pain.
>”Is he okay?” You hear Celestia ask, her shoes clicking against the flooring.
>”I think so… Anon, do you know where you are? What day it is?”
>You know you’re about to slap someone.
>Peeking through your eyelids, you find a bright white dot burned into your vision, lingering where ever you look.
>Just past that dot, Stitches and Redheart kneel in front of you, with Celestia bent over just behind them.
“It’s Friday, and I’m at school. Now get Bon Bon back down here, this game isn’t over yet.”
>”It’s over, Mouse. You lost.”
”It was a cheap shot!”
>”Anon, please, the game can wait!” Celestia chides “It sounds like he’s ok, but we should still get him looked at.”
>”Here, let me try one. What’s ninety-eight divided by seven?”
>With an annoyed sigh, you impatiently run the numbers through your dazed head.
“Christ, I don’t know… Eleven?”
>Stitches quietly chuckles to herself before looking behind her to Celestia.
>”Yeah, I wouldn’t worry about him.”

>”But… That’s wrong, isn’t it?” Red asks.
>Smiling, Stitches hops to her feet and extends her hand to you.
>”Yeah, but he would’ve gotten it wrong without hitting his head. He’s got a thick skull, so I wouldn’t worry too much about it.”
>You take her hand, and she pulls you up with one quick heave.
>The quick motion leaves your head aching even more. You do your best to ignore it.
>”No joke, I’ve seen him fall off a treadmill and hit his head at least three times. He just can’t keep his eyes to himself.”
>Don’t act like you didn’t enjoy the attention.
“Yeah, whatever.” You say, pushing past them. “Thanks for the check-up, but I got a game to finish.”
>Like lightning, Celestia quickly reaches out and grabs your shoulder.
>”Absolutely not. The game is over, Anon. We’re calling it quits right here.”
“But-“
>She pulls you over, leaning in and waving a finger of authority in your face.
>”No buts, Anon. You could have broken your neck, and god only knows if you’re actually okay! You’re lucky you can even walk right now!”
“Celestia, I feel fine. It’s just a head ache. Besides, you know what happens if I lose!”
>”And you can forget about that, too! Honestly, it was a foolish wager, and there’s no way Luna would ask you to follow through after a fall like that.”
>No… you suppose she probably wouldn’t.
>Still. You were really looking forward to those winnings.
>”Yeah, getting tazed by me after busting your head like that would probably feel like hell.”
>”Tazed?” Redheart asks.
“Of course, you’d be the one to do it.”
>”We always hurt the ones we care about the most.” She says, jokingly. “But who cares? It’s no biggie. Listen to your mommy, Mouse. She knows what’s best for you.”
>Mommy?
>Celestia does her best to act unresponsive, but her ivory skin betrays her as blood rushes to her cheeks.
>Silently, Redheart awkwardly glances away as she shifts her stance.
>After an embarrassed chuckle, Celestia clears her throat to get the discussion back on track.
>”Err, yes, well…”
“Fine, fine. Though, I gotta say, not a big fan of letting Bon Bon walk off with a win like that.”
>Narrowing her eyes, Celestia disapprovingly crosses her arms.
>”Oh, she didn’t win.” Redheart adds.
“Uhh… What? Are we just declaring a tie then?”
>”No tie. Right after Bon Bon nailed you in the face, I gave her a piece of my mind about her unsportsmanlike conduct. Then Principal Celestia and Vice-Principal Luna had some words, too. Even the coaches almost jumped in.”
>Fuming, Celestia shakes her head.
>”What she pulled with Fluttershy was already pushing it, but I will not stand idly by and allow such disgusting behavior. Attacking someone after a fall like that… What was she thinking?”
>With a raised finger, Stitches opens her mouth, but quickly thinks better of it.
>You’ve no doubt it was another joke at your expense. Probably just wanted to add that she laughed at you.
>”She was immediately disqualified.” Celestia continues, “We’ve pulled her aside from the others for now, but once we’re finished here, I’ll sort her out in my office.”
>With a look over Celestia’s shoulder, you see an extremely pouty looking Bon Bon staring your way from a vacated section of the front seats.
>Towering over her, Luna stares down on her like a pet owner would a poorly potty-trained pet.
>Disqualified, huh?
>You don’t really feel like that means anything considering your team had already been wiped out.
“Wait, so… That means-“
>”We weren’t going to count it as an out for you, but… then you didn’t get back up right away. So, by virtue of technicality, Fluttershy won the winning point for the students.”
>Wow.
>What a fucking lame way to win.
>You don’t mean to insult Fluttershy, you really were surprised by how she did out there.
>Even though you and your team basically ignored her until the end of the game…
>But if that’s the official win condition, that's just patronizing.
>Though, you guess that’s mostly patronizing to Bon Bon, so… You think you’ll be able to live with it.
“Okay, so what about the prize they were promised?”
>”Well, er… I’m not sure. Maybe we’ll just borrow Mr. Sentry’s idea and have free ice-cream in the lunch room for a few days… We’ll figure something out.”
“I guess it’s better than nothing.”
>”Yes, well… Now that you’re back on your feet, we can wrap this up and move on to more important matters.
>More important matters?
>As your mind wanders, so do your eyes.
>It’s just a free period after this, isn’t it?
>She probably just means taking care of Bon-
>As your sight crosses over Fluttershy, back in the stands with the others, you suddenly recall today’s earlier events.
>Oh. Right. The magic.
>You guess that is pretty important.
“So, you gonna send us off, or…?”
>”Right. Just one moment.”
>Without further delay, Celestia turns and heads off towards News Flash to retrieve her microphone.
>As she moves across the gymnasium and out of earshot, Redheart nudges your arm.
>”So. Did you get her to fess up?”
“About the magic? Yeah. I don’t have to full picture yet, but… after all this is over, we’re gonna have a sit-down with Sunset and the others and they’re gonna show me what they can do; set everything straight for me.”
>”Hm. Good. You, uh… You got anything to say?”
>Ugh. Of course.
“You were right. I’m sorry for not believing the absolutely insane bullshit you kept spewing out of your mouth.” You say as flatly as possible.
>”Hmm… I’ll take it.” She replies with a cheery smile.
>”I don’t know about Detective Shining, but…”
>Stitches pauses to peek at her watch, instinctively prompting you to check the time as well.
>You pull out your phone, and…
>2:11. Earlier than you thought.
>”We’ve still got some time to kill before we gotta get back to the department. Don’t know how long your little sit-down will take, but I think me and Eye will stick around for a little bit. Maybe we can get some answers from you first-hand.”
“Sounds good. I’d ask if it was okay for you to join us, but… I’m pretty sure she wouldn’t like you guys getting involved.”
>”Yeah, typically people don’t like it when cops show up unannounced and start asking questions.”
>”…Yes. Yes, thank you.” Says Celestia, the sound of her voice once again flowing through the room’s speakers.
>You turn your attention back to Celestia, finding her ready to address the crowd.
>Moving to center herself in front of the stands, she raises an acknowledging hand to News Flash as she steps away from Celestia.
>”First off, I would like to extend my thanks to young miss News Flash. Her, and Clove Hitch.”
>She glances back to a far corner of the room where Clove sits alone in the fetal position, still recovering from his encounter with Ms. Smith.
>”Um… Nurse Redheart? If you wouldn’t mind?”
>”Huh?”
>Celestia nudges her head towards Clove before putting on a smile for the crowd.
>”Oh. Right.”
>”Let’s give them both a big hand!”
>As News soaks in the applause on the way back to her seat, Redheart gives you one more attention-grabbing elbow as she steps away.
>”I guess I’ll catch you later, I gotta go take care of this nutcase. Let me know how everything goes.”
“Will do.” You say, waving her off.
>As proceeds Redheart to collect Clove Hitch and escort him out of the room, you briefly wonder just what Granny Smith did to him.
>Considering he’s been around Pinkie and not broken like that, you quickly decide you probably don’t want to know.
>”Now then. I know this year’s round of games have been a little… messy. I completely understand some of the complaints you all had. We had some unforeseen… complications. We’ll certainly try to make things run a little smoother next time. Regardless, you all tried your best certainly showed your school spirit and love of the game! Would all competitors please rise from your seats?”
>One by one, the faces you and your team have fought against rise to their feet.
>Flash and Derpy, Indigo and Lyra, Valhallen and Micro Chips.
>Shyly, Fluttershy slowly rises with the urging of her friends.
>Bon Bon tries to stand, but a stern hand from Luna holds her in place.
>”Congratulations to all of you! You all fought and played hard, and have rightfully earned this victory! Students win!”
>The crowd of teens break out into hollering roars and excited cheers, causing your head to throb harder from the noise.
>You cringe, raising a hand to your skull as if to keep it from splitting open.
>Luckily for you, the noise quickly subsides as the competitors retake their seats.
>”That’s what I like to hear. Now, I’m sure you’re all wondering what your big surprise is, am I right?”
>”Yes!” They all shout.
>”Well… You’ll have to wait just a little bit longer for that. All will be revealed Monday, I swear!”
>You hear a few groans and whines from the students, but not much else in protest.
>”I know, I know… But, we did put aside the rest of the school day as a free period. So, feel free to relax with your friends, or maybe finish up that report that’s due Monday. We’ll have someone out front supervising if you’d like to get some fresh air. Just stay on school property! Understood?”
>The crowd answers with no collective answer, only excited chatter.
>”Good. You’re free to go. Just… please, leave the bleachers in a calm and orderly fashion, and have a wonderful remainder of the day!”
>As the students not-so-calmly begin to abandon their seats, Celestia sighs, clicks off her microphone, and beckons you over.
>”Well, looks like that’s your cue. Tell her we’ll go ahead and stick around out front for a while, help watch over these young punks.”
“Sure thing. I’m sure she’ll appreciate the offer.”
>With a farewell nod, you split from your old friend and head off to Celestia.
>With every step, a little bit of pain flares up in your skull. 
>You slow your pace and step lightly in an attempt to dull the pains.
>As you approach Celestia, you see Sunset and the others making their way through the stream of students climbing down the bleacher stairs.
>Celestia catches their attention and motions them over before turning back to you.
>”Well… I’m glad that’s over.”
“I bet. Looking back, I guess it was a little bit of a mess.”
>”You’ll find that nothing here is ever simple. Anyway, I’ll be just a minute. I need to make sure we have staff supervising the students while they roam around, as well as having a little sit down with Bon Bon. Why don’t you go take a breather in your office? I’ll have the girls come by as soon as we’re ready.”
>Ugh. More waiting?
>You’ll never get to the bottom of this magical high school mystery at this rate.
>Another throb of pain causes you to immediately reconsider your stance.
>On second thought, maybe laying down for a bit in your office isn’t such a bad idea. 
>Maybe a little bit of quiet and comfort is just what you need for this headache.
“Alright, just don’t take forever. Oh, Stitches said she and Eye are going to hang around a bit; you know, help supervise and all that. You don’t mind, do you?”
>”Of course not.” She responds with a pleasant smile. “She seems like a wonderful woman, and I certainly appreciate the offer. I’ll just… need to have an additional quick word with the girls, so they know to be on their best behavior.”
“Right. Alright then, I guess I’m gonna go rest up a bit. I’ll see you soon.”
>”Mmhm. Oh, girls!” She calls out.
>You wave a quick goodbye to the girls before heading off for the door.
>You can tell from the looks on their faces, they’re all a little concerned about your fall.
>But, you figure they can wait a little bit to ask you about it.
>Celestia can probably set their concerns straight, anyways.
>As you near her, Luna’s eyes home in on you.
>She crosses her arms as Bon Bon briefly glances up from the ground.
>Unsurprisingly, she stops you for a short chat as you pass by.
>”Quite the ending to the pep rally, wouldn’t you say?”
“Yeah. Not what I had in mind, that’s for sure.”
>”Indeed. I have to say, I’m can’t help but feel a little disappointed; but, present circumstances being what they are, it would be incredibly unbecoming of me to keep pushing our little… arrangement.”
>You fail to notice Bon Bon’s head budge just slightly as Luna’s words catch her attention.
“It works out well enough for me, but… Like I said, it wasn’t what I had in mind. Pretty sure I would have had it, though, if it wasn’t for that cheap shot.”
>”Hmph!” Pouts Bon Bon.
>”Perhaps. Perhaps not. I suppose we’ll never know. How is your head?”
“Hurts. Which reminds me…”
>Turning your eyes down on the angry student, you tap the toe of your boot against her shoes to grab her attention.
>She raises her head just enough to stare up at you from beneath her brow.
>”What?”
“What the hell, Bon Bon? What were you thinking, throwing that ball after I hit my head?”
>”I was thinking about how much I wanted to win.”
“So you hit a guy with a possible head injury in the face with a ball? Do you throw people down the stairs to get to class faster?”
>”You were cheating! I wasn’t going to give you the chance!” She cries as she bursts from her seat.
>”Bon Bon, sit down!”
“I wasn’t cheating. Whatever you think I was doing, I had nothing to do with it!”
>”Oh, yeah, right! Ms. Smith leaves, and YOU hop in for the trivia!”
“I was asked if I wanted to step-“ 
>”Micro Chips answered correctly first, but YOU get the point!”
“I had nothing to do with-“
 >”And then Bulk gets swapped out for Fluttershy, the girl who follows YOU around like a sad puppy!”
“Hey, that wasn’t me; and don’t talk about her like that.”
>”Oh, right, how could I forget? She’s your favorite, isn’t she? How’s the grooming going? You’re sick.”
>Grooming? GROOMING?!
>Oh, that’s it.
>That is a line crossed right there.
“Bon Bon, what the hell is your problem with me?!“
>”Hey, Bon Bon!” A familiar, quiet voice calls.
>Not ten paces behind you stands Fluttershy, clutching a ball tightly in her hands as she stares Bon Bon down with enraged eyes.
>”You… You are not very… NICE!” She shouts as she hurls the ball with all of her body and might.
>The second the ball leaves her hands, it immediately abandons it’s intended course.
>Thrown off by her awkward form, it drifts off to the side.
>Again, before you have a chance to do anything, the ball collides with your head.
“OW!”

>Again clutching at your skull, you do your best to settle your reeling head.
>”Fluttershy! What’s gotten into you?”
>”Oh! Oh, gosh, I-I’m so sorry Anon!”
>As Fluttershy rushes over to you, Bon Bon bursts out into laughter.
>”Hahahaha! Oh my god, Fluttershy, this is too much!”
>”S-stop laughing! This isn’t funny!” She cries.
>However, Bon Bon’s laughter only seems to intensify.
>In frustration, Fluttershy does her best to ignore the laughing girl as she turns her attention to you.
>You feel soft, delicate fingertips brush against your scalp as Fluttershy searches for any bumps.
>As they lightly trace over where you slammed your head, you feel a brief reprieve from the hurt before another fresh, albeit noticeably weaker surge of pain rises up.
>You grit your teeth and lightly push Fluttershy away.
>”Officer Anon? Are you okay?” She asks.
“I’m-“
>”Give him a few more lumps and he’ll be right where he needs to be!” Bon Bon exclaims.
>Snapping her eyes back to Bon Bon in a righteous fury, Fluttershy lunges for her ball.
>She rushes back and raises it above her head, primed to strike her down with zeal.
>As Bon Bon hides behind her arms, you quickly snatch the ball from Fluttershy’s hands.
>“That’s enough!”
>Her sudden berserker rage fading, Fluttershy immediately shrinks from your disapproving gaze and Luna’s commanding tone.
>With Bon Bon’s assailant disarmed, her abrasive attitude quickly resurfaces.
>”Are you seriously defending this pedo Fluttershy?”
“Pedo?!”
>”Oh, Luna!” Celestia calls as she rubs her temples, “If you don’t mind, I believe now would be an acceptable time for you to escort Bon Bon to my office.”
>”I… Of course. On your feet, Bon Bon.”
>Tightly clutching Bon Bon’s wrists, Luna prompts Bon Bon to stand with a pull of her arm. 
>Bon Bon does not comply.
>”I’m not going to the office. I didn’t do anything!”
>”You know exactly what you did and you know that it was wrong! Now stand up, or I’ll have Officer Anon drag you to the office!”
>Her angry eyes shift to meet yours. 
“Oh, I’ll do it, too.”
>Her eyes narrow; but, with a raspy groan, she concedes and hops to her feet.
>”Ugh. Keep your disgusting hands off me, pig.”
>You spitefully hold your tongue as Luna drags the bratty teen girl off, her eyes glaring at you all the while. Within seconds, they disappear around the bleachers.
>Not giving the girl anymore thought than she deserves, you redirect your attention elsewhere.
>You see the others try to rush over to you, but Celestia halts them. She motions for you to sort out Fluttershy as she continues where she left off with the others.
>As you look down on Fluttershy, you see her fearfully avoid your eyes. After a brief moment of silence, she squeaks out another apology.
>”I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
“The game’s over, Shy. You shouldn’t be throwing stuff like that anymore.” You say, brazenly tossing the ball into the court. “What’s gotten into you?”
>As per usual, a frightened eye peeks out shyly from behind her hair.
>”I just… Bon Bon wasn’t playing very nice. She was being mean, and-“
>As she carries on through her tale, you notice her slowly change her stature; word by word, she seems to stand taller and speak louder. 
>”-and I wouldn’t have really minded that she used me like that, but then you fell, and then she hit you in the head, and…“
>With a sudden surge of emotion, she steps closer and pushes her hair away from her face.
>”And then she laughed about it! You could have been hurt really bad, and she just laughed and called you names! A-a-and even now, she’s just so… mean!”
“I know she is, Shy, but come on. This isn’t you.”
>”I know…” She sadly replies, hanging her head low.
>Finding Celestia still mid-speech with the other girls, you decide on a little walk and talk.
>You turn and place a guiding hand on Shy’s shoulder, signaling for her to follow you out into the halls.
“I mean, don’t get me wrong; I appreciate you trying to defend my honor and all that.”
>”You do?”
“Of course I do. Bon Bon’s being a huge cun- err… She’s not being very nice. But, trouble is still trouble, and you should be trying your best to stay out of it, you know?”
>”I know…” She sighs quietly.
>You can’t help but feel a little two-faced for scolding the girl, especially when you know full-well that you would have been laughing your ass off if her throw had hit it’s intended target.
>You pull open the door for her, and she quickly moves through to the hallway.
>You wince a little as you step into the busy corridors, brimming with chatting students.
>Wincing again as the door slams behind you, you carry on. 
>”T-thank you…”
“Mmhm. But, enough about that brat. What’s with you hopping into the game, anyway?”
>Your query elicits a jolt of surprise from her.
>”Oh! I-I-I, u-uhm… Y-you said to try and be brave, so…”
“So you decided to just ask Bulk if you could hop into a dodgeball game?”
>”Well… I told the others what you said, and… Rarity sort of talked me into it.”
“Butters, I told you to be brave and talk to Bulk, not jump in front of a firing line. What was Rarity thinking? What were you thinking?”
>As you pass by a section of windows, Fluttershy turns to gaze outside, muffling her voice.
>”I… I wanted to impr…” 
>Her words seem to disappear, lost in the noise pollution of the school.
>You look over her head and out the same window.
>Though the sun shines bright, dark clouds slowly drift into the skies over Canterlot.
>Looks like rain; maybe a storm.
“Sorry, what was that?”
>”I said… I wanted to impre…”
>Again, you lose track of her voice.
>After a brief moment of thought, you decide to just pretend your understood her and hope she doesn’t catch on.
“Ah. I see…”
>She remains silent. 
>You allow the quiet to persist between you for some time before pushing on with more questions.
“So, uh… Bulk seemed pretty happy. What did you say to him?”
>With the change in subject, she seems to relax and drop a little bit of her shy tendencies.
>She turns her face ahead, allowing you to take notice of slightly reddened cheeks.
>”Oh, uhm…When I asked him if we could switch, he said he was really excited to play against you. He certainly looked really excited, so… I didn’t really want to keep bothering him; and, I was still kind of… you know.”
>Scared shitless of him?
>You could tell all the way from the other side of the room.
>”But, he said he really was sorry for everything, and said that he’d let me play for him. He was really nice, and I felt bad for just taking something that he was so excited for, even if he wanted to give it to me.”
“So…?”
>”I asked if he’d like me to try and help him with his tutoring. He seemed really excited, even though Twilight’s way better than me at that stuff. But, I told him that I’d try my best.”
>Hearing her recount her story puts a big grin on your face.
>No wonder Bulk looked so happy earlier. He’s practically got her in the palms of his hands.
>You’ll just have to meet up with him later and give him a few tips; then, he’ll be all set!
“That’s great news, Shy. I’m really glad you’re trying to help him. It means a lot to me, and even more to him, so thanks.”
>You come to a halt just outside the office doors, where the halls seem muted and quieter.
>You suppose most kids don’t want to hang out just outside of the Principal’s office.
>Fluttershy stares out the glass doors for a moment, but quickly turns to face you.
>”Mmhm. I think… I’m still a little nervous around him, but I’ll have Twilight and Principal Celestia there with me, so I think everything should be okay.”
“You don’t need to worry about anything, you’ll see.”
>Fluttershy seems to think on your words for a moment before looking up to you.
>”Umm… Have you thought of trying to tutor him? Do you think you could help, too?”
“Hehe… Oh, I wouldn’t mind helping him, but I’m not the best academic. I’d probably be just as lost as he is. No, I think you three probably have it covered.”
>”Oh… Okay.” She replies, sounding almost disappointed.
“Speaking of Twilight and Principal Celestia… Did you catch much of what she was trying to tell you and the others before Bon Bon started acting up?”
>”She said to behave, because the other officers will be here for a while.” She says matter-of-factly before frowning. “I guess I already messed up, huh?”
“Well, you did sort of assault someone; both intentionally and unintentionally.”
>Before her frown has a chance to deepen, you reach out and ruffle her hair, prompting her to giggle delightfully.
“I’m not too mad about it… but if anyone asks, I gave you a nasty talking-to, you hear?”
>”Hehe… Mmhm!”
“But you didn’t hear anything else?”
>”Um… Not that I can remember. I got pretty distracted…”
 “Well… You know that thing you’ve been trying keep secret from me since I got here?”
>Instantly, her giggly smile shifts to a look of apprehension.
>”U-uhm… N-no?”
“Come on, Butters. Don’t lie to me. I know the truth.” You say teasingly, leaning closer to her face.
>Tightly clutching her arms, she begins to shake like a lone leaf in the breeze.
>”I… I…” She stammers out, eyes wide and full of panic.
>Her cheeks begin to flush with blood, reddening the entirety of her face.
>Well, that was fast; and not exactly the reaction you were expecting.
“Now, don’t worry; there’s nothing to get stressed or embarrassed about. But, we are going to sit down and talk about this.”
>”We… we are?”
>With a big grin, you plant a supportive hand on her shoulder.
“Yuuup. Me, you, and all the other girls. Oh, and Principal Celestia. So I know what I’m dealing with, you know?”
>She only begins to shake harder, almost violently so.
>”O-oh…” She whispers before only briefly managing eye contact again. “O-off-fficer An-non?”
“Yes, Fluttershy?”
>”I t-think… I-I should g-g-g-go see Ra-Ra-Ra-Ra-Ra-“
>Oh god, you broke her.
“Rarity?”
>She shuts her mouth and rapidly nods her head.
“Uh… Alright then. I’m going to-“
>”Ah, Officer Anon!”
>Fluttershy immediately stiffens at the sound of her Principals voice.
>Looking back to the hall you just ventured through, you find Celestia approaching you with a surprising grin on her face.
“Principal.”
>”And Fluttershy… I trust you handled everything?”
“Already taken care of. She’s learned her lesson. She’s just a little nervous about our talk.”
>Confused, Celestia gives Fluttershy a peculiar look.
>”Nervous? You’ve nothing to be nervous about, Fluttershy. Aren’t you tired of hiding the truth from Officer Anon? Wouldn’t you like to just… get everything off of your chest for him?”
>Her shaking only worsens.
>”I-I ha… have t-to g-g-go!” She exclaims in her quiet voice before bolting past the both of you and disappearing around the corner.
>Celestia stares inquisitively down the hall before looking back to you and offering a shrug.
>”What on earth has gotten into that girl?”
“No idea.” You reply, shrugging back.
>With a sigh, Celestia pushes you towards the office door with a gentle touch.
>”Well, whatever it is, I’m sure it’ll come up again soon. Go on, go rest your head. I’ll get you as soon as I’m done with Bon Bon.”
>You almost offer to help with Bon Bon, but you quickly conclude that your presence would likely just agitate her more.
>You’re pretty sick of her bullshit anyway.
>Besides, resting your aching head on that couch is beginning to sound pretty nice.
>You pull open the door for her, allowing her to quickly stroll through.
“Alright. Don’t keep me waiting too long, okay?”
>”Oh, don’t worry,” she says, striding towards the door to her office. “I don’t think this will take long at all.”

----------

>You awaken to the sound of creaking door hinges and the loud click of it’s latch.
>As you peel your eyelids apart, you see Celestia standing just next to the door, clutching one hand shut and a glass of water in the other.
>She frowns slightly upon realizing she’s awoken you.
“Hey.” You manage to mutter, flexing your muscles to stretch.
>”Hey there.” She replies, stepping over to the couch. “I was hoping to surprise you. Here, I brought some water and some aspirin; for your headache.”
>Slowly, you sit up and rest against the back of the couch.
>You wipe the sleep from your eyes before taking her medicine and water into your hands.
>Only two pills.
>You’re more of a ‘take a handful and hope for the best’ kind of guy, but you suppose it’ll have to do.
>Thankfully, it seems like the pain is already fading. Maybe this will finish it off?
>You drop the pills into your mouth and quickly wash them down with half a glass of water.
>”There. Better?” She asks, taking the glass back.
>You climb to your feet and stretch once more. As you drop your arms to your sides and open your eyes, you find her standing only inches away.
>Upon looking into her eyes, you feel yourself hit with romantic impulse.
>As she stares back into you, she blindly places the glass on the table before draping her arms around you.
>She must have been stricken by the same sudden urge.
>You plant your hands on her waist, feeling her generous curves and pulling her hips tightly against yours.
>She smiles and delicately rests her forehead against yours. With a peck of her lips on yours, she easily provokes a goofy grin out of you.
“I think I’m feeling a little bit better already.”

>”Oh? Then perhaps I should call everyone back into the gym, so you can uphold that little deal you care so much about.”
“Oh, uh… I mean… Ow, my head.”
>She quietly laughs as a cute smirk spreads across her lips.
>”Hehe… You know, Luna asked me if I thought they’d allow your friends to come back next week. What do you think?”
>Oh, Christ…
“Depends. I guess if the department can spare them, I don’t really have a choice, do I?”
>”I guess not… I did try to tell you this was foolish.”
“Yeah… but what do I know? I’m young and dumb.”
>Her look all but screams ‘I told you so’.
>”Well, maybe next time you should listen to me when I tell you something isn’t a good idea.”
>You scoff and grin widely.
”Yeah, yeah, sure thing… mom.”
>”Mom?!” She exclaims, wrinkling her nose at you. “Don’t you start on that, too!”
>You begin to giggle relentlessly as a blush sets in.
>”Doooooon’t! Don’t laugh!”
“Hehehe… Sorry, but you know I don’t mean it. You don’t look a day older than any of the younger ladies here.”
>She rolls her eyes, but her hearty smile and relaxed sigh tells you that she appreciates the praise.
>”Well… I don’t know about that, but thank you.”
“Mmhm. You’re super hot, mom. All my friends talk about you all th- ow, OW!”
>With a lively scowl, she begins playfully peppering you with weak slaps.
>As you raise yours arms to protect yourself, you fall back onto the couch, suffering a jolt of pain to your noggin.
>”Oh! Did that hurt?”
“A little… It’s fine, though.” You say, lightly rubbing your head.
>”Are you sure? I’m sorry, wasn’t thinking.”
“It’s alright… will mommy kiss it and make it feel better?”
>”Oh, you! So disrespectful!” She exclaims as she goes right back to attacking you.
>You try to protect yourself once again, but she easily catches your wrists and tries to pull them away.
>You put up just enough fight to make her work for it.
>She knows you’re just playing along, but seems to relish in the struggle all the same.
>With just a little effort, she pulls your arms up and pins them above your head.
>Knees first, she climbs onto the couch and straddles your lap. With lustful eyes, she leans in over you, nearly pressing her breasts into your face.
>”Oh, you are going to get it when we get home, young man.”
>You feign fighting back, but she quickly forces your arms back down.
“Is this the ‘wrestling match in your bed’ type of get it, or the ‘sit in the corner, no tv for the rest of the night’ kind? Cause I’ll be real with you, one of those isn’t going to work on me.”
>She releases her grip on your arms, leaning in close and resting her hands on your cheeks.
>”What do you think?”
“Alright, I’m game… but, you better not try and spank me.”
>It is you who does the spanking.
>”Maybe you shouldn’t be calling me mom then?” 
“But you’re so motherly!”
>With narrowed eyes and pouty lips, she stares you down with a look of disapproval.
“It’s a compliment, I swear.”
>Seconds pass before she cracks a tiny grin, revealing her playful side once again.
>”Maybe I’ll just ground you instead.”
>Bullshit! You can’t ground a cop!
>She leans in to plant one more quick peck on your lips before clambering off of you.
>Your wrists still in her control, she prompts you to your feet with a tug.
>”Perhaps we can continue this later at home…” she says with a wink. “For now, we’ve something a little more important than shameless flirting to take care of, don’t you agree?”
“Oh… Right. I’ve been looking forward to this. What did the girls say?”
>”Oh, they’re all very excited.”

----------

>Trying your best to ignore the slightly fishy lingering odor, you excitedly pace the shining floor of Twilight’s lab, eagerly awaiting the arrival of your favorite police officer.
“This is the best! I’m so glad we don’t have to hide this from him anymore!”
>You wonder what he’ll say…
>Will he believe you? Will he want you to read his mind, just to see if you’re telling the truth?
>Maybe he’ll just believe you if you let the others go first…
>He probably doesn’t want you rooting around in his head anyway.
>Heck, with the way he gets when people ask about his scars, you don’t think you want to either.
>”Ain’t like we did a good job of it anyways.” Applejacks plainly says as she wanders about, inspecting the furniture. “Ah’m surprised it took ‘em this long to figure it out.”
>Seated on the floor with her legs straight, Rainbow relaxes a moment before stretching for her toes.
>”Yeah… I don’t know. If all of this hadn’t of happened to us, I wouldn’t have believed it either.”
>As Pinkie dangles and sways her legs from a table top, Applejack casually steps up to the table and lifts one end off the ground with her little finger.
>Pinkie slides down the slick surface to the other end of the table, stopping just as Applejack returns her end to the floor.
>”Ah suppose that’s fair, but we ain’t exactly been… whut’s the word? Subtle.”
>”It’s kind of hard to be subtle when someone goes firing her ‘party cannon’ right outside of the dude’s office.” Rainbow mutters grumpily.
>”Hey, you’re the one that was running around with her shoes on fire!”
>”That was an accident!”
>”Oh come now, girls. We’ve all slipped up here and there… Well, I haven’t, but that’s beside the point.”
>”Whut? Ah ain’t done nothin’!”
>With her overly self-confident smirk, Rarity cocks her hip and places a contemplative finger to her chin.
>”You threw Anon into a car hard enough to damage the door, don’t you remember? Adding on to that, between Twilight and Midnight, we’ve had two crises with portals now…”
>Twilight shows an uneasy grin before hiding behind the latest issue of Theoretically Advanced Nuclear Physics.
>”Like Pinkie pointed out, Rainbow had that incident with her shoes. They looked horrendous by the way, so it was for the best.”
>”Hey!”
>”As adorable as it is, Fluttershy has more or less continued interacting with animals as per usual, regardless of Anon’s presence.”
>Your shy and disheartened friend briefly looks up from her diary before going right back to doodling.
>”Mmm…” She hums indifferently.
>”Sorry dear, I’m just being fair. And lastly, Pinkie’s been terrorizing Anon almost non-stop since his arrival, and her mere existence is enough to attract unwanted attention!”
>Still swinging her legs from the table-top, Pinkie smiles coyly.
>”Whaaat? I have no idea what you’re talkin’ about, Rarity.”
>Before Rarity starts to push a little too hard on the other’s slip-ups, you quickly try to defuse the situation.
>You slide up next to Rarity and pull her into a side hug.
“Well, it’s like you said; we all slip up here and there… Though, you could lay off Anon a little, Pinkie.”
>”Eh.” She replies with a shrug.
“Let’s just be happy we can ease him into this stuff instead of him having to learn about all of it at once next time we almost blow up the school or something.”
>”Agreed.” Rarity says happily.
>Letting her excitement get the better of her, Pinkie begins bouncing and swaying her body in pace with her legs.
>”I just wish he hadn’t of taken so long! I can’t wait to put a whole cake down in front of him and show ‘em what I can do!”
>Twilight peeks out from behind her magazine, straightening her glasses before speaking.
>”It did seem like he took his time figuring this all out. If I was in his position, I feel like I would have caught on way faster.”
“Well…” You say, your voice trailing off as you look back over to Fluttershy. “Something tells me he isn’t the most perceptive guy around.”
>Rainbow hops to her feet and begins lightly jogging in place, raising her knees as high up as possible.
>”So, uh, I guess I missed that part. What’s going on now?”
>”Oh, the poor thing misunderstood Anon and thought he was talking about her crush on him when he was really talking about the magic.”
>Rarity slides out from beneath your arm and creeps up behind Fluttershy.
>As she rests her hands on Fluttershy’s shoulders, she elicits a jump from your timid friend.
>”Eeep!”
>”I believe that his wording may have mislead Fluttershy here into getting the wrong idea about what this was supposed to be about.”
>”I should’ve known… Why else would Principal Celestia come, too?” Fluttershy utters.
>”Indeed; and now, she’s just a little…”
>Fluttershy sighs sadly and rests her head against the table.
“Fried.”

>”Listen Shy, Ah… Ah’m really glad ya found someone you like, and Ah don’t mean to be a downer, but… maybe it’s time you try and get past this little crush of yours.”
>Rarity gives Flutters a comforting pat before turning her eyes toward Applejack.
>”There’s no need to be like that, Applejack. A little romance is good for girls our age, and Fluttershy could certainly use a healthy dose from a strong and upstanding man like Anon.”
>”Yeah, sure, but shouldn’t that romance be from someone her age? Someone that might actually go out with her? Heck, Ah bet ya’ll don’t even know if he’s single or not.”
>At the utterance of the word ‘single’, you notice Pinkie sharply cease her erratic movements.
>Dropping her usual gleeful look, her eyes begin to seriously follow the conversation around the room.
“Well… that is a good point.” You say, suspiciously returning Pinkie’s gaze.
>Rainbow hops to her feet, looking agreeably to Applejack
>”Yeah, something tells me he’s not. He was lookin’ at that lady cop pretty funny, if you know what I mean.”
>”And Ah’ve seen him spendin’ an awful lot of time with Principal Celestia.”
>From the corner of your eye, you notice Pinkie begin to shake.
>Putting your questioning gaze on her once more only causes her to shake more.
>You squint your eyes; she tightens her lips.
>Behind you, you hear Twilight drop her magazine on her desk.
>”Wait… It’s funny you mention that, Applejack… Sunset, do you remember what Principal Celestia said earlier today? She said she was afraid of keeping the magic secret from Anon because it might lead to trust issues in their ‘relationship’…”
>Thinking back to your visit to the office earlier, you recall more of her strange wording.
“…If he didn’t outright leave because of it,” You mutter as the realization hits you. “Officer Anon is dating Principal Celestia.”
>”I don’t know… I think he’s REALLY into that cop…” Repeats Rainbow.
>Pinkie’s shaking reaches maximum strength, violently shaking her and the table she sits on and causing it’s legs to noisily jump and drag along the floor.
>”Uh… There somethin’ ya wanna share there, Pinks?”
>Beads of sweat pours down her face as you looks each of you in the eyes.
>Then, to the chime of a bell of unknown origin, she stiffens like a board.
>Staring dead ahead at the wall, she whispers.
>”He’s here.”
>”Whut was that? Come again?”
>”He’s here! Quick, everybody act natural!” She cries as she dives to the floor.
>No one moves; you all simply watch as Pinkie scampers around on all fours before climbing inside of a low-sitting cabinet and  slamming the doors behind her.
>”…Huh.” Rainbow says, giving her head a scratch.
>Before another soul can move, you hear two light taps at the door; as it slowly swings open, Principal Celestia pokes her head in.
>She smiles charmingly as she steps through the doorway, Officer Anon right at her back.
>”Hello again, girls. Sorry for the wait, I had to take care of certain… disciplinary duties, as well as making sure Officer Anon was feeling well.”
>On that note, Anon raises a hand, as if to dismiss any concerned voices.
>”Before anyone asks, yeah, I’m fine. Just a nasty bump and a nastier headache.”
>”I’m very happy to hear that your fall was nothing serious, Anon,” Rarity declares with a few flirtatious bats of her eyelashes. “But, I fear I must warn you, I think Pinkie means to ambush you again.”
>He quickly drops his usual neutral stare upon the mention of his assailant and her absence.
>”Pinkie? Ambush? Anon, is she still-“
>”Shhh…” He whispers to your principal.
>With almost panicked eyes, he looks around the room for any sign of her presence.
>With a smirk and a sigh, Rainbow directs his attention to the cabinet.
>He nods and silently creeps toward it; drawing close, he reaches out for the cabinet’s nobs.
>Fearing the worst, he takes in one last deep breath before yanking open the doors.
>You expect Pinkie to shoot out at him right away, but instead…
>Anon just stares blankly into the dark compartment, almost in disappointment, before glancing back to you all.
>”It’s empty.”
>Suddenly, the door screeches out a dreadful squeal as it swings shut behind Principal Celestia on it’s own.
>”Oh, no.”
>Anon hastily steps away from the cabinet and begins urgently looking around the room, high and low, for your missing friend.
>”No. No, no, no, no, no…”
>”Is… Is Pinkie really this bad for Anon?” Your principal inquires.
>Rainbow snickers as she leans against the wall, taking in Pinkie’s antics with a smile.
>”When it comes to Anon, Pinkie just has a bit of a unique way of expressing her friendship. That’s all.”
>His eyes on the ceiling, Anon slams his back against the wall as he side-steps his way to the closest corner.
>”It’s like that demon from The Exorcist and the Predator had a baby!”
>”Pinkie! Miss Pie, could you come out now? We have something very important to talk about and we don’t have a lot of time!”
>At Principal Celestia’s beckoning, the unoccupied tables and chairs begin to tremble and shake.
>Tools and knickknacks drop from their racks, a tall and messy stack of papers finds itself thrown to the floor from Twilight’s desk; the organized mess kept by your friend quickly takes a turn for the worse.
>The ruckus only causes Anon to sink further into his corner.
>It’s hard to tell over the noise, but you swear you hear him let out a short, shrill yell.
>”Ooh… Pinkie, can you stop? You’re messing up my workspace!”
>”Pinkie, we just discussed this, did we not? Leave the poor man alone!” Rarity shouts.
“Yeah, Pinkie, this is important!”
>All of the sudden, the haunting comes to an abrupt halt, leaving most of the furniture displaced.
>Behind Principal Celestia, a hand knocks sharply at the door.
>Before she can even turn to open it, the door flies open.
>Acting her usual self, in strides Pinkie Pie.
>”You guys are no fun… Hi, Principal Celestia!”
>”Hello, Miss Pie.” Principal Celestia replies exhaustedly.
>Sporting a vicious and wolfish grin, Pinkie sets her eyes on Anon.
>”Hiiiiiiiii Anooooooooon!”
>”Begone, foul creature!”
>Pinkie laughs and joyfully skips across the room to him, where she tackles him into a hug.
>”Aww, you’re so nice! C’mere, we got some really cool stuff to show you!” She exclaims, tugging him away from the wall.
>”Pinkamena Diane Pie! That’s enough, don’t you think?”
>At the sound of her Principal’s scolding voice, she releases Anon, sending him plummeting back into his corner.
>”Sorry! I’m just super-duper excited!” Pinkie cries as she hops away.
>Rarity groans and shakes her head.
>”Honestly Pinkie, must you be so malicious? Here, Officer, why don’t you have a seat?”
>As Anon shakily climbs back to his feet, Rarity rushes to his aid and generously offers him a seat.
>A seat that just so happens to be across from Fluttershy.
>Keeping his eyes warily on Pinkie, he creeps over to the table before almost throwing himself into the chair.
>”I was wrong. I’m not getting used to you.” He mutters before glancing over at Fluttershy.
>She meekly and melancholically waves her fingers at him.
>He responds in kind with a weak and uncomfortable grin.
>”Now that we’re all nice and civil…” 
>Principal Celestia pauses briefly to glare at Pinkie, who seems entirely oblivious.
>”…It’s time we start. Um… Would you girls like to do the honors?”
“Sure!” You eagerly exclaim.
>With an excited clap of your hands, you whip back around to face Anon.
“So… first off, we’re really excited to finally show you all of this. We didn’t want to hide it from you, but…”
>”Yeah, it’s fine. I think Principal Celestia covered the why of it just fine herself. I understand.”
“That’s great!”
>Rarity rests a hand on Anon’s shoulder as she hops up onto the table just behind him.
>She crosses her legs and leans in towards Anon’s ear; she speaks softly, but not so inaudibly that the rest of you can’t hear.
>”Indeed. It’s so… impolite and unbecoming of a woman to keep secrets from a man. Wouldn’t you agree?”
>”Uh… sure.”
>Really, Rarity? Right in front of his girlfriend?
>Wait… Are they really together? They seem to refer to each other so formally…
“A-anyway… Where would you like to start, Anon? Do you have any questions?”
>”Well…”
>Anon awkwardly glances behind him and leans forward, shirking Rarity’s touch from his body.
>Resting his elbows on his knees, he seems to take a moment to think before speaking up again.
>”Principal Celestia already filled me in to some of the things you’ve had to deal with before. It kind of sounds like there’s a lot more to those stories that I’m not getting, but… I think we can save that for later. What I need right now is some solid proof, you know? I mean, I believe what I’m hearing now, but… It’d be great if I could see it, too.”
“Demonstrations right away? Absolutely!” You happily reply. “Who would you like to see first?”
>As Anon looks about, you notice Rarity straightening her clothes and hair behind him.
>”Oh, I just know that you’re going to LOVE what I can do.”
>”So, I think I’ve already got some of you figured out.” He says, turning to Fluttershy. “You’re a druid, right?”
>Fluttershy’s head shoots up, unsure of how to answer.
>”A d-druid?”
>This time, it’s Twilight’s turn to snicker at Anon.
>”Don’t be silly, Anon. She’s not a class from Monsters and Mansions, or Trailblazer, or any other pen and paper table-top role-playing game.”
>”She’s not?”
>”Nope! It’s magic, but it’s not that kind of magic.” Chuckles Twilight.
>Rainbow speeds her way across the room in the blink of an eye, causing Anon to nearly jump out of his seat when she suddenly leans onto the table right beside him.
>”WHOA!”
>”I know, right?” Rainbow cockily responds. “It’s magic, buuut… Honestly, it’s kind of more like super-powers.”
>”That was so fast!”
>”Yuuup! Super-speed is a pretty sweet deal. Which reminds me… You really need to pick up the pace out on the track, cause I can beat your time with a snap of my fingers.”
>In awe, Anon seems completely ignorant of Rainbow’s teasing.
>”That’s awesome! How fast can you go?”
>With that excited look she gets whenever it’s time to science it up, Twilight hops up from her seat and tries to interject.
>”It’s difficult to tell exactly what her maximum speed is, but I estimate that it’s somewhere around-“
>”REALLY, REALLY FAST!” Rainbow exclaims, cutting Twilight right off.
>”Wow…” 
>”Alright Dash, quit hoggin’ the spotlight. He was asking about Shy, remember?”
>”Oh, fine…” She sighs, blinking back to her original position.
>Anon grins widely from seeing the brief display in action; he even lets out a loud, cheerful laugh.
>It’s rare to see him so… expressive. Seeing him so jubilant infuses you with a case of the warm fuzzies.
>Ecstatically, he shifts back to Fluttershy.
 >”So, you’re not a druid?”
>With a giggle and a smile, Fluttershy shakes her head.
>”Um… No. But, I do think that’d be really nice!” She happily exclaims, regaining a little bit of her lost enthusiasm.
>She rises from her seat and peppily steps over to the window and begins fiddling with the latches.
>You hear two loud pops as the latches come undone. After a brief struggle, Fluttershy manages the muscle to pull the window open.
>”I don’t really do anything special, like the other girls… I can just talk to animals.”
>She sticks her hand out the window, and right away to birds from a nearby tree swoop down to perch themselves on her finger.
>She pulls them in and holds her hand out to Anon; the two sparrows hop and twitch about her hand, unable to sit still.
>As they set their eyes on Anon, they repeatedly tilt and cant their tiny heads, chirping all the while.
>”This is Mr. and Mrs. Peepers. They have a nest just outside the window.”
>She steps nearer Officer Anon, holding her hand out to him. 
>”Mr. and Mrs. Peepers, this is Officer Anon. But, I’ve already told you about him, haven’t I?”
>Anon extends his hand out towards hers, and right away, the birds hop to his fingers.
>They stare inquisitively up at him, chirping and fluttering their wings.
>As he reaches out to delicately pet the sparrows with his finger, a child-like and gleeful expression covers his face.
>”I mean… People make fun of that Fish-lad guy cause he can only talk to fish, but… Honestly, who wouldn’t want to talk to animals? It’s a pretty cool thing to be able to do.”
>As the tiny birds seem to adjust and settle in his care, Anon looks back up to Fluttershy with wonder in his eyes.
>”So, what other animals have you talked to? Any bears, or mountain lions?”
>”Ooh, I know a really nice grizzly bear! His name is Beary, and he loves to fish, a-and the way he scratches up against trees is so funny!”

>”Cool! And the animals talk back?”
>”Oh, yes, and they have so much to say!”
>Taking their cue, the sparrows let out a flurry of chirps which elicits a giggle from Shy.
>”Hehe… see?”
>”Wow… I bet this all comes in handy at the shelter, huh? Now I know why you spend so much time there. They aren’t just animals and pets to you, they’re, well… People.”
>Fluttershy smiles and leans over the table, extending her hand towards Anon’s.
>As their fingertips touch, the tiny birds hop back to Fluttershy’s hand, where she takes the chance to shower them with her own affection.
>”Oh, I’ve always loved animals, since even before I could understand them. You’re right, though. Since we all gained our magic, I’ve been spending more and more time there. Being able to hear them, understand them, it helps so much with taking care of them!” 
>Fluttershy pauses as her smiles abruptly fades into a frown.
>She lets out a quiet, but breathy sigh before continuing.
>”Especially with abuse victims and rescues…”
>Her avian friends quickly notice her sorrow; immediately, they hop and bounce further up her arm, chirping all the while.
>”Chirp! Chi-chi-chirp!”
>”I know, but-“
>”Chearp! Chirp, chi-cheerp!”
>”I just… I wish there was more I could do.”
>As Shy hangs her head low, one of the tiny birds flutters up to her shoulders and crawls through her hair.
>It pushes itself against her neck, where it nestles down comfortably.
>”Do you get a lot of dogs like that? Abuse victims, or rescues?” Asks Anon.
>”Not a lot, but… even one is too many.”
>Fluttershy pauses to look about the room, glancing at each and every one of you as if unsure she should say something.
 >”Most of the time, I feel like my magic is a real blessing; a gift. It helps so much to be able to talk to these animals, to help them get over their trauma. Other times… just seeing what’s happened to them is hard enough. But, hearing them t-talk about it…”
>”I can imagine…”
>The other sparrow, perched upon Fluttershy’s arm, curiously turns toward Anon.
>”A couple of the times I’ve been sent out somewhere, I’ve seen some really sad stuff; mangled ears, a missing eye or two, scars of all kinds… Once, we even found a fighting pit out by some condemned plant. Man, that place was-“
>All of the sudden, Anon grimaces, clenching his eyes shut tight and baring his teeth.
>He hisses in pain as he clutches the side of his head.
>”O-officer Anon?”
>”Oh, dear.” Rarity says, planting a concerned hand upon his shoulder. “Is your headache back?”
>Anon shudders at her touch, but after a brief moment, his mask of pain seems to fade.
>With slow, deep breaths, he opens his eyes and casts a wary and confused look behind him to Rarity’s hand.
>He pauses a moment in thought before Rarity’s voice takes back his attention.
>”Anon?” She asks, staring back with concern.
>”I-it’s fine, I think… Just a flare up.”
>”Perhaps you could have used a bigger dosage of aspirin.” Celestia comments, joining you in the center of the room. “I could go and get some more if you’d like.”
“If you need to take five Anon, just say so.”
>”No, it’s okay. I think they just kicked in, actually… What was I saying?”
>”Ooh! You were just telling Fluttershy something she probably doesn’t want to hear about!” Pinkie shouts.
>”Oh… right.” Anon quietly says to Fluttershy. “Sorry.”
>”Um… T-that’s okay! I know you were just trying to share, and… connect. I-I think I’ve taken enough time, m-m-maybe you should move on to someone else.”
>Without waiting for an answer, Fluttershy quickly steps back over to the window to dismiss her animal companions.
>Anon watches as Fluttershy says her goodbyes to the two tiny birds.
>They chirp happily back before taking to flight into the skies outside.
>As Fluttershy struggles to quietly close the stiff and heavy window, Anon turns his head towards the rest of you.
“So? Who’s next, Anon?”
>He rubs his fingers across his chin in thought.
>”So, we got super speed and animal speech. I’m one for two with my guesses.”
>”You took guesses at what we can do? Fluttershy was the one you got right, right?”
>”Yeah. I actually thought you might’ve had fire powers, on account of that incident with your shoes.”
>Upon Anon’s mention of the shoes, Rarity snickers quietly to herself.
>”That or rainbow lasers… Not sure what the line of reasoning for that was.”
>”Prob’ly the hair. That, and lasers are pretty ‘cool’ Ah guess. What about the rest of us?”
>”Yeah! Ooh, please do me next!” Pinkie pleads.
>Anon grins uncomfortably as he looks away from Pinkie and back to Applejack.
>”Yours wasn’t a hard guess. Super strength.”
>Applejack lets out a hearty chuckle. 
>With a flick to the brim of her Stetson, she crosses her arms and smiles.
>”Ya guessed right. How’d ya know?”
>”Well, you know… It was pretty obvious when I thought back on how you wrecked that car door.”
>”Oh, yeah… that.” Applejack replies, her cheerful look wavering.
>”Wait, what? I never heard about this.”
>At the butting in of Principal Celestia, Anon and Applejack shoot each other tense, wide-eyed glares.
>”Uhhh…”
>”Ah, uh… About that… Real funny story, Principal.”
>”Yeah, so… I’ll tell you later.”
>”I’d rather not wait, if it’s all the same.” Principal Celestia asserts.
>”I-it’s kind of a long story, and we’re short on time, you know? I promise, just ask me about it later.”
>Principal Celestia pauses in contemplation; though she’s clearly unsatisfied with the answer, she agrees.
>”Fine. But I’m holding you to your word.”
>”Yeah, yeah! Sure!” He exclaims, rapidly turning his attention back to Applejack. “So, just how strong are you?”
>”Oh, you wouldn’t believe it. I thought her older brother was strong, but she boasts more strength in her pinkie than ten bodybuilders combined!” 
>”Tch, yeah. If you thought Bulk was ripped, you ain’t seen anything yet.”
>Smirking bashfully from Rarity’s and Dash’s praise, Applejack steps over to Anon with swagger in every step.
>”Now, don’t go spoilin’ the surprise, ya’ll.”
>She bends over, grabbing Anon’s chair by the front leg.
>”Ya might want to hold on.”
>”Why? What are you- WHOA!”
>In an instant, AJ effortlessly hoists Anon and his chair up and over her head.
>”OH! Whoahoho! Holy shit!”
>A mixture of excitement and fear painted upon his face, Anon digs his nails into the chair as he struggles to keep his balance.
>”Anon, language!” scolds Principal Celestia.
>”Sorry, not sorry! Oh, man… That’s not hard for you at all?”
>”This ain’t nothin’, sugarcube. If ya’d like, we could head outside and Ah could do the same to yer car.”
>”Oh, I GOTTA see that!”
>”No, no, absolutely not! Not while Anon’s friends are here!” Principal Celestia exclaims, hastily moving over to Appleack. “And please, put him down now. He’s already had one nasty fall today, let’s not open ourselves up to another one.”
>Applejack frowns and looks up to Anon.
>With every passing second, you see the unease growing on his face as Applejack’s arm begins to drift and sway ever so slightly.
“You aren’t afraid of heights, are you Anon?”
>”Heights? Nah. Unstable heights? That’s a little bit different.”
>”Don’t worry, Ah won’t go droppin’ ya. Jus’ sit still a minute.”
>Taking the leg in both hands, Applejack takes a knee to gently guide the chair back to the floor.
>With all points of contact back on the floor, Anon eagerly leaps up from his seat to put his own feet back on solid ground.
>”You girls really are super-heroes.” He mutters, wide-eyed.
>”Told ya!”
>”It’s mighty nice bein’ strong. Helps out a lot with the orchard and such.” 
>Applejack takes the opportunity to flex her arms, revealing a surprising bit of muscle beneath her female form.
>”Ah hope Ah didn’t, uh… what’s it… emasculate ya none. Big Mac gets a little embarrassed when he sees me pullin’more than both our weight around the fields.”
>”Not at all. I’m just… shocked, I guess. If little ol’ you can lift cars, you could snap me like a twig and there’s not a thing I could do about it.”
>”That’s right! N-not that Ah would, Ah mean! Wut happened before, it really was an accident! Twilight and Sunset figured out what went wrong an’ everything!”
>”Relax, Jack, I know you didn’t mean it. But, I thought it was just a heat of the moment thing. There’s more to it?”
>You pass a glance to Twilight, who seems just as eager to explain as you do.
>She nods to you, offering you the lead.
“So, a while back, some of us were having some issues controlling our powers. Nothing too bad; Applejack had that accident with you and I was getting some pretty nasty migraines.”
>”I can relate.” He says with a chuckle.
“But… without getting too into it yet, we were particularly worried about Pinkie’s and Twilight’s magics.”
>You nod back to Twilight, who hops up and eagerly moves toward her closet vault.
>”We did a little bit of thinking and figured out pretty quickly that the problem was from magical build-up inside of us.”
>Anon raises his hand to ask a question, but Twilight just keeps going.
>”So, I rebuilt an old invention I made to find and capture traces of magic, and modified it so that we could reliably and safely store this built-up energy we had inside of us. We started regularly draining each other, and the problems ceased.”
>As Twilight draws her explanation to a close, she proudly leans up against the closet door.
>You immediately notice Anon’s eyes peeled away from Twilight as he notices the incredibly conspicuous door lined with all manner of locks.
>”You look like you have some questions.”
>”Uh… Yeah.” Anon manages, pulling his eyes back to Twilight. “Magical build-up?”
>”Yep! If you’re familiar at all with battery bloat in lithium ion batteries, think of it like that. Basically, we were always charging but hardly using any of the excess energy building up, and instead of us bloating up like a battery-“
>”Oh, heavens forbid!” Rarity interjects.
>”-some of our magic became unstable and became difficult to control. We got it under control pretty quickly, but… It could have been pretty bad.”
>”Ooo-kay… How exactly do you store magic? That just seems kind of-“
”Abstract?”
>”Sure, let’s use that word.”
>”Easy! We just sucked the excess magic out of us and into my draining device. The magic itself seems to exist in a gaseous state, and can’t pass through physical barriers; at least, that’s been the case with what’s been pulled out of us. We’ve been storing the magic in glass vials and locking it up in here, to make sure it stays out of the wrong hands!”
>Listening to her talk about science and magic like this always puts a smile on your face.
>She just gets so into it!
>”That answers my next question, I guess. But, shouldn’t you be storing them in something stronger than glass? Shouldn’t they be in some government warehouse, or a secret bunker instead of what might as well be a janitor’s closet?”
>Twilight grins cheekily and shrugs.
>”For the first drain, it was glass or an empty water bottle. These beakers and flasks were all we had on hand, and they’ve been working so far. Also, I’m, uh… kind of locked out of my secret bunker at the moment. Maybe when I’m not grounded, we can move them all there.”
>”You have a secret bunker?!”
“Oh, just wait until you meet Spike, her talking dog.”
>”Oh, Spike! He’s such a good boy. I feel like I haven’t seen him in forever.”
>”You’re right, Fluttershy; how is little Spikey-wikey?”
>”Oh, he’s great! He doesn’t mind staying home so much anymore since I built him that Robo-pup.”
>”You have a talking dog AND a robot dog?!”
>”Ehehe… let’s move on, we’ll have time for more questions later. Who’s up next?”
>”OOOH! OOOOH! ME! ME, ME, ME!” Pinkie shouts.
>”Quiet down, Pinkie, you’ll get yer turn. Might as well be you, Twi. Ya done got the poor boy’s attention.”
“Yeah, keep going Twilight.”
>”That okay with you, Anon?”
>Bewildered, Anon flops back into his seat.
>”I have so many questions…”
>”You better start writing them down, copper, cause it’s only gonna get weirder from here on out!”

>”Don’t worry, I’ll get into all of that when we have the time!”
“The short of it is that Twilight’s a bit of a genius.”
>”I like chemistry, coding, inventing, and long nights in the lab.”
>Anon leans forward onto his knees, grimacing somewhat as he wipes at his eyes.
“Buuut… we’ll ease you into that later.”
>”One unbelievable thing at a time would be preferable, thanks.” He mutters.
>”So, want to take a guess at my magic?”
>”Actually, your brother kind of spoiled it for me.”
>”Aww… Darn it, Shiny.”
>Twilight lets out a downcast sigh, but quickly shrugs off her disappointment.
>”Oh well. You still haven’t seen it in action!”
>She pushes off the wall with her shoulder and steps up to Anon’s side, setting her eyes on the messes created by Pinkie’s chaotic prank.
>First, she turns her attention towards her workbench; as she reaches her hands out, various tools and spare parts begin to glow with her purple aura.
>With a clutch of her hand, she lifts them into the air.
>One by one, they begin to glide through the air, drifting around her and Anon as he watches on, stupefied.
>”I know I keep saying ‘wow’, but… Wow.”
>As the tools and parts drift in orbit around them, Twilight pauses to take in Anon’s expression before sending the objects back to their original locations, guiding them with her fingers.
“Pretty neat, huh?”
>”Extremely handy, too!” Twilight exclaims with a satisfying clap.
>She then turns her gaze to the pile of scattered papers covering the floor.
>Scooping them all up in her magical grasp with one hand, she pulls them closer, where she begins to sort through them with inhuman speed.
>”Page nine, that’s over… no that’s seven… forty-two?”
>Using the air like a touch pad, she drags and drops them into a consecutively-ordered stack in front of her.
>”Where is… Oh, there it is! And that’s twenty-four! Perfect!”
>Pushing her hand outward, she guides the stack back over to her desk where she pounds it against the surface, forcing the sheets together in a neat and orderly shape.
>Satisfied, she lays them down and releases her grasp. Confidently, she turns back to Anon.
>”So? What do you think?”
>”I think Armor was right,” he says with a chuckle. “You must be a real terror in the workshop with that on your side.”
“She can be a real terror, all right. Once she get’s her mind set on something, it’s real hard to change it.”
>Twilight’s eyes jerk to you before dejectedly casting themselves down to the floor.
>”Yeah… sometimes, my judgement can get kind of clouded, and… Well, I make mistakes.”
>Oh, gosh.
>That’s not what you meant at all!
“Hey, I just meant that you get caught up in your work. I mean, you’d probably go all day without eating if someone wasn’t dragging you out of the lab or bringing you some food!”
>Twilight lets out a weak laugh before wiping the hurt look from her face.
>”Oh. Right. Uhm… Should we tell him about that stuff right now?”
“I’m not sure… Principal Celestia said he knew the gist of it, but I don’t know if he knows about the portals. What do you think, Principal?”
>”Even though I’ve asked Twilight to refrain from experimenting with Midnight’s magic, it’s still important for him to be aware of it; for his own safety.”
>”Is this about that time you almost destroyed the dimension, or… something like that?”
“Yep.”
>”I stole a bunch of magical power from the girls and turned into this… I don’t even know what to call her.”
>”A monster?” Suggests Dash.
>”How’s about a nightmare? That sounds mighty fittin’.”
>”Anyway, I turned into a woman who called herself Midnight Sparkle. The magic took control over me and I created a rift between two worlds, almost destroying everything in my path on a mad quest to learn more about magic.”
>”Oh.”
>As if trying to comprehend nonsensical babble, Anon takes a long pause as his eyes wander the floor.
>”Well, you won, right? I guess, if you didn’t, we wouldn’t be having this conversation right now, huh?”
“Yeah, we won. That’s how Twilight joined us here at CHS. Erm… we’ll tell you the whole story later. What’s important for you to know is that we think Midnight might be still hanging around in Twilight’s noggin, and that she can create portals like Midnight could.”
>”Though, again, she’s promised me that she’d stay away from that magic.” Principal Celestia reiterates.
>”And I will!” Twilight exclaims with a nod of her head.
“Earlier, we had a bit of an… incident up here.” You explain.
>”I tried opening a portal earlier and ended up filling the room with water from an aquarium’s sea life exhibit.” Twilight sheepishly admits.
>”So that’s why it smells like fish up here…” Anon whispers, rubbing his chin. 
>He shakes his head, refocusing his attention.
>“O-okay, hold up. Let’s just shelf magic monster stuff and stick to what you guys can do… So, that’s telekinesis and portals added to the list.”
“You could probably just leave it at telekinesis… We only learned about the portals today.”
>”Sure. I mean, it’s all the same to me. A bunch of… otherworldly shenanigans.”
>”Shenanigans. That’s a fun word to say!”
>Anon shakes his head before resting it in his hands.
>”I’m starting to feel like a side character in a Saturday morning cartoon for kids. So, what else we got?”
>”Shenanigans.”
“It’s just down to me, Rarity, and Pinkie.”
>”If it’s all the same, dear, I’d like to go last.” Rarity calmly requests.
>”Why?” Anon asks, glancing over his shoulder.
>”I’d just… find it preferable, that’s all. You know, saving the best for last, and so on and so forth…”
>In an instant, Rainbow and Applejack shoot her scrutinizing glares.
>”N-not that I think of myself as being any better than any of you, I just… Well, I… Erm. Let’s just move on, shall we?”
>With a roll of his eyes, Anon turns his attention towards Pinkie.
>”Shenani- mmph!”
>In a flash, Dash slaps her hand over Pinkie’s mouth.
>”Yeah, shenanigans. We get it, Pinkie.”
>Pinkie shoots a cold stare Rainbow’s way.
>You can practically see the maniacal grin through Rainbow’s hand.
>”Shu-noo-ni-kans.”
>”Alright, I guess you’re up, Sunny. Show me what you got.”
>As he calls on you, you feel a sudden but brief rush of excitement.
“O-okay! It’s really nothing special; not like what everyone else can do.”
>”It’s all pretty special to me.” He says plainly. “So, what is it? Fireballs? Are you solar powered?”
“Solar-powered? Err… No. I can just read minds.”
>”Oh, cool! I bet that’s pretty handy; you know, being able to tell if people are lying or not.”
>”You bet it is, Anon!” Rainbow exclaims as she dashes over to your side. “It’s the real deal! Say, why don’t you let her read your mind, just so you know she isn’t kidding around?”
>Before you know it, Rainbow bolts behind you and begins shoving you closer to Anon.
“Hey, wait!”
>”Thanks for the suggestion Rainbow, but I think I’m gonna pass on that. I’ll take Sunset’s word for it.”
>”Aww, come on! It’s super cool, you’ll see!”
“Rainbow!”
>”Rainbow Dash, Officer Anon said no, and no mean no.” Your principal chastises.
“I told you before, Rainbow. People deserve their privacy.”
>”And I’d very much like to keep mine, thank you very much.” Anon states rather firmly.
>”Okay, fine! My bad for being suggesting!” Dash groans as she instantly retakes her position next to Pinkie.
>Your pink friend only smiles gleefully at Rainbow before parting her lips to whisper nearly inaudibly.
>”Shenanigans.”
>Only seconds later, you detect a sudden sense of concern rising in Anon’s eyes.
>”So, uh… you haven’t already read my mind or anything… have you?”
”No, and I’ll Pinkie promise to that, too! I try not to use it unless I really need to, and… Well, obviously, I haven’t needed to use it on you.”
>”Oh. Good. So… how does it work? Can you just turn it off and on, or…?”
“I need to be touching you,” you say, waggling your fingers, “So you don’t have to worry; and, again… I wouldn’t without your permission, or unless I really needed to.”
>As he breathes a sigh of relief, you feel your old curiosity resurfacing inside of you.
>You know he’s just minding his privacy; there’s nothing suspicious about that.
>But you’re almost certain what it is that he doesn’t want you to know about.
>You know it’s none of your business how he got those scars.
>Still, you’d be lying to yourself if you pretended you weren’t the least bit interested in what happened to him.
>Putting your mind back on the business at hand, you slide your rear on top of Twilight’s table and continue on.
“When we were having those problems with our magic, my issue wasn’t just the migraines. I could hear the thoughts of everyone around me. Sometimes it wasn’t so bad, but other times, it was like nails on a chalk board right next to my eardrum.”
>As you recall those painful days, you let out a relieved laugh.
“If my power was always on like that, I’d honestly probably go crazy.”
>Anon echoes your laugh with a chuckle of his own.
>”Ha! I bet. Even as plain ol’ me, there’s days where being in the halls during passing period is bad enough with all the chatter; like just earlier, for example. But, hearing what people are thinking, too? Who wouldn’t lose it?”
“Right? But… I don’t think there’s much else to say about me. It’s pretty straight forward and unimpressive compared to the others.”
>”Oh, I don’t know about that. Seems pretty handy to me. I mean, being able to read minds? Being able to know if someone is lying or telling the truth? To see what they saw, know what they know? Do you have any idea how handy that’d be to a cop? A lot more handy than being able to throw cars around, I’ll tell you that!”
“Huh… I guess I never thought of it like that. I mean, I knew it was handy to help empathize with others, but from the law’s point of view…”
>”Seems pretty invaluable to me. You’d make a good cop, Sunset; or, maybe detective.”
>You laugh somewhat bashfully at the praise.
>You could never do what Anon does.
>What he does, what he sees?
>You couldn’t handle it.
>Maybe in Equestria, but here? No way.
“Maybe, but I’m not too interested in law enforcement.” You reply, shaking your head.
>”Neither was I.” He says with a curious smile. “So, I guess up next is…”
>In an instant, all optimism drains from Anon, along with the color from his face.
>”Pinkie.”
>”YAAAAAAY! Oh boy, you’re gonna love this, Anon!”
>As Pinkie launches herself towards him, Anon adopts a most intense look of fear and sorrow.
>”Alright, Pinkie, just… Please, let’s try to act normal, okay?”
>Bouncing about in circles like she has pogo-sticks for legs, Pinkie can barely manage sustained eye-contact for longer than a second.
>”Normal for me, or normal for you?”
“Pinkie…”
>”Pinkie, you know very well what he means,” chides Rarity.
>”Aww… But, but-“
>”Ah don’t wanna hear no buts, Pinkie. Give Anon a break.”
>”U-uhm… Pinkie?” Fluttershy mutters, beckoning Pinkie’s attention. “Could you please?”
>As Fluttershy utters the word ‘please’, Pinkie’s feet stick to the floor, causing her to wobble in place from the momentum.
>”I know you like to tease Anon, but he’s had a long enough day already, hasn’t he?”
>After an extremely brief moment of though, especially for Pinkie’s short attention span, she sighs and concedes.
>”Aww… Alright.” She whines, turning her attention back to Anon. “I only mess with you cause I like you-“
>”I honestly find that extremely hard to believe.”
>”-but, okay. I’ll tone it down for you. Uh… On a scale of one to ten, where do you want me?”
>”Somewhere between one and zero would be nice, please.”
>Pinkie claps and furiously rubs her hands together.
>”Okay… a solid point-two, coming right up!”
>She shuts her eyes and takes a deep, deep breath. As she slowly exhales, she stands straight up and calmly opens her eyes.
>”Okay! So, I was gonna scare the jeepers out of you again, but… I guess I have been pushing you pretty hard. C’mere, you’ll want to get a good look at this!”
>As Pinkie directs Anon towards the teacher’s table at the head of the classroom, she calmly walks over to the cabinet she disappeared into earlier.
>She kneels down and pulls open it’s doors, revealing a full-sized triple-layered cake, covered gratuitously with icing and heavily sprinkled, just waiting for her.
>Half-way from retrieving it from the cabinet, Pinkie hesitates.
>”Hmm… This doesn’t seem very point-two… this is more like a fifteen.”

>Anon jerks around with deep-seeded concern painted across his face as Pinkie hunches over and looks further inside.
>”Hmmm… I guess a three will have to do. Oh well, I can handle this!”
>To everyone’s relief, she places the full-sized cake back inside and instead pulls out a much more humble and ordinary cupcake, void of any sprinkles.
>Giddily, she hops over to the table and places the cupcake down in front of Anon.
>”Here you go! Don’t eat it, though! Not yet, anyway.”
>”Ooookay… What does this-“
>”Twilight, could I borrow one of your lab coats?”
>”Sure thing, Pinkie, but… if you’re up to what I think you are, could you wash it for me?”
>”Wait, what is she up to?”
>”Okaley dokely! Hold on, Anon!”
>Ignoring Anon, Pinkie hops across the room and removes one of Twilight’s plain white lab coats from their hangers.
>Though clearly undersized for Pinkie, she still manages to fit her curvy, slightly chubby figure snugly inside the coat.
>”Wow, this thing is tight!” She remarks as she tests the strength of the buttons by stretching about.
>Without dilly-dallying any further, she snatches up two pairs of protective goggles before rushing back over to Anon.
>”Here, put these on!” she says, thrusting the goggles into Anon’s hands. “I would’ve grabbed you a coat, but if I can barely fit into one, there’s no way you will!”
>”Oh, no. I see where this is going now.”
>As Rainbow gently overturns a table and ducks behind it, Anon looks down at his goggles with perturbed eyes.
>”Pinkie, what is this for? Can’t you just teleport about like you normally do? Just, without scaring me?”
>Pinkie slides the elastic band over the back of her head.
>Yanking the goggles as far forward as she can, she suddenly releases them, sending them flying back to her face with a nasty smack of an impact.
>Once her eyes cease their rolling, she laughs before refocusing her sight on Anon.
>”Teleport? Huh? What’re you talking about, Copper?”
>”That… that is your power, isn’t it? Teleportation?”
>She merely stares blankly at him, as if completely unaware of what he’s talking about.
>For the life of you, you cannot tell if it’s genuine confusion or Pinkie playing with him again.
>”My power isn’t teleportation! What in the big, wide world gave you that idea?”
>”I-“
>”Don’t answer that! And put on those goggles, Copper! This might get messy!”
>As Anon apprehensively dons his goggles, Pinkie reaches inside her coat and reveals her weapon of pastry destruction.
>Sprinkles.
>With a knowing grin, she holds the bottle of sprinkles up to her eyes to closely examine them.
>”Hmm… I’m working with a three, and I need to be at a point-two, so… AHA! I’ll be right back!”
>Without another word, Pinkie slams the bottle down on the desk and rushes for the door.
>The second she lays hands on the handle, she stops herself.
>Rather than throwing open the door, she calmly, although impatiently, opens it and briskly steps out of sight.
>With Pinkie gone, Anon leans towards the sprinkles and cupcake to take a closer look; he reaches out to nudge the sweet treat with his finger, but yanks it away at the last second.
>”S-should I be worried about this?”
>”She… DOES seem to trying to act at least a little normal, Officer Anon. I’m certain… mostly certain you aren’t in any danger.”
>Just as Anon looks to your principal, Pinkie strides back through the door, a shining sliver of metal in her hand.
>She takes the end of the table opposite of Anon and rests the instrument on the table as she scoops up the sprinkles once more, allowing you to get a clear view of what it is.
>You begin to worry just a little bit when you realize it’s a scalpel.
>”Uh… P-pinkie…?”
>”Shhhh, Anon,” she shushes. “I’m trying to science.”
>”Well, err… It’s like I said; mostly certain.”
>With excruciating caution, Pinkie tilts the sprinkle canister at a glacial pace until just one sprinkle rolls out of it’s hole.
>It’s pink.
>She seals the bottle and tucks it away in her coat before snatching up the scalpel.
>”Hey, Pinkie?” Twilight asks. “Has that been sanitized?”
>”Has it been sanic-sized? What?”
“Sanitized, Pinkie. Is it clean?”
>”Ooooooooh! Suuuure… Probably.”
>”Uh-uh. Nope. I got no idea where this is going, but I don’t want any part of it. This is like, eleven different kinds of sketchy.” Anon says, shaking his head as he backs away from the table.
>”Nonono, hold on!”
>Clenching the scalpel tightly in her hands, she rushes around the table towards Anon, who nearly trips over a chair just trying to get away from her.
>”C’mere, Anon! I just have to cut this sprinkle in half, that’s all!”
>”P-pinkie, please, slow down!” exclaims Principal Celestia as she pulls at her hair.
>”Why do you need a scalpel?! Just use your fingernail or something!”
>”Cause it’s more fun like this, duh!”
>Blindly stumbling backwards, Anon nearly trips right over Applejack.
>But, with her strength, she easily stops him on a dime.
>”Pinkie, stop wavin’ that thing around! It ain’t a toy, it’s a tool. Anon, she ain’t gonna stab ya… on purpose, anyway. An’ we’re all here, so ain’t nothin’ gonna happen to ya.”
>”Oh, gee, that makes me feel better. I’ve never been accidentally stabbed before!”
>With an exasperated look, Applejack rolls her head back before shoving Anon towards Pinkie.
>”Oh, quit yer whinin’! Yer a man, aren’t ya?”
>”Don’t give me that! A-and why is Dash hiding like that?”
>”Hey dude, don’t mind me,” Rainbow replies coyly. “You guys just do you.”
>”I-“
>”Come on, Anon!” Pinkie begs as she takes the cowardly cop by his arm. “I Pinkie promise I won’t hurt you! Point-two, remember?”
>Anon can only manage a reluctant groan as Pinkie leads him back to their table.
>This time, though, she remains close by his side.
>”Okay! So, my magic is all about one of the most important things in the world… Sprinkles!”
>She hunkers down, putting her eyes on level with the table.
>”I just grab some, give ‘em a little bit of pink power, and BOOM!” She shouts as she leaps upwards.
>”Boom?” Anon asks grimly.
>”BOOM! Only, this time, it’s gonna be more like… boom, or a bam; maybe even a pop. It’s a lot quieter than BOOM!”
>She hunkers back down, prompting Anon to do the same, as she carefully raises the scalpel to the lone sprinkle.
>”Normally, I just toss a whole handful of these bad boys around onto whatever, but…point-two, so we’re going to take it nice and boring. I mean, easy! Yeah, easy!”
>Delicately, she digs the blade into the pastry topping, separating roughly a fourth of it from the rest.
>She haphazardly slides the scalpel away as she takes both pieces of sprinkles in her hands.
>Appearing satisfied with her measurement, she tosses the larger part into her mouth and holds out the smaller for Anon to see.
>”This here? This is what we’re gonna use on this cupcake. So, are you ready?”
>”No?”
>”Great!”
>Pinkie peppily skips around to the other side of the table.
>Sensing that she’s raring to go, you quickly lean in and snatch the scalpel from the table and stash it with Twilight’s tools.
>The last thing anyone wants is that thing to go flying once that cupcake goes off.
>”So, all I gotta do is just let some of my mojo out and into the sprinkles, aaaaannnndd…”
>Secured snugly in Pinkie’s palm, a pink light begins to shine from between her fingertips.
>She uncurls her fingers, showing the glow that has overtaken the sprinkle.
>Looks like the show is about to start; you might want to get down.
>Just in case.
>You take Principal Celestia’s hand and urge her towards cover with Rainbow.
>”H-huh? What is it?”
“You don’t want to get icing all over you, do you?”
>”Oh! Of course not. Thank you.”
“Mmhm!”
>As you and your Principal join Rainbow in her bunker, the others find shelter wherever they can, leaving only Pinkie and Anon in the open.
>”A-and then what?” You hear Anon ask.
>You peak over just in time to see Pinkie slowly tip her hand over.
>”And then, I just let go, and… BOOM!”
>The sprinkle rolls from her palm, falling onto the white icing piled on top of the cupcake.
>The second it makes contact with the frosted, icing crown, a pink flash engulfs your friends.
>The last thing you see before ducking back down is the bits of icing and cupcake hurdling toward you.

----------

>As the pain in your head pounds away like drums once more, you crack open your eyes, finding your scenic view of the ceiling obscured by chunks of splattered icing and pastry bread.
>Fuck.
>Fuck this shit.
>Super strength? Sure.
>Telekinesis? Why not?
>A pink gremlin with magical IED powers?
>No.
>No!
>Hell no!
>With a trembling hand, you wipe away at the remnants of the cupcake splattered across your eye protection.
>The large chunks come easy, but you quickly realize how shaky you really are as you struggle to pin down the smaller bits.
>You shut your eyes and try to calm yourself, to set your panicked, panting breath back to normal.
>Easy, Anon. Easy. Just calm down.
>It’s just icing and cupcake.
>It wasn’t a pipe bomb.
>There’s no rusty nails and shrapnel to tear you apart again.
>Just icing, and cupcake.
>And magic.
>But, you’re okay.
>You’re still in one piece.
>You think.
>As your breath begins to return to it’s usual pace, you raise your head just enough to get a glimpse of the rest of your body.
>Your arms are still there; fingers too, from what you can tell.
>Both of your legs…
>No blood on your crotch, so everything dangling in between must be alright, too.
>All five of your limbs, right where they should be.
>You let your head thump back against the floor, ignoring the angry throbbing.
“Oh, thank Christ.”
>”Hahahahaha! Wowwee! That made way more of a mess than I thought!”
>Fuck.
>You.
>A menacing figure with messy, curly pink hair comes to loom nearly right over your head.
>The only thing stopping you from getting a full view up her skirt is your own decency and a wayward splotch of pastry.
>Has this girl no self-awareness or shame? 
>”What are you doing shaking on the floor like that, silly? OH! What’d’ya think, Anon? Pretty cool, huh?! Huh?!”
“No.”
>”Aww, you don’t have to be like that. I know you liked it. I can tell!”
>Stepping up right alongside her, Sunset, Celestia, and Fluttershy all come up to check on you.
>”A-are you okay, Officer? How’s your head?”
>You force yourself to sit up; taking to edge of the table in your hand, you use it to pull yourself to your feet.
“I’m fine, Principal Celestia. I think…”
>You yank the goggles of your head and toss them onto the messy table.
>Immediately, you turn an eye to your clothes and try to clean yourself up.
“I thought you said you were toning it down? You just set a magic grenade off in our faces!”
>”But I did try to tone it down! I only used a teensy bit of sprinkle, and just a little bit of magic! I didn’t know how it was going to turn out, I’ve never tried to go that small before; heck, I’ve never even tried to go small at all!”
>As you wipe away at a particularly large piece of icing, you only end up smearing it into the fabric of your vest.
>Oh, great. Can’t wait to scrub that out later.
>”She’s right, Anon. She’s blown up a lot of stuff before, and that’s definitely the smallest one I’ve seen.”
>Sunset pauses to look around at the aftermath; you take the opportunity to do the same.
>While the initial blast zone is a mess, you’re surprised to find that the cupcake doesn’t seem to have reached much else in the room besides you and Pinkie.
>A splat here on the wall, a splotch there against Rainbow’s over turned table, but that’s all.
>”And it’s really not much of a mess, either.” 
>She takes a moment to scoop a piece off your vest and stick it in her mouth. 
>“Mmm!  Yeah, it’s been way worse before. The first time she got her powers, she splattered cookie dough all over the mess hall at Camp Everfree; and while it’s not really the same thing, once she practically flooded the halls with confetti.”
>”Oh boy, that was so much FUN! It got EVERYWHERE!”
>”Everywhere…” Celestia shudders.
>”And, she once got me covered in paint. Point being, this is probably the least messy Pinkie Pie mess I’ve ever seen.”
>”See! I tried!”
>With Sunset backing Pinkie up, you think back on everything leading up to this.
>You don’t really know how any of their powers work, but…
>You guess she did try to tone it down.
>And she didn’t pull any of her usual stunts to scare the crap out of you.
>Instead, she just ran at you with a scalpel.
>You’re not sure if that’s really an improvement.
“Fine…” You admit begrudgingly. “Just don’t do this around me again. This icing is gonna be a pain to get out, and in case you haven’t noticed… I don’t exactly respond to loud noises like this too well.”

>”Yeah, you got really scared last time I fired off the party cannon. What’s up with that?”
“I don’t know, I guess I just don’t respond to explosions too well.” You reply venomously.
>”Well, you won’t have to worry about that,” Fluttershy states with a surprisingly stern and commanding stare. “Right Pinkie?”
>”S-sure! Don’t worry Copper, I’ll make sure you aren’t around next time I decide to pop off some confetti…”
>Pinkie pauses as her eyes drift over to the messy table.
>”Hehe… or something that might stain… Say, are you going to finish that?”
>You very lightly shake your head.
“No.”
>”Okie dokie! Don’t mind if I do then!”
>As Pinkie proceeds to devour the cupcake, presumably by dragging her tongue all over the table’s surface, you push past your concerned friends and retake your seat.
>You once again rest your head in your hands for a quick, deep breath.
>Blindly, you motion in Rarity’s general direction for her to step up.
“Alright, Rarity. Let’s see what you got.”
>Right away, you hear her heels against the tile floor in front of you.
>You peek back up, finding her leaning in toward you with a smile.
>”I was going to try something a little flashy;  show off my magic powers with a bit of an extravagant dance I thought up, and perhaps a wordy speech, but… I can see you’re no longer in the mood for such things.”
>”And we’re beginning to run out of time, miss Rarity.” 
>With a suspiciously scolding stare, Celestia taps at the face of her watch.
>”Of course, dar- I, I mean Principal Celestia, of course! There’s always later, and, err… Well, let’s just be practical, shall we?”
>No more than a foot from your face, Rarity claps her hands together.
>A bright flash emanates from her palms; as she pulls them apart, a beautiful and shining crystalline hexagon appears in her hands, growing in size as she pulls them apart.
>Stunned by it’s magical glimmer and glow and at a loss for words, you stare at the shape until Rarity’s hummed chuckling pulls you from your trance.
>”Hm-hmm… It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”
“It is… What is it?”
>”It’s diamond, dear Anon; or, at the very least, looks like it. It’s certainly as strong as diamond, yet morphable; flexible.”
>She presses down on the hexagon’s sides, narrowing and thinning it down in size.
>”Sometimes when I’m all alone, I still find myself just staring at it, playing with it.  It’s so easy to just lose yourself in it. It’s given me whole worlds of inspiration with my designs as well.”
“What does it do? Er… What can you do with it?”
>”Quite a lot,” she replies smugly. “Why, with the right inspiration and a strong imagination, I might dare to say that I could do anything. It’s certainly very handy. Observe.”
>She claps her hands back together, squashing and banishing the glowing, diamond-like shape.
>Armed with a mischievous grin, she turns her attention toward Pinkie;
>You are not surprised in the slightest to find her cleaning the table with her tongue as you suspected.
>”Oh, Pinkie? It turns out that Anon did want some of that cupcake after all. Could you be a dear and toss some at him?”
>She pulls her head up from the mess and licks the icing from her lips.
>”Huh? Oh, sure! Here you go Anon! Catch!”
>Giving you no chance to react or even speak up, Pinkie scoops up a chunk of what little remains on the table and hurls it towards you.
>Just as you go to leap from your chair, another bright flash shines at your side.
>Before you, Rarity manifests another of her flat diamonds, using it as a barricade to protect you from the flying mess.
>It splats against the crystal shield with a moist impact before sticking to the magic surface.
>”It’s been quite useful for protecting myself and my friends from whatever we need protecting from, be it magic, Pinkie’s messy antics… anything, really.”
>From afar, she compresses her shield down to the size of a dinner plate.  
>Rarity leans in again, uncomfortably close this time, and reaches past you to pinch the edge of it between her fingers.
>She pulls back from your space and, with a simple flick of her wrist, sends the mess flying back to Pinkie who easily catches it in her mouth.
>As she gulps it down, Rarity calls her over with a beckoning finger.
>Pinkie, of course, immediately sets to skipping over.
>When Pinkie approaches the half-way point, Rarity sets her diamond in front of her and thrusts her arms out, shoving the diamond wall with it.
>As it travels, she widens her arms, causing it to grow back to it’s original size.
>It collides with Pinkie, pushing her of balance and forcing her away as it continues to move forward at Rarity’s command.
>”Golly, Rarity, no need to be so pushy! Ha!”
>Then, with a snap of her fingers, it vanishes as Rarity wills it away.
>”It really is the most handy thing!”
>”Ooh! Ooh, Rarity! Do that thing, the one I drew in our comic!” Sunset excitedly exclaims.
>”The body-bind? Why not? Pinkie, you don’t mind, do you?”
>”Of course not, Rarity!” Pinkie chipperly replies, already skipping back toward you. “Being a guinea pig is fun!”
>Rarity once more thrusts her magic towards Pinkie, sending a shining gem flying her way.
>Upon the crystal construct’s impact, it suddenly expands and wraps most of Pinkie’s body in it’s tight, restricting embrace.
>Unable to move, Pinkie falls to the floor, laughing as she slides up to your feet.
>”Hahahaha! Hey Rarity, we should try sledding on these things!”
>With another snap Rarity dismisses the ‘body-bind’, allowing Pinkie to climb back to her feet.
>”Hm… That actually sounds like a lot of fun. Hopefully we’ll get some snow this year.”
>Still wearing that smile of extreme confidence, she looks back to you as she conjures up another small construct for her to toy with.
>You watch with intrigue as she absent-mindedly shifts and adjusts the crystal hexagons width and length.
>”So? What do you think, Officer Anon? Quite impressive, hmm?”
“I think impressive might be an understatement…”
>”I knew you’d think so. I told you, about saving the best for last.”
>Suddenly noting where your attention lies, she stops and holds the crystal still for you to get another close look.
“Well, I’m not here to tell you who has the coolest power; it’s no competition, but… if it was, you’d probably be up there.”
>Rarity giggles at your praise as you decide to reach out and touch her magical creation.
>The second your fingertips touch it’s perfectly smooth surface, you feel a powerful warm and peaceful sensation begin to sink into you.
>Ignoring the paranoid urge to pull away from it, you press your hand completely against the crystal, letting the feeling seep into you further.
>You feel it travel up your arm and into your core before spreading further to your other extremities.
>Aches and stiffness melt away as your body seems to soften; the still pounding pain in your skull suddenly dissipates, leaving you with a cleared mind.
>With just a few seconds of touching this magic… thing, you feel completely and wholly refreshed.
>As if you never slammed your head against the floor.
>As if Pinkie didn’t just send your heart rate sky-high.
>Even the minor fatigue from your morning workout seems like a far distant memory.
>You can’t remember the last time you felt this good.
>Hell, you’re not even sure if you’ve EVER felt this good!
>You feel like a million bucks, like you could go out and-
>”Hehe…I see you’ve gotten lost in it like I do.”
“Wha? N-no, I just-“
>Suddenly, the crystal’s shine dims as it begins to flicker in Rarity’s hands.
>You yank your hand away as the both of you stare on in confusion.
>Not seconds later, the manifestation fades entirely away as her magic seems to give out.
>”I, uhm…  How strange. Well, I can assure you that that’s never happened to me before.”
>”Ha! That’s what they all say!” Pinkie jokes, not bothered at all.
>Did, did you do that?
>What was that?
>One second you’re feeling like your usual shitty self, and then…
>You glance down at the palm of your hand.
>For just an instant, you think you notice a few faint, magical sparkles resting in your palm.
>You blink and it disappears, leaving you with only more questions.
>That, uh…
>That’s probably not just glitter stuck to your hand.
 “Uh… I think-“
>”W-what? What happened?” Celestia asks, semi-urgently pushing past the others.
>”My magic seems to have shorted out.”
>Rarity gives her hand a loosening shake and tries again.
>Although it kicks off with a rough, stuttering start, another small barrier quickly reappears in her hand, glowing in all it’s mystical splendor.
>”Oh. Well, there we go. I wonder what that was about?”
>”Urgh… PLEASE tell me this isn’t something I need to worry about!”
>Twilight hums and adjusts her glasses as she steps in for a closer look.
>“Hmm… I don’t think it’s anything we need to worry about, Principal Celestia. Most likely just some… magical difficulties. Rarity is probably still just running a little low. I just drained her the other day after all.”
>”Perhaps you’re right, Twilight. Although, I don’t at all feel exhausted anymore… I’ll just keep an eye on it; just in case.”
>”Please do, miss Rarity,” Celestia remarks. “Oh, I hope you’re right, Twilight. If this is the start of yet ANOTHER magical problem, I swear I’ll start raving like a mad-woman!”
>On second thought…
>Maybe you’ll just wait until Celestia’s not around.
>”Something up, Anon? You look like you want to say something.”
>You jump at Sunset’s utterance of your name as she redirects all the attention in the room your way.
“Huh? Oh, uh, I was just thinking, this magic stuff sure sounds like a lot of trouble.”
>”You have no idea.” Celestia exhaustedly states.
>”It’s not so bad… But, it does get kind of messy a lot.” Sunset admits.
>Grumpily crossing her arms, Rainbow shoots her principal a fairly disagreeable look.
>”And it’s not like it all our fault, either! We didn’t start with Juniper, or Vignette, or Gloriosa, or-“
>”I know, I know, Rainbow. I’m not assigning blame or holding any of this against any of you. I just mean that it’s a lot to deal with.”
>”A-anyway…” Sunset awkwardly continues, “That’s us, Anon! Pretty neat, huh? With that out of the way, we can move on to explaining everything that’s happened to us. Oh! Or, maybe you’d like to hear about Equestria and-“
>*BRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGG*
>”Hm. Looks like we’re out of time. Well, for Twilight and I, anyways. We’ve got to get down to the library for Bulk’s tutoring.”
>”Oh, yes! The tutoring! I guess I forgot about it in all the excitement!”
>Twilight bolts back to her desk and lifts a bulky satchel up from the floor.
>”I already have the textbooks and all of today’s material ready for him.” She says happily.
>”Wonderful, Twilight.”
>After shining an appreciative grin to her young pupil, your partner in love turns her eyes back to you.
>”Well, Officer Anon, I’m sure this was very enlightening for you. I hope you aren’t too spooked by any of this.”
“Like I said before, it’s a lot to take in. Seems like there’s a lot more to it, too.”
>”It’s all a long, long story. But, you’re taking all of this marvelously well, and I’m very happy to see that. I’ve got to get going now, but if you feel up to it, I’m sure the girls will be more than happy to share more today.”
>”You betcha, Principal Celestia!” Sunset exclaims joyously. “What do you think, Anon? You wanna hear some more?”
“Sure, Sunset. I’ve got a question or two…”
>”Fantastic. Well, let’s get going Twilight.”
>”Right behind you, Principal! Are you still coming, Fluttershy?”
>”I-I, um…”
>”Oh, Fluttershy would like to help? Really?”
>Shyly, Fluttershy looks to you, her eyes sneaking glances at yours as they dart nervously about.
“Go on, Shy. It’ll be okay, you’ll see.”
>”O-okay…” She whispers as she reluctantly steps up to Twilight and Celestia.
>”I’m sure Bulk will very much appreciate it, Fluttershy.” Celestia adds with a comforting hand.
>“Goodbye Officer Anon. You enjoy your weekend.”
“You, too, Principal. I’ll see you later.”
>”Bye, girls! Bye, Officer Anon!”
>”Bye, everyone. B-bye, Officer Anon… I hope you have a nice weekend.”
“You, too, girls. Goodbye.”
>Following Celestia like ducklings following their mother goose, they file one by one out the door.
>Her excitement apparent to all, Sunset wastes no time as she excitedly jumps back to the matter at hand.
>”So, what is it, Anon? You said you had some questions?”

>”Eh, I’ll let you handle this, Sunset,” Rainbow says with a stretch. “I think I’m gonna go ahead and head down to the locker room.”
>”You sure? The bell just rang, you’ve got plenty of time until practice.”
>”Yeah. I don’t really have a lot to say, anyway. Well, except that I’m glad you know about all of this Anon, ‘cause now I can do this again.”
>Instantly, Rainbow bolts from the room at a nearly unnoticeable speed; all that remains in her wake is another handful of scattered papers sent airborne and a few words shouted back at you.
>”Catch you later, guys!”
>”R-Rainbow! Rainbow, no running in the halls!” you hear Celestia call out.
>You don’t know how she does it.
>Moving at that speed, you feel like you’d be slamming into whatever is in front of you before you even knew it was there.
>”Ooookay then. What about you girls?”
>”Give up time with my favorite police officer?! No way, José! But… I gotta run down to my locker first.”
>”Err… Same fer me. My bag’s still in mah locker, an’ Ah got to get moseyin’ on home before too long.”
>”Hm. If everyone else is taking a quick leave of absence, I suppose I’ll also need to excuse myself. I need to run by the young ladies room… J-just to check up on my make-up.”
>”Ya’ll wanna meet up out front by the statue?”
>Oh, great.
>They sure do love that statue.
>”Sure! Do you need to take care of anything, Anon? I’m all good if you are.”
“Nope, I’m good.”
>”Alrighty then!”
>Together, you all step out into the halls, where the others split away and head off to their lockers in the school’s heart.
>Side by side, you and Sunset head the opposite way, taking the fastest route for the courtyard.
>”So, uh… where were we? Oh, yeah, you wanted to ask something?”
>You’re damn right you do.
“Yeah. Back there, with what happened to Rarity’s shield-thingy…”
>”Weird, I know. We’ve had our powers malfunction before, but nothing quite like that.”
“And, you don’t know what caused it?”
>”Well, it’s probably like Twilight said; Rarity was just running a little empty on energy. Why?”
“Well, uh…”
>Oh man, this is going to sound stupid.
>Just spit it out, Anon; she’ll just laugh a little, tell you how you couldn’t have possibly done anything like that, and you’ll go on your merry way.
“What if… I think I caused that?”
>”What makes you think that. Anon?” She asks with a chuckle. “Just because you were touching it when it went out?”
“Well, that, and… I don’t know. I don’t know how to put it, but just touching it made me feel really weird.”
>You watch as her playful and friendly smirk changes to a worried look.
>”Weird? Weird how?”
“I’m not sure how to put it… Warm? At peace? Like something was moving through me.”
>As you rattle on, your young companion slows her pace with each step, her concerned look becoming more worrisome the longer you go on.
“It started in my hand, and ran up through my arm, then spread out everywhere else. It felt weird, but… good, you know? Now, I don’t feel tired, I don’t hurt; my migraine just suddenly disappeared… I feel great, the best I’ve felt in a long time, and it only happened after touching Rarity’s magic.”
>Sunset’s eyes slowly drift from yours and down towards the floor.
>Halfway down, she covers her mouth with her hand to muffle herself.
>”Ooh, crud…”
“What? What is it?”
>She hesitates to respond, taking a moment to collect her thoughts.
>”U-uhm… Nothing. Has anything else made you feel that way? Have you felt anything strange at all?”
>It doesn’t take long for you to make a connection.
“Yeah, that statue you all love to hang around! I-I don’t know what it is, but that thing just freaks me the fu-“
>You stop yourself and lower your voice, so as not to attract unnecessary attention.
“Look, I’m sorry for my language, but that thing freaks me the fuck out!”
>”The statue? Why?”
“I don’t know! But I can’t get near the damn thing without feeling sick, or cold, or something else terrible! It’s been that way ever since I was a student here!”
>She lets out a deep sigh as she palms her face.
>”Oh, man… I can’t believe we all forgot about this…”
“What? Forgot about what?”
>As she pulls her hand away, she sheepishly struggles to keep her eyes on yours.
>”So… you remember that day you found us all outside by the statue? And that ‘science project’ we had?”
“I think so. A metal detector, right? …That wasn’t a metal detector, was it?”
>”No. It was actually a magic detector, and drainer. It’s what we use to drain each other, and we were using it on the statue because… Look, what’s important right now is that when we pointed it at you, it went off.”
“I remember that! Wait, are you saying-“
>”I-I don’t know! Maybe? Nothing weird ever happened around you, and it’s not like we could walk right up to you and ask about it!”
“I could have magical powers…”
>Oh man.
>Stitches is gonna flip.
>”Maybe; let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Here, try what you did on me.” She says, taking a step closer.
“O-okay, uh… do I just…?”
>”You said it happened when you touched Rarity’s barrier, right? I can’t really project my magic like that, so, I guess just try touching me.”
“Alright then.”
>You glance around, just now checking for anyone who may be watching.
>Aside from the two of you, you find the halls completely barren.
>Uneasily, you reach out for her forehead.
>As your skin comes to rest upon hers, you feel the warmth of her body upon your palm.
>Silently, you leave it lingering there for some time, feeling nothing else.
>Only after several seconds do you begin to feel something.
>Like a creeping tide slowly washing farther up a beach, you faintly begin to feel that distinct warm, soothing sensation.
>It’s nowhere near as strong as before, but there’s no mistaking it.
>”Anything?”
“Yeah. Just barely, but it’s there.”
>As you pull your hand away, she readjusts her hair and groans.
>”Uuugh… Great. Principal Celestia is right; it just never ends.”
>You take a quick glance at your palm, looking for whatever that shining in your palm was earlier.
>No signs of anything this time around.
>Weird.
“Any idea what this means?”
>”I… I’m not sure. Maybe you do have some kind of magic. But, we were pretty sure we dealt with all of the stray magic from Equestria. You did say that the Wondercolt statue has been making you feel weird since you were a student, and that’s a few years before our little magical outbreak. Maybe this is something from before my time.”
“So you’ve got no idea.”
>”Not really, unfortunately,” she replies with a shrug. “Whatever this is, it seems like you’re sensitive to magic for some reason. I’m not sure what else we can really say about it for now.”
“Well, that sure doesn’t make me feel any better about all of this.”
>”Believe me, I’m one-hundred percent right there with you. Don’t worry, I’ll get with Twilight and we can take a look at you first thing. In the meantime, I guess just try and keep your hands to yourself and stay away from the Wondercolt.”
“Pffft. You don’t have to tell me that. I don’t know what it is about that thing, but something just isn’t right about it.”
>A toothy grin spreads Sunset’s lips, almost managing to wipe all signs of worry from her face.
>”Oh, that’s because it’s a portal to another world, Equestria. It’s where me and all of our magic came from.”
“I KNEW IT! I KNEW THERE WAS SOMEHING WEIRD ABOUT THAT THING!”
>Sunset can’t help but giggle at your boisterous exclamation.
>”Hehe… But, we can probably leave that for another day.”
>You have to wonder just how many stories there are for you to hear.
>It already seems like you’ve been told so much, and even more just keeps popping up here and there.
>You feel like you just started reading the last book in a series without so much as looking at the others.
>”Come on, let’s get moving.”
>With a nod of her head, she prompts you back to moving through the hall.
>As you follow along at her side, you recall the question that previously seemed so urgent.
“Oh, so, what’s up with Trixie?”
>”Trixie? What about her?”
“You know, what’s her magic power? What else would I be talking about?”
>Still marching on, Sunset gives you a confused look over her shoulder.
>”Most people usually just ask about the same things; the hat and cloak, the way she talks, the attitude. She doesn’t have any magic powers though.”
“You’ve got to be joking.”
>With a chuckle, she shakes her head.
>”Nope. At least, it’s not Equestrian magic like ours is; trust me, I looked into it. A while back, she really saved my bacon by poofing me through a door, like she did earlier in the rally. I asked her about it later, and she said… Well, she got kind of mad when I asked if she had magic like we do.”
>Sporting a nostalgic grin, she turns her eyes upward, as if in thought.
>”I forget exactly what she said, but she went off on a pretty long rant about ‘not needing to take easy the easy path’, and that ‘true wizards like Trixie train and study hard for their power and skill’. I asked if she could show me what she knew, and then she just said something about how the world wasn’t ready for her ‘arcane secrets’, and that she wasn’t prepared to take on an apprentice.”
“So… what? She’s faking it?”
>”No, she’s definitely not faking it. You can’t fake teleportation like that. I’m almost certain she isn’t lying about it, either. We’re good friends now, so I don’t know why she would.”
>Sunset takes a brief pause to think out her words, tapping her hand upon her thigh with every step.
>”I think… I think whatever she’s doing might just be all Trixie, y’know? I’ve read plenty of books about magic here. There’s a lot of old stories and legends about wizards and sorcerers, miracle men and shamans from all over the world. Maybe Trixie just figured out Earth magic.”
 “Earth magic? Sunset, there’s no such thing as Earth magic. We’ve never had anything like this anywhere, ever. All the stories and legends are just that; stories and legends. Anyone saying otherwise is either a lying, two-bit trickster looking to get into your wallet or a straight-up idiot.”
>”I used to think the same thing, Anon. Heck, when I first came here, Trixie was still just pulling rabbits out of her hat and guessing cards; and barely managing it, too! But… now, I don’t know what to think.”
>Sunset pirouettes on her heels to rest her aquamarine eyes on you as she blindly steps backward.
>”And besides, is it really that far-fetched of a guess, after everything else you’ve been told? After everything that you’ve seen? Whether it’s Equestrian or Earth magic, it’s still magic. It’s the power to create something out of nothing, to bend the unbendable, to defy all logic. There’s no rhyme or reason to a lot of magic, it just is. Even our most legendary wizard still had a lot to learn about it.”
>As you near the end of the hallway, a pair of glass doors reveal themselves.
>Through their panes, you can see the crowds of students talking to each other, enjoying the last minutes of their Friday in the warm October sun.
>Sunset turns back around and pushes through the doors.
>As she holds one open for you, she gives you a conciliatory look.
>”Our worlds have been connected for a lot longer than I originally thought, Anon. Maybe Earth magic is real. Maybe it’s some ancient offshoot of Equestrian magic. Who can say? All I know for sure is that whatever she’s doing, it isn’t like what we do, and it’s not like how things work back in Equestria.”

>For some reason, you don’t feel like you’re going to get a much better explanation than that.
>’It’s just magic, bro!’
>Great.
>As you pass over back into the great outdoors, your eyes are quickly drawn to the Wondercolt statue.
>Even from this far away, surrounded by the happy and starry-eyed student body, you still feel it’s chilling claws begin to dig into you.
>”I know that’s not a great answer-“
“I mean, it’s not…” 
>”I know. But, it’s the best one I can give. For now, anyway.”  
>With a grumble, you nod at her before setting your eyes back onto the statue.
>You pick out a spacious spot of grass a comfortable distance away from that haunting monstrosity and stride on.
“So… what’s this about this pony land?”
>”Equestria? It’s where I’m from.”
“What’s it like? Anything like Earth?”
>Sunset shakes her head, sending her vibrant hair dancing around her head.
>”Haha, erm… No. It’s like… Well, I don’t know what it’s like. We have magical forests filled beasts and monsters just like the ones in the fantasy stories and fairy tales here. Villages and hamlets dot the countryside, but we still have sprawling metropolises just like Earth’s Canterlot here and there.”
“Huh. And, real monsters?”
>”Yep. Cockatrices, Chimeras, Manticores, and more! Then there’s the Griffins, the Minotaurs, and the Yaks, and… Oh, but they aren’t monsters! They have their own nations and everything, with foreign delegations coming and going to Canterlot all the time.”
“Wow. If your cities are anything like ours… And monsters? Freakin’ manticores? Must be really dangerous.”
>”Hmm, not really. I mean, it’s been a while since I’ve been around, but most of the big cities like Las Pegasus, Fillydelphia, and even Manehattan aren’t anywhere as bad as Earth cities; plenty of bad manners, sure, but nowhere near this level of crime! Maybe chaotic at times, but still! Even the monsters aren’t that bad when you’ve got the Royal Guard, and it’s bound to be even safer now with Princess Twilight and her friends on the job. On top of that, you’d be surprised how many of them just want to be left alone. To be completely honest with you, Anon… Our worlds have a lot in common, but when it comes to safety and danger, Earth and Equestria are worlds apart.
>You’ve got to be shitting me.
>A land with magic and literal monsters is safer than your cities.
>Living with fucking MANTICORES is safer than living with the shithead gangs in this city.
“That… that’s just sad.”
>”It is.” She utters with sad, sympathetic eyes. “Canterlot here is nothing like my Canterlot.”
>You come to a stop some twenty yards from the statue.
>Again, you pass a glance towards the statue, only to be met with a cold shiver running through your bones.
“What’s your Canterlot like?” You ask as your turn away from the stonework.
>”My Canterlot is the center of our whole nation. Literally. A beautiful mountaintop city in the heart of Equestria.”
“It’s the capital?”
>”Mmhm. Home of a lot of the ‘nobles’ and other ‘highborn’, but they don’t do really much but lord their status and wealth over others and kiss up to Princess Celestia or Princess Luna for favor.”
>Huh.
>Sounds like she doesn’t have a lot of love for the upper class.
>Can’t say you blame her.
“Your upper class is a bunch of scumbags, too? At least that’s consistan- Wait, what?”
>”What?”
“There’s another Celestia? And she’s a Princess?!”
>”Shhhhh!” Sunset shushes.
>You glance around, finding barely anyone paying you mind despite your outburst.
>”No need to go shouting. This is actually… a little confidential. There is another Principal Celestia; there’s another of just about everyone. And, yes, she is a Princess, and so is Luna.”
>A world filled with alternate versions of people in this one?
>Sounds like some crazy sci-fi mirror dimension shit.
>And Celestia and Luna are Princesses?
>The leaders of a whole nation?
>And here, they’re just…
>Principal and Vice-Principal?
>Doesn’t that mean you should be dating the President or something?
>You got gypped!
“That’s, uh… that’s a pretty stark contrast there.”
>”Yeeeaaaah…” Sunset shrugs, “Everything doesn’t carry over one for one. Some things are pretty much the same, others are almost completely different.”
>You have to wonder how Celestia feels knowing that her alternate self is a literal Princess while she’s over here dealing with this whole magic shitshow.
>You imagine she isn’t too happy about it.
>Hmm…
>Is there another you as well?
>Is HE dating the Princess?
>”There you are!”
>Jerking your head towards the sound of that intimately familiar voice, you quickly spot an ivory officer of the law pushing towards you through the bundles of students.
>With very apparent excitement, she briskly steps up to your and grabs you by your biceps.
>She shakes your arms as she stares up into your eyes, desperate to learn the truth.
>”So? Was she right? Is it all true?”
“It’s true. Every bit of it.”
>”No way… No freakin' way!”
>”Erm… Anon?” Sunset interjects, “She knows?”
“O-oh, yeah. She was there when Redheart told us to ask Principal Celestia…”
>”And even if I hadn’t of been there for that, there was still that show in the gymnasium! Speaking of, what’s up with that? And that demon business your nurse friend mentioned?”
“Err… It’s magic?” You shrug, looking to Sunset for help.
>”Yeah. And that demon stuff is true, too. That was me.” Sunset responds with a somewhat downtrodden tone.
>Nevertheless, she quickly puts a smile right back on her face as she extends a hand toward Stitches.
>”I’m Sunset Shimmer. You must be Officer Stitches. Officer Anon’s told me about you!”
>Stitches stares at Sunset’s hand for a brief moment before she manages to recall the basics of manners and greetings.
>She releases your arms and gives Sunset’s hand a frim, friendly shake.
>”Oh? Has he now?” She asks, tossing you a look. “I hope he didn’t say anything nasty about me.”
>”Oh, not at all! He said that you were his best friend, that he doesn’t know what he’d do without you.”
>Your partner seems to pause and linger on Sunset’s word.
>With a happy sigh, Stitches gives Sunset’s hand one last strong shake before gazing deeply into your eyes.
>”Is that what he said?”
>A heartwarming, almost proud smile quickly covers your partners face.
>”Yeah. Something tells me he’d be awfully lost without me around.”

>You crack a smirk back as she stifles a snicker.
>”I don’t know how he’d get out of bed without knowing I’d be there to bug him. Err… b-but let’s get back to the magic, yeah?”
“It’s, uh…”
>Sunset shifts awkwardly and frowns at the prospect of repeating everything she’s shared with you once more.
“It’s a long story.”
>Everything is moving so fast, you’ve barely had a chance to think about any of this.
>You’re just taking everything at face value as it’s shown to you.
>You don’t know where to start explaining to her!
>And how are you supposed to explain this weird reaction that you’re having to her?
“A really long story. Look, I’ll fill you in later, but it’s all true, Stitches. I’ve seen proof.”
>”Erm, about that proof… You guys aren’t going to report us, are you? Y’know, like, tell your boss about all of this?”
>Sunset giggles nervously as her eyes bounce between the two of you.
>”I know this sounds kind of dumb, but… I guess with all of this going on, I kind of forgot you’re a cop.”
>You completely forgot about that.
>You can’t report them, can you?
>There’s no way anyone would believe you anyways.
>Right?
>Not without seeing what you’ve seen.
>Besides, you can’t really just go and blab about all of this after Celestia and the girls put their trust in you?
>Well, you guess you could, but… Again, who would believe you?
>You’d just be making an ass of yourself, and you’ve no doubt that Celestia and the girls wouldn’t appreciate you tattling on them.
>And what if Chief Brass did believe you? What happens to the girls then?
>What happens when the White House learns that magic is legit?
>Christ, what happens to this whole other world?
>No doubt the government will have spooks all over the place looking into this in the blink of an eye if this gets out…
>You…
>You think you’ll just keep your mouth shut.
>”I seriously doubt the Police Chief or anyone else would believe us even if we did try to report it… What’re we supposed to say?”
“We won’t say anything. To anybody. At all. Right, Stitches?”
>”Uh… Sure.” She replies as she pretends to zip up her lips. “I’ll make sure Eye keeps his lips sealed, too.”
“You do that. Not. A. Word. Where IS he anyway?”
>With somewhat of a grimace, Stitches steps aside and points to the street.
>Parked directly in front of the school, a single cruiser sits next to the traffic of vehicles coming and going to pick up the students.
>A jittery, lanky officer sits just inside the ajar passenger-side door, his feet resting on the cement sidewalk.
>His hand trembles as he takes a drag from his cigarette.
“I thought he quit smoking?”
>“He did. He kind of started up again after… You know.”
>Emerging from a nearby cluster of students, Cheerilee approaches Eye with arms crossed.
>With clear annoyance, she turns up her nose as she chides him.
>You can’t hear her, but it’s not hard to guess at her intentions.
>Seconds tick by before Eye finally glares back, leans out of the car, and extinguishes the cigarette on the sidewalk before flicking it from his hand.
“I had no idea.”
>”It’s not an everyday thing. Usually just… ‘rainy’ days.”
“Huh. Well, make sure he understands. Not a word, not even some sarcastic remark.” 
>”He tries to tell anyone, they’ll probably just think he’s crazy. Same for us.”
>With a quick turn back to Sunset, you softly tap your knuckles against her shoulder.
“And you-“
>Abruptly, the voice of a dispatch officer ruptures forth from Stitches’ radio.
>”All units, all units, be advised; 10-21 at the intersection of Saddle and 11th street. Officer needs immediate back-up. All nearby units, please respond.”
>”Ooof… someone’s having a bad day.”
“Hopefully they’ll be okay. Anyways, you guys need to stay out of trouble.”
>”I-“
“Let me finish. I’m not just here to stand around, Sunset. If something happens, I’m probably going to have to get involved; especially if it’s dangerous. If that’s the case, I’m probably going to have to report it, and if THAT’S the case… you see where I’m going?”
>”I understand, Officer Anon.” Sunset says with a nod. “We’re already trying; but, I’ll make sure everybody knows where the line is. Just… try and leave the magic to us. It can be dangerous!”
“Yeah, don’t worry. You don’t have to warn me about that.”
>”You make sure you listen to Mouse here if something happens, and do just like he said; stay out of trouble! I don’t know much about what all of this is, but… D-don’t make me have to come out here and get involved!”
>”I-I will, Officer Stitches! Don’t worry, I’ll definitely try my best!”
>Stitches leers into Sunset with scrutinizing eyes, as if trying to analyze every bit of her moral fiber.
>Hmm…” She hums as she rests her hands on her hips. “Good. You seem like you got a good head on your shoulders. I’m sure I don’t need to say that it’s a bad idea to get involved with the police.”
>Unsure of what else to say, Sunset just smiles uncomfortably and quickly nods.
>”Good. Now, before you go staying out of trouble…” Stitches quietly whispers in a mischievous tone, “C’mon, you gotta show me something.”
>”W-what?”
>”The magic! Show me!”
”Stitches-“
>”All units, all units, be advised; 10-10 at the intersection of Saddle and 11th. I repeat, Officer down at Saddle and 11th. All nearby units, please respond.”
>Officer down?
>Damn. 
>You hope they’re holding on.
“Hey, turn that down.” You say softly, “They don’t want the kids having to hear stuff like that.”
>Stitches blindly reaches behind her and twists the volume knob on radio.
>”Is that why they make you use your own emergency channel? Man… hope they’re holding on. It’s a shame whoever it is is so far away…”
>Yeah. The complete other side of the city.
>”That sounded bad…” Sunset says as she worriedly eyes Stitches’ radio.
>”H-hey, don’t worry about that. Just… police business. We got it handled. So, what can you do? Can you show me?”
“Stitches…” You chide.
>”Aw, come on, Mouse! You got to see everything, and I’m just supposed to sit here and not ask about it? That’s not fair!”
“Life’s not fair. I told you I’ll tell you all about it.”
>”Yeah, well, I don’t just want to hear about it, I wanna see some of it! Don’t make me come back here and start harassing these kids!“
>”I, well… I-if you really want to know, I can read minds. I can hear what people are thinking about, even see old memories.”
>”Really?! Oh, you HAVE to read my mind!”
>”I… I don’t know…”
>”Pleeeeease? C’mon, just once.” Stitches pleads, “How am I supposed to believe all this if I don’t see it in action?”
“You’ve already seen it in-“
>”Shush! C’mon Sunset, just this once. You can make it quick. Please?”
>As Sunset takes a moment to think, her eyes briefly drift over to you, as if looking for feedback.
>You simply sigh and roll your eyes in indifference.
>”Well… Alright. If you’re really okay with it, I guess I don’t mind.”
>”Yes!” your partner cheers with an ecstatic hop. “Okay, how does this work?”
>”Simple. I just touch you and I’ll see inside your head. Why don’t you try and focus on… something that makes you happy. Any old fond memory will do; whatever makes you happiest. Then, just focus on that memory the best you can, so I don’t see anything else and go accidentally invading your privacy. Okay?”
>Stitches’ eyes wander in thought as she works to pinpoint just what she wants to focus on.
>”Alright… I think I got it.”
>Sunset glances behind her to the crowd of teenagers hiding her from the traffic on the road.
>Satisfied with the barrier of students as cover, she looks back to Stitches.
>She takes a deep breath before inching toward your partner and reaching her fingers up to Stitches’ temples.
>”Now, just… relax.”
>The instant Sunset’s fingers touch skin, her aquamarine eyes flare up in a bright, white light. 
>Stitches stares anxiously back into the light.
>Seconds tick by before you notice Sunset jaw slacken just a little.
>Then, a wide, joyful smile overtakes Sunset’s previously blank expression.
>She even lets out a giddy giggle.
>”Hehehe… Aww…”
>Stitches’ smile grows alongside hers, and for a moment, they both seem to enjoy whatever it is she’s thinking about.
>But Sunset’s smile quickly disappears as her jaw drops in what you assume is shock.
>Or maybe awe.
>Disgust?
>Without moving her head, Stitches shoots you a concerned glance as Sunsets face begins to flush with a red tint.
>With a sudden jerk, Sunset yanks her hands away from Stitches head.
>As her blush grows, Sunset averts her eyes to the ground.
>What did she see?
>”So, uh… W-wow, Speedy sure was one heck of an energetic dog, h-huh? I’ve never seen a dog run around the house so fast they actually tore up the carpet…”
>Stitches passes you another uneasy look before awkwardly responding.
>”Ha, hahahe… Yeeeeeep. He’d get so wound up, he’d just… bolt around the house like that. He’d turn on a dime and his claws would just… tear that carpet right up! That dog was crazy.”
>A flushed pink tint begins to appear on her face as well.
>She tries her best to hide it through looking off in any direction than your’s or Sunset’s.
>Sunset just quietly nods as she continues closely observing her shoelaces.
>With the exception of a quick, uncomfortable cough from Stitches, they both quickly fall into total silence.
“…What?”
>Stitches quickly jerks her head back up and vigorously shakes her head at you.
>Oh god, what did Sunset see?
“What? Sunset?”
>Excruciatingly slowly, Sunset manages to pick her eyes up off the ground and face you.
>”I-I-I, uhm…” she stutters out as her eyes dart over to Stitches. “I didn’t know you guys were…  I didn’t think… Y-you guys are pretty close for best friends.”
>Stitches slaps her hands over her face, but that doesn’t stop you from see the blood practically boiling inside her like tea in a tea pot.
>Oh.
 >Great. 
>She started thinking about you two having sex.
>Now, as you feel your own blood pooling in your cheeks, you too get to join in on this embarrassment party.
“Are you for real?”
>”W-what?! She said to think of something that made me happy!”
“So you thought of that?!”
>”No! I thought of the last Christmas we all had together! And, then I thought of that…”
>”This is kind of why I don’t like getting inside people’s heads.”
“And that’s exactly why I didn’t want you in mine. Never speak of this again.”
>”Yes, sir.” She meekly replies.
>Eugh… Great.
>You just know this girl will never see you the same now.
>No doubt, whatever she saw will be stuck in her head for some time to come.
>Just like that time you walked in on Dad and…
>Whoever that woman was.
>You wonder just how much did she see, anyway?
>Again, Stitches’ radio begins barking callouts, pulling you from your thoughts.
>”All units, be advised; multiple 10-21’s in progress at 4th and Carriage, and the south end of Horseshoe Park along Trottingham Drive. Officers need immediate back-up. Any nearby units, please respond.”
>Stitches’ hastily reaches back to turn down the radio another click or two.
>”THREE 10-21’s?! Man, what is going on today? We barely get that in a month!”
“Yeah. I don’t like this.”
>”Me either. Somethings up.”
>”Oh, there they are! Oh, Sunset! Oh, Anooon~!”
>Hailing you from the front steps of the school, Rarity calls your name in a pleasant, melodic voice.
>She flashes you her usual confident smirk as she strides towards you, Pinkie and Applejack right by her sides.
>Trailing not far behind them, Luna and Armor emerge from the same door.
>While Luna seems like her usual self, Armor stares your way with the same grim and distressed look both you and Stitches wear.
>He must’ve heard the calls, too.
>”All…all units, all units, be advised; We have a 10-21 in progress at- Yes, I know, hold on!“
>A fourth one?
>What the hell is going on?
>”Anon?” Sunset asks, pulling your attention from the call. “What’s going on? What’s a 10-21?”
“It’s, uh…”
>”Dispatch, say again? Over.” Stitches radios back.
>Despite the request to repeat, the radio remains silent.
>The lack of feedback causes your guts to churn with unease.
>”…Anon?”
“It’s… It’s an assault on an officer.”
>You have a nasty feeling that something terrible is about to go down.

>”So all of those calls were… Oh no, that’s terrible!
>”There you are! Sorry to keep everybody waiting.” Rarity remarks as she peppily approaches you. 
>Only as she comes to a complete stop does she seem to even register Stitches’ presence.
>“Oh! I saw you on the gymnasium floor earlier, didn’t I? You must be Officer Anon’s friend.  Would you care to introduce us, Anon?”
>You hear Rarity, but her words mostly go through one ear and out the other.
>You just keep your eyes locked on Armor.
>”Er… Anon? Dear?”
“Not now, Rarity.”
>As Armor and Luna near, the Vice-Principal looks your way and parts her lips to speak, only to quickly be interrupted by your partner.
>”Officer Anon. Detective Armor was-“
>”Armor! Where’ve you been?” Stitches questions.
>”The library. Wanted to check in on my baby sis,” he responds as he briskly pushes through Rarity and the others. “You guys been hearing the radio?”
“We were going to ask you the same thing.”
>”This is crazy. I got goosebumps, my hair’s standing on end…”
>Armor gives his head an apprehensive shake.
>”This isn’t right.” He affirms.
>”Hmm…? Officers, is something the matter?” Rarity obliviously asks.
>When you fail to immediately respond, Sunset passes you a morose look before offering up her own answer.
>”It’s not good, girls. It sounds like there’s been a lot of attacks on police officers!”
>”What?! Oh no!” Pinkie cries.
>”Heavens above, how awful! Is everyone alright?”
>”Why on earth would anyone go pickin’ fights with the law like that?”
>Luna places her commanding hands on Pinkie’s and Applejack’s shoulders, forcing them to turn her way.
>”Girls? Perhaps you should let these Officers worry about this? Why don’t you all give them some space.”
>They all meet each other’s eyes before backing away at Luna’s authoritative urging.
>”Y-yes, Vice-Principal. I guess, Bye Anon… Be safe.” Sunset sullenly remarks. “Officer Stitches, Detetive Armor… You guys, too.”
>”Yeah! Don’t let those nasty criminals get the drop on you!”
>”Pinkie! Watch the volume, please!” Shushes Luna as she shoos them away.
>The instant the girls pull their worried eyes from you, Luna whips her attention right back to you.
>She steps in towards you and the others, tilting her head down as she begins to speak with a lowered voice.
>”Is it bad? Are you all at danger here?” 
>Her eyes nervously bounce between the three of you, urgently seeking answers.
>”I trust you all to understand that if you’re at danger, so are the students.”
>Armor takes point with Luna’s inquiry.
>”Of course we understand, Vice-Principal. But it’s hard to say.”
>You decide to glance back at Eye, just to see if he’s paying attention.
>Though Cheerilee still lingers at the cruiser, likely making small talk, Eye’s hawkish eyes gleam as he watches with full attentiveness from afar.
>”Every call made so far has been pretty far away; pretty much on the other side of town.” Stitches explains. “But, Dispatch didn’t finish that last transmission, and that worries me. What’s worse is that there’s two officers out there waiting for back-up, and nobody even knows where they are…”
>As you go to turn back to Luna, you take note of an old, black Impala as it pulls up to the sidewalk just in front of Stitches’ cruiser.
>You briefly admire the classic before examining the steady flow of traffic moving by in front of the school.
 >At least traffic is moving fairly quickly.
>With traffic moving fast, the student body clears out faster.
“But, it does sound like someone’s actively looking to start a fight. There’s no telling if they’re around here, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.”
>Luna crosses her arms and nods.
>”My thoughts exactly. There’s just no point in risking it. I’m going to have the students move inside to the halls. As for you all… I don’t mean to be rude, but I think it would be best if you left.”
>”Oh, no worries, Vice-Principal. I can assure you that we understand.”
>”We should probably get back to patrol anyways…” Stitches mutters as she glances back at the cruiser.
>She gestures to Eye with a twist of her wrist.
>A moment later, you hear the engine roar to life.
>”Thank you for understanding. Detective Armor, you’re always welcome to stop in and check up on your little sister. Maybe it’d help keep her and her friends out of trouble!”
>”Hmm… Somehow I doubt that.” He says with a grin.
>”And you, Officer Stitches… I hope there’s no ill feelings about earlier. You’re welcome to stop by and-“
>Stitches’ and Armor’s radios give you a jolt of surprise as they buzz back to life.
>”Attention all units, attention all units…”
>As the call continues, you notice that the call is louder and sounds much closer than the past few.
>When you realize the call is coming through your own radio as well, a chill runs through you.
>” This is an emergency broadcast; I repeat, this is an emergency broadcast. All officers are ordered to return to your designated precincts unless otherwise actively responding to a to an emergency. Officers are strongly advised to avoid unnecessary proximity to civilians.”
>Oh, this is not good.
>”I repeat…”
>As dispatch goes on to repeat the call, Luna jerks herself around and calls out to all those still outside.
>”O-okay, attention, students? I need everyone to calmly move back inside to the hallways right now, please!”
>A sea of eyes turns her way, confusion on every one of their faces.
>”But schools out, Ms. Luna!”
>”My mom is right there, thou-“
>”If your ride is already here, please go ahead and go home! If you are still waiting on a ride, please make your way back inside in a calm and orderly fashion! Ms. Cheerilee, a little help?”
>As Cheerilee frantically runs to offer what help she can amidst the confusion, Eye slams his car door shut and runs over to you.
>He arrives as dispatch begins it’s second repeat of the emergency.
>”Guys, I don’t know what’s going on but we gotta get the fuck out of here.”
>”Yeah, we got ears, too, Eye. We’re just about to split. Mouse, you heading back as well?”
“I… I don’t know.”
>”You should be. That was a call for ALL officers, not to mention the part about proximity to civilians.” Armor adamantly states.
>He’s right.
>You feel uncomfortable just leaving the school unprotected in the midst of whatever this is, but…
>If things are like they seem, you’d just be painting a big target on the building and endangering everyone around you.
>You cannot stay here.
“Yeah, you’re right. You guys go on ahead, I’m going to give Celestia and Luna a heads-up before I leave.”
>”Sounds good, Mouse. Don’t keep us waiting, you hear?” 
“I’ll be right behind you.”
>Stitches gives an affirmative nod as she and the others begin to back away.
>”And stay safe!” Armor hollers back.
“Yeah, yeah…” You mutter.
>You spin around and begin to make your way towards the front doors, now surrounded by the remaining students as they attempt to all squeeze inside together.
>You barely manage to make it past the statue before Rarity and Pinkie Pie come running back up to you with Applejack and Sunset vainly following along and attempting to persuade them back.
>”Officer Anon? Now what’s wrong?” Rarity asks. “Why are we being moved inside?”
>”Yeah, now what’s going on?! Are we under attack? Is it those darn Reds? Or aliens? Or-”
>Applejack quickly slaps her hand over Pinkies mouth before she rambles on.
>”C’mon girls, y’all heard what Vice-Principal Luna said. Let’s get ta movin’!”
“You girls need to get inside. Right now.”
>”Come on, Rarity. You heard him.” Sunset begs as she tugs at Rarity’s wrist. “Vice-Principal Luna already said so, too!”
>”Oh, calm down, Sunset! There’s still a line at the door anyway, so what’s the harm in-“
>”GUN, GUN, GU-“
>”GET DOW-“
>You hear Eye’s and Stitches’ voice cut off as gunfire begins to tear through the air.
>You jerk yourself around, feeling deep-seeded terror and agony well up from inside you as you lay your eyes on the scene before you.
>From the old impala you had just admired, two shooters lean out and let a hail of gunfire fly forth from it’s windows.
>A third shooter climbs out and stands in the road as he fires his buckshot straight towards your friends as they rush for cover behind the cruiser.
>But it seems one of them never had a chance to run.
>Laying in the grass barely feet from his sidewalk lies Eye, his weapon still tucked away in his holster.
>He helplessly stares up at the sky in shock as blood pours forth from the tiny whole in the side of his skull.
“Eye, no…”
>His head slowly rolls onto it’s side, his lips barely trembling as he meets your eyes.
>He almost seems to mouth something to you before the life in his eyes finally fades, leaving him motionless in the ground.
“No. No, no, no…” You mutter to yourself, feeling tears begin form in the corners of your eyes.
>All that fills your ears is the sound of gunfire and the shrill screams of young women and men.
>You feel your heart beating and beating faster and faster in your chest, you feel the adrenaline and fear coursing through your body.
>And yet, you freeze.
>Your body refuses to move.
>Despite the screams of your own inside your mind, screams for help, screams of fear, all you can do is stand and watch as the assailants pepper Stitches’ cruiser with bullets.
>As if he could detect your hesitation, the bandana-wearing man in the passenger seat shifts his sights to you.
>The voice in your head screams at you to move, to get behind something, to draw and return fire, to do anything!
>But you just won’t budge.
>”Anon?!”
>This is it. 
>This is how it all ends.
>”ANON?!”
>You close your eyes, accept your fate, and wait.
>As a fresh burst of gunfire thunders out, a bright light begins to shine through the cracks of your eyelids.
>You hear thud after thud in front of you with a girl’s scared grunts and groans, followed by the clinking of metal against concrete.
>Before you can open your eyes, an overwhelming force throws you to the ground.
>You quickly feel a body pile on top of you.
>Then, another.
>You finally crack your eyes back open, finding Applejack and Rarity resting on top of you, their faces nearly pressed against yours.
>You see the stone Wondercolt statue looming high above their heads, with the great blue sky beyond that.
>”Anon?!” Applejack screams as she shakes your head. “What’re ya doin’?!”
>”Anon, dear, please be alrig-“
>Cement shrapnel flies off the statue’s corner as it blocks incoming fire, peppering your saviors with pebbles and dust.
>They bury their faces against your chest.
>A bloodcurdling scream screeches out from beside you, drilling into your ear and breaking you from your stupor.
>”AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!”
>You face the piercing cry, finding Pinkie Pie wrapped around a weeping Sunset, bundled up together as tightly and compactly as they can.
>Even Pinkie looks like she can barely comprehend what is happening.
>Sunset just shuts her eyes, gibbering incomprehensibly and screaming with every new burst of fire.
>”Anon? Anon?!” Applejack shouts in desperation as she roughly slaps her hand against your cheek. “We need help, Anon!”
>Making sure to remain behind the statue, Rarity carefully climbs off of you and looks out across the school’s courtyard.
>”O-oh, no…” She mutters, her hands shakily covering her mouth. 
>The mascara lining her eyes quickly begins to run.
>“Sweetie? W-where are you? Oh, please be okay, please be okay…”
>”ANON!?”
>Applejack all but screams in your face, grabbing you by the vest and rocking you violently back and forth.
“Y-y-yeah, I’m okay, I’m-“
>”GET UP!” She shouts, yanking herself up and pulling you with her.
>She pushes you up against the statue’s wall before shaking and shouting at you again.
>”ANON, PLEASE!”
>Your eyes peer over her head, revealing the gruesome sight of more than a few students left splayed out on the ground, the cement walkways, the stairs leading up the front doors…
>Some still move, rolling in pain and crying for help.
>A few do not seem so fortunate.
>You see Luna herself not too far from the doors, sheltering a student with her own body.
>But it seems most of the student body made it back inside.
>Thankfully.
>Your arm shoots up, taking Applejacks wrist in hand and pulling it from your body armor.
>You push her and Rarity aside as you sidle up to the statue’s edge, draw your pistol, chamber a round, and force yourself to peek around the corner just enough to get a view of the cruiser.
>Though Eye still stares lifelessly towards you, you force yourself to look past him.
>Pressed against the rear of the cruiser, Stitches holds her ground against the shooters.
>With a radio in one hand and his revolver in the other, Armor leans forward just enough for you to notice him as he surveys the damage.
>Oh, thank god they’re okay!
>”Dispatch, this is Delta-4-3! Taking fire in front of Canterlot High School, need immediate assistance! We… We got an officer down. He isn’t moving, and… some kids have been hit. I don’t know how bad.”
>The man in the roads fires another shell at the trunk of the car, shattering the already ravaged rear window.
>The poor civilians behind your friends duck below their dash as a few stray balls of buckshot piece their windshield.
>Stitches tries to lean out to get a shot on the shooters, only to be immediately forced back by another suppressive burst.
>WHY ARE YOU JUST WATCHING THIS HAPPEN?! DO SOMETHING!
>You recklessly lean out further, and the impala comes back into sight.
>The shotgunner and the man in the back still have their attention focused on your friends.
>Though he still has his muzzle pointed your way, the bandana man sits turned to the driver, shouting and urgently pointing your way.
>Seeing your chance, you quickly check the road behind them.
>The closest lane is blockaded by the shotgunner, but…
>No cars in the opposite lane. Nothing in your line of fire.
>You take a single step out from behind the statue and line your sights up on the shooter.
>The masked driver sees you and presses herself as low as possible in anticipation.
>Just as the shooter pulls his eyes back from the driver, you pull the trigger.
>Again.
>And again.
>And again.
>And again.
>And again.
>You lose count how many times you fire.
>The bandana man fires wildly as his body tenses up, but the burst stops as he slumps forward against the dash, his weapon left dangling from a limp arm outside his window.
>Just behind the body, you see the driver’s short, feathery white hair lingering as low as she can.
>The shooter’s fire falls into a lull as they try to figure out what just happened.
>You hear an angry, gruff woman’s voice scream out directions at them.
>”…hind the staTUE, YOU FUCKING MORONS!”
>You rush to line your sights up on the next gunman, but he beats you to it.
>As a fresh wave of fire flies your way, you jump back into cover.
>Sunset lets out another guttural screech, which you try your best to ignore.
>After a quick hail, your gunman ceases; but you can still hear thunderous boom after boom from the man in the street.
>Two distinct shots fire back, which you recognize as Armor’s .357.
>Again, you safely lean out just enough to get eyes on the cruiser.
>Tightly clutching her pistol, Stitches stares back at you with eyes ready to burst into tears.
>The shotgunner fires one more shell before he steps into your frame of view, steadily walking towards the sidewalk while loading more shells into his weapon.
“STITCHES! LEFT FLANK!” You shout, raising your weapon towards the shotgunner.
>You manage to get off one wild shot before the car’s remaining gunner opens back up on your exposed arms, forcing you back.
>Over the cracks and whizzes coming your way, you head Stitches and the shotgunner engage each other.
>Your heart breaks when you hear her yelp.
>You switch your pistol into your left hand and, holding your weapon as tightly to your body as possible, peak out once more.
>The shotgunner stands over Eye’s body, dumping shell after shell towards Stitches.
>Through the space between the trunk and the road, you can see her lower body desperately scampering away from the incoming shot.
>You aren’t sure where on her, but you see red.
>As he moves to circle around the car, you unleash a wild burst of gunfire of your own towards him.
>He fires again more before stumbling and falling onto his side, then another aimless shot as he tries to prop himself up on his elbow.
>You fire until your weapon’s slide locks to the rear, all the while ignoring the gunfire and cement shards flying your way from the car.
>Muscle memory takes over as you drop and catch the mag and quickly exchange it for another from your vest.
>You load, release the slide, and fire into him some more.
>You feel satisfied with at least half of this mag buried within him.
>With complete disregard of your own safety, you lean out once more to engage the remaining gunner.
>But you only manage to send a handful of rounds towards him before the impala’s engine roars and it’s tires screech.
>It speeds dangerously down the road, flying through a red light and continuing on out of sight.
>At last, the screams of horror and booming gunfire ceases, only for dreadful sobs and wails of bystanders to fill the now quiet air.
>”Are… Are they gone?” Applejack asks.
>“Shh-shhh…” Pinkie coos to Sunset, audibly resisting tears herself. “It’s over now, everything’s okay.”
>”S-sweetie?” Rarity mutters, hesitantly stepping out from behind the statue.
>”C’mon ya’ll, we… we have to do something!” 
>Applejack rushes out as well, bee-lining straight to Luna, who begins to stir from the ground.
 >You step out as well and slowly begin to tread towards the cruiser, all the while keeping your weapon trained on the abandoned shooter’s body.
>Please be okay, please be okay…
>You can’t do this again.
>Not with her.
>”Anon? We need help over here, Trixie’s hurt!” Applejack shouts.
>Immediately, you hear Sunset devolve further into a raving mess.
>”Trixie?! TRIXIE?!” 
>You force yourself to keep moving forward, just putting one shaky foot in front of the other.
>Just as you reach the shooter and separate his shotgun from the body, Armor’s voice calls out on the radio once more.
>”Dispatch, this is Delta-4-3; need emergency medical care at Canterlot High School right away! We have one officer dead… another critically wounded, and… I don’t know how many civilians hurt. We need help, now!”
>No! God, please, no!
>More and more voices rise up from behind you.
>Some you recognize, some you don’t.
>It all blends together into chaotic white noise that you try your best to tune out.
>You just keep moving towards the cruiser, your urgency rising with each step.
>Parent’s and passing strangers abandon their cars, rushing past you to the aid of the children.
>Some stop and say something, trying to get your attention.
>You ignore them all.
>Drawing nearer to the car, you begin to make out a woman’s pained grunts.
>Then, an answer from the radio.
>”Delta-4-3, officers and emergency care is on it’s way. Keep your eyes peeled and try to hang on.”
>”Oh, thank god! O-okay, now just try and keep pressure on the-“
>”Argh! I know… Agh, I know what to do, Armor.”
>You finally step around the back of the ruined cruiser, finding Armor tending to a bloodied and wounded Stitches.
>Two holes dot her left arm, blood running from each.
>You almost feel relieved.
>You almost think, ‘maybe he thought I was down’.
>’Maybe it was just a mistake’.
>But then you see the two pairs of blood smeared hands clamped over her deeply reddened upper thigh.
>”Okay, just… just sit tight. Help is coming. I have to go check on everyone else.”
>Armor springs to his feet, nearly running into you with his first step.
>”Mous! Come on, we need to see what we can do!”
>He rushes past you, but you don’t move.
>Stitches looks up from her wound, her teary eyes locking onto yours.
>”Mous? Mous!”
>You can’t pull your eyes away from her.
>Armor tugs at your arm, but you swat him away.
>”…Damn it!” He curses as he continues on alone.
>”Mouse…”
>You holster your weapon, leap to her side and fall to your knees. 
>Trying to think fast, you begin pressing down on her hands as hard as you can.
“Just hold on, Stitches.”
>”He wasn’t moving. They got him, too, didn’t they?”
“He’s… gone.”
>She clenches her eyes shut as the tears begin to roll down her cheeks.
>Her breathing takes a shaky turn as she rolls her head back, smacking against the car with a thud.
>”Damn it… I, he… I couldn’t… They just…”
“K-keep your eyes open, Stitches!”
>She weakly cracks her eyes back open, staring at you with what almost seems like indifference.
>In a matter of seconds, her beautiful ivory complexion turns to a deathly pale.
>”Mouse…” She whispers.
“Hold on. Keep pressure on that for me.”
>You rip your equipment belt off and set it aside.
>As your fingers go to work at the belt lining your jeans, Stitches’ hands begin to slip away.
>”Mouse, it hit my femoral… There’s just too much blood.” 
“You can make it, help is on the way! Hold that wound!”
>Quickly, you pull your belt from your jeans and attempt to loop it around her thigh a few inches above the wound.
>Damn it! Why does the wound have to be so high up?!
>As you begin to pull the improvised tourniquet tight, Stitches rests her bloody hand upon yours.
>”Mouse. Stop it, please.”
>You clamp your eyes closed as you feel your own tears begin to rise.
>You feel her other hand come to rest on your shoulder.
>Weakly, she pulls you toward her.
>”You know what this means.” She whispers.
>As her fingers intertwine with yours, you let yourself fall forward into her embrace.
“No. No! This isn’t right! It’s not-“
>”I know, Mouse…” She says softly, pressing her forehead against yours. “I know…”
>Her warm breath washes against your face as she lets out a restrained, mournful sigh.
>”M-m-mouse…” She murmurs, her voice trembling as she chokes back her sorrow.
>You feel yourself on the edge, your body nearly ready to let your rampaging emotions run free.
>But you force your eyes open for her, finding her watery violet eyes inches from yours.
>”I l-l-l-love… y-you.”
>Her fingers squeeze yours with what little strength she has left.
>You reach your arm around her back to hold her as tightly as you can.
“I… I love you, too, Stitches. I love you, too.”
>She smiles terribly feeble smile at you.
>”I… know…”
>Her jaw slackens just a little as one last breath escapes from her lips.
>Her eyes seem to lose focus.
>Slowly, her head pulls from yours and rolls limply to her shoulder.
>And just like that…
>She’s gone.
>For what seems like an eternity, all you do is stare at her.
>You can’t believe it.
>This has to be a dream; a nightmare.
>Doesn’t it?
>But after some time, you knew it was real.
>No matter how much you didn’t want it to be.
>You squeeze her tightly, resting your head on her still warm shoulders.
>And you let yourself go.

----------

-Four days later…-
>With cement feet and heavy eyelids, you slowly trudge through the station’s drearily busy halls.
>The blurry, unfocused silhouettes of your fellow officers march and rush around you.
>None of their faces even register to you as you avoid their eyes, intent on keeping your own on the floor as you navigate.
>You see some of them turn as you pass by; staring at you.
>Some even whisper to each other in subdued voices.
>Too quiet to understand, but just loud enough to hear.
>It isn’t hard to guess what they’re saying.
>Do they blame you for their deaths?
>For freezing like that?
>Do they blame you for the innocent high schoolers that ended up getting caught in the fire?
>You know the parents do.
>You’ve seen them and their children crying on the news.
>Pointing fingers every which way they can in their best effort to cope.
>’Better gun control, the police need to crack down on crime…’
>’The officer just stood there.’
>You try your best to shake the thoughts from inside your head.
>But you try in vain.
>But, thankfully, most of the stares only last a moment before onlookers move on.
>You pick up your pace as you head toward the Chief’s office, and before you know it the whispers fade away into obscurity.
>You come to the end of the halls and quickly pass through the door the main offices.
>As always, it’s filled with the aroma of cheap coffee.
>But, you find it unusually quiet and somber.
>While a small handful of officers push pencils at their desks, most of the life in the room lingers around the TV sat upon the counter next to the coffee machine in the far corner.
>Again, you face the stares of your peers as some of the pencil pushers take notice of you.
>You’re happy to find that they remain silent.
>As they return to their work, you set your sights on the Chief’s door dead ahead on the other side of the room.
>You get yourself moving again, desperate to avoid any more attention.
>Halfway through, you pick up the sound of Chief Brass’ voice coming from the TV.
>”…believe this sudden aggression to be in response of the successful raids we’ve made against the Empire’s drug labs and the arrests of their distributors, but… Whatever the reason may be, it caught us all by surprise.”
>Sounds like he’s talking to the press.
>Well, at least you know his office is empty.
>You can just hide away in there until he’s done.
>You couldn’t stand to wait out here, around the prying eyes of others.
>”This level of widespread and methodical violence is unheard of from the criminal organizations that reside in our city. To put it simply… we’ve been hit with one nasty sucker punch. However, I want to make it clear to the citizens of Canterlot that we are not rolling over. We are NOT allowing these criminals free reign over the city.”
>As you close within an arm’s reach of the Chief’s door, you reach out and take the knob in hand.
>But, you decide to linger just a bit longer to hear what Chief Brass has to say.
>”We have already made multiple arrests in our investigation to find those responsible for these disgusting acts. We are already deep into planning how to approach raids on known and soon to be discovered criminal dens. We are already in talks with neighboring cities and towns for backup and assistance. Rest assured, we will not let these terrible acts go unpunished. We will have justice! Thank you for your time.”
>Immediately, the press room explodes with the shouts of reporters desperate for the Chief’s attention.
>”Chief Brass! Can you share any details on just what your plans are?”
>“Any comment on Mr. Rich demanding that Mayor Mare and the Governor call in the National Guard? Are we at risk of facing temporary martial law?”
>Christ, the National Guard? 
>”Police Chief Brass! Do you believe the substantial loss of officers will have an effect on your efforts going forward?”
>The questions go on and on.
>But they never receive an answer.
>You guess the Chief isn’t taking questions today.
>With the assumption that the conference is over, you turn the nob and step quietly into Chief Brass’ office.
>Feeling slightly more at ease away from the lingering eyes of others, you take a seat in the comfy leather chair in front of the desk and resolve to wait patiently for the Chief.
>It’s not long at all before you feel your heavy eyelids begin to droop down.
>Weighing heavier and heavier by the second, you feel yourself almost give in to sweet temptations of sleep, your head dipping lower with each resistive blink.
>But after four days of struggling against these temptations in vain, you know what torment awaits you in your dreams.
>Just as you nearly pass over into the dreamworld, you jolt yourself awake and hop up from the chair.
>You shake your head and deliver a heavy slap to your own cheek as you begin to pace about the room like a zombie.
>You trudge about from corner to corner for what seems like an eternity until you hear a gruff voice grumbling just outside the door.
>”Fucking hell…” The voice mutters as the door to the office wildly swings open.
>None other than the Chief himself stomps inside and promptly slams the door behind him.
>”Like we’re gonna make this look even worse by begging for the National Guard’s help.”
>He sneers and clenches both hands around the thick stack of folders in his hand as he steps toward his desk.
“…Can we even do that?”
>The fearsome man jumps mid-step at the sound of your voice, attempting to cover his vitals with the stack of folders.
>The second he lays eyes on you, he seems to relax.
>”Jesus… It’s just you.”
“Sorry. You were still talking to the press when I got here, so I just… let myself in.”
>He sighs and nods in understanding, yet his eyes linger inquisitively on your face.
>”Yes. Don’t you remember the LA riots?”
“Oh. Right… I guess it just slipped my mind.”
>”I know it’s a little before your time, but I’d hope that would be something they’d cover at the academy.”
>He motions for you to take a seat as he moves to his own chair before continuing. 
>”I don’t like it. I don’t want it. Things have already cooled down a little, but if we can’t get a full grasp on things, that may be what we’ll be looking at. Depends what the Governor wants. Or the President, if it gets that bad. But that’s not why I called you here.”
>He thoughtlessly tosses the folders down on his desk as he sits down.
>You retake your own seat, against your better judgement.
>Just to help you make it through the conversation, you scoot forward to the chairs very edge.
>Immediately, your left leg begins bouncing restlessly on the ball of your foot.
>”How are you holding up, Mous?”
>Like the answer isn’t obvious.
“Rough.”
>He nods slowly as he continues to stare at you, taking note of your features like someone would a painting.
>”I can tell.” He sighs. “I’ve seen livelier things splattered across the road.”
>He leans forward and rests his elbows on the edge of the desk, intertwining his fingers just before his chin.
>He finally looks away from you, directing his eyes down to the folders instead.
>One folder in particular.
>”I’m not going to lie to you, son. It’s not looking good for you.”
>You don’t need to ask what he means. 
>You’ve been watching the news.
>”After what happened outside the school, you came up again as a point of discussion among some important individuals; worried about your mental and emotional health, and your stability.”
>Chief Brass delivers a quick scratch to one of his grey sideburns before brushing most of the folders aside.
>The one he stared at, however, is pulled front and center before him.
>Pinching the corner between his finger and thumb, he opens the folder by just an inch before stopping.
>”I don’t even know why I’m opening this thing, I’ve read it so many god damn times.” He says, dropping the folder’s cover back in place.
>He shoots you a sorrowful grimace before lowering his eyes to the table.
>”’I believe Officer Mous panicked and froze in place after witnessing Officer Eye suffer a lethal bullet wound to the head, as he seemed to remain completely still and in shock during the initial bursts of fire.  I believe two nearby students forced him into cover and concealment, where he remained until he regained his senses and began to return fire’.”
>He lightly drums his fingers across the cover of the folder as he carries on.
>”’They started shooting and the guy just stood there.’ ‘I got down on the floor and looked outside and Officer Anon wasn’t doing anything. Applejack and Rarity had to save him’.”
>The Chief lets out one last mournful sigh as he drags his eyes even further away from you.
>He pulls his fingers back and tightly clenches them into a fist.
>You can hear his skin creak as it tightly drags across his fingernails.
>”’The officer in question refused to release the body of the late Officer Quick Stitches. The officer in question seemed dazed and was unresponsive to most attempts to communicate with him. Upon attempts to forcefully separate him from Officer Quick Stitches’ body, the officer in question became aggressive and violently lashed out’.”
>Chief Brass crosses his arms before leaning back and planting his eyes on you again.
>”…And now I’ve got a forensics investigator with a broken nose and a patrolman who’s going to need to see his dentist soon. I could go on with the witness statements and reports for a while, but neither of us wants to hear it. There’s not much I can do for you, Mous.”
>Even though you expected just this, the news still hurts to hear.
>You hang your head low in defeat like the miserable man you are.
“I understand. It all just… happened so fast. Everything. I-I don’t even remember what happened after she…”
>”I know, son. I know how it is. I wasn’t always locked up in this dusty office. I’ve lost friends, too; I’ve watched others go through it… It’s heartbreaking. But, this is an outstanding case. With concerns raised about you in the past, and now this… my hands are mostly tied. I did what I could.”
>So that’s it then.
>You knew that’s what this was about.
“I understand, sir. I’ll get my stuff from my desk and locker, and-“
>”Not yet,” He interrupts. “I said there isn’t much, but I am still fighting for you. You’re a good officer; exactly who we need out there right now, but I can’t put you out there like this.”
“So… I’m not done?” You say, gaining the slightest bit of optimism.
>”No, you are. For now. The board wanted you gone, but I wouldn’t hear it. Not without a deal.”
“A deal?”
>With a stern face, he suddenly leans forward and jabs a finger towards you.
>”You’re on leave, three months paid. You have six months to seek psychiatric help and provide proof that you are doing so, or I’m going to be forced to cut you free. Once you prove you are actively seeking help from a qualified professional, paid leave will be restored until it is determined that you are able to return to light duty here at the station or that you are unfit for further duty.”
>You grit your teeth at the thought of talking to a therapist.
>Let alone anyone else.
>But you can’t just sit around feeling sorry for yourself in the middle of this crisis.
>You have to make yourself useful somehow.
“Only light duty?”
>”ONLY light duty.” He snaps.  “Paperwork. Desk duty. Like I said, Mous; I get it. But you have to understand, you are a liability right now. I’m not putting you back out there, let alone giving you a firearm, until I know you’re good.
>Even though you know he’s right, his words somehow manage to further bruise your already ruined ego.
“I… I understand.”
>”Good. So?”
“…I think I need some time to think about it.”
>”Alright. But don’t take too long, you’ve only got three months before I have to cut you off. But… Unless you had anything else you wanted to discuss…”
>You shake your head.
>”That’s all I had for you then. I’m glad you made it in today, Mous.”
>Not sure what else to say, you simply nod as you rise from your chair.
>The second you move, he hops to his feet as well.
“Y-yeah. I’ll be sure to call if I have any questions.”
>You know you won’t.
>He nods and hums in approval.
>Just as you turn to leave, he utters your name and juts his hand out towards you.
>”Mous.”
>You stare at his extended hand for a moment before the serious look on the Chiefs face nudges you to take it in your own.
>The instant your palms meet, his fingers wrap tightly around your hand.
>As his eyes begin to glisten, he clamps his other hand down on top of the handshake just to make his point clear.
>”You keep your head down, Mous. You stay safe. And if you start hurting… start getting some bad thoughts in your head telling you to hurt yourself or someone around you, you talk to someone. You talk to me, your girlfriend, your neighbor, your landlord, your barber, the bartender, some random asshole off the street; just… talk to someone. It’s okay to ask for help. Don’t let these demons win. It’s not worth it.”
>The lump lodged in your throat prevents you from speaking.
>Like you’d know what to say anyway.
>Unable to pull your eyes away from his own, you muster a measly nod.
>He nods as well and gives your hand one more strong shake before letting you go.
>You linger for a moment, but you quickly find that he has no more words for you.
>As you feel your breathing hitching in your throat, you awkwardly flee his office.
>The second you step outside, you’re immediately reminded of the existence of all the other nearby officers, whose gaze fall upon you as you hastily exit the Chief’s office.
>Desiring nothing more than to be alone, you desperately avoid any more human interaction as you urgently leave the station to return home and seek out what little comfort you have left.

----------

-A few hours later, on the other side of town…-

>You lay your head against the rain covered window, staring out into the dreary October evening.
>Though the city’s light shine as bright as ever, the streets seem significantly lonelier.
>It’s only six o’clock and the city seems devoid of it’s usual life.
>Aside from the traffic coming and going through the roads, of course.
>But even that seems to have died down.
>Those that remain out, walking the streets and loitering about…
>They don’t seem like the friendliest people to you.
>On more than one occasion has your curious and wary gaze lingered on them; more than once have you been met with a cold, challenging stare back.
>Needless to say, you don’t walk around a whole lot any more.
>You still can’t believe what’s happened.
>You’d heard about the crimes and the criminals, but you’d never seen them before.
>Not in person.
>Not so close up.
>You always thought it was terrible, but it had never impacted someone you actually knew before.
>And now…
>What happened with Bulk, and Twilight and Timber…
>Sugarcoat and those people Officer Anon arrested and… Shot.
>And now this.
>Now Trixie, and the others.
>You glance into the raindrop-speckled side mirror and search for any sign of the hospital behind you.
>You see nothing of note, save for Pinkie and the others following along behind you in the Pie family van.
>”…So? Did Trixie have any good news today?” Principal Celestia asks.
>You pull your forehead from the window and turn to face her.
>She tries to keep her eyes on the road ahead of her, but you can tell she’s watching you from the corner of her vision.
“She’s… okay. She’s keeping it together, trying to distract herself with video games. She said she’d go crazy if it wasn’t for her laptop and the wi-fi.”
>”Well, that’s… good. Last time I was in there, she wasn’t feeling too talkative.”
>Who could blame her?
>If you were going through what she is, you probably wouldn’t want to do much besides cry.
>That’s all you want to do anyway, and you came out of all of this without a scratch.
>”Um… any word from the doctors on her injury?”
“She said they think full recovery is unlikely, but she wasn’t having any of it. She demanded to start physical therapy as soon as possible.”
>Thinking back on her words instills a little bit of cheer and optimism into your heavy heart.
>You even manage a smile as you recite what she said.
“You should’ve seen her. She was all ‘The Grrrrrreat and Powerful Trixie absolutely REFUSES to perform again until she can stand on her own two legs! Can you imagine Trixie going on stage to perform in a WHEELCHAIR?! Trixie thinks not!’”
>Principal Celestia cracks her own grin and muffles a short laugh.
>”Ha, well, it’s good that she’s keeping her spirits up. I should have guessed, Trixie’s always been so headstrong and determined. Hopefully that attitude will get her back on her feet in no time. Did you see any of the others?”
>As the car rolls to a stop at a red light, you again glance back at your friends through the side-mirror.
“No, I… mostly stayed with Trixie this time. But, Fluttershy saw Treehugger and Roseluck. She said they’re both doing okay. Rarity was with Photo Finish and Pixel Pizzaz, Twilight got around a little bit but mostly stuck with Micro Chips. Rainbow and Applejack got around. Pinkie was everywhere.”
>”Oh, believe me, I know. She practically broke the door down when she stepped in to see Ms. Cheerilee.”
>As the light turns green, you set your eyes back to wandering about the passing city scenery.
“A-and how is she holding up?”
>”Oh, she’s fine; just a flesh wound on her arm. She should be discharged soon, actually. She’s more mad at Anon than anything, honestly.”
>Principal Celestia takes a quick peak into her side mirror before flicking on her turn signal and shifting into the turning lane.
>Your eyebrow twitches as a bit of rage flares up inside you.
“Mad? Is she one of those people hating on him for what happened?”
>”No, heavens, no! Those people don’t know what they’re talking about. She’s just a little mad at Anon for not calling or coming to see her. But she’s worried about him, too; we all are. No one’s been able to get in contact with him since Friday. Not Ms. Cheerilee, and not Nurse Redheart; and they’ve been friends for some time. He won’t even answer the phone for me…”
>As the car turns left off the main avenue and onto a smaller side street, you immediately take note of the parking garage adjoined to a large apartment building not far down the road.
>Is this where he lives?
>You know you shouldn’t judge a book by it’s cover, but it looks like a nice enough place.
>It certainly seems more secure than your rinky-dink home.
“Maybe he just wants his space? He’s been through a lot, and it seems like everyone just wants to blame him for all of the innocent people that got hurt, or worse.”
>Having to watch his girlfriend and that other officer die in front of him…
>Having everyone point fingers at him like this…
>You can’t even begin to imagine how he must feel.
>”I’m sure he does, and we’re not going to force him out or anything like that. We’re just stopping by to let him know that we care, and that we’re here for him. Apparently, this isn’t the first time Anon has holed himself off from others like this. So, we’re just here to offer what support we can. That’s what the letters are for.”
>Oh, right. You almost forgot about the letters.
>At their mention, you turn and look into the back seat.
>Among a few parcels of scholastic and office materials resides a small stack of colorful envelopes, now uneven and lopsided on account of having fallen over during the drive.
“Rainbow was wondering why we couldn’t just text him.”
>The car slows and turns into the concrete confines of the shadowy parking garage, blocking out the city lights and shrouding the insides of the vehicle in darkness.
>The dim lights mounted on the stone supports and ceiling do what they can to light up the garage, but they barely suffice.
>You almost feel like you’re driving into a cave.
>”Letters are a lot more personal. You should know that, with that book of yours.”
“I know. Fluttershy and Rarity said the same thing, though. I think Rainbow is just a little less of a touchy-feelsy person.”
>After a few seconds of rolling through the dark garage, you notice Celestia’s eyes lock on to one of the cars lining the left wall.
>Anon’s old Mustang.
>Like it was meant to be, there just so happens to be an empty spot right next to his car, and another just a few cars down.
>Principal Celestia pulls in next to Anon’s car, with Pinkie and the others taking the spot further down.
>As Celestia turns off the engine, you climb out of the car and step around to the trunk to the echoing sound of car doors opening and slamming shut.
>While you await the others, your eyes scour the dark corners of the garage, fearing any lurking individuals of poor moral standing.
>You’re thankful to find nothing but still shadows and the footsteps of your closest friends.
>Just as Principal Celestia shuts her door and joins you at the rear of her car, stack of letters in hand, Rarity and Twilight lead the others into sight.
>They all gather around you and Principal Celestia, the wear of these tragic events more than apparent on their faces.
>Fluttershy and Pinkie seem to have got the worst of it.
>Fluttershy’s hasn’t been nearly as talkative since Friday and has been hiding her frown behind her hair more than ever.
>And Pinkie…
>Pinkie puts on a strong face, but her drooping curls of hair and the way she’s kicked herself into overdrive to try and help everyone all but spell it out.
>You know she’s crying on the inside.
>”Thank you all for volunteering to come. I know you all were closer to him than the other students, so I’m sure he’ll appreciate you being here.”
>”Well, we couldn’t just leave him out! If we visit everyone at the hospital, we need to visit Copper, too!” Pinkie cheers with a forced smile.
>”Pinkie’s absolutely right.” Rarity adds. “What kind of friends would we be if we didn’t come to visit? Especially with what he must be going through.”
>”He must be feeling awful…”
>Principal Celesita reaches past the others and plants a comforting hand on Fluttershy’s shoulder.
>”And that’s why we’re here. To let him know we care, and to do whatever we can to help.”
>Fluttershy meekly nods before turning her eyes down to the garage’s floor.
>”Well, let’s not keep him waiting, shall we? Follow me.”
>Your Principal takes the lead, and you all follow along silently as she guides you into the building.
>None of you speaks a word as you move through the lobby and step into the elevator.
>As you ride the small metal room up to the higher floors, you wonder just what you all will say.
>Is there anything you can say to someone who’s lost what he has?
>The more you think about it, the more you begin to wonder if there’s really anything you can do to make him feel better.
>You know if you were going through what he is, lost what he has, you’d be an inconsolable mess.
>If he’s been avoiding and ignoring his friends and Principal Celestia, will he even want to talk to you?
>The elevator ceases its ascent and announces its arrival at the fifth floor with a ding.
>You guess you’ll find out soon.
>The instant the doors slide apart, Principal Celestia puts her heels to the hallway’s red carpet.
>With quick, excited steps, she treads away down the hall.
>She doesn’t even bother looking at the numbers on the doors.
>Does she already know where she’s going?
>You continue tailing behind her, checking every door number despite the fact that you don’t know which number is his.
>When she comes to a sudden stop in front of a door, you all quickly gather around her.
>Door 514.
>You hear the paper envelopes begin to crinkle as Principal Celestia tightens her grip in trepidation.
>In a moment, she snaps herself out of her anxiety and looks to see if you and your friends are prepared.
>You all stand anxious, but ready.
>Satisfied, she reaches out and raps her knuckles against the wooden door.
>Seconds pass, and you are answered only with silence.
>”Anon? I-it’s me! Are you home?”
>Again, no response.
>”…I brought the girls with me. You know, Sunset, Twilight, Fluttershy, and the others… Are you there?”
>”Err… Maybe he ain’t home?” Suggests Applejack.
>Rainbow immediately speaks, making her agreement with Applejack heard all throughout the hushed halls.
>”Yeah, he’s probably out there kicking some butt.” She says noisily. 
>”From what Shiny told me… I don’t know…”
>”His car was totally here! Where else would he be?”
>Principal Celestia leans forward and presses her ear against the door.
>”No, he’s home. I can hear the TV.”
>You do as she does and press your head against the door.
>While you can’t make out their words, you hear a handful of muffled voices on the other side of the door.
>It sounds like their talking about something.
>The news, maybe?
“Ano-“
>Just as you call his name, you hear the distinct sound of tumbling glass bottles from inside the room.
>You and your guardian pull away from the door and exchange worried glances.
>”Oh, no…” Celestia sighs.
>”W-what is it?” Fluttershy asks as she perks up and your distress.
>Then, a few heavy, plodding footsteps near the door, followed by a loud, heavy thump against the wall.
>”Unh-nnnggh…”
>To the sound of a man’s groan, the door rumbles and shakes.
>…But remains firmly closed.
>”Anon?” Principal Celestia repeats with another knock at the door. “Are you there?”
>After a few muted seconds, the man on the other side of the door knocks back.

>”Anon? Could you open the door, please? We want to talk to you!” Celestia says, escalating her voice’s volume as she tugs at the door’s knob.
>The only answer is the continued low chatter from what you assume to be a TV. 
>”Something tells me he doesn’t want to talk…” Rainbow mutters to no one in particular.
>”Hush!” Shushes Rarity, swiftly thrusting her elbow into Rainbow’s arm.
>”Ow!”
”Principal Celestia said no one’s been able to get a hold of you lately, so we just thought we’d come by and… make sure you’re doing okay.”
>”We’re all worried about you, Anon. Me, and the girls… Redheart and Cheerilee… Don’t you want to come out? Cheerilee really wants to see you. We all do. I’m sure some of the others in the hospital would appreciate a visit, too.”
>”Yeah, man.” Rainbow says gruffly as she pushes closer to the door.
>Before she continues her sentence, she seems to hesitate and give second thought to something.
>”I mean… It sounds like your friends need you.” She continues with a significantly softer tone. “You should be there for your friends, you know?”
>”N-not that ya shouldn’t take time to mourn!” Applejack interjects. “We, uh… we know ya lost some folks real close to ya Friday. It’s just…”
>Then, you hear Rarity’s voice over your shoulder.
>”You’re our friend, Anon. You’re our friend, and you’re Ms. Cheerilee’s and Nurse Redheart’s friend. You shouldn’t be suffering alone here like this… We can help. We all need a little help in times like this, don’t you think?”
>A pair of hands clamp down on your shoulders.
>You feel someone’s weight press down on you as they jump up and hoist their body above yours, as if trying to leapfrog over you.
>”Yeah!” Pinkie shouts. “C’mon Copper! We know you’re feeling down… really down… But you’re not going to feel any better by just locking yourself up in there! So come on out, or… Or I’ll come in there and spook you out!”
>You hear Pinkie’s shoes clomp back onto the floor just as the weight on your shoulders disappears.
>She gives a moments pause, eagerly awaiting an answer from the door.
>Nothing.
>”You, you know… cause you hate it so much, right?”
>You can practically feel her hair straightening and drooping yourself.
>With a supportive arm wrapped around her friend, Twilight leads a teary-eyed Fluttershy past the others and to the door.
>”I’m sure you just want to be left alone, Anon, but we’re here for you. You don’t have to go through this alone. You’ve helped Fluttershy, and me; you even stood by Bulk after what happened. You helped get him a second chance. You saved Sugarcoat. You might’ve even saved her life.”
>You notice Principal Celestia’s interest pique at Sugarcoat’s mention, but she remains respectfully quiet as Twilight continues on.
>”You’ve helped us out a lot, and you’re our friend… Take it from me. You don’t need to hide away like this. It doesn’t make things any easier. You’ve got people who care about you that you can talk to. Friends. You can lean on us, Anon. We’re stronger together.”
>You shift your eyes from Twilight and Fluttershy as you anticipate your quiet friend speaking her own piece.
>With the sadness and pain in her expression growing by the second, she only stares blankly at the door, anxiously awaiting it’s opening.
>With a prodding nudge from Twilight’s shoulder, she suddenly snaps to attention and panickily searches for the words that match her feelings.
>”I… I…”
>Fluttershy’s eyes bounce wildly about as she desperately thinks of something to say.
>But as her lip begins to quiver and water builds up in her eyes, she manages only a few squealed words.
>”I-I’m sorry!”
>Twilight pulls Fluttershy in a little tighter as she begins the battle against her soft, quiet sobs once more.
>Principal Celestia offers a few comforting pats before looking down at the stack of letters in her hand.
>The paper creaks as her grip tightens. She narrows her gaze on the door, and waits.
>And waits. 
>And waits.
>And waits.
>Eventually, with an anguished sigh, she relinquishes.
>”…I guess you don’t feel like talking.” Principal Celestia states with pain in her tone. “T-that’s okay; I understand. But, um… I’ve got something for you. Er, we, I mean. It’s just some letters from the girls and I. Cheerilee and Redheart, Ms. Raven and Ms. Harshwhinny. Luna even wrote you one.”
“We hope they help. We all… We just want to do what we can for you. For everyone who got caught up in all of this.”
>Principal Celestia pinches both ends of the envelopes between and fingers and thumbs as she crouches down toward the foot of the door.
>”Please read them.”
>Your Principal aligns the stack up with the small crack between the door and the carpet.
>But just as she begins to slide the letters through, she hesitates and quickly yanks them back. 
>The muscles in her jaw flex as she clenches her teeth and digs through the stack.
>She hones in on one letter in particular pulls it from the depths of the stack.
>A pure white envelope marked with her name and addressed to, of course, Anon.
>She hastily slaps it on the stop of the stack before sliding through to the other side.
>Part of you feels the need to call out the somewhat selfish act, but you just don’t have it in you.
>Principal Celestia is probably closer to him than you and the others anyway.
>She works with him, after all. You’re just some girl he met in the hallway.
>With just a tiny corner of the stack sticking out from the door, Principal Celestia stands back up.
>She watches the stack for a few short seconds, but loses a bit more hope when the letters don’t move.
>With you all at a lose for words in the one-sided conversation, you linger just a bit longer in the halls.
>Before long, your Principal breaks the hall’s semi-silence as she speaks up over the depressing sound of Fluttershy’s sobs and sniffs.
>”Well… I think we’ll leave you be for now. I’ll be sure to stop by again, soon. Um… J-just make sure you read those letters, okay?”
>Much like Fluttershy, her voice and demeanor begin to waver in the face of sorrow.
 >”Goodbye… I’ll be in touch. You, um, you know where I’ll be if you need me.”
>She takes a tentative half back as she wipes at her eye, then whips herself around and pushes by all of you.
>”S-say your goodbyes, girls.”
>You guess that’s it then.
>You didn’t think he’d be very talkative, but this?
>If it wasn’t for that noise earlier, the glass bottles and that loud thump, you wouldn’t even know if he was home.
>You know he’s in a bad place, but…
>You wonder how much you can really do for him.
>Does any of this really help?
“Bye Anon. I’ll be thinking about you.”
>”Yeah. You’re a pretty tough guy, Anon. Hang in there, dude.”
>”We’re here for ya if you need us, big guy. Like Twilight said, you can lean on us.”
>”Of course he can. Do try and keep your chin up, darling. We’ll be here to offer whatever support we can.”
>”If, if you’d like, I can ask Shiny to come by and say hi. Maybe even some other officers. Just let me know, okay?”
>”I bet he’d like that a lot, Twilight And you just let me know when you feel like talking, Anon! I’ll make you a big ol’ cake, or some cookies, or maybe some candy! Whatever you want you want, you just let me know!”
>One by one, you group peels away from the door.
>Rainbow, then Applejack. Pinkie, Rarity, then Celestia.
>With uncertain, anguished steps, they make their way down the hall and back toward the elevator.
>You almost turn to head off yourself, but then Twilight gives you a concerned glance before nudging her head towards Fluttershy.
>Your nerdy friend gives the soft-hearted girl a gentle tug, but she remains still as stone, her reddened eyes fixated on the door.
“Hey, Fluttershy? I think… I think we should just let Anon be for now. We can come back and visit him later, okay?”
>Instead of meeting your gaze, she only hangs her head low as a single tear rushes down her already wet cheeks.
>Another soft tug from Twilight prompts her to give you an acknowledging nod.
>Pulling away from her friend’s arms, she takes a step closer to the door and rests her hand just next to the knob.
>”I’m so sorry…” She whispers shakily. “I want to help so bad, but I don’t know what to do, or say…”
>Her hand slowly slides down the wooden surface before flopping back at her side.
>”P-please, if there’s anything I can do to help, or-“
“Shy.” You say softly as you step up and take her hand in yours. “I think he knows.”
>You try and put on a comforting smile, but you know it won’t work on her at all.
“Let’s just give him some space. Maybe he’ll feel like talking next time, okay? A-and, maybe we can think of something nice to do for him, okay?”
>She stares blankly at you for a moment before giving you a defeated nod and allowing her head to droop back towards the floor once more.
>You know she’s probably taking this a little worse because of her feelings for him.
>You’re just glad she wasn’t there to see everything happen, like you were.
>Gosh, what a nightmare…
>In silence, you, Fluttershy, and Twilight rejoin the others.
>You all cram back into the elevator and make your way back to the garage without speaking a word.
>You follow Principal Celestia past Pinkie’s old van, but you stop yourself as you hear the sound of several of the van’s doors opening.
>You should probably ride back home with your friends…
>Pinkie certainly won’t mind giving you tagging along on the way back..
“Hey, Principal Celestia?”
>As she comes to a stop, so do the echoing sounds of her heels smacking against the concrete.
>”Yes, Sunset?” She asks as she turns half way around.
“I think I’m gonna ride home with my friends. But, thanks for letting us come along.”
>”Of course. I know Anon didn’t say anything, but… I’m sure he appreciated it.”
>She smiles half-heartedly at the statement, forcing an optimistic look much like you have been.
>”Um… Are you sure you don’t want to stay with me for the time being? Just until things calm down?”
>Part of you does want to take her up on her offer, but she’s already helped you so much.
>You don’t want to be any more of a burden on her than you have to be.
>”You’re perfectly welcome to the guest room.”
“No, I think I’ll be okay. I’ll just make sure I keep things locked up.”
>She shifts uneasily at your answer, obviously feeling the desire to object.
>”Well… If you say so. Keep safe, Sunset, and make sure to call me immediately if something happens, okay?”
>As the elderly van’s engine vibrates and roars to life, you speak up just a little more to make your reply heard.
“Yes ma’am. I will, I promise.” 
>Principal Celestia lingers hesitantly for an instant before nodding and turning back around.
>”Okay then. Goodbye, Sunset. Goodbye, girls!” She calls out with a limp wave.
>You all bid your motherly Principal farewell before slipping back into near perfect silence as you all climb into the van.
>Not one of you speaks a word until you’re out of the parking garage and well down the road.
>”I miss school…” Rarity sighs. “I miss seeing everybody. I miss class.  Even when things were as chaotic as they could be… It was never so terrible as this.”
>”I know. I thought we were headed into another crisis with Nightmare, and then this happens.”
>Twilight pushes her glasses further up the bridge of her nose before glancing out the window and continuing.
>”I wonder when they’ll put school back in session.”
>You turn around and stare out the rear window yourself.
>Unlike your search for the hospital earlier, you have no trouble finding Anon’s apartment building standing tall in the distance.
>With glassy eyes, you wonder if one of the lit-up windows lining the building might be one of his rooms.
>Next to you, Fluttershy pulls her feet into the spare space of the back seat.
>She leans over and rests her head on your shoulder.
>A comfort you’re more than happy to give her.
>Ahead of you, traffic flickers from green to yellow, then red.
>As Pinkie lays on the breaks, you begin to hear sirens shrieking some ways off.
>It rapidly grows louder and louder as you await the green signal.
>Then, in the blink of an eye, two police cars fly through the intersection, and their screaming sirens begin to fade away just as fast as they appeared.
>In the passenger seat, you see Rainbow agitatedly shake her head and let out an exasperated groan.
>”Ugh! This is bullshit! We should be out there, doing something about all of this!”

>”Rainbow, language!”
>”Oh, don’t even start, Rarity!”
>Pinkie turns her head just enough to pass Dash a skeptical glance before putting her eyes back on the road and putting her foot on the gas as the light turns green.
>”I don’t know about that, Dashie. That doesn’t sound like the greatest idea.”
>”And just wut are we supposed to do, just up and walk right up to the police and ask if we can help?”
>”Don’t be stupid, AJ.” Dash harshly responds as she twists around in her seat.
>Angry cerise eyes scan each of your faces before coming to a rest on Applejack.
>”You know what I mean! Look at what we can do, what we’ve been doing! I mean, super speed, super strength, teleke-whatever it’s called, and everything Rarity can do… We should be out there, helping the police, not just sitting around and feeling sorry for ourselves!”
>”And Ah’m the one bein’ stupid. This ain’t no game, Rainbow. We could get hurt, or killed, just so we can run around playin’ super heroes?”
>Twilight seems to shirk away from the conversation and inch away from Applejack and closer to the window.
>”Let the police do their work. Ain’t no good gonna come from us getting’ involved.” The farmgirl adamantly states with a shake of her head.
>”You think I just want to run around playing hero? Look at what’s going on out there! Look at what happened right in front of our school alone! Have you not seen the news? What Diamond Tiara’s dad said? They’re thinking about calling in the army, AJ; THE ARMY!”
>”Ain’t gonna happen. That’s just Mr. Rich flappin’ his gums, thinkin’ he’s important just cus’ he’s rich.”
“He was probably just freaking out because of what Diamond went through… Can you blame him?”
>”I agree. I nearly had a heart attack myself trying to find Sweetie Belle. I can’t possibly imagine a father remaining calm after learning about his daughter going through something like that. He’s just trying to do what he can to keep the city safe.”
>Applejack contemplates Rarity’s words as she lays her hat across her lap.
>”Ah know that… Ah wasn’t much calmer mahself. Ah’m just glad lil’ Bloom made it out okay. But still, it ain’t our business. If the army gets called out, so be it. Let them and the police worry about it.”
>With her lip curled up in disgust, Rainbow glares back at Applejack.
>With a dismissive shake of her head, she looks to you from over Rarity’s and Applejack’s shoulders, seeking support.
>You have none to offer her.
“I’m sorry, Rainbow, but I think this is a really bad idea. The situation is bad, and this just isn’t what we do. I don’t even know where we would start, and… I just think we should all stay out of this. Enough people I’m close to have been hurt. I don’t think I could stand to see anything more happen to you all.”
>You feel Fluttershy’s arms wrap tightly around your own, which you take as her silently agreeing with you.
>You lay your head against hers and nuzzle into her soft, pink hair.
>”That’s exactly why we need to do something!” The fiery sports star replies. “None of us are safe until these thugs get put down, not even our families!”
>Rarity shifts uncomfortably and passes a curious look to Applejack.
>The farm girl meets her gaze, only to remain silent as she quickly redirects her eyes down to her hat.
>”I-I don’t know, Rainbow…” Pinkie says with uncertainty. “It just seems awful dangerous. I can’t imagine losing one of my parents or my sisters, but… What if they’re the ones that end up losing me because we do this? I think AJ and Sunset are right. We should leave this to the police.”
>A little bit of fire seems to fade from Rainbow’s eyes as she listens to her unusually solemn pink friend.
>Again, she turns to another of your group in her search for support.
>”Twilight, what do you think?”
>She remains still for a while, quietly staring out into the city before speaking with a voice just as dreary as the night’s atmosphere.
>”In the past four days alone, 34 officers have been killed; 80 are wounded. That number could very well be even higher now. Those police cars could have been responding to another attack on an officer…”
>That… That’s a lot more than you thought.
>Knowing that you were talking to one of those officers just minutes before she had her life taken from her…
>It serves as a strange, cold reminder of your own mortality.
>That at any moment, you or someone you care about could be taken away.
>All the more reason not to go looking for trouble.
>”For reference, the nation-wide death count of officers in the line of duty was 129 last year.”
>Twilight rolls her head away from the window and towards her friends, where Rainbow and Applejack wait for her to continue.
>”I’m really worried that my brother will become a statistic. He’s been calling me and stopping by every single day now, and… What if tomorrow, he doesn’t?”
>Applejack’s steadfast scowl wavers before Twilight, but that doesn’t sway her.
>”Twi, I understand how you feel, but-“
>”No, you don’t.” She harshly interrupts. “We both have families to worry about, Applejack, but it’s not the same. Applebloom, Big Mac, and your granny… They’re civilians. Something could happen, of course; a mugging, or assault, or… worse. But Shiny is a police officer. He’s a target, always a target. Every single day, there’s a chance that some thug or gang member might see him and just decide to start shooting… H-h-he’s not even safe in his own home! Just the other day, some people followed an officer home, broke in, and killed him AND his wife in the middle of the night!”
>In an infuriated huff, Twilight slams her fists down on her knees.
>”I don’t want to just wait around for things to get better! I don’t want to just sit inside pretending everything is okay until my parents have to tell me that my big brother is dead! Rainbow Dash is right. We have the power to do something about this, and we should.”
>Applejack’s jaw is left slack at the news of the cold-blooded murders.
>You see her mind race to hastily dissuade Twilight, but she seems to be at a total loss.
“Hold on, Twilight.” You urge as you lean forward, dislodging Fluttershy from your shoulder. “I understand how you feel, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves, okay? Let’s talk about this.”
>”We ARE talking about this, darling; and I couldn’t agree more with Rainbow Dash and Twilight. These people must be stopped, and we have the power to do so.”
>”Guys… I don’t know. I don’t want to see anyone else get hurt, but…”
>”Think of your sisters, Pinkie Pie! We’ve already seen what evil these miscreants are capable of. The killings, and what Timber tried to do to Twilight, and… Do you want Marble to have to go through what Sugarcoat did?! Or Maud?!”
>”No! No, I, I don’t want to even think of that!”
>”She’s just tellin’ it how it is, Pinkie.” Dash unsympathetically states. “I don’t know about you guys, but… I think I’d do some bad things to anyone who tried to do that little Scoots.”
>Applejack clicks her tongue as she rests her head on the back of the seat.
>”She ain’t even yer sister.” She groans exasperatedly.
>”So?! What’s that got to do with anything? Maybe I like to think of her as a little sis sometimes! I’m not even related to her and I’m willing to do more for her than you are for your family!”
“Rainbow, that’s not-“
>With a burst of anger, Applejack springs forward and jabs her finger towards Rainbow.
>”Oh, you better take that back right now Dash before Ah get angry. Ah’d go to hell for my family, but ain’t no good gonna come to them if Ah go and get mahself killed playin’ hero! An’ you listen here, Rarity!”
>She yanks the finger away from Dash and thrusts it into Rarity’s shoulder.
>”Whose gonna protect Sweetie Belle if somethin’ happens to you? Huh? Whose gonna protect your family?! Do Ah even need to mention that what yer suggestin’ is illegal?!”
>Next to you, Fluttershy pulls her knees to her chest and visibly covers her ears.
>”Oh, like we haven’t had to do ‘illegal’ stuff before! Heck, every time something bad happens, we end up causing what has to be at least hundreds of thousands of dollars in property damages!”
>Well… Rainbow has a point there, but those damages aren’t always your fault.
“Girls, please-“
>”So we should just huddle in our houses and wait for the bad times to pass, yes?” Rarity asks as she slaps away AJ’s hand. “And what about those less fortunate? Those who can’t do what we do? Are we just to sit by and let them suffer?!”
>”AH’M SORRY, BUT MAH FAMILY COMES FIRST!”
>As you watch your friends sink further into the heated argument, you notice the van begin to shake and swerve.
>Though the others seem oblivious, you pass a curious glance to Pinkie, only for your heart to sink further.
>Her straightened hair drapes cleanly down to her shoulder, it’s vibrant coloring dimmed and suppressed.
>Her arms shake uncontrollably; her fists clenched so tightly around the wheel you can clearly see the tensed muscles from here.
>She struggles to keep still, but her shaking occasionally causes to swerve from one side of the lane to the other.
“Girls! Can we please not argue about this?!” You cry over all of them.
>”These are people’s lives, Sunset! We need to help!”
“I know, and it’s terrible. I understand Applejack wanting to worry about her family first, and I want to help other people, too, but-“
>”But nothin’, Sunset.  There ain’t nothin’ to discuss. Ah know this might be hard be hard for you to understand, on account of you not havin’ a family, but Ah ain’t budgin’.”
>Her words slam into your chest like a freight train, knocking the air from your lungs.
>You don’t have a family.
>Is that what she thinks?
>Is that what they all think?
>After all this time?
>After everything you’ve been through?
“But… I thought y-you girls were my family.”
>Immediately, every bit of anger and hostility evaporates before you.
>The entire van goes silent, save for the dull roar of the engine.
>Applejack and Rarity uneasily meet each other’s eyes before turning back to you. 
>Rainbow and Twilight peer back as well; you see their eyes all drawn towards Fluttershy as they realize just what state the arguing has put her in.
>”Ah… Ah mean…”
>”O-of course you’re family, Sunset!” Rarity exclaims as she delivers an urging nudge of her elbow to Applejack’s side.
>”Er… Y-yeah! Ah didn’t mean…”
>Twilight reaches back over the seat towards Fluttershy, but only manages to brush her fingertips against her legs.
>At just the slightest touch, Fluttershy opens her previously clenched eyes.
>”We ARE our own family, Sunset.” Twilight adds. “But some of us have blood to worry about, too.”
>Applejack hangs her head low in shame to avoid your eyes.
>”Twi’s right. Ah didn’t mean anything by it, Ah just… Ah wasn’t thinkin’.”
>”And so what if you aren’t actually related to us? What I said about Scoots goes for you, too; for all of you!”
 “Can we please just… drop it, then? Aren’t things bad enough without us jumping at each other’s throats like this? Look at Pinkie. Look at Fluttershy. Look at what this is doing to them.”
>The guilt in their eyes only amplifies.
>”Y-yeah… We can, um…” Rainbow mutters upon noticing the state of the depressed party-girl. “We can talk about this later.”
>A brief flash of annoyance flares up in Applejack eyes.
>”Later? Ain’t-“
>She stops herself, and the scowl of frustration melts right back into her guilty frown. 
>”Ah mean… Nevermind.” She says as she spins back around and places her hat back upon her head.
>Without another word spoken, the others all go back to minding their own business and staring out into the lonely city.
>With the exception of Rainbow, who pulls out her phone quickly gets to typing away.
>But you pay that no mind as you lay back against your seat.
>Moments later, Fluttershy returns to your shoulder, which you once again welcome.
>”I hate it when we argue…” She whispers as she stares up at you.
“Me too, Fluttershy. Me too.” You whisper back.
>You close your eyes and try to think of better things only to hear a burst of gunfire tear through the night several blocks away.
>You wish you could go back to worrying about magic.

----------

-Another couple of days later…-

>Your eyelids lazily begin to drift apart as you regain consciousness, revealing the dark, sideways living room you passed out in.
>You groan as the non-stop pounding begins again in your head.
>The glow of the TV, though partially blocked by your coffee table, does little to help.
>In an effort to pull yourself up, you clench your eyes shut and plant a hand firmly onto the floor, only to find the carpet still wet with a mixture of spilled liquor and watery vomit.
>You shudder in disgust and shake the liquid from your hand.
>Instead, you reach of the corner of the coffee table, only to send multiple bottles and cans tumbling down to the already littered floor.
>You ignore it and pull yourself up to your knees before crawling back onto the couch.
>You rub at your eyes before slowly opening them up to the blinding and burning light of the television.
>Still on the news, just where you left it.
>Right in the middle of another nightly repeat of the day’s happenings.
>Two more cops gunned down, let alone other things.
>You squint as you wait for your eyes to fully adjust and reach for another drink.
>Only to find the bottle empty.
>You try another.
>And another. 
>And another.
>And another.
>All the vodka; gone.
>All the whiskey; gone.
>The cheap, shitty beer; gone.
>Every last drop of the red wine she loved; gone.
>You throw the empty wine bottle you grabbed to the floor, sending it colliding into another with a loud clink. 
>You guess it’s time to make another run.
>Is the store even open?
>What time is it?
>You pad down the pockets of your filthy jeans, but find no phone.
>Luckily, you still have your wallet though.
>At least you won’t have to search for that.
>You search and fumble around the couch’s cushions for a few minutes before you spot your phone by your feet, resting in a pool of what you assume to be beer.
>You briefly wonder which got there first, the spill or the phone.
>Upon snatching it up and tapping the lock button, you’re happy to find that it still works, if only because you now know the time.
>12:32 P.M.
>Along with the time, the screen displays numerous missed texts, calls, and voice mails from Celestia, Cheerilee, and Redheart.
>Might even be some from others as well.
>You don’t bother checking, let alone reading any of them.
>It’s easier this way.
>You toss the phone back to the garbage dump you now call a floor and drag yourself back to your feet.
>Immediately, your head starts swimming.
>As you feel your numbed body begin drifting from side to side in a poor attempt at maintaining balance, you realize how intoxicated you still are.
>It still isn’t enough.
>With your first step, you feel that dreadful bile creeping up from inside again.
>You carry on and ignore it, doing your best to push it back down to where it belongs.
>But as you trudge around the side of the couch, your foot lands flat on an overturned bottle.
>It sends you stumbling forward, and while you somehow manage to stay on your feet, you end up slamming your face and chest into the wall.
>While you barely even feel it, the commotion is enough to provoke your already upset stomach.
>You bend over and brace against the wall as the acidic fluid flies up from your stomach and spews out of your mouth.
>You push your chest off the wall but brace your arms and head against it as you ride out the brief but horrid torrent.
>Before you know it, the sickly tide passes; your body begins to tremble as the dry heaving takes it’s turn.
>Before too long, you manage to regain your drunken, unbalanced composure and look upon the mess as you wipe the few tears from your eyes.
>It’s all over the wall.
>More than a few drops on your shoes as well…
>You’ll clean it up later.
>Right now, you just… You just can’t care.
>You spit the last bit of that disgusting fluid out of your mouth and push off of the wall.
>As you wipe at your mouth, you steadily make your way to the door before a thought stops you.
>Your keys.
>You can’t leave without your keys.
>You pat down your pockets again, and again, you find them to be empty.
>Turning around, you drag your feet back over to the couch and coffee table.
>Immediately you notice them laying inches away from the loose, messy stack of letters you received just a few days ago.
>Still on top of the stack is Celestia’s letter.
>The only one you opened.
>And yet you couldn’t even bear to make it more than a few sentences in.
>You try to pull your eyes away from the elegant script, but as you lean in for the keys, your eyes are pulled back to where you stopped reading.
>’I love you.’
>The words alone fill you to your core with dread and sorrow, and yet you can’t stop yourself from imagining her say it over and over.
>Your hand inches away from the keys and towards Celestia’s letter.
>You wonder how she’s holding up.
>Hopefully better than you.
>You nearly take the sheet in hand before quickly shaking the thought from your head and snatching up your keys.
>You know she’s worried about you.
>All of them are.
>Her, Cheerilee, Redheart…
>Even the girls.
>But you know it’s better this way.
>Safer.
>Easier.
>After everything, after losing every single one of them…
>Blitz, and Breach.
>Eye and Stitches.
>You cannot see someone else you care about go like that.
>Like they did. Like she did.
>You know it’s hurting them.
>They won’t like it; they might even hate it.
>Hate you.
>But it’s safer this way.
>You try not to dwell on it any further and decide to get back to your present task.
>With heavy, clumsy feet, you make your way out of the apartment and weakly pull the door closed behind you.
>You manage to make it all the way through the building and garage without tripping over yourself.
>You must be getting better at being a drunkard.
>As you approach your car, you take the ignition key in hand and thrust it into the keyhole.
>At least, you try to.
>You only end up stabbing the door’s handle.
>You give it another go, only to scrape a slight scratch into the door itself.
>But the third try proves to be the charm as you finally get it in, only to be hit with the realization that you really shouldn’t be doing this.
>You brush the thought away and pull open the door, only for that nagging thought to come back.
>You’re more than content with inadvertently poisoning yourself to death with booze, but you can’t risk hurting or killing some random shmuck.
>It can’t be helped; it’s been beaten into you.
>You slam the door shut and step away from the vehicle, leaving the keys still in the door.
>Without so much of a brief worry about potential stolen property, you walk right out of the garage and take to the abandoned streets on foot.
>It’s not too far away anyway.
>You think…
>Though you’ve lived here for years, it all looks so different while intoxicated.
>Glancing up and down the street, you try and get your bearings.
>Which way was it again?
>’That way’ you think to yourself as you raise a pointed finger down the avenue.
>It seems a good enough bet for you, so you head off down the sidewalk.
>Though drunk, you still try to keep your wits about you and your head on a swivel.
>You don’t see another single soul about with you, aside from the rare passing car.
>It’s like wandering through a ghost town.
>Block after city block, mile after…
>…How many blocks are there in a mile?
>Have you even gone a mile?
>You turn back, but don’t see your building anywhere in sight.
>Or any other noticeable land mark.
>…How long have you been walking?
>How long have you been out here?
>You reach for your phone to check-
>…Your pockets are still empty.
>You must’ve left your phone at home.
>You just shrug it off and get back to walking.
>You can always just ask the clerk what time it is when you get there.
>Before what you perceive to be too much longer, you notice a peculiar glowing sign in the window of a short, brick building not too far ahead.
>That’s it!
>At least, you think it is…
>As you draw closer, crossing the final crosswalk without bothering to check for oncoming cars, your inebriated eyes manage to make out just what the sign depicts.
>A single wine glass accompanied by a glowing bundle of purple grapes and a single vibrant strawberry.
>Hey, that looks familiar.
>You’re pretty sure this is the place.
>The light still shining from inside the glass door tells you that the store is still open.
>The still on open sign does that, too.
>You pick up your pace as you cross through the small, empty parking lot.
>You nearly trip as you step over the curb, but you regain your footing and lay hands on the door.
>With one easy push to the hand bar, the door…
>…Stays closed.
>Huh?
>You push again, and it still stands firm.
>It must be stuck.
>You learn forward onto the bar and prepare to put the whole of your strength into it.
>Just as you go to shove it open, you glance up to see a small sticker just above the push bar.
>’Pull me’.
>…Oh.
>You stand straight up and give the door a slight tug, which is all it needs to welcome you inside to the jingle of a few bells just above the door.
>You step through the threshold and immediately recognize the numerous rows of wines and other spirits.
>This is definitely the place.
>With a meandering gait, you lose yourself in the aisles as you try to find the same drinks again.
>The cheap, disgusting beer, some whiskey and vodka.
>You’re not too picky about those, but you make sure to find her wine again.
>You grab three bottles of that this time.
>Somehow you manage to make your way up to the checkout without dumping it all over the floor.
>The mulberry woman behind the counter curls her lip in disgust at you.
>Her nasty look only grows when you recklessly dump the contents of your arms onto the counter.
>Her glare drops to the bottles and 24-pack of beer before rising up and softening on your face.
>”Did… Didn’t you just come in here the other day?”
>You nod a little to fast, dizzying your brain even more.
“I already fis… fish… fishnished all a’ that.”
>She reaches for one of the bottles as her eyes take in the mess that you are.
>”Jesus dude. What happened to you? Lose your house? Your wife?”
>What haven’t you lost?
“Jussss ring it up.” You mumble as you reach for your wallet.
>The clerk doesn’t bother asking further and gets to scanning, though you notice her sniffing at the air.
>She wrinkles her nose up in revulsion and gives you another sideways look.
>With her color combined with those nasty looks, she reminds you of Cheerilee.
>You hope they don’t know each other.
>”…Alright, your total will be-“
>You thrust you card towards her, causing her jump slightly from your jerky movement.
>As if wanting to stay as far away from you as possible, she grabs the card the just the tip of her fingers.
>While she finishes up the transaction, your eyes drift down to the nametag clipped onto her shirt.
>Berry Punch.
>Doesn’t sound familiar, though you never met any of Cheerilee’s family.
>You can’t help but see some resemblance, though.
>”There.” Berry says as she slides the card back across the counter.
>You take the card back and watch as she bags everything up for you. 
>”Here you are,” she says with a frown as she shoves the bags towards you. “Do me a favor? Clean yourself up next time you want to come in; you smell like piss and vomit.”
>You brush her off with a disgruntled grunt, take the trio of bags and 24-pack in hand, and step off for the door.
>As you push out the door, you begin to wonder if you shouldn’t grab more.
>You decide against it quickly; you just want to load up the car and get home.
>To the sound of the door swinging shut, you raise your eyes to the empty parking lot before you.
>Oh, right.
>You walked.

>Maybe next time you’ll wait and sober up before coming back for more.
>Maybe you’ll just stop caring and drive instead.
>Hell, with things how they are, anyone you might hit while out this late would probably deserve it.
>With a tired grunt, you push the thoughts of driving under the influence from your mind and begin your trek back.
>The sooner you get back home, the sooner you can drink yourself into that comfy dark void of unconsciousness.
>Just as you put sole to the concrete sidewalk, you begin to hear the loud roar of an engine rushing through the streets in the cityscape behind you.
>You pay it no mind at first and keep going, but with every passing step it seems to draw nearer and nearer.
>As a hint of nervousness rises within you and tries to awaken your impaired mind, you glance back down the street.
>Several blocks down, a pair of headlights speeds down the road towards you, rushing through every traffic light.
>You turn back and continue on, trying to ignore it as you lengthen your stride.
>It’s just some dumb teens joyriding, Anon. Don’t worry about it.
>But you can hear it flying through the blocks, you can hear the bass from the obnoxiously loud music thumping with every beat.
>Just keep walking.
>You see it’s headlights shine on the road beside you.
 >As your body begins to panic, you feel your heart begin rapidly beating along with the bass.
>Then, a gust of wind hits you as it speeds right past you, as if you didn’t even exist.
>You come to a stop to watch as it continues on down the road, seemingly ignorant of your existence.
>With a relieved sigh, you continue on only to hear the screeching of brakes from just a block or so ahead.
>The car’s brake lights flare up for a moment in tandem with the screeching, only for the vehicle to swerve over to the side of the street where it momentarily vanishes behind a parked car.
>Was that car there before? 
>You don’t remember…
>A car door opens and a figure emerges; he slams the door shut behind him and steps towards the building before him.
>Then, he disappears behind a pair of large cement pillars decorating the building’s entrance.
>That hint of fear rises again, but you keep on moving with your eyes glued on where the man last was.
>To your comfort, minutes pass with no other sign of the man.
>But as you begin to near the building he disappeared in front of, you become increasingly desperate to reason with yourself that there’s nothing to worry about.
>He probably lives here, and was just in a rush to get to safety, like you.
>But… you’re pretty sure that’s an office building for some small company or something.
>…Which means he’s just going in for some late-night number crunching, right?
>Just yards away peeking around the pillars from the pillars, you begin to hold your breath.
>Inching closer with step after step, the entry way finally comes into view and…
>There’s no one there.
>…
>Of course there’s no one there! What, did the dude just speed across town just to loiter outside?!
>You’re getting jumpy, Anon.
>”C’mon man, stop holding back on me. Where’s the good shit?”
>Huh?
>”Ay, I told you, zigga. I only get my stuff from the best suppliers. Grow my own weed, too, man, you know I got that green thumb and shit.”
>You rapidly glance around in search of the muffled voices but see no one.
>”Oh, don’t bullshit me, man! First time I met you, you tried to sell me a bag of stems!”
>”Zigga, I ain’t gonna sell my best shit to some punk I hardly know. You think I don’t have other buyers? I got real hood ziggas doin’ real hood shit, blowin’ up my phone ALL DAY tryin’ ta get some of this shit. Look at you, you think they’re gonna like it if I can’t get them their shit cuz some wanna-be bitch who’s barely been with us a month comes up here and hogs all my best shit with his daddy’s trust fund money?”
>You anxiously keep moving forward only to notice a small alley at the building’s far corner.
>Even now, they still hide away in alleys.
>Just… Just keep moving, Anon. 
>Don’t pay them any mind; just act like you can’t even hear them.
>”Wanna-be bitch? I-“
>”Oh, shut yo mouth. Everybody knows you talk big, but you don’t do a thing to back it up. Shiieet, we got crew out there guttin’ pigs most nights and what half you done? Not a god damn thing besides smoke bowls and sit around with your tiny dick in your hand. You know what? Come back after you actually do some shit. Bring me a badge or a patch or some shit.”
>”What?! Are you serious? What, my money isn’t good enough for you?!”
>”Psssh, bitch, your money ain’t shit. Like I said, I got high quality shit and plenty of customers.”
>As you cross by the alleyway, you lower your head to hide your features.
>Against all better judgement, you can’t help but peek out from the corner of your eyes at the two quarreling gangsters.
>You first take note of the smaller, uppity man with his back turned to you.
>Cloaked in a dark black Hoodie, his coloration and features remain hidden from you.
>The other, however, is all too easy to see.
>Garbed in baggy jeans, a wife beater, and an oversized puffer jacket, the zebra-striped man, though average in size, towers over his angry compatriot.
>If the overhead conversation wasn’t enough of a hint to how little he values the small man, the disapproving and uncaring downward cast glare tells plenty.
>Just then, the striped mans eyes jump up to you; a worrying grin crosses his face.
>”You ain’t nothin’ to me. In fact… Ay yo, c’mere home boy!” He shouts as he pushes the hopeful buyer to the side.
>You stop in your tracks; your breath catches in your lungs.
>”Yeah, I’m talkin’ to you.” He affirms as he approaches.
>With shaky nerves, you turn and face the man, finding his eyes carefully running up and down your body.
>”Look at this dude; muh-fucka looks like he’s havin’ a pretty shit time, don’t you think?”
>As the stripped man begins to slowly pace around you, his friend turns to glare at you.
>Though his hood still hides his hair color, you can now clearly see the vibrant orange color of his face.
>You’re surprised at how young he seems.
>He looks like he’d fit right in with the girls at school.
>”So what? You friends with all the bums in the city now? What’s your-“
>”Ay, brotha. You look like you’re in for some hard times.” The stripped man remarks as he raps his knuckles across the pack of beer. “Forget this shit. I got some stuff that’ll really take the edge off.”
>The smaller man’s glare transforms into a full-on scowl as he stomps angerly towards the two of you.
>”WHAT?! You won’t sell to your own crew, but you’ll sell to a fucking hobo?!”
>The striped man simply turns and shoves him away.
>”I’m sellin’ to a man that needs it, unlike your punk ass. So, what’ll it be? Weed, molly, smack, blow, speed, whatever you can think of, I got. We got plenty of in-house specials you can only get from our boys, too. You ever heard of rush? That shit’ll get you done.”
>You try and back away, desperate to get out of this situation that you’ve been dragged into.
“N-naaah… no, thanks man, I’m… I’m good.”
>As soon as you take a step, the striped man grabs your arm and gently, yet forcefully, pulls you back towards him.
>”Hey, c’mon man, no reason to be shy. I ain’t gonna tell anyone. I ain’t no snitch. I’ll give you a good deal; a hell of a discount. Call it community service.”
>Disgruntled, the orange man marches right up to the two of you while shaking his head.
>”You’re such a fuckin’ asshole Zaekwon.” He complains before a flash of recognition shines in his purple eyes. “Hey… You seen this guy somewhere before?”
>Oh shit.
“H-heeey, thanks for the offer Za… Zaaaeeekwo…. Hey, thanks dude, but I gotta get home. I think I left the TV on.”
>Zaekwon passes his ‘friend’ a skeptical look before more closely examining your face.
>”Hmm… Y’know, I think I have seen this zigga before.”
>”Yeah! Now I remember, I saw him on the news! He’s that cop from the school! He’s the one that got Nitro and Holdout!”
>”Hmmph. And shot up Big G’s ride.” Zaekwon says as every bit of friendliness disappears in an instant.
“Guuuuysss, you got it allll wrong. I’m not a co-“
>Putting the full weight of his body into it, the striped man whips you around and hurls you into the alley.
>As you hit the ground, your glass bottles fly out from the bag and roll all throughout the shadowy space.
>Numerous beer cans break free from their box and erupts into frothy foam volcanoes. 
>As you plant your hands onto the dirty pavement, you feel small shards of old glass and pointed pebbles dig into your palms.
>As quick as you can, you pull yourself up to your knees before looking behind you.
>The two thugs stand guard at the only exit from the alley, just feet away.
>”Oh shit, man! You gonna ice him?”
>Zaekwon stares coldly down on you for several seconds before nudging his compatriot forward with a thump of his arm.
 >”Nah. You are.”
>”What?! C’mon man, don’t put this on me!” The younger man pleads as he backs away.
>Zaekwon doesn’t take no for an answer.
>He reaches out and snags his ‘friend’ by the collar and thrusts him towards you.
>”I’m sick of your posin’ ass sittin’ around takin’ advantage of the crew. Prove you’re with us.”
>”C-c’mon Zae, this ain’t funny!”
>”Zigga, you drop him or I’ll drop both of you.”
>”Dude, I-I-I don’t even have a gun!” the orange man shouts back.
>Letting out a loud, angry groan, the striped thug reaches behind him and digs into his waistband.
>He pulls forth what you immediately recognize as an M1911.
>The .45 caliber handgun’s stainless-steel finish gleams in the city’s light.
>Zaekwon swaggers over to the other thug and thrusts the weapon into his hand and again shoves him toward you.
>”Go on, pop this pig’s ass.”
>With a moment’s hesitation, the young man takes the grip in hand and slides his finger into the trigger guard.
>He slowly trudges toward you, second guessing himself with every step.
>You try and rush back to your feet but lose your balance and tumble further into the alley.
>You land shoulder first on your side with your would-be murderer only feet away.
>With true desperation sinking in, you roll over onto your ass and try and scoot away from him as fast as possible.
“D-don’t do this, man! Just let me go and I won’t say a word!” You plead.
>Even with his slow pace, the gunman quickly catches up to you.
>His hand trembles terribly as he raises the gun up, sticking the barrel just inches from your face.
>You see the conflict in his eyes, but you know he won’t stand down.
>This man is going to kill you.
“Please!”
>As you reach behind you in search of more ground to put between the two of you, you feel your hand land squarely on the neck of a glass bottle.
>”Sorry, man… It’s nothing personal.”

“C’mon man, think about this! Are you really going to kill someone just… Just for some fucking fix?!”
>The hand holding the gun trembles harder.
>His eyes glance down at the firearm as the man wonders to himself.
>”It ain’t like that, I need it man! Besides, you heard him! If I don’t kill you, he’ll kill me!”
“With what?! You’ve got his gun!”
>The thug holds the gun up before his eyes as if suddenly realizing he had it.
>For a moment, he even looks back over his shoulder at Zaekwon.
>But only for a moment.
>”Nah, man… You don’t mess with the Empire and get away with it.” He says, morosely shaking his head. “Not anymore. Not me, not you. Not the police… Nobody.”
>As he raises the gun to your head again, your fingers tighten around the bottle’s neck.
>Seemingly seconds away from death, a volatile mixture of emotions and adrenaline begins to surge through you.
>On top of everything, this just had to happen.
>You’ve already lost so much.
>First Breacher and Blitz…
>Now, Eye and Stitches…
>They took them all away from you, and for what?
>Drugs? 
>Money?
>Because some rebellious little shits just can’t stand having to obey the law?!
>Because they felt like it?!
>And now, just like that, they’re here to take you away too.
>You’re so tired.
>So fucking tired of it all.
>You scowl at the man, shaking in fear and rage as your eyes begin to water up.
>As his finger tugs away at the trigger, you flinch.
>Then, nothing.
>No bang, no click… Just nothing.
>”…Huh?”
>You crack your eyes open to find the man examining the weapon in confusion.
>He notices you staring back at him and panics as he awkwardly begins to yank back on the slide to no avail. 
>”S-shit! C’mon, c’mon…”
>You stare on for a brief second, lost in the moment, but you quickly shake yourself from your bewilderment and lunge forth.
>You reach up at the man, grabbing hold of his hoodie and pulling him down as you raise the bottle high above your head.
>He falls on top of you, still fumbling with the gun.
>With all the strength you can muster, you bring the bottle crashing down on the top of his skull.
>With but one strike, he shrivels and shields his head with his arms.
>”Ahhhhh!”
>Again and again, you bring the bottle crashing down on him.
>”Are you SHITTIN’ ME?! FUCKIN’ SHOOT HIM!”
>The man does little more than cry and scream in pain at your assault.
>In search of a dominant position, you plant your feet squarely on the ground and push off as you throw the man over to your side.
>Giving not a moment of reprieve, you immediately climb on top of him and grab hold of the gun with one hand while you continue the attack with the other.
>Rather than continuing to strike at his now bruised and bloody face, you bring the still in-tact bottle down on his hand.
>With just a few strikes his fingers give way and the firearm comes free.
>But you do not stop; you go right back to beating in his face.
>Barely conscious, the man barely manages to limply lay his arms across his face in defense.
>You raise the bottle high over your head one more time and bring it crashing down on his head.
>The end of the bottle shatters on impact, showering the two of you with glass and blood red wine and lacerating the man’s already ruined and bloody features.
>You hesitate at first sight of the wicked edge of the broken glass.
>Something dark and perverted calls out to you from the far reaches of your mind, urging you to ram it straight into this bastard’s jugular.
>You need little convincing.
>Nearly just as you plunge it downward, your thrown from your mount when a disorientating blow is dealt to the side of your head.
>You fall to your side as your vision dims from the concussive blow.
>Sinking even further into violent panic, you lash out wildly around you with the bottle’s tip while your vision recovers.
>One slash feels the faintest resistance as someone cries out in pain.
>You quickly swing back towards the cry only for unseen hands to simultaneously catch the wrist holding the bottle and begin pulling away at the pistol’s grip.
>As you awkwardly fight to keep the barrel pointed away from you, your vision slowly begins to return.
>Lingering over you and fighting for your weapons is Zaekwon, his left side shallowly cut and bleeding through his coat.
>”Fuckin’… punk ass fool… ain’t good for nothing!”
>With the pistol grip comfortably sitting in his hand, he works hard to angle it just right to finish you.
>Though you put everything you can into it, the barrel slowly begins to shift towards your head.
>You try and try and try to thrust the bottle into him again, but you just can’t get it close enough.
>Though he has both of your arms occupied, your legs are left aimlessly kicking and flailing about.
>You decide to put them to good use.
>With as much strength you can, you rear back and ram your knee straight into his fresh cut.
>”AAARRRRGGGH!” He screams as you rear your leg back for another blow. “WILL YOU FUCKING HELP?!”
>Seemingly barely moving, the man you were beating just seconds ago rolls onto his side with a groan.
>With his back to you, he props himself up on his forearms before bursting out into a ghastly, wet coughing fit.
>You slam your knee into Zaekwon again, causing him to topple over you in agony.
>But the sudden shift in weight forces the barrel’s edge just against the side of your temple.
>Still you find yourself unable to budge it.
>”I’ma fuckin’ kill you, pig!” He shouts out.
>Right in front of your eyes, you see his finger yank at the trigger.
>Nothing.
>”God damn it!” He cries, hammering at the trigger again and again.
>Then, a sudden look of realization flashes across Zaekwon’s face.
>His eyes shift down to the gun as he rests his thumb atop the thumb safety and pushes it down.
>The safety was on this whole time and neither one of these dipshits even knew.
>Figures.
>Immediately he pulls the trigger, blasting the side of your face with hot gas and deafening your ears as the bullet narrowly misses.
>You roar as feel shards of cement and stone blast forth upon the bullets impact, peppering your head and face with debris. 
>The slide rocks back at the behest of the weapon’s gas system, but fails to return to the forward position forward with your hand still clenched around it.
>Hot brass ejects straight into your palm, but you barely feel it singeing your flesh.
>You’re quite happy to let it sit there, jammed between your hand and the weapon’s ejection port.
>Zaekwon pulls the trigger again, but yet again, nothing happens.
>”For fuc-“
>You rock forward, bashing your forehead square into his nose.
>His arms falter with the sudden blow, surrendering some breathing room as blood begins to drip down onto your face.
>As he begins to blubber, his friend begins to climb to his feet.
>”H-hey! HEY! Grab one o’ those bottles and help me!”
>His friend doesn’t so much as glance towards the two of you as he begins to stumble away clutching his face.
>He vanishes from sight as he passes behind Zaekwon.
>”H-help, god damn it!” He cries out behind him.
>Seconds pass with no reply.
>You only hear the sound of an engine starting up and a car speeding away.
>When Zaekwon turns his head back to you, you realize that all the bravado and bluster in his eyes has melted away.
>Now, he only looks at you with fear and desperation.
>You aren’t sure why, but something about it gives you a deep, twisted feeling of satisfaction.
“You picked the wrong fucking cop.”
>You press your advantage by forcing the broken bottle closer to his side.
>”Z-zigga, fuck you!”
>He grits his teeth as he tries to push back, but he just can’t manage it.
>The jagged edge inches closer and closer before finally pricking him in the side.
>He jerks his body away from the prodding edge, but it isn’t enough.
>The razor glass quickly finds his gut again.
>He tries and fails to repel the attack as the bottle slips further into his side, centimeter by centimeter.
>He manages to endure a few seconds more of punishment before letting out a pained squeal and hurling himself off of you.
>Rolling once over to the side, he wastes no time in climbing back to his feet and bolting.
>Oh, you aren’t going anywhere.
>You toss the blood-covered bottle to the ground and take hold of the surrendered .45 in your right hand.
>As you rush up and after him, you pull the old brass from the ejection port and chamber another round.
>You raise the handgun and line the sights up on his back, but just as you prepare to make the shot, he turns the corner back out to the streets.
>You kick your ass into gear and sprint after him, regaining sight of him running down the sidewalk just as your hit the corner.
>Again, you raise your weapon and align your sights.
>Steadily, you put the pressure down on the trig-
>”Hey! HEY!” A raspy voice shouts from behind you.
>Huh?
>You turn around to find three small female figures, clad in dark clothing and ski-masks, no more than twenty feet down the sidewalk.
>The second you lay eyes on them, the middle one raises her hands as they begin to glow in white light.
>Before the group appears a large, crystalline shield.
>What the fuck is tha-
>Oh shit.
“Rarity?”
>What the hell are they doing out here?!
>The figure on the left extends her hands towards you, wrapping her violet aura around your .45.
>As the figure yanks her hands back, your weapon flies forth from your hand and back towards Twilight.
“Hey, wait, guys it’s-“
>With a thrust of her arms, Rarity blasts the shield straight toward you.
>It closes the distance without giving you so much of a chance to run, wrapping itself around you and restraining your arms upon impact.
>”Rainbow, now!”
>The third and shortest of the group, armed with a baseball bat, leaps to the side of the shield where she halts for just a moment to drop into a batter’s stance.
>The last thing you see before you slip back into darkness is Rainbow slowly wiggling the bat about before she rushes towards you at a blinding speed.

>As your consciousness slowly returns, you find yourself welcomed back into this cruel, miserable world with a massive surge of pain to your forehead.
>You clench your eyes and teeth shut in a poor attempt to ride it out, only for the pain to slowly but steadily fade away.
>In it’s place a comforting warmth creeps over you, soothing your wounds and revitalizing your body.
>Your eyes flutter open and you find yourself limply hovering just a few feet above the sidewalk, ensnared by Rarity’s magic.
>What happened?
>Where are you?
>Just a few feet away, two of the female figures standing gazing into the battleground of an alleyway.
>You immediately recognize Twilight by the color of her magic wrapped about her hand.
>Still clutched in her magical grasp, the pistol hovers just by her side.
>”Oh dear. Would you just look at this mess? There’s glass everywhere, and the entire alley reeks of alcohol.”
>”Yeah… and that’s an awful lot of blood over there. I sure hope that guy is okay.”
>Oh. Right.
>You were about to shoot that piece of shit when the girls showed up out of nowhere and Rainbow clubbed you with a bat.
>At least, you think that was a bat…
>That’s gotta be a concussion for sure.
>And just what the hell are they doing out here?!
>”Rainbow won’t have any trouble keeping up with him. If he needs help, we’ll be there.”
>As if on cue, a sudden blowing of wind signals the reentrance of Rainbow.
>”So that guy’s a little messed up, but he didn’t really seem interested in stopping. Especially when he saw how fast I was moving.”
>”Do you think he’ll make it to a hospital alright?” asks Rarity. “We can’t ignore someone in need of help, even if they don’t realize they need it.”
>Rainbow simply shrugs.
>”Ehh, he’ll probably be fine. He was running pretty fast; pretty fast for you slow people anyway.”
>Rainbow directs the groups attention towards you with a pointing thumb.
>”Anyway, lets get a move on and load this guy up and drop him off at the station. I bet we can…”
>Rainbow falters mid-sentence as her cerise eyes meet yours, squinting in a mixture of confusion and disbelief.
>Even as you silently glare her down, she hunches over and steps closer and closer to your face.
>”What’s wrong, Rainbow?”
>”Uhh… Hey, is it just me or does this guy look kind of like… Anon?!”
>”Anon? Rainbow, you can’t be serious. Just look at this man, he looks…”
>Rarity pauses as her eyes light up in recognition of you.
>In shock, she clasps her gloved palms over her masked white cheeks.
>”Anon?! What in the heavens are you doing out here? And, and with that man, with that gun?”
>Did no one even bother checking on you after you got knocked out?
>They didn’t even look at your face!
“Well, I was about to shoot him when you guys showed up! I should be asking you the same question! What the hell are you doing out here?!”
>Twilight and Rarity shrink under your angry tone.
>”Um… Well…” Twilight mutters.
>”We’re out here fighting crime.” Rainbow responds self-righteously as she crosses her arms. “We have the power to help, so we’re out here doing what we can to help the police.”
>”R-right! Rainbow is precisely right!” Rarity says. “We couldn’t stand the thought of letting our abilities go to waste in this time of crisis, so here we are.”
“Well, you’re doing a great fucking job! You just let an Empire drug-dealer run off after he and his little bitch of a buddy jumped me!”
>Again, your tone deals a blow to the girls; even Rainbow shirks this time.
>”I-I, b-b-but you had the gun, and-“
“He jumped me, Twilight! I was just trying to get home with some drinks when that asshole jumped me and almost shot me in the fucking face!”
>Rainbow nervously looks off towards the direction of the fleeing suspect before darting off.
>”Oh my! Anon, are you-“
>Suddenly, the magic bindings suspending you in air flickers.
>You plunge a short foot before the magic grip rebolsters itself and lifts you back up.
>You just about order Rarity to put you down before she jumps forward with the same idea.
“Will you-“
>”H-here, Anon, just let me-“
>The magic seems to malfunction again, this time completely dissipating away and leaving you with no support.
 >You are instantly dropped onto the cold, hard cement sidewalk, where your body is knocked breathless.
>As you lay there, gasping for the air to return to your lungs, Twilight and Rarity rush to your aid.
>”Oh dear! Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear… I swear, I didn’t do that, Anon! Are you quite alri-“
>You slap their hands away.
>Between your hacking breaths, you curse at them.
“Don’t… D-don’t you fucking… touch me.”
>As you reopen your eyes from a pained grimace, Rainbow suddenly appears squatted down before you.
>”Uhh… Hey, dude. Soooo… Kinda not sure where that guy went.”
>Great.
>Just fucking great.
>With your ability to breathe steadily returning, you plant a hand on the ground and climb up onto a knee.
>”I’m guessing he must live around the block somewhere, cause I didn’t notice any missing cars, but… Yeah. No idea where he got to. Uh… Sorry.”
>You lift your head to meet Rainbow’s stare with a piercing gaze.
>As she offers a cheesy, guilty grin back, you feel the warm, comforting feeling that had previously pervaded you quickly begin to bleed out of you.
>With it gone, the near crippling pain from Rainbow’s blow to your head comes rushing back in.
>You clasp your hands to your forehead, feeling the large lump where the strike landed.
“AAAAAA-AAARRGH! MOTHER FUCKER!”
>”Anon? Anon, what is it?” Rarity asks as she again attempts to rush to your aid.
>She kneels down beside you, laying a hand on your shoulder.
>The other hands offers a not so comforting touch to your cheek as her fingers brush against the still singed flesh.
>You grunt as another flare of pain burns through you.
>Instinctually, you thrust her away from you, but as your arm moves you feel a strange energy flow through your flesh and blood.
>Like adrenaline flowing with the momentum of your body, it surges through your muscles and veins until it reaches your fingertips.
>Through your shut eyes, you see a flash of bright light followed by a strained grunt from Rarity.
>”Whoa! Twilight, did you-“
>”I… I… Yeah.”
>You crack open your eyes to find Rarity feet away from you, pinned awkwardly against a brick wall by one of her crystal barriers.
>Just like before when Rarity showed you her powers, a magic glow lingers about your hand.
>This time, though, it is remarkably brighter.
>Stronger.
>But again, just like before, the glow only lasts for a few short seconds before fading away.
“W-what? Did I just-“
>”Twilight, d-dear… Did Anon just-“
>”He did.”
“What is going on, what, what is this?”
>”I think you just jacked Rarity’s magic, dude.”
>With her face smooshed between wall and magical barrier, Rarity stares you down with increasing worry.
>”Anon… Darling… I’m sorry if we have angered you, and I’m sure you’re just as lost as we are right now, but… Do you think you could be a dear and move this barrier? This is very uncomfortable to say the least.”
>You grit your teeth in an attempt to bear through the pain as you climb back to your feet.
>Luckily for you, it already seems to be lessening at a surprising rate.
>Is it the magic doing this?
>You approach the barricade with the sudden realization that you have no idea how to move this thing.
>Do you just wave it away with your hands, or…?
>”This is amazing! You can use magic too! I never would have… THE MAGIC DETECTOR! IT’S READINGS WERE RIGHT THIS WHOLE TIME!”
“Magic detector…? Oh, that. Yeah, Sunset mentioned that, too. Uhh… Rarity, what am I doing here?”
>”Sunset said what?”
>”Just reach out to it and, um… I’m not quite sure how to explain it. I’ve never really thought about it before.”
“Well, that’s helpful…”
>”I know.” Rarity groans. “I’m just now realizing that this whole time I’ve just been going off of… what is it called?”
>You trudge a little closer, closely eyeballing the barrier.
“Muscle memory.”
>”Yes, quite.”
>You gesture at it a few times, beckoning it toward you to no avail.
>Maybe just yank it the old-fashioned way?
>As you lay hands on the barrier’s sharp edges, you feel that soothing warmth creep back into you.
>Twilight removes her mask as she leans in to repeat her question.
>”What was it that Sunset mentioned?”
>You plant your feet squarely on the ground and give it a strong, sharp tug to no avail.
“Gah, that thing doesn’t want to move… I, I don’t know, some weird stuff happened when Rarity was showing off before; I felt weird when I touched her magic shield-barrier-thing, and then it… I don’t know, shorted out. I asked Sunset about it, and she mentioned the detector thing.”
>With a deep breath, you pull away at the barrier again.
>Man, this thing is a regular immovable object!
>You wonder if Applejack could use that unstoppable force of hers to move this thing?
“I forget exactly what she said, but I think she pretty much guessed that I might have powers. Or, at least be sensitive to magic, or something; whatever that means.”
>”And neither of you thought this would be important to mention?”
>You pause in your labor to pass an angry glare Twilight’s way.
“Well, it was on the top of my list of things to be worried about, but I guess I got a little distracted when my best friends died. Now we got this whole war on police thing going on, and I’m pretty much out of a job… So, sorry. I’ve had a lot on my fucking mind.”
>”I-I, u-uhm… S-sorry.” Twilight says, looking away in shame.
>”Wait, what do you mean you’re out of a job? You didn’t get fired for what happened, did you?”
“Don’t want to talk about it, Rainbow.”
>”Oh, of course you don’t. You never want to talk about anything.”
>”Rainbow, please. It’s-“
“It’s none of your god damn business anyway.” You say, staring daggers her way.
>You turn your attention back to the barrier and Rarity, who looks helplessly up at you.
“Sorry Rarity, but I don’t see this thing mov-“
>Suddenly, the barrier flashes just like before.
>You feel it’s power waning through your fingertips before it fully vanishes moments later.
>Huh.
>Well, speak of the devil.
>”Interesting…” Twilight mutters.
>”Aaahhhhh~…” Rarity sighs as she stretches her limbs. “Much better. Thank you, Anon, for doing… erm, whatever you did. Twilight, what was that?”
>”It’s difficult to say for sure, but just from raw observation? It seems like Anon might be absorbing raw magic energy, like water to a sponge!”
>Like a sponge, huh?
>Now that you think about it…
>Rarity’s magic shorted out back in the lab when you touched it.
>Same as just a second ago when you fell, and even now with this barrier.
>Rarity yanks her mask off her face, allowing her long, purple hair to drop freely down her back.
>With a single shake of her head, her hair effortless returns to it’s usual style, flowing curls and all.
>”Amazing. And, that barrier he shot out at me?”
>Twilight shrugs as she steps forward and takes hold of one of your hands for close inspection.
>”I’m not sure… Maybe with enough soaked up, he can expel it in a manner similar to how we use ours? Interesting…” 
>Twilight drops your hand to scratch at her chin before meeting your gaze.
>”This is going to require some extensive-“
>Some blocks away, you hear three muffled pops of small arms fire.
>After a short delay, one more pop goes off, followed by a short burst of automatic fire.
>Each of you perk your ears up as you cautiously look about as if you had completely forgotten about the state of the city.
>You hope that was just some street rats popping off some rounds at the sky.
>”That’s interesting and all guys, but maaaaybe we should get back to the car and get out of here before trouble finds us, and not the other way around.”
>”I agree with Rainbow. If we’re going to discuss this now, we should get somewhere where we can lie low. Does anyone have any ideas?”
>Rainbow immediately shifts her eyes to you.
“…What?”
>Rarity and Twilight exchange a glance before giving you the same look.
“What?”
>”Well… you do live right down the street, Anon.” Twilight points out.

----------

>You stand still, staring blankly ahead as you feel the elevator pulling you upward through the floors.
>You are regretting agreeing to this.
>It was a smart decision getting off the streets, but you could have just stayed in Rainbow’s car and talked this out in the garage.
>But you didn’t, and only now do you recall just what state your apartment is in.
>You aren’t too keen on letting them see how you’ve been living these past days.
>Then again, does it really matter?
>How you’ve been holding up is all but spelled out with a brief glance at your appearance.
>You’re apartment won’t show them anything they couldn’t have already guessed.
>”Hmm… Are you sure there’s nothing else?”
>She’s asked that twice already.
>With your recently recovered key chain clenched in your palm, you rub your room key between your thumb and index finger in unease.
>You pull your eyes from the fuzzy reflection of the metal doors to Twilight, who stands at your side.
“For the last time, that’s everything I can remember. Everything that Sunset said, and every odd feeling I’ve had… Everything.”
>”I was hoping there was a little more… But, I guess we never got a chance to learn much more.”
>The elevator lets out a quiet ring of a bell, announcing its arrival at its destination.
“…No. We didn’t.”
>The doors slide apart, welcoming you home.
>You take the lead and step out into the hallway; your eyes immediately hone in on your door, which you find suspiciously half-way open.
>You freeze in place fast enough to feel one of the girls stumble into you.
>Did you leave your door open, too?
>”What is it, Anon?”
>Rainbow simply steps around you and sets her eyes towards where yours lie.
>After a moment, she looks back to you as if disappointed.
>”Dude, you left your keys in your car door AND left your apartment door wide open?”
>You closed it, didn’t you?
>”I’m pretty sure I closed it…”
>Rainbow’s demeanor changes from one of pity to one on edge.
>Rarity briskly steps in front of you all and raises her arms, ready to conjure up a shield at a moment’s notice.
>”I have a bad feeling about this; stay behind me.”
>Rainbow doesn’t say another word, but you see her clench her fists up as her eyes glue themselves to the door.
>Even with her bat back in her car, she seems ready for anything.
>You begin to feel your blood rush from the feeling of impending violence.
>”Here Anon, let us handle this.” Twilight urges as she steps in front of you.
>You quickly grab her shoulder and pull her back behind you.
“I’m not helpless!”
>”Yes, but-“
“Where’s the gun?”
>”I, I left it back in the car!” She quietly exclaims. “Why would we need it in here?”
“God damn it…” You curse as you clench your keys between your fingers.
>It’s not much, but it’s about the best you can do.
>”Ssshhhh!” Rainbow hisses. “I think I hear something…”
>You all hush and listen carefully for any noise coming from the doorway.
>While you fail to hear anything at first, after just a few moments you begin to hear someone’s voice.
>Someone talking.
>”There’s someone in there. Rarity, let’s go!” Dash whispered.
>Rarity resolutely nods her head and steps forward with quiet, measured footsteps.
>You all trudge down the hall in single file, ready for anyone to come out of that door at any given moment.
>As you draw nearer, Rainbow bolts to the door’s side; she pulls it fully open and peeks in as Rarity braces herself on the other.
>You see the rainbow-haired athlete’s eye’s narrow skeptically before turning back towards you and the others.
>As Rarity shifts her feet, you feel the muscle memory of your training begin to sink in.
>You stagger your feet at rest your free hand on Rarity’s shoulder, ready to follow in right behind her like any shield-wielding officer.
>Twilight’s hand comes to rest on your back as she leans to peak around you.
>It almost feels like the real deal, stacked up with a couple of magic-wielding high school girls.
>Though, without a rifle or your 9mm, you feel more or less like you’re naked in the wind.
>These improvised spiked knuckles will have to do.
>You glance back to check on Twilight, who gives you an affirmative, stoic nod.
 “Ready.” You whisper to Rarity.
>Though she doesn’t turn her head back, you see her hair bounce with a nod.
>Rainbow excitedly pushes off the wall and readies herself.
>”Let’s go.” Rarity quietly says.
>Before she even has a chance to raise up a barrier, Rainbow rushes inside at her unbelievable speed.
>”R-Rainbow, wait!” Twilight calls.
>”Whoa!”
>Rainbow’s shout makes your heat skip a beat as you hear the sound of glass clattering and breaking and furniture overturning.
>Fearing the worst, you push the point-man into action.
“Rarity, let’s go!”
>”R-right!” She mutters back, somewhat panicked.
>With a flash, a shield roughly in the shape of the door appears before her.
>Arms raised and ready for action, Rarity rushes for the door only to bounce back.
>Her head and eyes hastily look around in confusion before attempting to rush in again.
>You see the problem right away as she again bounces off the doorframe.
“It’s too wide!”
>”It’s too wide?!”
>Still standing right in the middle of the fatal funnel, Rarity hesitates and tries to resize her shield in a panic.
>”Just, just let me-“
>”Augh!” Rainbow cries.
“Move!”
>”Just a moment, I’ve almost got it!”
>In the heat of the moment, you feel the milliseconds painfully ticking away as Rarity stands still, adjusting her shield’s size by just a few inches.
>Your mind and adrenaline races at the thought of Rainbow in there with who knows how many enemies.
>”There!” Rarity exclaims as she pushes ahead, only to bounce off of the door frame yet again.
>Are you fucking kidding me?!
>With a clenched jaw and rushing blood, you do the first thing that comes to mind.
“Get the fuck out of the way!”
>You hurl Rarity to the side and rush in to Rainbow’s aid, key-lined fist ready to strike.
>The entryway passes by in a matter of hurried steps and opens up to the living room, where Rainbow stands in the middle of your mess.
>Alone.
>Obliviously, she shakes her hands and arms about as if trying to dry them.
>Taking that the living room ‘cleared’, you turn to your immediate left and push into your bedroom.
>With no one readily apparent, you rush to clear the adjacent rooms.
>Bathroom clear, closet clear…
>Again, no sign of intruders.
>The room is still in the same sad, messy state you left it in.
>The kitchen!
>”Rainbow? Oh my!”
>You rush back out as Rarity and Twilight step into the main room, hesitating right in front of the doorway as they lay eyes upon the state of things.
>While Twilight seems to withhold enough situational awareness to move out of your way, Rarity again ends up blocking your path.
>But a girl her size doesn’t match up well against you; with a stiff-armed shove, she’s easily thrown back into the entrance hallway as you stampede behind the couch and loop around into the kitchen.
>Again, you find no one.
>Just the same old mess.
>Surprisingly, this brings you no ease.
>You march back into the living room, where Dash still stands flailing her hands about.
“Where are they?!”
>Just behind Dash, the moving shapes on the TV screen catch your eyes.
>Just as you look, the screen transitions to a clean-shaven, well-dressed middle-aged man sitting behind a news desk.
>”…Aaaaand that was Home Run at the sports desk. In other news today, suspected Empire gang members opened fire on a Police patrol car at a traffic light today, killing the two officers inside almost immediately. Fortunately, no bystanders were harmed, but they did have this to say-“
>But, what was all of that noise?
>The bottles, the crashing? What was-
>”Dude…” Rainbow groans in disgust.
>She turns your way, revealing the whole front of her top to be wet with the liquids of your soaked floor.
>Just by her feet, you find your coffee table over-turned with all of it’s contents now resting on the carpet.
>She just tripped over the table, didn’t she?
>There was never anyone else here…
>”What… What is this?! WHAT IS ALL OVER YOUR FLOOR?!”
>Twilight lingers just outside your bedroom, simply observing what you’ve been living in in awe.
>Arms raised and ready to spawn another shield, Rarity steps back in from the entryway.
>Her jaw quickly goes slack, along with her arms, as she lays eyes on the scene.
“That’s probably vomit.” You mutter, avoiding eye contact.
>”Eeeuuugh!” Rainbow cries as she yanks her soiled dark hoody off of her, leaving her in just a sports bra.
>As her eyes roam the room, Rarity slowly shifts away from the entryway, coming dangerously close to brushing up against the bile you expelled upon your wall earlier.
>She manages to catch sight of it and jump away just as her fingers nearly brush against it.
>”Ew! Anon, what… What happened in here?”
>As if everything else wasn’t enough, you feel shame begin to weigh down on you as well.
>”…Hello? Is everything okay in there?” Someone calls from outside your door.
>You drop your keys where you stand as you hurriedly step past a disgusted fashionista and towards your front door.
>Just outside the door you find the nosy cat lady from next door, investigating the ruckus in her bathrobe.
>”Is everything alright, young man?” She asks as she peers inside. “I heard a lot of yelling.”
>You simply scowl at her and slam the door shut.
>As you turn the dead bolt, you take a deep breath in an attempt to calm yourself down.
>God damn, what a mess that was.
>Even with the knowledge that there was never a threat, just about every bit of that gets your blood boiling.
>Rainbow just flying in here to trip over some furniture, Rarity getting stuck at the door while anything could have been happening inside…
>Having to run in here with fucking keys.
>You’re lucky there wasn’t anyone in here waiting.
>If there was, someone would be dead.
>You turn back around to the sound of Rarity choking back a gag.
>Twilight awaits at the end of the hall, her pained and empathetic eyes lingering on yours.
>”Anon? I… Are you…”
>Her voice stalls as she scans the room once more.
>”…A-are you okay?”
“…What the hell do you think?”

>As you step towards Twilight, Rarity stumbles between the two of you with her hands covering her mouth and nose.
>”B-bath… bathroom!” She coughs out between a wave of dry heaves.
>She doesn’t even wait for direction before rushing into your bedroom.
>You hear the bathroom door slam shut seconds before she hurls.
>Twilight cringes at the muffled sounds of Rarity emptying her stomach.
>”Jesus, Anon,” Rainbow groans as she rounds the corner, nose pinched. “It looks like you’ve been throwing a party in here for days.”
“Oh, yeah! It’s been great! I would’ve invited you guys, but you know, you’re a little under age.”
>”Have… Have you just been in here alone, just drinking and watching the news this whole time?”
>Unwilling and ashamed to admit your deteriorating mental and emotional health, you ignore Twilight’s question and motion for both of them to follow you into your bedroom.
>Probably better to talk in here.
>The mess is mostly just old, dirty clothes in here anyway.
>Rightfully, Twilight acknowledges your silence as a yes.
>”Anon, that’s horrible! I know you probably feel terrible, but you shouldn’t be drinking alone! Especially not to this extent!”
>You hit the lights and kick a pile of discarded clothing to the side before turning and taking a seat at the edge of your bed.
>Having followed along right behind you, Twilight leans well into your personal space.
>”Those heavily under the influence of alcohol are one-hundred and twenty times more likely to commit suicide! It drastically increases impulsiveness and can damage one’s self-esteem and self-image, especially in individuals already experiencing depression! Heavy consumption by someone in your situation could prove fatal! Furthermore-”
“I didn’t let you in here so you could lecture me.”
>”But-“
“Twilight, you’re preaching the dangers of alcohol to a cop. I know all about it, and I don’t care. Save it and just get to the magic.”
>”Okay, but, you aren’t having any thoughts about hurting yourself, are you? Do you have a history of suicidal thoughts or self-harm?”
>At the sound of the toilet flushing you hop to your feet.
“Twilight.” You mutter with an angry scowl. “I don’t want your pity. I don’t want your concern. Get to the magic or get the hell out.”
>”O-okay, okay!” Twilight exclaims, pleading with her hands. “I’m sorry, I’m just concerned and…”
>As you glare down at her, you realize that Rainbow never followed you.
>Peering through the door, you can just barely see her standing in front of the TV.
>You guess she’s just going to leave the talking to Twilight?
>Figures.
>”…Erm. Right, uhm… Sooo, I agree with Sunset. It seems like you not only have some sensitivity to magic, you also seem to be able to absorb magic and use it yourself; at least, that’s the case with Rarity and her abilities.”
>As if at the mention of her name, you hear Rarity begin running water through the sink.
>”I’m sorry to repeat myself again, but you’re certain you don’t recall anything like that happening with anyone else’s magic?”
“No. I think… I don’t know, I think I might have felt it here and there; you know, that weird warm feeling? But I’ve never done anything like what I did to Rarity. That was the first time anything like that happened.”
>”Hmmm…” Twilight hums as she readjusts her glasses. “Can I see your hand?”
>You glance down at your palm before extending it towards her.
>She immediately takes it in hand.
>Seconds tick by as she silently stares down at your hands before she finally mutters something.
>”…Oh, uhm, j-just let me know if you feel anything.”
>After a short while, you feel that inexplicable warmth flow into her hand before bleeding into yours.
“There it is. It’s the same thing.”
>”The exact same?”
>You nod.
“Exactly.”
>”Interesting.” Whispers Twilight as she rubs at her chin in intrigue.
>She pulls her hand away as it begins to glow.
>”I have an idea. Hold still.”
>Without giving a chance to respond, you feel her telekinetic grasp sweep over your hand in all of it’s astounding purple glow.
>Unlike the physical contact with her, you immediately feel her magic seep into you, and with much greater volume.
>In mere seconds you feel your body and mind relax, washing away some of the anger, sorrow, and agitation built up inside as it puts you at ease.
“It feels good…”
>”How so? Is it the same feeling, or…?”
“It’s the same, but stronger. A lot stronger.”
>Your eyelids begin to feel heavy as you sink further and further into the comforting sensation.
“I feel like I could fall asleep right here if I let myself.”
>You see her eyes lift and meet yours.
>”You do look pretty tired. Uhm… I hope I’m not overstepping bounds, but I assume you haven’t been sleeping well?”
>You hesitate at the somewhat prying question.
>You decide that it has more to do with the magic than her trying to stick her nose into your personal life.
“…No.” You mutter somewhat resentfully. “Not without alcohol.”
>”I see…”
>Her lips purse as her eyes shyly pull away from yours.
>”Sunset’s been having trouble with sleep, too. She says it’s just one terrible nightmare after another. Fluttershy and Pinkie haven’t been doing so well either, and…”
>Twilight stiffens before you as if struck with a bad case of social awkwardness.
>You feel her magical grip tighten as she stammers out an apology.
>”S-sorry, I don’t mean to compare what they’re going through to you, I-I just-“
“I know.” You softly speak. “I know.”
>You suppose they would be taking it pretty hard.
>You remember seeing Sunset balled up behind that statue with you.
>You remember her panicked screams.
>Her blood-chilling cries.
>It’s not something you ever want to hear again.
>”Hmm? Anon…?” Twilight asks, extending her free hand towards your forehead. “Could you lift your head up?”
>Following Twilight’s guiding touch, you end up staring nearly straight up at the lights above you.
>”Your bump, from Rainbow’s bat. It’s gone.”
>Bump?
>You reach up and brush your fingers over your forehead, feeling no bumps or bruises at all.
“It is gone…”
>”There’s no way a bump like that already went down, it was huge! And your burn!”
>Again, you feel Twilight’s touch drag across your flesh as she inspects your cheek.
>You feel no pain, only the soft sensation off her fingertips making their way across your skin.
“It’s gone already?”
>”Completely. Do you still hurt?”
“No, not at all.”
>Not physically, anyway.
>Now that you think about it, the pain did go away pretty quickly after you sucked up Rarity’s magical snare.
>There was that massive surge of pain from your head, and then Rarity touched your cheek, and then…
>It just kind of went away.
>You wonder…
“Do you think it has something to do with the magic?”
>”Unless your body naturally has some sort of freak healing factor, almost definitely. Anything is possible when you’ve got magic on your hands. But, we’ve never seen anything like this before.”
>She delivers a quick flick of her finger to where the bump once rested.
>”Nothing?”
“Nothing.”
>”Hmm… How intriguing.”
>While Twilight continues to stare down at your face, Rarity emerges from your bathroom looking significantly worse for wear.
>She wipes at her watery eyes, smearing already runny eye shadow into her skin.
>”Anon, I won’t hold it against you because I know you are going through some particularly trying times, but…” 
>She shivers with just a brief glance back into the living room.
>”T-that room is disgusting!”
>A chill runs up her spine just from looking out the door, shaking her to her core.
>”I-I mean, on the wall?!”
>Strangely unwilling to bark back at her, you merely shift your eyes away and offer a lukewarm response.
“Sorry. I didn’t remember how bad things were up here until we were already on the way up.”
>”Again, I know things have been rough, but… Oh, never mind. Forget I said anything.”
>You watch her from the corner of your eye as she strolls over to Twilight’s side.
>”What are you doing?”
>”His injuries from before are gone.” Twilight repeats.
>Rarity leans in over you, staring down at your face with her deep, blue eyes.
>”They are!”
>”That’s definitely going to require further investigating.”
>”And, what’s this?” Rarity asks, turning her attention to your glowing hand.
>”Just a quick little experiment.”
>Experiment?
>Twilight steps to the side, releasing your head and ceasing her magical hold on your hand.
>”Okay, Anon. I want you to look around and pick out an object; it doesn’t matter what it is, just keep it small and light.”
>Your eyes are quickly drawn through the doorway to a bottle laying on the floor.
“Oookay…”
>”Focus on that object. Reach out to it, and try to pick it up without touching it.”
>Without touching it?
>Oh, of course.
>She wants to see if you can use her magic, too.
>Unsure of yourself, you steadily extend your arm to it’s full length.
>You pin your eyes to the neck of the bottle and try to focus your grip there.
>Much like before, you begin to feel the magic’s power flow through your arm and down to your hand.
>But rather the flowing out of your body, it seems to linger at your fingertips.
>The feeling grows stronger and stronger until an aura just like Twilight’s begins to manifest around your hand.
>It flickers for the first few seconds, like the first weak sparks of a fire.
>But in no time, you see it grow strong and steady.
>”Twilight, he’s-“
>”Shhh!”
>Pretending to have the bottle within immediate reach, you close your fingers and thumb down.
>Around the neck of the bottle appears a tiny, weak glowing ring.
>You turn to Twilight in search of further instructions.
>Just from taking your eyes off the bottle, you feel the already weak grasp grow even weaker.
“What now?”
>”Lift it! Just gently raise your hand.”
>You turn back to the bottle and, after spending a moment to regain your grip, begin the delicate work of lifting the bottle from the floor.
>Inch after inch, you raise your shaking hand, eliciting only a weak tremble from the bottle.
>After several seconds, your arm is left nearly completely vertical when your grip on the bottle breaks.
>Twilight reaches over, resting her hand on your shoulder.
>”You’re doing great!”
“Am I?”
>”I’d say so! But, then again… the first time I was levitating my bed.”
>A bed?!
>You can barely nudge a bottle, and she was lifting a whole bed?!
>”With me in it. But don’t worry about that! Just relax and bring your arm back down. Take a deep breath and try again.”
>Letting your arm fall and rest upon your knee, you do as she instructs and take a few moments to breath and relax.
>Once you feel ready, you again extend your hand towards the bottle.
>Just as you begin to focus, a leg appears from the other side of the door frame and kicks the bottle aside.
>Either completely ignorant or simply uncaring of what she had interrupted, Rainbow swaggers through the door with an unhappy scowl on her face.
>Held aloft in one hand, a whole stack of colorful yet unopened envelopes.
>In the other a white sheet marked with Celestia’s pristine penmanship, marred with a single brown stain on the lower left corner.
>”Glad to see our letters helped.”