To protect and serve
 
>-Reassignment. Oh joy.-
>-Guess it's better than working a desk at the station like I've been doing for the past two weeks.-
>-But reassignment to a high school? -
>-As a school resources officer?-
>-Higher ups are trying to get rid of me. Make me resign.-
>-Or sweep me under the rug.-
>-No, they're trying to turn this whole mess around.-
>-It was a PR shitstorm when word got out. Maybe they're planning on announcing your reassignment to the local news?-
>-'Rehabilitated Cop mentors Canterlot High students' does sound like a happy ending.-
>You make a left turn.
>The large building comes into view on your right.
>-There it is.-
>-The green grass, the big trees, the benches, the horse statue.-
>-Ugh. That statue. Always gave me goosebumps for some reason.-
>-Doesn't look like this place has changed a bit since you used to go here. Makes sense, it's only been a few years.-
>-Certainly not the most prestigious of schools, but at least it's not some inner city shithole.-
>-Wonder if Celestia is still the principal?-
>You find the faculty parking lot and pull into a free spot.
>-SRO counts as faculty, right? Surely they won't mind.-
>You'd rather not share the student parking.
>You turn off your the engine, pocket your keys, and step out of your cruiser.
>You take a deep breath and head off to the school offices.
>-Might as well get this day started.-
 
>Stepping into the school's main office, your gaze falls on a lone young woman typing away on a computer.
>Pale skin, dark brown hair, black glasses.
>She looks up from her work when she hear's the door close behind you.
>"Hello, welcome to Canterlot Hi- Oh! you must the new SRO!" She gives you a big grin and extends her hand "I'm Ms. Inkwell, but you can call me Raven. I'm the secretary."
>You grab her hand and give it a firm but friendly shake.
"Officer Anon E. Mous, but Anon or Officer will be just fine."
>"Anon, huh? That's a funny name." She pulls her hands up to her chin and rests her head on them. "You know, I gotta say, a lot of us here were real excited when we heard we were getting an SRO. Some of the teachers have been complaining about some... troubled students. We're hoping that having a good role model like you around will help get the kids back on track. Oh, look at me, talking your ear off. I'll let the Principal and Vice Principal know you're here."
>She presses a button on the intercom next to her computer.
>"Principal Celestia? Officer Anon, the new SRO, is here to see you and your sister."
>A few seconds go by before the small box clicks back to life.
>"Thank you, Raven. Please send him in."
>Raven glances back up to you with a smile and points behind her with a thumb
>"Open the glass door, and her office is the one on the left."
>You give her your thanks and step through the glass door.
>Behind the glass door is a small hallway with three doors. Directly in front of you is the Vice Principal's office, denoted by the nameplate next to the door.
>-Wonder if VP Luna still remembers me?-
>You step toward the left most door, and open the door. You're greeted with the sight with two beautiful women.
>One with ivory skin, magenta eyes, and long, flowing hair that seems to shift from one color to the next almost at random. She had plenty of curves in all the right places.
>The other was just a little shorter and younger. Pale blue skin, cyan eyes, and long, slightly curly hair of varying shades of blue. She didn't have the curves her sister did, but she was by no means plain.
 
>Principal Celestia give you a warm, enthusiastic smile, while VP Luna barely acknowledges you with a cold, disinterested glance.
>"Good morning Mr. Mous. Please, come in and take a seat." Principal Celestia beckons you inside from behind her desk.
>-Doesn't look like they've changed a bit.-
>You close the door behind you and sit down in from of Principal Celestia. VP Luna, who is leaning against a cabinet behind her sister, goes back to staring at the phone in her hand.
>"First off, let me say how happy we are to have you with us."
>"Absolutely ecstatic." VP Luna chimes in sarcastically.
>"Luna, please, be professional. Mr. Mous here is an important to the school, and we need to make sure he understands his duties."
>VP Luna sighs and slips her phone into her slacks. She crosses her arms and glares coldly at you.
"Principal Celestia, Vice Principal Luna, it's nice to see you two again; and please, Officer Anon, or just Anon, will do fine."
>"Then you can call me Celestia. I must say, you hardly seem like the same young man that graduated from here four years ago. To be honest, we were both a little suprised when we learned you became a police officer."
>"Especially after you spent your last two years here constantly suspended or in detention." Celestia noticeably tenses up at her sister interjection.
"I know what you mean. If you had told me I'd become a police officer four years ago, I wouldn't have believed you. I guess I did a little bit of growing up after graduation."
>"Well, REGARDLESS of your past wild streak," Celestia looks Luna in the eyes as she says this "I'm sure you'll do a fantastic job as our new SRO. We've noticed some worrying things about some students, and with the recent crime wave, just having you here is going to make all of us feel safer."
"Raven mentioned some troubled students as well. What exactly is the problem?"
>"For starters, we've had a few students whose performance in classes has dropped dramatically. Fights among students are more common now than ever before. We've also seen signs of drugs making their way into the school; namely tobacco and cannabis."
"You almost sound like you're asking me to investigate."
>Celestia shifts her eyes downward, hesitant to reply. Luna decides to speak up again.
>"I... well..."
>"While my sister and I would like to have complete faith in our students, it is becoming increasingly obvious that we can't. Celestia wants you to become a bit of a role model for our students and participate in some school and club activities."
"What kind of activities?"
>"Oooh, you know... Fundraisers, charity work, and, uh... Well, the cheer squad has been asking for a male addition to the team." Celestia gives you a cheesy smile.
>You facepalm.
"So you want me to be that guy that's too cool to do drugs, right? This is starting to sound like a bad anti-drugs PSA from the 90's. I understand your concern for your students, but I have to say, this positive role model stuff doesn't usually work."
>"I agree entirely. I know very well the lengths youth will go to just to defy authority out of some misguided notion of 'fighting the man'. That's why I proposed placing you in charge disciplining the student body."
>Luna always struck you as the type who grew up a rebellious teen.
"Can you even do that?"
>Celestia cuts in. "Not really, no, and we still haven't settled on the matter. Anyway, we're getting short on time. We're calling the school into the gym to introduce you to the school. Hope you're ready to meet our students."
"Whoa, hold on, alrea-"
>Celestia ignores your protests and presses a button on her intercom. "Attention, Canterlot High. We will now begin today's assembly. Teacher, please guide your classes to the gym and into the bleachers. Thank you."
>The intercom clicks off, and you swear you can feel the building shift from the students beginning to move about. Celestia gives you a sly grin.
>"I'm sorry, what were you about to say?"
 
>THe room reeks of sweat and iron. You push yourself off the weight bench and step in front of one of the large mirrors lining the walls.
>The cement floor does little to muffle your footsteps. Not that you can hear them over the commotion in the next room.
>A thousand voices combine into a dull roar. A microphone screech silences them.
>"Good morning, students. We've called this assembly to introduce our newest addition to the school faculty."
>The dull roar begins again, but much quieter this time.
>Hazel eyes stare back at you. You pull a lock of your curly chocolate hair down in front of your eyes, judging it's length.
>-It's about time I shaved this crap off again. Don't really have much of an excuse now that I'm back on duty.-
>Your gaze drifts lower, stopping on the noticeable scar adorning the left side of your neck. You linger for just a second, pushing back the memories before continuing on.
>"In the hopes of making our school like a safer place for learning and providing a positive role model for our students, we requested the Canterlot Police Department for a school resources officer."
>The roar intensifies.
>You readjust your ballistic vest, making sure the patches and the badge decorating it are all on straight. It's part of the uniform, after all; can't have it looking bad.
>Nobody makes fun of you for wearing it all the time anymore. If anything, more are starting to follow your example.
>"He's actually an old student! He graduated from here about four or five years ago! Guess some people never get over the senior blues, huh?"
>This earns Celestia an audible collective chuckle.
>You check your belt; magezine pouches, a can pepper spray, a taser, a collapsible baton, two pairs of handcuffs, and your standard issue Glock 17.
>Everythings in place.
>You step away from the mirror and towards the door.
>"Now, please, give a big Wondercolts welcome to Officer Anon E. Mous!"
>Your heart beat quickens as you grip the doorknob. You always hated crowds.
>You pull open the door and step into the gym.
 
>The second you step out of the weight room, thunderous applause fills the gym. It occurs to you that it's mostly just the gym echoing the noise, but it still shakes you.
>-Holy shit, that's a lot of people.-
>-And they're all staring at you.-
>-Hey, dipshit, use your legs.-
>You kick one leg out in in front of you, and then the other, resisting the urge to just lock up.
>-Alright, just breathe in, and then out. It's just a bunch of high school kids. You've been through worse.-
>You make your way towards Celestia and Luna, who are standing in the middle of the gym.
>You never take your eyes off crowd, scanning the faces in the bleachers.
>The student body is just as colorful as ever. More so, even, you're pretty sure you see a girl with rainbow hair.
>-There's no way that shits natural.-
>You continue scanning, briefly stopping on a small clique in the middle of the crowd. A handful of them sporting loose fitting beanies and dreadlocks down to their shoulder. Another with long hair covering his face, a peace sign stitched into his denim vest.
>You know those types. Those are the types that protest police stations and throw red paint on people who wear fur or leather.
>And each one of them is glaring at you. Figures.
>You keep going, eventually finding a familiar magenta face, who is eagerly waving at you with a beaming smile on her face.
>-Holy shit, she really did start teaching. I'll have to find her later.-
>You give her a wave and a weak smile before a microphone is held up in front of your face.
 
>You turn to face Celestia who gives you the go ahead to take the mic. You grab the mic, ready to face the crowd.
"Uh... Hello everybody. Like Principal Celestia said, I'm your new school resource officer. My name is Anon E. Mous, but I'd like it if you call me Officer Anon or just Anon. I'm ha-"
>"HI ANON!"
>A shrill voice easily overpowers your own, even with the microphone. You flinch and glance towards the voice.
>A bubblegum girl with poofy pink is practically jumping up and down on her seat, waving her arm at you so fast you just see a blur.
>-JESUS CHRIST, WHAT IS THAT GIRL ON-
>The orange cowgirl sitting next to her and her rainbow haired friend muffle the bubblegum girl and pull back into her seat.
"H-hello there."
>You weakly reply with and equally weak wave. Somehow you can still hear her muffled response.
"Anyway, I'm very happy to be here."
>-That's a lie.-
"Soooo... Honestly, Principal Celestia stated pretty much everything I was going to throw out there. I guess I can answer questions if anyone has one."
>-Twenty bucks says someone asks if you've ever shot someone.-
>Out of the corner of your eye you can see bubblegum girl vibrating, but her wranglers manage to keep her under control so you ignore her.
>A couple of students raise hands, and you settle some douche with spiky blue hair and a leather jacket. You point at him.
"You, with the spiky blue hair."
>He stands up from the crowd.
>"Hey man, uh, have you ever shot someone?"
>-Every time.-
 
>You shoot him an annoyed glare.
"I'm going choose not to answer that. Next question."
>Bubblegum is still struggling. You opt for one of students in the hippie crowd.
"Dreads with the flower bandanna, your up."
>-Whats she gonna ask, some bullshit about keeping poor people down?-
>"Yeah, how does it feel to be part of a system set it place by the government to brutally keep the lower class down?"
>Her little posse speaks up in agreement.
>"Yeah!"
>"Yeeaaah, man, that's totally not cool, man."
>"Dude, just talking about this is harshing my vibes."
>-Stereotypes exist for a reason.-
"Next question."
>"OOH! OOH! OFFICER ANON, PICK ME, PICK ME!"
>Looks like bubblegum got loose.
>You let out a sigh and unenthusiastic-ally call out to her.
"Pink girl."
>"YAAAAAY!" She cries, jumping up from her seat and bouncing in place.
>"When's your birthday? What's your favorite color? What's your favorite food? How old are you? Doyoulikecakeorpie? OH! Whatsyourfavoriteanimal? Doyouthinknineelevenwasaninsidejob?Doyouthinkaliensarereal?WhatdoyouthinkaboutprojectMKUltra?Whatdoyouthinkabout-"
-IT NEVER ENDS-
"Alright, thanks for the questions everybody, but we're running short on time."
>"Awwww..."
>"Sit down, Pinkie!"
"Nice meeting you guys, I'll be seeing you around school. Uh... Go Wondercolts?"
>The crowd explodes in applause. Students are clapping, jocks are high-fiving, girls are screaming, and the bubblegum girl is shooting confetti out of her sleeves spider-man style.
>Handing the microphone back to Celestia, you decide it would be a good idea to keep an eye on bubblegum.
>"That concludes today's assembly. Teachers, please escort your students back to class."
 
>Celestia guides you back to the office, Luna walking just behind you.
>You step through the glass door and follow her to the right most door.
>"This room here will be your office." She says, opening the door.
>Peering in, the room looks pretty bare. A desk with a computer, some filing cabinets, some chairs, and a fake potted plant in the corner.
"I get an office? What do I need an office for?"
>"For counseling students." Celestia states matter of factly.
>You merely give her a questioning look before stepping into the office.
>"During you time here, one of your duties will be to counsel students. We allow students to request time with faculty so they can talk about anything that's troubling them. School, home, personal relationships, concerns about the future, or whatever else they want to talk about."
>You slip into the chair behind the desk and begin lazily spinning in circles.
"So you want me to play therapist? I'm not really the most empathetic of people."
>"Maybe not, but we know you're a good person. Just give it a shot. We'll be adding your name to the roster tomorrow."
"Alright, fine. What about all that discipline stuff?"
>"Celestia is worried about getting in trouble for handing that authority over to you, but it's not really an issue. In reality, you'll just be telling us what punishment you feel is necessary, filling out the forms, and if we agree, we'll sign off on the paperwork." Luna explains.
"Riiiiight. Here's a good question; why?"
>The sisters exchange a nervous glance before quickly looking elsewhere in the room. Celestia stares down at her shoes while Luna begins intensely studying your potted plant.
>"W-why? Uhh..."
>"You know, to help you feel involved in the school?" The way Luna finished that sentence with an upward inflection makes you think she doesn't believe herself.
>"Anyways, it's time we've gotten back to work. Feel free to look around or get to know the staff for the rest of the day, okay, bye!" Celestia grabs Luna's arm and yanks her out of the room before slamming the door behind her.
>You can hear them bickering with each other from behind the door.
>"I told you he wouldn't buy it!"
>"Shut up, he can still hear us!"
>Another door slams.
>-Still as lazy as ever.-
>You check the time on your phone. It's going on eleven o' clock.
>-Guess I'll have a look around.-
 
>The halls are eerily quiet. Aside from the occasional murmur from the passing classroom, the only other noise is your footsteps.
>It's a little unsettling. You remember this place being so loud and lively.
>*BRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING*
>Doors all around you fling open and students pour into the hall. Your ears are overwhelmed by the hundreds a unique voices.
>The sudden noise from the bell and the students is nearly deafening.
>You decide to wait a few minutes and let the tides of students clear out before continuing on. Leaning up against the hallway wall, you people watch for the passing period.
>Most students just give you a passing look, but a few meet your eyes and greet you. A few others give you dirty looks, and some just ignore you outright.
>Staring down the hallway, you spy someone peculiar.
>-Is that girl wearing a cloak and wizard hat?-
>-She doesn't seem like a sperglord. Judging by her body language, she seems to have a ton of confidence.-
>-She's actually kind of cute.-
>Wizard girl notices you staring at her, and stumbles away with a blush on her face.
>-So maybe not a total sperg. I don't know if I should cringe or applaud her for being herself.-
>"Officer Anon?"
"Huh?"
>You turn to see girl standing just a few feet from you.
>Yellow skin, red and yellow hair, black leather jacket. Easily one of the more attractive girls here. She's taller than the average girl, just a few inches short of you.
>Her eyes briefly drop to your neck before jumping back to your face.
"You need something?"
>"I'm Sunset Shimmer. I just wanted to say hi and welcome you back to CHS."
>She extends a hand toward you, which you grab and shake.
>"How's it feel to be back?"
>You study her face for a few seconds. She tries to keep up a happy smile, but it falters after a few seconds of silence between the two of you.
>You're not used to people asking questions out of the blue like this.
>-Calm down, asshole. She's just making conversation.-
"Still working that bit out. Not bad, though. Just... not quite what I wanted."
>"Oh... I'm sorry to hear that? Anyway, I know Tree Hugger was giving you grief back in the gym, but not everyone here feels like that."
>It's strange. She looks like she'd fit right into the typical queen bitch character, but her smile seems genuine.
>Her voice is weird too. It sounds like it belongs to someone older or more mature than her. It's oddly soothing, though.
>"I have to say, me and my friends were real happy when we heard about you. Canterlot's been pretty dangerous lately, and we all feel safer with you here. So, uh... thanks."
>She shows her big pearly whites again.
>-Wow, this really isn't an act, is it? This is for real?-
>It's nice being appreciated again. It's been about a year since someone said something that wasn't patronizing to you.
>You can't help but stand up straighter knowing this girl believes in you.
"Uh... D-don't worry about it. That's what I'm here for, to keep people like you safe."
>"Well, I gotta get to class, but I'll see you around. Bye Officer Anon!"
>You wave to her, and she gives you another grin as she disappears into the crowd.
 
>The passing period ends without further interruptions, and you resume your journey in silence.
>You come across a few trophy cases, which you stop to observe. Quite a few familiar faces in the photos from your time here.
>Looking at the pictures from the most recent year, the rainbow haired girl is in quite a few of them. Looks like she's even the team captain.
>You continue on, finding you way to the science wing. It's even quieter here. You can hear the lights above you buzzing.
>Two of the labs have classes in them, but almost all of the others are empty.
>The very last one in the hall has a purple girl in a lab coat doing some kind of experiment.
>You think about asking if she's supposed to be in there, but it looks like she knows what she's doing. It's probably fine.
>Having come to the dead end, you turn back and decide to check out the library.
>Pulling open the door, you step into a large, circular room. In the middle of the ground floor, there is a media center set up around a horse head statue, with a few scattered tables for students to sit at. Bookshelves line the walls.
>Two staircases lead to the second floor, where the bulk of the books are. You used to nap in the corner where they kept the dictionaries. Good times.
>"Anon?"
>-Is that...?-
>You turn, to see who addressed you. A friendly magenta face greets you.
>-It is.-
"Cheerilee?"
 
>"Wow, Anon, it really is you! You look so different!"
>Cheerilee wraps her arms around your neck and pulls you in a tight hug. You hold your arms out for a few seconds before awkwardly returning the hug.
>Cheerilee seems to pick up on your reluctance and breaks the hug.
>"What's wrong Anon?"
"Sorry, Cheeri, I'm just not used to being this close to people."
>"What happened to you? Why'd you just disappear after graduation? Oh my gosh, Anon, what happened to your neck?!"
"It's kind of a long story, Cheeri, I don't know if I want to talk about it."
>"Anon, you don't get to just bail on your best friends for years, and then say 'I don't want to talk about it'. Do you have any idea how worried Red was about you?"
>-What?-
>You run that last sentence through your head. And again, and again, and over again.
>Does not compute.
"Red was worried around me?"
>"Yes!"
"Red. Was worried. About me."
>"Yes! Jeez, it was like you just disappeared off the face of the planet at that party."
"What did she say happened?"
>"What?"
"What did she say happened? What does she remember?"
>"I-I don't know, it's been a while since we've talked about it."
>-She didn't tell her. Figures.-
>-Maybe she doesn't really remember?-
>-No. There's no way she doesn't remember something. She looked right at me. Said my name.-
>"Anon, please, just tell me what happened! Why did you leave us?"
"You and Red still talk?"
>"Of course! She works here!"
>-Fuck you, God.-
>You take in a deep breath and slowly let it out. You don't want to be here anymore.
"Does she know about me?"
>"I don't think so. I didn't see her in the gym. Damn it, Anon, talk to me!"
>Tears begin to form in Cheerilee's eyes.
>-Why are you torturing her like this? She didn't do anything wrong. You abandoned her, not the other way around.-
>You step forward and wrap your arms around her. She limply leans against you, trying to choke back tears.
"I'm sorry, Cheeri. I should have said something to you. Look, I'll tell you everything."
-Not everything.-
"But there's something I want you to do first."
>She looks up to you, tears staining her face. You feel like you just ripped her heart out.
>-Is this really a good idea?-
>"W-what is it?"
 
>You step out of the library and back into empty halls.
>Sounds like Red left Cheeri in the dark.
>You're actually a little surprised. Red and Cheeri were best friends long before you met them. If anyone else knew about what happened at the party, it would be Cheeri.
>So Red lied to her childhood best friend.
>That lying bitch.
>And she works here, too? The big man in the sky really has it out for you, doesn't he?
>You'll just have to try to avoid her. You'd really prefer not to talk to her again.
>*BRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING*
>SHIT
>Your heart just about bursts out of your chest.
>The ringing drills into your ears louder than before.
>A quick look around and you realize the wall your standing next to has an alarm bell on it.
>As the ringing dies down, doors open and the halls flood with moving bodies.
>A quick glance at your phone tells you it's 12:30. Lunch time.
>Lunch. Lunch sounds good right about now. Anything to get your mind off the past.
>Stepping into the moving crowd, you make your way to the cafeteria.
 
>Students line up against the wall, waiting for lunch. The first students are just now trickling out of kitchen, food in tow, to pick their seats.
>You skip waiting in line because you know no one will stop you.
>A brief look at the main line 'food' and you can tell the school is still serving the same sludge it did years ago.
>You opt for a plastic wrapped ham sandwich, an apple, and a bottle of water.
>Strolling through the middle of the lunch room, you begin to make your way back to your office.
>"HI ANON!"
>Oh no.
>You recognize that shriek.
>You slowly turn your head towards the direction it came from.
>Bubblegum is bouncing in her seat a few tables away, seated next to five other girls.
>You recognize a few of them. The rainbow haired girl, the cowgirl, and Sunset.
>"Oh, hey Anon!" Sunset gives you a warm smile. "Wanna join us?"
"Uh..."
>If it was just Sunset, you'd probably say yes. She seemed like a pretty nice girl.
>Even with the other girls, it's still tempting.
>But Bubblegum.
>Bubblegum scares you.
>That girl ain't right.
>"Come on, we don't bite! My friends want to meet you." Sunset pats the empty seat at the end of the table, still smiling.
 
>Oh, what the hell. You could use a distraction.
>You take the seat next to Sunset. Looking up, you see five pairs of curious eyes locked onto you.
>Well, not so much you, but your neck.
>"Well, don't just stare at him! Introduce yourselves!"
>"HI! I'M PINKIE PIE!"
>Oh god, the screaming.
>Your ears are already a little fucked from shooting so much without ear protection. It looks like it's only going to get worse.
>You lean towards Sunset slightly to whisper to her, keeping your eyes on Bubblegum for any sudden movements.
>She's still bouncing.
"Is she always like this?"
>"I wish I could say no. You'll get used to it."
>The posh-looking, purple haired girl next to Sunset clears her throat.
>"Ahem~. My name is Rarity. It's a pleasure to meet you."
>The cowgirl speaks up next.
>"Ah'm Applejack. Mighty fine tah meet'cha."
>Holy shit, that accent.
>Then Skittles.
>"Rainbow Dash, star athlete of Canterlot High AND captain of the Wondercolts."
>The way she said that makes you think she might be a little too proud.
>You turn your eyes towards the final, shy looking girl who's attempting to hide behind her long, pink hair.
>When you meet her one exposed eye, she looks away.
>"Um... .'m Fl...ersh..." She mumbles out.
>What little your ears pick up just sounds like gibberish.
"I'm sorry, I don't think I caught that."
>She looks up and meets your gaze for a split second before staring back down at her salad.
>"I'm Flu.....hy..."
>Again, nothing registers.
>Oh fuck, not this game. This shit is the worst. Someone says something that you don't undestand, so you ask them to repeat it, and no  matter how many times they say it, it just doesn't register.
>Just as you were about to ask again, Sunset interjects.
>"That's Fluttershy. Don't mind her, she's just a little shy around new people."
>A little?
 
"Oh. Well, it's nice to meet you all. Are these the friends you told me about?"
>"Yep. There's one more, but I guess she won't be joining us. Anyone seen Twilight?"
>"I believe her older brother was taking her to lunch today. He probably wants to try to cheer her up, the poor dear." Said Rarity.
>Rainbow slams her clenched fists onto the table, bouncing lunch trays and silverware into the air.
>"EEP!"
>"ARGH! I can't believe that jerk! If I ever see him again, I'll break his-"
>She stops herself, remembering the cop sitting a few feet from her.
>"I'll have some choice words for that douche-bag." She finishes, narrowing her eyes.
>"Now, hold yer horses there, Dash. We still don't know the whole story."
>"What 'story' is there to know?! She went out with him last week, and now she'll barely talk to us! It's obvious he hurt her!"
>"The only thing obvious about this is that this is neither the time nor the place, Rainbow. I doubt Twilight would appreciate us talking about this in front of someone we've only just met."
>You unwrap your sandwich and take a bite, and continue listening to the conversation. It's probably just the usual high school drama, but it never hurts to be vigilant.
>"Yeah! Instead, we should be talking about the party we're gonna throw for Twilight to cheer her up!"
>Huh. Bubblegum has an inside voice after all.
>"I don't think a party is going to work this time."
>"Awww."
>Bubblegum's hair droops just a bit.
>"But Rarity is right. We shouldn't be talking about this. We can go see Twilight after school, but for now, let's talk about something else."
>You take another bite of your sandwich.
>"Thank you, Sunset. Now, I don't know about you girls, but I would like to know more about the man that's going to be protecting our school."
>Rarity turns toward you and bats her eyeslashes at you.
>Damn. She's got some beautiful blue eyes.
"Not much to say about me." You say dismissively.
>"Nonsense, darling, I'm sure you have plenty of exciting stories to tell us."
>Exciting isn't the word you would use.
>You go for another bite.
>"Yeah, like how you got that wicked scar."
>And stop just short of sinking your teeth into the bread.
>Applejack elbows Rainbow in the gut.
>"OW! What?!"
>The intercoms all aross the school come to life with an audible crack.
>"Officer Anon, please report to your office. Ms. Cheerilee is here to see you."
>Looks like she spoke to Red. You hoped you would have more time before she was ready.
>You sigh, rise from your chair and take your tray in your hands.
"It was nice meeting you all, but I've gotta go take care of something."
>Sunset looks at you dejectedly.
>"O-oh, okay Anon. I'll see you around?"
>Why does she look so sad? Because of what Rainbow said?
>You place your untouched apple on her tray and try to give her a weak smile.
"Yeah. I'll see you around, Sunset."
 
>With that you turn and walk to the nearest trashcan.
>As you walk away, you can barely make out Rarity scolding Skittles over the noise of the lunch room.
>".... .as mos. imp..ite, Rainbow. You sho...'nt mention someone's dis......ments!"
>And Skittles' much more audible retalliation.
>"Oh, don't act like you don't want to know about it! I know you were looking at it too!"
>Everyone looks at it. It's all anyone sees anymore.
>You dump your half eaten sandwich into the trash but hold onto your water bottle.
>As you turn to exit the lunch room, you can't help but feel like everyone is staring at you.
>Stepping toward your office, you can feel the bolstered self-image Sunset gave you begin to slip away.
>You can't wait for winter. At least then, you can hide behind a scarf.
 
-----
 
15 minutes earlier
 
>You are Cheerilee.
>Your day just got a whole lot more complicated.
>You rushed through the rest of your duties in the library.
>You really wanted to just ditch everything and go talk to Red right away, but you know you can't do that. VP Luna would lose it if she caught you slacking again. You're already on thin ice.
>Why can't Anon just tell you what happened? Why does he want you to talk to Red? Why doesn't he want her to know about him? Does he think she's lying?
>She's your best friend, you've known her for half your life; she wouldn't lie to you.
>Right?
>You pick the last book up off your cart and slide it into place.
>Finally, all the returned library books are back where they belong on the shelves.
>Time to finally sort all of this out.
>You quickly walk out of the library and into the halls, making your way to the nurse's station.
>As you turn a corner, the door of the nurse's station comes into view.
>A cutain on the inside of the door is drawn over the window. A wooden sign reading 'Nurse is out' hangs off the doorknob.
>Typical.
>You ignore the sign and open the door, stepping into the dark room. The lights are off, but you can still make out the curtains drawn around the sick beds.
>Had you not been through this song and dance before, you'd think she really was out.
>You flip the lights back on and step towards the bed farthest from the door.
>Pulling the curtains away from the bed, a body buried under the sheets begins to shift.
"Red, get up."
>The body groans.
>"Nngh. Go away, Cheerilee."
"Redheart, get up! This is important!"
>The sheets are pulled down to reveal Redheart's grumpy face. She squints her eyes, sheltering them from the light in the room. Several strands of her hair has broken free of her bun.
>"How important?" She tiredly asks, sitting up and rubbing at her eyes.
"It's about Anon."
>With the mere mention of his name, Redhearts body locks up. After a few seconds, her body relaxes and her eyes look to you questioningly before dropping to stare at the bedsheets.
>"We've been over this, Cheerilee. Several times. I don't know what happened to him."
"I want to hear it again. Maybe we missed something."
>You walk over to the desk and grab Redhearts office chair. You wheel it over to the the foot of the bed and take a seat.
>"Cheeri... How many times to do have to do this? I know it's hard, but we have to move on. We don't know where he is, or if he's even still alive."
"Just one last time. Please."
>Redheart lets out a sigh and pulls herself out of the bed. She fixes the sheets and straightens her white nurses uniform before taking a seat on the bed.
>She doesn't make eye contact with you, staring down at the floor. She's silent for a moment, hesitant to retell the story again.
>"I remember driving over to Blue Blood's house. He was in the passenger seat, and you were in the back. We were singing along to the radio the whole time. We were so happy to have finally graduated. When we got there around 10 o'clock, we had to park all the way down the street because so many people showed up. You split away from Anon and I to talk to some of your other friends, while we went to start drinking."
>Everything sounds about right so far, but everything after this is where it gets blurry.
>"We played some drinking games. You know, beer pong and some card games. Anon said he wanted to get some fresh air, so he went outside for a little bit while I got some more to drink. I went to the kitchen to get more to drink and... That's it. That's all I remember. That was the last time I saw him, Cheerilee. I woke up on the floor the next day to you kicking me. That's it."
>Maybe if you had stayed with them all night, he wouldn't have disappeared. Maybe everything would have been just fine.
"That's it? That's all you remember?"
>"Yes. With as many times we've been over this, you should know it by heart by now."
>It's the same story you've heard several times before. But now you can't help but think she must be lying to you.
"Can you promise me?"
>She's silent for a few seconds before finally meeting your eyes again. Her gaze is scrutenizing.
>"Why? Are you getting at something, Cheerilee?"
"N-n-no! I'm just, you know... Like you said, it's time to move on. I just want some peace of mind, that's all."
>She stares at you for a few more seconds, trying to see through any lies. Finally, her eyes drift back to the floor.
>"Fine, I promise, alright? Now get out of here. I want to be alone." She hostilely answers.
>She slips back under the the sheets and faces away from you on her side.
>You stand from your chair and reluctantly step towards the door.
>As you put your hand on the doorknob, you can hear her begin to cry. You turn back to try to comfort her.
"Redheart? Are you sure yo-"
>"Cheerilee, get out, get the hell out of here!"
>Shocked by her yell, you stumble backwards to the door and leave the room.
>She's never yelled at you like that before. You've never even seen her angry.
>Is she mad because you you brought Anon up again? Or because she knows you think she's lying?
>Stepping off towards the main office, you hope she won't hold it against you.
>You begin to regret digging up this history. Maybe you shouldn't have asked Anon what happened, and just been happy to see him again.
>You're not so sure you want to hear what he has to say anymore.
 
-----
 
>You are Sunset.
>And you are watching Anon walk out of the cafeteria.
>He looks fine, but you can't help but think that Rainbow hurt his feelings by bringing up his scar.
>"That was most impolite, Rainbow. You shouldn't mention someone's disfigurements!" Rarity scolds Rainbow.
>"Oh, don't act like you don't want to know about it! I know you were looking at it too!"
>"What? I-I was not!"
>"Uh huh, sure."
>"Well... It wuz a perty nasty scar. Hard not to notice somethin' like that."
>It must be hard on Anon, being marked like that. It's clear enough from his reaction that he didn't want to talk about it.
>"I know, right? I mean, wowwee, that thing looks like it was super painful" Pinkie gasps "Do you think he got bit by a zombie or something? OR MAYBE HE GOT ABDUCTED BY ALIENS, AND THE SCAR IS FROM SOME FREAKY ALIEN EXPERIMENT!"
>"Pinkie, how many times do ah' have to tell ya? Aliens aren't real!"
>"You're just saying that avoid the media's attention! I know the aliens abducted all your cows!"
>"We're an orchard, Pinkie, not a farm! We don't own any cattle!"
>You stare down at the apple Anon gave you. Anon seems like a nice guy. In fact, you really want to talk to him some more, but...
>"Girls, that is quite enough! Sunset, Fluttershy, you've both been very quiet. Are you alright?" Questions Rarity
"Huh? Yeah, sorry. I was just thinking."
>You take a bite out of the apple and begin to chew.
>"Thinking about what, dear?"
>You swallow the chunk of apple.
"Anon. I think I'm going to talk to him some more after school. Maybe apologize to him for Rainbow."
>Rainbow just huffs.
>"It's not like I did anything wrong! I just asked a question!"
>"That's enough, Rainbow! Fluttershy, darling, are you ok?"
>You can barely hear Fluttershy's soft voice over the noise of the lunchroom.
>"O-oh, yes. I was just thinking that we shouldn't talk about Anon's scar behind his back like this. I mean, he'd probably be awfully upset if we accidentally started a rumor about him. That would be mean."
>Leave it to Fluttershy to be concerned with the feelings of someone she not only just met, but could barely talk to.
"Fluttershy's right. We should just drop it, alright? Anon seems like a pretty nice guy, so let's not bother him about it, okay?"
>"You got it, sugarcube."
>"Okey dokie loki!"
>"Ugh! Fine."
>"I agree wholeheartedly."
>Fluttershy just smiles and nods.
>Good. At least you don't have to worry about one of your group bringing up the scar to him again.
>As for the hundreds of other students...
>"Now, back to this ordeal with Twilight..."
>*BRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING*
"Looks like that'll have to wait. Lets just meet up at the statue after school. Then we can go see her, alright?"
>Your friends nod in agreement.
>With that, lunch comes to an end.
>You say goodbye to your friends and head off to class.
Things have certainly gotten lively the past few days.
>First this stuff with Twilight and Timber came up, and now we've got Anon here.
>You hope everything will be fine. You've gotten tired of all these magical adventures.
>You just want to go back to being a normal high school girl from another world for a while.
 
-----
 
>You are Anon.
>And you are not looking forward to this.
>As you step into the main office, Raven looks up from her computer.
>"Cheerilee is waiting for you in your office, Anon."
"Thanks, Raven."
>You step past the the front desk and reach the glass door before Raven speaks up again.
>"Jeez, Anon. You've only been here a few hours, and you've already got a pretty young woman in your office. You work fast."
>Holding the door ajar, you look over your shoulder at her.
"It's not like that. Just catching up with an old friend, that's all."
>She just smirks at you.
>"Uh huh. Suuuure. Go get 'er, tiger. And try to keep it down, Luna's right next door."
>Rolling your eyes, you decide to just ignore her and make your way to your office.
>Opening the door, you see that Cheerilee is already seated in the chair in front of your desk.
>You step around her and take your seat opposite of her.
>She looks like she wants to talk about this as much as you do.
>Not at all.
"So? What did she say?"
>"The same thing she told me every other time I asked..."
>She recounts the story as Redheart told it; the car ride over, Cheerilee splitting off from you, you and Redheart playing some drinking games. Surprisingly accurate up until that point.
>What doesn't surprise you is that she claims the last time she saw you is when you stepped outside for a few minutes.
>"After that, she said she remembered waking up on the floor with me standing over her. That's all, she promised."
>You scoot out from your desk to full stretch your legs out, crossing one over the other.
"Do you believe her?"
>"I don't now what to think... She promised me it was the truth, but here you are after four years making me think otherwise. I feel like I'm talking to a ghost."
>That's an apt way of putting it. To someone that hasn't seen you since high school, you probably seem like a ghost of who you used to be.
>You gaze drifts down to your black leather boots.
"I know how you feel. I tried to put all of this behind me some time ago, and yet, here we are."
>Cheerilee remains silent, awkwardly playing with her fingers, unsure of what to say.
"Do you even want to know what happened? You don't look like you do."
>Just talking about this again is bringing back that empty feeling in your heart.
>"I do, its just... I don't think I'm going to like what I'm about to hear. What happened to you, Anon? You used to be so full of smiles and laughter, but now you just seem so cold and closed off."
>She's right. You've changed a lot since then. But everything is easier this way.
>You face her once again, seeing the concern in her eyes.
"I waited outside for some time. She said she just wanted to get something to drink, and I just figured she got caught up talking to some other people. She hadn't had much of a chance to talk to anyone else yet. After a while, I got tired of waiting and went to look for her."
>You used to think so highly of her.
"I checked the kitchen, the den, the living room, the front porch; everything on the ground floor. Not a sign of her anywhere. Some football players came down the stairs. They just smirked and me and started to laugh. I didn't think much of it back then, being the class clown. I was used to it. Looking back though, it was pretty obvious they knew."
>It would have been two years come July.
>You begin idly pushing yourself back and forth in your spinning chair. You turn away from her not wanting her to see the shame on your face.
"I found her in one of the upstairs bedrooms with two other guys. I think they were on the football team. I don't know, I wasn't looking at them. I know she saw me, though. She looked me right in the eyes."
>To think, you thought she might've been the one.
"I left after that. Walked all the way home. Longest 10 miles of my life. When I got home, I locked the door and just... gave up."
>At least it doesn't hurt as much as it used to. You've been through far worse since.
>"Anon, I'm so sorry... I had no idea! I didn't see either one of you for the rest of the night. If there's anyt-"
"I'm fine. I am now, anyway. Just don't tell Redheart I'm here. I really don't want to have to talk about this or see her again."
>Cheerilee springs out of her seat, leaning towards you over the desk.
>"Anon, we've been hurting over this for years! Not just me, but Red too. We should all just sit down and talk about this."
>"No."
>"You can't just ignore this!"
>*BRIIIIIIIIIING*
>Cheerilee glances at her watch. One o'clock. Just a few classes left in the day.
"I'm not ignoring anything. I've already dealt with this. There's no point in me sitting here and dwelling on it."
>"I have to go, but..."
>Cheerilee steps towards the door and turns to you just as she opens it.
>"I'll be back whenever I can. We still have a lot to talk about."
>Her voice is as cold as ice.
>Is that how you've been talking to her this whole time?
"Whatever you say, Cheeri."
>She steps out, closing the door behind her.
>You lean back as far as your chair will allow and rest your feet up on your desk, closing your eyes.
>Why can't things ever just be simple.
 
-----
 
>Your body shifts and shakes as the armored van speeds down abandoned city roads.
>You can just make out the dull roar of the engine over the voices of your teammates.
>Your body is crammed into the corner of the back of the van, your head resting on the cold, metal wall. It rolls back and forth with the movement of the van, occasionally tapping against the van door, much to your displeasure.
>Cradled in your arms is your M4, complete with standard SWAT modifications; vertical foregrip, reflex sight, and flashlight attachments.
>Your eyes are closed, completely ignoring Breacher's usual pre-op pep talk.
>You do not want to be here.
>You are tired.
>You are angry.
>You are incredibly hung over.
>Because today was your day off.
>At least, it was until someone called in some info on these arms dealers you've been looking for.
>A hand reaches across from you and nudges your shoulder. You ignore it.
>The hand returns after a brief moment, prodding harder this time.
>"..use. Mouse. MOUSE, WAKE THE FUCK UP!"
>You feel something clamp down on the front of your helmet, pulling you forward before slamming your head back into the metal wall behind you.
 
>You open your eyes, ready to sock your harasser in the jaw the moment you see him, only to be blinded by a bright light. Immediately, you shield your eyes.
"MOTHER FUCKER, TURN THAT SHIT OFF!"
>The light doesn't go away.
>Wait, why are you on your back?
>Probing the ground with your hand, you feel... carpet?
>Squinting through the light, you realize you're back in your office.
>Laying on your ass behind your desk next to an overturned chair.
>But the back of your head is still pounding. Must've slammed your head on the ground.
>Man, what a shitty day. It's always one thing or another.
>You take a few seconds to let your eyes adjust before standing up and setting your chair upright.
>You rub the sleep from your eyes and check the time. 3:05. Must've slept through the last bell.
>You turn off the lights in your office and step out the door.
>Luckily, Raven is missing from her desk.
>You'd rather not have to chat with her about Cheerilee anymore.
>You step out of the office and fall in line with the students making a break for the front of the school.
>Some fresh air will do you good.
>You find a seat outside on an empty metal bench near the road, watching cars pull in to the student pick up lane.
>Thankfully, everyone just ignores you. All this human interaction has left you mentally and emotionally exhausted.
>Spending a year alone will do that to you.
>You feel someone sit down to the left of you.
>"Hey Anon."
>God damn it.
>Turning to see who's speaking to you, you pleasantly surprised to see Sunset.
>You suppose it could be worse.
>It could be Bubblegum.
"Hey Sunset."
>You turn your attention back to the students getting into the cars.
>"Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine."
>No you're not.
>"It's just that you look a little pale. Are you sure?"
"Pretty sure."
>Pretty sure you're not.
"Just a little tired. I'll be fine."
>You watch as a blonde girl with gray skin runs up to a mini van and opens the passenger side door. She's too close to the van, though, as she slams the opening door into herself.
>She stumbles back a few steps before recovering and hopping into the van, slamming the door on her skirt. The van pulls off as the caught fabric dances in the wind.
>"So listen, I wanted to talk to you about something..."
 
"Oh? And what would that be?"
>Please don't ask about the scar.
>"I wanted to apologize on behalf of Rainbow. She shouldn't have just thrown that out at you."
>She's apologizing for her friend?
>"Please don't hold it against her, she's a good person. She's just not all that... sensitive sometimes."
"So why isn't she here apologizing?"
>You can see her shift nervously in her seat.
>"She doesn't think she did anything wrong."
"Is that so?"
>Yeah, she seemed like the thick-headed type.
"I suppose she didn't."
>"What? So you're not mad at her?"
>You lean back against the bench, cross your arms and legs, and turn back to Sunset.
"I get a lot of people asking about it or staring. It didn't bother me at first, but after a while, it started to seem like it's all anybody saw in me. It's just frustrating is all."
>Sunset's smile falters just a little.
>"I get it. I used to be a pretty nasty person, but then I changed. Some people still see the old me, but it's not as bad as it used to be. I know it's not the same thing, but I know what it's like for people to focus on the ugly."
"You? A bad person? I don't know if I believe that."
>"It's true. It's a long story, but I used to be the school bully for a few years."
"Huh. No offense, I kind of had you pegged for the mean girl type when we I first saw you, but after talking to you for a bit? You seemeed like a pretty nice girl."
>Your compliment causes her smile to bounce back to prominence.
>"None taken, and thanks! It all turned around for me when I met my friends."
"your friends? Yeah, they seem like an interesting bunch. Especially Bubblegum."
>"Bubblegum? Oh, you mean Pinkie! Yeah, They're great. I don't know what I'd do without them."
>A faint buzzing is heard coming from Sunsets pocket. She reaches into her jean pocket and pulls out her phone to read a message.
>After a quick glance at her phone, she stands and pockets her phone.
>"Well, my friends are waiting for me. I guess I'll talk to you later?"
"Sure. Hey, so Celestia is putting me on the roster for that teacher councilor thing tomorrow. So, you know, feel free to sign up."
>"Okay, I'll tell my friends too. See you tomorrow!"
"Yeah, see you."
>Sunset steps off towards the parking lot behind the school, occasionally waving at any students she crosses.
>You watch her go for a few seconds before turning your attention back to the cars.
>You find it hard to imagine Sunset as a bully. She seems so nice.
>If her friends are what turned her around, they can't be bad either.
>Rarity and Applejack seemed very polite.
>Skittles seems like she might get on your nerves.
>Bubblegum is gonna give you a heart attack.
>Wasn't there someone else there?
>...
>No one comes to mind. Guess not.
>Well, they did mention that Twilight girl.
>Wonder if you'll be meeting her soon.
>Sunset seems to enjoy talking with you, so it seems likely.
 
>As the traffic in front of the school dies down, most students having left, you decide it's time for you to leave as well.
>You stand and make your way over to the faculty parking lot.
>About half the cars that were parked this morning are now gone.
>You hop in your cruiser, start the engine, and begin the drive home.
>Fifteen minutes later, you pull into the parking garage for your apartment building and park next to your old 2008 mustang.
>You turn off the engine, lock the doors, make your way to the lobby.
>You head straight to the elevator and ride it up to the fifth floor. Once there, you make your way to the last door at the far end of the hallway.
>Room 514.
>Home.
>You unlock the doorknob lock and deadbolt and step inside your sanctuary, immediately re locking both of the locks as well as putting the door chain in place.
>With the gate to your personal fortress secure, you make your way to your bedroom.
>You strip out of your uniform and vest and change into some grey sweat pants and a black tank top.
>You toss the dirty uniform into the laundry hamper and lay your vest out on top of your dresser, then you make your way back into the living room.
>You turn on a single lamp in the corner of the room before crashing down on the couch to thoughtlessly continue your marathon of The X-files.
>After about six episodes, you catch yourself slipping off to sleep. You pause the show and get comfortable right there on the couch before drifting off to sleep.
 
 
>The morning dew covering the school lawn glows as the sunlight strikes it.
>The sound of engines, car doors opening and closing, and the sounds of students talking with one another fills the air.
>You walk towards the portal, the usual hang out of you and your friends.
>You're glad the school was able to raise enough money to have the Wondercolts statue fixed after the friendship games. It would have been hard trying to explain all the crazy magical adventures that have been going on around here to Anon.
>Plus, you just feel better knowing that crack in the portal was sealed up.
>There's no telling how much rogue magic made it's way through, though. You and your friends have been vigilant for any signs of magic popping up, but it's been a while since you've seen anything.
>As you step up to the statue, you drag your hand along the cement pedestal as you step around to the back of the statue.
>Rounding the corner, your friends come into view.
>Rainbow is leaned up against the bottom of the statue, catching a little bit more sleep before the day starts.
>Pinkie and Rarity tap away at their phones, ignoring everything else.
>Fluttershy sits on the ground with her hands in her backpack in front of her, trying to sneakily play with Angel without revealing him.
>Applejack chows down on a strudel while reviewing some homework.
>And Twilight is...
>Still missing.
>That's it. Today is the day you get her to talk about this.
>But first...
"Morning girls."
>"Mornin, sugarcube."
>"Oh, good morning, Sunset."
>"Good morning!"
>"Good morning, dear."
>Rainbow just groans.
"Alright, up and at 'em, girls. We gotta run by the office."
>"What for, Sunny?" Pinkie asks as she bounces to her feet.
>"She told us yesterday, Pinkie. She wants us to sign up for counseling with Officer Anon." Answers Rarity.
>"Ooooooh, right. You know, Sunny, you seem awfully interested in this Anon guy..."
>"Don't tell us yer chasing after older guys now, too. First Twilight, and now you..."
"What? No, it's not like that!"
>Rarity steps behind you and wraps her arms around you.
>"Oh, there's no need to be shy, dear! I have a thing for men in uniform as well."
"Look, I just think he's an interesting guy. I just wanna get to know him, that's all."
>Rainbow wakes from her slumber. With a yawn and a stretch, she climbs to her feet.
>"Mmmm. What are we yelling about now?"
>"Nothing Dashie! Just that..." Pinkie pulls Rainbow close and whispers something in her ear.
>Rainbow just stares at you with a skeptical look on her face.
>Finally, Pinkie finishes her whispering.
>"Ugh, not you too!"
"I DO NO-"
>Fluttershy stands up, puts her backpack on her back, and places a comforting hand on your shoulder.
>"It's okay, Sunset. I understand. I'm not going to tease you."
>You let out a sigh of relief. At least you don't have to explain yourself to Fluttershy.
"Thanks, Fluttershy."
>"Mmhm! There's nothing wrong with age gaps in relationships. My daddy is almost ten years older than my mommy!"
>Really Fluttershy? Really?
>You pinch the bridge of your nose and let out a deep breath.
"Can we just go to the freaking office?"
>The girls mutter various words of agreement or indifference and you all set off to the office.
 
>As you step inside the office, Ms. Inkwell bids you all a good morning. You all reply in kind.
>You find the sign up roster on the cork bulletin board hanging near the front desk.
>Rarity steps forward and skims through the forms.
>"Lets see... Principal Celestia, Vice Principal Luna, Ms. Cheerilee, Ms. Harshwinny... Ah, here we are! Officer Mous."
>She points to a form at the very bottom of the board.
>Looks like your the first ones to sign up.
>Rarity pulls a pen out of her purse and uncaps it.
>"So how would you like to do this, Sunset?"
"Hmm. I don't think we should all sign up for today, Anon might have something to do. Maybe spread it out across the week?"
>"That sounds fine. Unless you'd rather have it, I suppose I'll take the first appointment."
"You go ahead. I tend to bump into him in the halls anyway."
>"Very well."
>Rarity signs her name on the ten thirty time slot and holds the pen up for the next taker.
>Surprisingly, Rainbow steps up next and signs on for today's one thirty time slot.
>"Alright, I gotta get to class now. If I'm late again, Mr. Cranky is gonna flip out on me. I'll see you guys later."
>Rainbow haphazardly tosses the pen to Fluttershy before heading out.
>"I think I'll do the same. Do hold onto that pen for me, Sunset. Ta ta for now."
>Rarity follows Rainbow out the door.
>"U-um, Sunset? I know you like Anon, but..." Fluttershy rolls the pen back and forth in her palms. "Do we all have to sign up to talk to him? I don't think I can do it alone."
"He's a real nice guy, Fluttershy. Just give him a chance. Besides, I get the impression he isn't used to talking to people. He could probably use some friends."
>"Jeez, you're holding up the line!"
>Pinkie snatches the pen from Fluttershy and steps around you and up to the bulletin board, Applejack in tow.
>"Oh, alright sunset. I'll do it for you." Fluttershy says, giving you a weak smile.
>You give her a comforting pat on the back.
"Thanks Fluttershy. You'll see, he's a nice guy."
>Pinkie and Applejack step past you once again, saying goodbye and heading to class.
>Taking a look at the form, they both signed up for dates later in the week.
>Fluttershy signs for an appointment tomorrow, gives you a hug, and leaves as well.
>Well, that just leaves you.
>Friday is completely open. Suppose that will do fine.
>You jot down your name and head out for your first class.
>Ah, you can feel it already. Today is gonna be a great day.
 
>Your eyes open, taking in the synthetic light given off by the lamp. The morning sunlight bleeds through the thick, black curtains covering the windows.
>You pull yourself to your feet and step into the kitchen for a glass of cold water.
>The microwave reads eight eighteen.
>Fuck, you're late.
>Ah, you can feel it already. Today is gonna be a shit day.
>You rush through your morning ritual.
>Shit, shower, shave.
>Well, shaving can wait. You're late, and a little stubble never hurt anyone.
>Crap, you forgot to cut your hair.
>You'll have to take care of that later today.
>You throw on a clean uniform, your belt, your boots, and your vest.
>Briskly walking to the door, you stop just short of leaving to pat yourself down.
>Keys and phone in your pockets? Check.
>All your gear on your belt? Yep.
"All right, good to go."
>You step out the door, re lock it, and rush down to our cruiser.
>Hopping in and starting up the engine, you book it as fast as the law allows to CHS.
 
>Just as the clock strikes nine, you stumble through the door of the main office, still struggling to wake up.
>You rub your eyes and look up from the floor.
>Raven is seated in her usual spot behind the computer. Just behind her is Celestia leaning up against a counter. In her hand is a a white coffee cup that reads "World's best sister".
>They're both staring at you.
>Maybe you interrupted something?
"Uh... Good morning?"
>"Morning Anon!" chirped Raven as she began typing away on her computer.
>"Good morning, Anon." said Celestia in her usual, calm voice. "Ready to begin your day?"
>Yeah, you can't wait to sleep in your office all day.
"Oh, I'm ecstatic." you reply sarcastically.
>"Fantastic! I knew you'd enjoy doing this. I put up the sign up roster for your counselling sessions earlier this morning, and I'm happy to say you've already had several students sign up!"
>Celestia points to some forms thumb-tacked into a cork board near Raven's desk.
>You step over to the board and find your form.
>Upon examination, you see that there are indeed several students already signed up to talk to you throughout the week.
>You recognize several of the names.
>Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie...
>Oh god, Pinkie Pie.
>Applejack, and finally Sunset.
>But these other two names...
>Flash Sentry and Fluttershy.
>Fluttershy. Why does that sound familiar?
>And who is this Flash Sentry?
>Jesus, if this is what this roster looks like after one day, you don't want to think about what it's going to look like in a week, let alone a month.
>You can hear Celestia's heels clacking as she walks up behind you.
>"As you can see, you have your first appointment with Miss Rarity at ten thirty today. Just ask Raven to call her up whenever the time comes."
"And I just talk to her about whatever she wants?"
>"Yes. Anything from venting about stress to just having a friendly chat. Don't worry about it, Rarity and her friends are all very nice young women. Some of our brightest students here!"
>You continue to stare at the paper. A quick glance at the other sheets tells you that you've got all the other staff beat.
>Celestia and Luna each have a few signitures, Cheerilee has two, and Mrs. Harshwinny, as well as the rest of the sheets, are all untouched.
>No surprise there, Mrs. Harshwinny was kind of a bitch.
>You turn away from the sheets to face Celestia.
"Yeah, they seem pretty nice."
>"Oh, you've already met them?"
"Sunset introduced herself to me in the halls yesterday. I also sat with them for a few minutes during lunch."
>Celestia takes a sip from her coffee cup.
>"Ah. Sunset is such an amazing girl. She's made it a point to introduce herself to anyone new here, be they student or faculty. She tries so hard to be everyone's friend."
"Yeah, she's certainly something. Was there anything else, Celestia?"
>She places her free hand on her hip and stares up at the ceiling in thought.
>"Hmmm. I don't believe so. Just make an attempt to walk the halls during passing periods, and be there for all of your appointments. Oh, actually..."
>Celestia ever so slightly puffs out her chest and sticks her hip out in an attempt to show off the curves of her body.
>"I was wondering if you'd be interested in getting lunch or maybe dinner sometime?"
>The sound of fingers on a mechanical keyboard abruptly stop. Raven looks up from her keyboard and stares at the two of you in disbelief.
>Celestia simply smiles and bats her eyes at you.
>Wat
>Is she asking you out?
>She's asking you out, isn't she?
>Your old principal/pseudo-boss is asking you out.
"Do you mean as friends, coworkers, or...?"
>"Well, I suppose we should start somewhere, shouldn't we?"
"R-right. I'll, uh... I'll think about it."
>Her smiles shrinks just a little.
>"Alright then. Well, just... let me know."
>Your stomach lets out a loud growl, and from the lack of nourishment.
"Sure thing. Hey, anything I can get to eat around here?"
>"The Cafeteria stopped serving breakfast an hour ago, but there's some vending machines in the halls. You could try those."
>Right, the vending machines.
"Right, thanks. Well, I'll talk to you later."
>You make your way out of the office. Halfway through the door, Celestia calls out to you.
>"Anon? Don't forget to let me know, okay?"
>You turn back to face her.
>You can make out a smug grin on Raven's face as she peers over her monitor.
"Yeah, yeah, I won't forget, Celestia."
>Stepping out into the hallway, you catch wind of Raven poking fun at Celestia just as the door closes.
>"Cradle robber."
>"S-shut up!"
 
>You stroll through the empty halls until you come upon a pair of vending machines near the center of the building.
>One with snack foods and the other with soft drinks.
>Let's see here...
>Peanut butter and crackers, potato chips, chocolate bars, various other candies, some cherry danishes...
>Ooo! Cherry danish!
>You pull two dollars out of your wallet, slip one into the receptacle, and input the code to order the danish. One second later, it falls into the reach in bin.
>You pocket it and step over to the drink machine.
>A bit early for soda, but you could use the caffeine.
>You slip your other dollar into the machine and hit the button for your personal favorite: Surgeon Spice.
>You can hear the parts moving inside the machine, but no soda comes out.
>Pressing the change button doesn't help anything either.
>Great.
>You glance up and down the hallways. No students, no cameras.
>Wait, no cameras? Better fix that shit.
>You place your hands on the top corners of the front of the machine and rock it back and forth.
>It's not technically illegal, is it? You still paid for it.
>After the third shove, a can clunks down into the reach in.
>Hill Condensation? Whatever, it'll do.
>With the most important meal of the day secured, you make your way back to your office.
 
>You read over the most recent news on your PC as you slowly down your makeshift meal bit by bit.
>Multiple shootings, muggings, and carjackings downtown.
>A small, family owned business was robbed at gunpoint.
>Same shit, different day.
>What the fuck happened to this city?
>Not even a decade ago, this was one of the most desirable places to live in all of the U.S..
>Now, downtown is starting look like fucking Detroit.
>You continue skimming new articles until you've lost a sufficient amount of faith in humanity.
>You close out the browser window and check the time.
>10:10 AM.
>You've still got a bit of time.
>As you lean back, your thoughts drift back to Celestia's offer.
>Maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea.
>It's been years. Not since the party. Not since Red.
>Maybe it's time to try again?
>Breacher would like that.
>He'd been urging you to come out of your shell for some time.
>"You can't let one mistake follow you around for the rest of your life, Anon. You gotta pick yourself up and get back out there."
>You begin aimlessly spinning around in your chair.
>Yeah. Breacher's right.
>You should at least try.
>Besides...
>Celestia is a woman, a grown woman.
>She wouldn't toy with you, would she?
>No, of course not. She's always been a kind, caring professional. She wouldn't go trying to start something with a coworker if she was just going to toy with you.
>Right?
>How is she still single anyway?
>And why is a bombshell like her asking after you?
>Men should be fighting eachother over a woman with her looks.
>And she wants you?
>Why?
>...
>Maybe you should ask around about her.
>Luna? Nah. You doubt she'd be willing to answer your questions.
>Cheerilee? Nope. You don't really want to talk to her again so soon.
>Maybe Raven?
>She started as the office secretary the year you started attending here.
>Plus, she seems pretty chummy with Celestia.
>Surely she could answer some questions.
 
>You rise from your chair and step into the hallway.
>You peek through the glass door, looking for any sign of Celestia.
>You don't see her, but you do spy Raven.
>You step into the office and walk around to the front of the desk.
>Leaning on the counter right in front of Raven's terminal, she glances up at you with a questioning look before focusing back on her typing.
>"Anon? It's a little early for that appointment."
"Yeah, I know. Got a few minutes? I was hoping to ask you some questions."
>The clacking on the keyboard ceases as Raven gives you her full attention.
>She pushes the keyboard away from her, crosses her arms, and rests them on the counter.
>"Yeah, sure. I've always got time."
"I was wondering if you could tell me about Celestia."
>At the mention of her name, her expression shifted from one of intrigue and concern to a wide, cheesy grin.
>"This is about this morning, isn't it?"
>You simply nod at her.
>"I didn't think you'd actually take her seriously. You're really- wait, aren't you with Cheerilee?"
"I told you, Raven. She's just an old friend."
>She slowly reaches up and rests her forehead in the palm of her hand.
>She lets out a loud sigh before muttering "Damn it!" under her breath.
>She lowers her hand and looks back to you, trying, but failing, to conjure up another genuine smile.
>"So you're going to go on that date?"
"I'm contemplating it. I was hoping you could tell me what she's like outside of work."
>"Well, she's not much different. Still super nice. She's got a bit of a mischievous side, though. You know, pranks, stuff like that."
>Pranks?
"She wouldn't stand me up or something like that, would she?"
>"What? No! No, no, no, no, nooooo. She wouldn't do anything mean-spirited like that. Just harmless stuff, like the senior tradition of filling Luna's desk with shaving cream."
>You can't help but snicker at the reminder of that.
>Stealing the janitor's keys.
>Sneaking into school at 5 AM with a backpack full of shaving cream bottles.
>Making sure you were in the office when she arrived in the morning.
>The sound of her voice screaming for her sister.
>The look on her face at the emergency assembly later that day.
>That thirty minute speech about acting your age, being mature, and how the culprit should step forward to face punishment.
>Good times.
"Haha, yeah, she was real- wait, senior tradition?"
>"Yeah, it's been going on for the past few years."
"That caught on?"
>"Oh yeah, the seniors love it. Celestia just about pees herself every time it happens while Luna just looks like she wants to burn the building down."
>Huh. Maybe that's why Celestia wasn't at that assembly. She probably couldn't keep a straight face.
>Wonder how she'd react if you told her you were the one that started it.
>Certainly seems like it'd earn you some easy points with her.
>Then again, she might tell Luna.
>That'd be bad.
>Real bad.
>"If you don't mind me asking, why are you worried about her standing you up?"
>You break the eye contact to stare down at the floor.
"I, uh... I guess I've got some baggage from my last relationship. It didn't end too well."
>"I see..."
>The conversation dies as silence stagnates the air.
>You look back up to her as she glances down at her monitor.
>"Looks like it's about that time, Anon. Want me to call Rarity up?"
"Yeah, sure. Just send her in when she gets here."
>You push yourself off the counter and make your way back around the counter to the door.
>"Sure thing, Anon. Oh, and just let me know if you want to talk again. About anything."
"Yeah. Thanks a lot, Raven."
 
>You go back into your office, clean the crumbs and trash from breakfast off your desk, and wait for Rarity for arrive.
>You sit in silence for a few minutes trying to figure out just what she'll want to talk about before two short knocks sound off from the door.
"Door's open!"
>The door opens just a crack and the head of a familiar, purple-haired girl pokes inside. Upon seeing you, she smiles and fully opens the door to step inside.
>"Good morning, Anon. Having a nice day?" She says, closing the door behind her and taking a seat in the only other chair in the room, resting her book bag by her feet.
>She sits with her legs closed, her knees pointed to her left with her feet kicked out slightly to her right. She interlocks her fingers and rests her hands in her lap, looking to you with deep, attentive eyes and a calm, but confident smile.
"Good morning to you, too. Suppose I can't complain. What about you?"
>"Oh, fabulous so far. Normally I detest mornings, but I've had something to look forward to today."
"And what would that be?"
>"Finding out why my friend is so interested in you."
"You mean Sunset?"
>"Yes. She's always gone out of her way to make others feel welcome here, but you? She seems especially interested in you. Not that I don't find you interesting as well, mind you..."
"I'm flattered, but I'm really not that interesting. I just do my job and go home to wait for the next day. That's about it."
>"Oh, please, Anon, don't be so dismissive of yourself. You may still be young, but you've got that 'experienced man' kind of look. I can tell you've got some interesting things to say, some stories to tell. "
>'Experienced' look?
>What the hell does that mean?
>Is she saying you've got some kind of thousand yard stare or something?
>Wait...
>So that's what this is.
>Just some roundabout way of asking about the scar.
>Go fucking figure.
"Look, Rarity, I know what you're getting at, and if I was interested in talking about it, I would have told you, Sunset, and everyone else at the table when Skittles decided to bring it up yesterday!"
>Halfway through your sentence, Rarity's posture and expression shift.
>She leans forward and hunches over slightly, her shoulders drop, and her hands wrapping themselves around her elbows.
>She looks down and away from you, as if to hide her shame.
>"I-I'm sorry, Anon, I didn't mean to..."
>Oh, shit. Maybe you said that a little too forcefully.
>You hope she doesn't start to cry.
>She lifts her head just enough to peek at you from the corner of her eye.
>"I didn't mean to imply that that was what I was asking about. Please understand, I would never ask you to talk about that, especially after I saw how you reacted yesterday. After you left yesterday, I scolded Rainbow for asking you about it. Please understand."
>You stare into her, trying to judge her words and body language.
>"I was hoping for some unrelated stories about your work, or maybe your time here at CHS. Please, forgive me."
>Slowly, she raises her head to meet your eyes head on once again, her own seeking forgiveness in yours.
>You did hear getting onto Skittles yesterday...
>And she's been nothing but polite and well-spoken when speaking with you.
>Much like Sunset.
>Looks like you jumped the gun on this one.
>You let out a sigh, prop your arm up on your desk, and rest your forehead in it's palm.
"I'm sorry, Rarity. I shouldn't have snapped at you like that. I thought that's what you were getting at, and... Look, let's just forget about this, no hard feelings, okay?"
>She pulls a small handkerchief out of her bag and daintily dabs at her eyes. Her frown slowly turns into a weak smile.
>"Absolutely. Thank you for understanding, dear."
"Yeah, don't worry about it. So what was it you wanted to know about? My high school years?"
>You suppose there's no harm in talking about your high school years.
>Might have to omit Cheeri's and Red's names, but that's for the best.
>Doubt either of them would appreciate you telling that story, not that you want to either.
>"Oh, yes! was it any different back then?"
"The building itself? Not really. The students? A little bit. See-"
>You train of thought is cut off by the thump of a door slamming into a wall.
>Shortly after, you can make out what sounds like a pair of high heels hastily pounding into the floor.
>Your door flies open, slamming into the wall as well, with Raven standing in the door frame, eyes wide, mouth slightly agape.
>"Anon, you need to get to room 203 RIGHT NOW!"
>You shoot to your feet, almost immediately stepping to the door.
"What's going on?"
>Raven steps back to let you through the door and follows you into the office.
>"I don't know, it sounded like a fight. I couldn't hear Ms. Harshwhinny over the yelling and what sounded like furniture breaking. I can't get her to answer me anymore. I think they might have broken the intercom!"
"Great. Tell Rarity I'll be right back. And let Celestia and Luna know!"
>You don't wait for an answer, booking it for the staircase to the second floor.
>You can't decide if you should be more annoyed by having to break up some stupid fight, or excited to finally have something to do that might get the blood flowing again.
>Guess you're about to find out.
 
>You bound up the first staircase you come across, taking multiple steps with each stride.
>Upon reaching the top, you break into a sprint towards room 203.
>As you near a hallway intersection, you begin to make out muffled yells and screams, along with the dull thumps of what you suspect is chairs and desks being hurled around.
>You slow down just enough to turn left down the hall without falling on your ass, and begin picking up speed again.
>The roars and thumps only grow louder as you get closer.
>206, 205, 204...
>You slide to a stop and fling open the door...
>Only to immediately sidestep behind the wooden barricade as a chair is hurled your way. You feel the chair impact the door and watch it bounce into the hallway, coming to a stop in the middle of the hall.
>"GRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"
>You peek your head around the door and into the classroom.
>The center of the classroom looks as if it's been hit by a tornado.
>Chairs and desks have been flung around every which-way, and the floor is covered with scattered sheets of paper, textbooks, and other miscellaneous objects from overturned purses and book bags.
>Several students have pushed themselves into the back corner in an effort to distance themselves from the cause of all this destruction. The rest sparsely line the walls, hiding behind each other or one of the several overturned desks.
>Ms. Harshwhinny is on her knees, ducked under her desk clutching her left arm.
>In the center of the room is a single figure, the one dominating this war zone.
>A white-skinned giant sporting a football jersey stands with his back to you as he stares down the other students in the class.
>"STOP! CALLING! ME! STUPID!"
>He seems to focus on one, in particular.
>In front of him is a girl with long pink hair, in a green skirt and a white sleeveless shirt. She sits on her knees facing away from him, her hands covering her eyes as she quietly sobs.
>The hulking brute stomps away from her and towards the large huddle in the corner.
>The muscles in his arms are so tense, you can see his veins popping out from here. His blonde mullet flails about as he rapidly shifts his gaze from one teen to the next.
>He easily towers over all of the other students you've seen here. Not just in height, but mass as well.
>He's so built, he looks like he could give a young Arnold Schwarzenegger a run for his money.
>Ms. Harshwhinny peeks out from under her desk and lays eyes on you. Upon recognizing you, some of her worry washes away.
>"Oh, thank the heavens you're here, Officer Mous! Please, do something!"
>You step out from behind your barricade and step into the classroom, attempting quietly closing the door behind you.
>Unfortunately, your presence is betrayed by the click of the latch bolt sliding into place.
>He quickly turns to face you with blood red eyes of pure rage. He stares you down as he slowly swaggers his way over to you.
>You stand your ground, refusing to break eye contact.
>As he draws close, you palm the pistol grip of you taser and hold out your left hand as a sign for him to stop. He ignores it, stopping only when your palm touches his barrel of a chest.
>Your instincts scream for you to get away from him, but you don't budge.
>You hope you can solve this peacefully. This guy looks like he could royally fuck up your day.
"Calm down, big guy. No one needs to get hurt, alright?
>He stares you down as his chest heaves up and down with his breath.
>You swear you can see steam coming out of his nostrils when he breathes out.
>He sucks in one deep breath before opening his mouth.
>"YOU THINK YOU CAN HURT ME?"
>A bit of spittle lands on your cheek.
>You retract your hand from his chest and wipe the saliva off your cheek before rubbing it on your pants.
"I know I can, but I'd really rather not; I know you can hurt me, and I'd really rather not get hurt. We don't need to act like this, though. Just... just take a few deep breaths, alright?"
>He continues to stare you down for a few moments before backing away a few steps. He closes his eyes and his breathing slows.
>As he reopens his eyes, you can tell some of the rage has faded from them.
>"ALRIGHT... Alright."
>Yeah, talk him down. That's the stuff.
>You slide your right hand off of your taser and back down to your side.
"That's good, see? That's real good. Let's just sit down and talk about this like real men, okay?"
>You set upright two of the overturned chairs and offer him a seat, which he cautiously takes. He sits stiffly, back straight with his arms wrapped around himself, as if simulating a hug.
>You take yours, hunched over and resting your elbows on your knees.
"So talk to me. What's going on? What happened?"
>He slumps his shoulders and gazes down, tucking his chin into his chest.
>"We... w-we were just going over last night's homework, and I got called on. I got the answer wrong, and she..."
>As he turns to face the crying pink haired girl, you do the same. You catch just a glimpse of a sea foam green eye looking back at you before she turns away from the giants gaze.
>"She called me stupid. I'm not! I'M NOT STUPID! I'M NOT STUPID"
>He tenses up, working himself into a rage.
>You hold one hand out, urging caution, and place another comforting hand on his knee and give it a few pats.
"Alright, alright. Just relax. Deep breaths"
>He simply looks into your eyes and nods before taking another deep breath and staring down at the floor.
>A quick look around and you realize all eyes are on you. Even the crying girl is sneaking peaks at you when you aren't looking.
>"Everybody started laughing at me, and I just got so m-m-mad... I didn't mean too, honest!"
>He looks up to you once more with tears beginning to form in his eyes.
>You stare back, silently judging.
>He seems sincere enough, but you're still going to need to talk to at least a few of the others here before you can get the full picture. Ms. Harshwhinny, the crying girl, and probably several of the other students.
"Alright. How-"
>A loud, feminine shout cuts you off.
>"BULLSHIT!"
>The gaggle of students in the corner spreads, revealing a light skinned girl with pink and blue curly hair. In her arms, she cradles a bruised and distraught looking girl with cyan skin.
>"That animal just started freaking out and hurling desks everywhere! He hit Ms. Harshwhinny and hurt Lyra! Arrest his ass!"
>Emboldened by the girls display, several of the other students begin calling for the same.
>"Yeah, cuff his ass!
>"Get him the fuck out of here before he freaks out again!"
>"Oh my god, he could have killed someone!
>With every outburst, the giant sinks further into himself. He almost resembles a giant, terrified child.
>Someone in the back of the crowd lobs a textbook at him.
>The book slams into the back of his head. Without even a microsecond's delay, the giant is back on his feet and raging before the book even hits the ground.
>"RRRAAAAAAAAAAARGH!"
>He swings his right arm into a nearby desk, sending it hurtling into the lone, pink haired girl. Upon impact, she falls over onto her side and curls into the fetal position, shaking.
>He picks up the chair he was sitting in and turns to the crowd that had assaulted him. He hurls the chair at the first layer of teens before beginning to stomp towards them, still roaring.
>You quickly stand, kicking your chair out and away from behind you. You draw your taser and point it at his back.
>So much for solving this peacefully.
>You've never had to taze a highschooler before.
>You'd really rather not.
"STOP!"
>He ignores you.
>You step forward a few feet, closing the gap.
"I SAID STOP! FINAL WARNING!"
>Once again, you might as well not even exist to him right now.
>He leaves you no choice.
>Well, he asked for it.
>You close the gap further, leaving little more than a yard between the two of you.
"TASER! TASER!"
>Some of the girls scream, but still, he ignores you.
>You fire your taser and watch as the darts fly forth from the cartridge.
>One dart plants itself between his shoulder blades, and the other lands in his lower back.
>Your taser begins clicking as electricity flows down the wires, through the darts, and into his body.
>He does little more than flinch before turning to face you.
>Face you with those burning red eyes.
>"GrrrrRRRAAAAAAAAAAA!"
>He roars as he breaks out into a sprint, somehow going from zero to one hundred in about three feet.
>Upon colliding with you, he wraps his hands around the arm holes in your vest and lifts you up, carrying you with him as he continues running.
>An instant later, you feel your back slam into something. The object splits and splinters, unable to hold up to the force of this madman's charge.
>After another second, you are slammed into something once more. This thing, however, doesn't budge an inch.
>The giant lifts you up above him and hurls you down to the floor at his side on your back. Your skull crashes into the floor.
>All the air is knocked out of your lungs. You struggle to breathe.
>Your vision blurs as you recover from your most recent concussion. As the world comes back into focus, you realize you are now back in the halls.
>The door to the classroom you were just in is shattered, split into splinters on the ground and chunks barely managing to hold onto the door frame.
>There are quite a few slivers and shards of wood embedded into your arms. Blood begins to seep from the more sizable wounds.
>Your eyes drift up to the snarling titan looming over you.
>His expression filled with a lust for violence and blood.
>It occurs to you that you may have made a mistake.
 
>Pain flows through your arms as you struggle to move.
>You weakly roll over and climb onto your hands and knees.
>Just as you make an attempt to stand, a foot finds it's way to your stomach.
>Your Kevlar vest dampens some of the pain, but the sheer force behind the kick is enough to send you toppling over to your side.
>You collapse on your right arm, and the pain spikes tenfold as splinters are driven further into your body.
"ARGH!"
>Arms shaking from the pain, once again you try to pick yourself up, albeit faster this time.
>You are assisted in your struggle when a hand grabs a handful of your hair and yanks you up.
>Your hands shoot up to his fist and try to pry it away from your hair, but his grip is iron.
>He drags you, kicking, back to the concrete wall and jerks you up to your feet before slamming your forehead into the wall.
>As he pulls you back to slam you once again, you throw your arms up against wall and brace yourself.
>He throws you back at the wall, but you catch yourself. You stop a few inches short of the wall.
>He snarls are your defiance and tries once more, but you don't budge. Recognizing your defense, he pulls you backward and releases your hair, sending you stumbling to regain your balance.
>You back into the opposite wall. Looking up, you see your opponent slowing stepping towards you, fists raised and ready to attack.
>A warm sensation trickles down from your forehead. A red liquid comes into your blurred vision as it trails down along your nose.
>You rub your eyes in an attempt to coerce them back to fully functioning. Slowly, the world comes back into focus.
>Raising your fists, you push off the wall to step towards him, ready to fight back this time.
>"NOT LAUGHING ANYMORE, ARE YOU?" he barks out at you.
>You don't bother trying to reason with this mongoloid. You don't know what his malfunction is, but he's obviously not in a clear state of mind.
>You sidestep around him and away from the wall to give yourself some breathing room. You'd rather not give him the opportunity to put you through another door.
>You just try to keep your head in the game and your eyes on your opponent.
>He growls in response to your silence. With a burst of speed, he quickly closes the large gap and comes at you with a right hook.
>You quickly raise your arms to shield your face as you duck to your right, dodging his swing.
>He stumbles as he tries to stop his momentum, and you exploit his opening with two quick punches to his side as you step around him.
>He turns and puts all of his might into a left-handed backhand, but with a single back step, you're completely out of his range.
>As his arm passes through the air in front of you, you bounce forward and land a hook of your own square into his cheek.
>He clutches his cheek as he staggers back. He meekly holds his hand there as he stares at you in disbelief.
>Staring back into him, you detect a hint of fear in his eyes.
>Seems like he wasn't expecting a real fight.
>Good thing you took Blitz up on those sparring matches way back.
>You can't help but smirk at the look on his face.
"Why don't you just lie down and put your hands on your head before you get hurt?"
>He seems to think about this briefly. However, that look of rage returns when he notices the smirk you're wearing.
>His chest begins to heave as he snarls, working himself into another rage.
>"Stop... STOP IT! STOP LAUGHING AT ME! I'LL KILL YOU!"
>He finds the chair that he previously launched into the hallway and takes it in both hands.
>He lifts the chair over his head and hurls it at you with all his might. Leaping out of the way, you watch as the chair flies by you, mere inches from your face.
>You turn to refocus your attention on the brute, only to find him sprinting toward you, shoulder forward, with too little time to react.
>He launches his body off the ground, firing himself into you with a flying tackle. As his shoulder is speared into your chest, all the breath in your lungs is forced out of you as you fall to the ground, slamming your head.
>You manage to suck in a tiny amount of air before it is expelled by the hulking body landing on top of you.
>Dazed, you can do little to fight back against him as he assumes the mount position on top of you.
>You weakly swipe at him, but he easily slaps it away.
>Eager to finish the fight, he reaches forward and wraps his enormous hands around your throat and begins to squeeze as hard as he can.
>You try to lift off the ground with your legs in attempt to reverse the position, but he is simply too heavy.
>You struggle the best you can as the life bleeds from you. Limply, you punch, slap, and scratch, but nothing you can do fazes him. You try to call out for help, to scream for him to stop, but all you can do is cough and gurgle.
>The world begins to blur and fade away from your eyes. Detailed shapes and sounds become little more than indistinguishable blobs of color and dull murmurs.
>With no other option left, you summon all your remaining strength and reach for your holster.
>This is it.
>It's do or die.
>Him.
>Or you.
>As you push the retaining strap out of the way and palm the pistol's grip, an orange and purple figure wraps it's arms around your assailant.
>Followed by a white and yellow one.
>And then a blue and purple one.
>They sway back and forth in tandem with the white giant before he is pulled off of you.
>They fall backward and collapse in a pile, but they do not let the beast go.
>You cough and hack as the pressure is released from your throat, but your body revels in the fresh life it takes in. Your hands spring to massage and shield the sore flesh.
>Your dulled senses begin to reawaken, and you once again become aware of the world around you.
>Celestia, Luna, and Ms. Harshwhinny struggle to keep control of the roaring student. He still hasn't taken his eyes off of you.
>Glancing around, you realize you are surrounded by people. The hallway has been flooded by students and teachers alike trying to see what the commotion is.
>Many of the teachers seem hesitant to get involved, opting to try to hold back their students and push them back into class.
>The students themselves react quite differently.
>Some cheer and holler, some have pulled their phones out to record the fight, and some simply stare in shock at you.
>A quick look at yourself and it isn't hard to understand why. Your uniform is torn and frayed along the sleeves and collar.
>Your arms are still peppered with shards of wood. Some seem to have fallen out during the struggle; however, several have dug deeper into the flesh.
>Blood is soaked into the fabric of your shirt and vest. There are a few drops of red soaked in your pants.
>You sit in a small smear of red on the floor. Several small drops dot out the path of destruction you've been forced along.
>You look back up to the three women holding down your attacker and stare blankly for a few moments before reality finally sets back in.
>You can't just sit here.
>Every second longer this goes on is a second longer everyone here is at risk.
>You have to end this, now.
>You push yourself over onto your hands and knees and begin to try to push yourself up.
>"Bulk! Bulk, stop it! Calm down!" Celestia calls out "What is wrong with you!?"
>You plant on foot on the ground. Placing your hands on your knees, you begin to stand.
>A few pairs of hands find their way around your biceps.
>The students pull you up and help you find steady ground. You look at their faces, but none of them are familiar.
>You try to offer thanks, but all that comes out is a raspy whisper. It burns your flesh to speak.
>You begin to step away from them. Some seem hesitant to release you, but they do so after a few more steps.
>Slowly, step by step, you make your way towards the violent student. The two of you stare each other down the entire time.
>Ms. Harshwhinny looks up and catches sight of you. Somehow, her already widened eyes open ever further at the sight of you.
>"O-officer Mous? Oh my lord..."
>You lift your hand back to your holster, wrapping your fingers around the grip.
>Celestia's eyes are clenched shut as she puts all her strength into holding the boy down.
>Luna, however, notices you. Her jaw drops when she sees the state your in. She merely stares, wordlessly.
>With your thumb, you slide the retaining strap back into place and reach further back on your belt.
>You come across a cylindrical pouch. You undo the latch and pull out six inch long steel rod.
>You stop about a yard away from the pile of squirming bodies. With a broad swing of the rod, it extends, coming to a full twenty-one inches.
>You ready yourself, holding the rod out next to you.
>You do your best to rally what remains of your voice, and call out to the three women.
"Let him go."
>You can't help but cough after speaking, but it was loud enough to catch their attention.
>Celestia opens her eyes, looking just as shocked as the others.
>"An-non? No, we can't, let u-"
"Let. Him. Go."
>You put as much bravado as you can into those words. You choke back the need to cough after speaking.
>Celestia stares back at you in awe before noticing the bludgeon in your hand.
>Reluctantly, she looks to the others and nods. They release him.
>In the blink of an eye, he's off the ground and coming at you again.
>He readies a punch with his right arm, but you're ready for him this time.
>You step back while bringing the baton across your chest, letting it touch your left shoulder before lashing out with a mighty horizontal swing.
>The tip of the rod slams into his bicep just a he releases his punch, stopping it dead in it's tracks.
>He screams in pain as he brings his left hand up to nurse his wounded flesh. He tries to step back, to retreat in fear, but you don't let him.
>You press forward, immediately following up with another swing to his outer left thigh. He screams even louder that time.
>He collapses onto his rear, now clutching his thigh. He holds a hand out, begging for you to stop, pleading with you as tears cascade down his face.
>You lunge at him, holding the baton high over your head, ready to strike again.
>He flinches, looking away and begging for his mommy. A pool of clear liquid begins to form on the tiled floor around him.
>You've won. You've broken his spirit. It's time to wrap this up.
"LAY DOWN, ON YOUR STOMACH! HANDS ON YOUR HEAD!"
>He flinches again as you bark orders at him. Slowly, he complies, rolling over onto his stomach, fearful of another impending strike.
>He cries out in pain when he moves his sore muscles.
>With his back to the ceiling, you reach for your cuffs with your left hand.
>You drop at knee onto the base of his spine and shift your body weight onto the spot. He squirms and yelps in pain, but you pay him no attention.
>This isn't supposed to feel good for him.
>You place the baton on the ground beside you and reach for him arms.
>You bring both down behind his back and cuff his wrists. With his arms secured behind his back, you place a hand on his shoulder to brace yourself.
"I'm placing you under arrest for assault and battery of a police officer. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and may be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney before and during questioning. You have the right that, if you can not afford an attorney, to have one appointed at no cost to you, to represent you both before and during questioning. Do you understand?"
>He meekly nods his head.
>"Y-yes, M-M-Mr. offi-c-cer."
>You lean down to whisper into his ear. He groans as your knee rolls into his back.
"I am going to get off of you now. I would strongly advise that you do not move."
>He simply nods again and continues weeping.
>You grab your baton and push off of him, back to your feet.
>You hit the lock release on the baton and, with a single push with the palm of your hand, collapse the baton in on itself. Staring down at the detained individual, you secure the baton back in its pouch.
>You take a few seconds to catch your breath, and the adrenaline begins to fade. Almost out of no where, pain swallows your body.
>You look up to see the crowd surrounding you staring at you. Some whisper among each other, but most remain silent. Many cameras remain pointed at you.
>A loud clap sounds out from behind you. Another one, and another one, the applause quickly spreading throughout the crowd.
>You turn to face Ms. Harshwhinny's class all cheering for you. Having been the only ones to see how this started, they seem to be the only ones happy to see it work out this way.
>You locate Celestia in the crowd, and try to step toward her, but your leg doesn't move. You try again to lift it, but it doesn't budge. Your strength is slipping away.
>You motion Celestia over, and she and her sister hurriedly jog over to you.
>Celestia detects your weakness and grabs hold of your shoulders to help hold you up.
>"Anon, are you okay?" she asks.
"I'll be fine. Luna, get everyone back into class right now."
>Luna nods and sets out to clear the halls.
>"Alright, students, back to class!" she calls out. "Come on, let's go! Don't make me start handing out detention slips! Teachers, do your jobs!"
>Slowly, the crowd begins to shift away from you and back into the classrooms.
>You turn back to Celestia, who is worriedly staring at your wounds.
>"Anon? Is there anything I can do?"
"I need a chair before I fall over."
>Celestia quickly finds the chair in the halls and sets it down behind you. She grabs your hand and gently lowers you down.
>Once completely seated, you relax your body, letting it go nearly limp. You close your eyes and lean your head back.
>You feel like the big man in the sky just laid the smack down on you.
>Like you just got hit by a semi truck.
>Like you just fell down three flights of stairs.
>"Um. Officer Mous?"
>With an annoyed sigh, you open your eyes to find Ms. Harshwhinny standing in front of you. In an outstretched hand, she holds your discarded taser.
>"I found this on the floor. I believe it belongs to you?"
>You reach out and take the taser in your hands, ejecting the cartridge before sliding it back into it's holster.
>Looking back up to her, you open your mouth to speak only to break out into a coughing fit. You do you're best to cover your mouth with a closed fist.
>After a few moments of hacking into your hand, you recover and manage to speak out with a raspy voice.
"Is everyone okay? Anyone hurt?"
>Ms. Harshwhinny glances back to her class, and you follow her line of sight.
>Seems like most of the class made it's way into the hall to watch the fight, just like the others. The disheveled students ignore Luna's urging to return to class, opting instead to loiter around and check on one another's well-being.
>"We're fine, for the most part. Just a few bruises. I'm worried that Fluttershy got the worst of it."
>Fluttershy. There's that name again.
>She was in there?
>"Fluttershy? Oh, the poor dear. I'll go check on her." says Celestia, as she briskly steps away from you and through what remains of the shattered door.
>You turn your attention back to Ms. Harshwhinny.
"Well, if anyone got anything worse than a few bruises, I'm going to need to know how bad. I'm also going to need a list of everyone in the class, who witnessed what happened, and everyone that was injured specified."
>"Of course."
"Good. I'll be in touch when I need anything else."
>"I-... You're not going to take statements?"
>You crack a weak smile.
"Ms. Harshwhinny, I can hardly believe I'm still conscious right now. I don't think I'm really in a good state to be taking notes. Besides, I'd just get blood on the paper."
>You hold up your arms to emphasize.
>"Right, right." She gulps upon getting a better look at the state you're in.
"Go take care of your kids. I gotta make a call."
>She nods and makes her way back to her flock of students.
>You close your eyes and take a deep breath, composing yourself. Your left hand finds your radio mic and unclips the mic from your vest's shoulder. You pull the mic close to your mouth and push down the transmit button.
"Dispatch, this is officer Mous. There's been an assault and battery on a police officer at Canterlot High School. Perp is cuffed and under control, but I need a patrol car sent my way. Over."
>Nothing but silence from the other end of the radio.
>After a few moments, the radio sparks back to life.
>"10-4, officer, we have a car in route, should be there ASAP. Over."
"Copy. Tell them to bring a first aid kit. Out."
 
>"Roger. Dispatch out."
>With the conversation over, you clip the mic back onto your vest before sliding down into the chair and letting your body hang limp.
>You lean your head back against the back of the chair and close your eyes, but you resist the urge to fall asleep right then and there. Between the pain you're feeling, the exhaustion from the fight, and the somewhat worrisome amount of blood you've lost, you're pretty spent.
>But that fight...
>A smirk creeps back onto your face.
>Damn. What a fight.
>The adrenaline.
>The struggle.
>The crushing victory.
>Well, you say crushing, but you know it would have ended differently if it wasn't for Ms. Harshwhinny, Celestia, and Luna.
>One of you could be going home in a body bag.
>All things considered, this is the best case scenario.
>You should be angry.
>You should be worried about the organic shrapnel still sticking out of your arms.
>Some fucking kid almost killed you because, what? He got his fee fees hurt?
>But all you can think about is how good it feels to be back in the action after so long.
>Here you were, thinking this assignment was going to be boring. Maybe this won't be so bad after all.
>Your train of thought is derailed by the sound of high heels approaching you.
>The footsteps stop just a short distance from you. Whoever it is, you can feel their eyes looking over you. You don't bother acknowledging them.
>Several seconds later, the person finally speaks up.
>"Um. Anon? Are you awake?"
>Luna.
>You give an affirmative grunt.
"Nugh."
>"Are you alright?"
"Mmm hmm."
>"Are you sure? Here, let me fetch Nurse Redheart."
>The mention of her name, the thought of her seeing you again, is enough to elicit a knee jerk reaction from you.
>You quickly open your eyes and shift back to a more appropriate sitting position.
"NO! Uh, I mean..."
>Quickly, you clear your throat.
"I, uh, I have a patrol car on the way with a first aid kit. I'd rather my own guys take a look at me, you know?"
>Luna crosses her arms and narrows her eyes at you.
>Her bullshit detector must be going off. She was always too good at reading you after you got caught red-handed in the library that one time.
>"Are you certain? The wounds on your arms look serious. Why wait?"
>Quick! Redirect!
"I'll be fine, really. I've been through worse. If anyone needs to get down to Red, it should be any of the kids that got hurt before I got over here."
>She shifts her weight to her left foot, staring past you in contemplation.
>"Hmm. I suppose you're right. I'll see if anyone needs to go down and see Nurse... Wait, did you call her 'Red'?"
>Oh shit.
>Did you?
>Fuck!
"Uh... You must have misheard me. Voice is still kinda scratchy, just didn't come out all that loud, you know?"
>"Right, right. I suppose I'll go check on the others. Just let us know if you need anything."
"Will do."
>You watch as Luna steps around you, heading for the ruined classroom. Just as she reaches the doorway, you call out to her.
"Hey, Luna?"
>She stops and turns to face you again.
>"Yes?"
"Just wanted to say thanks for the help. Things would be a lot... different right now if it wasn't for you and the others."
>Luna's usual calm, detached expression changes to a warm smile, not unlike that of her sister's.
>"You're very welcome, officer."
>She turns to step through the door, but stop herself almost immediately. She seems to contemplate something for a moment.
>"You know what, Anon? Maybe my sister was right about you."
"Right about me? What does that mean?"
>She simply smiles at you and ignores your question, moving through the door frame and out of your sight.
>Huh. You'll have to ask Celestia about that later.
>You turn your attention back to the large, crying young man on the ground.
>You should probably talk to him before the patrol car gets here.
>Plus, you still need to pat him down for anything.
>You push yourself to your feet and cautiously test your strength with a few short steps.
>Your muscles throb in protest, but you don't feel like you're going to keel over.
>Slowly and steadily you move your legs, carrying yourself back to your prisoner. You crouch down in front of him for a talk.
"You calmed down yet?"
>He weakly nods and hums in the affirmative.
"Good. What's your name?"
>"B-bulk Biceps."
>Bulk Biceps?
>What the fuck kind of name is that? Who names their kid that?
>I mean, you don't exactly have the most normal name either, but still.
>Why would you name your kid after one specific trait or idea? Do you just hope they come to embody that thing as they grow up?
>What if this guy didn't want to lift to get them gainz? Maybe he just wanted to read books all day.
>What if this guy had been born without arms?
>WHAT THEN, GOD?!
"Alright then, Bulk. I'm about to search you. You got anything dangerous on you I should know about? A knife, a firearm, anything like that?"
>"No, officer, I promise!"
"Good. Sit still, don't move unless I tell you."
>You stand and straddle his waist, careful not to put your feet in his piss puddle. Bending at the waist, you pat down his back and his belt line. Nothing.
>You take a few steps back and prepare to check from his waist down. Upon noticing a lump in his back pocket, you reach into it and pull out a brown leather wallet. With a flick of your wrist, you open it.
>Inside you find a couple of dollars, a few notes written in near illegible chicken scratch, and a student ID.
>The picture on the ID is obviously a few years old, but is similar enough to confirm his identity. Bulk Biceps.
>You close the wallet and toss it to the side before continuing down his legs. Nothing strapped to his thighs or calves.
>Just to be sure, you pull off his sneakers and check inside. Nothing inside but the stench of feet; Nothing tucked into his socks either.
>Clear so far. That just leaves...
"Spread 'em."
>"W-what?"
"Spread your legs."
>Meekly, he does as you command, slowly opening his legs.
>Just as you bend over to check his groin, he begins sniffling loudly and shaking.
"Relax, kid. You don't have to worry about that until you're actually in jail."
>Your words do little to soothe him. Instead, he just starts sobbing to himself again.
>Well, you thought it was funny.
>You decide to try to hurry things along, be it to protect his dignity, or because you don't feel like getting piss all over your hands. As suspected, you find nothing.
"Sorry about that, gotta be thorough. Once I had a guy try and hide a shiv down there. Would have gotten away with it too if it wasn't for that pothole. Alright, I want you to roll over onto your left shoulder now."
>He wordlessly complies, shifting his weight to roll onto his side.
>You rest your left hand on his hip and you work your way back up to his chest as you pat down the front of his damp pant leg.
>Upon reaching his right pocket, you reach inside and find an Ifruit smartphone and a folded piece of paper.
>You place the phone on the ground and slide it over towards the wallet and turn your attention to the folded paper.
>It's frayed, worn, and damp, like it's been in his pocket for some time before he relieved himself all over it. As you unfold it, vibrant colors peek out at you from the page's blank white exterior.
>Holy shit...
>On this piece of paper is a crudely-drawn, child-like doodle of two people enjoying what appears to be a picnic, surrounded with flowers and hearts. A large rainbow stretches across the sky.
>The whole thing is colored in with crayons.
>One of the figures is a large, muscular man with white skin; obviously Bulk.
>The other is a much smaller girl in a green dress with long pink hair.
>Maybe the girl Bulk launched that desk at?
>Maybe this guy is special needs or something. You should probably ask about that.
>You fold the paper back up and toss it over with the rest of his belongings before continuing onward.
"You know, throwing furniture at a girl isn't the best way to drop hints about liking her."
>He doesn't respond.
>As you finish with this side, you push off of his hip and stand straight up.
"Roll over, right side."
>He wriggles his body around in place until he rests on his right shoulder.
>You lean down and brace yourself on his wait once again and begin patting him down once again.
>You find nothing out of the ordinary until you reach his pocket. Tucked away inside is a very noticeable, cylindrical lump.
>Reaching inside, your hand finds a small plastic tube.
>Upon removing your hand from the pocket and examining it, you realize what the object is.
>In your hand is a small orange, unlabeled pill bottle, so chocked full of pills they don't make a sound when you shake the bottle.
>You click your tongue and toss the pill bottle directly into Bulk's line of sight. He jumps when it hit's the floor.
"Man, you really messed up, didn't you?"
>You push off of him and step around into his field of view before crouching down again.
"You wanna explain to me what this is?"
 
>"I-I-I don't know."
"Where'd you get 'em?"
>"I don't know!"
"You don't know what they are or where you got them, but you decided to put them in your pocket and carry them around?"
>Bulk quietly ignores your question, shifting his eyes around in an effort to look at anything but you.
>You wait a moment until you are sure he has nothing else to say before continuing on.
"Don't wanna talk? That's fine. Though, honestly-"
>Suddenly, a woman's voice calls out to you from behind.
>"Hey! You called for a car?"
>That voice.
>You'd recognize that voice anywhere.
>You stand and turn towards the shout.
>Roughly 20 yards from you, you see two figures in CPD blues. Taking the lead is a short, middle-aged woman with pale, white skin and crimson red hair tied up into a ponytail. Mixed in with the crimson is the occasional strand of grey. She holds in her hands a bright red plastic box labeled "FIRST AID" in bold, white text.
>Just behind her is a tall and lanky yellow-skinned man in his late twenties, following along absent-minded with his hands tucked into his pockets, peeking into classrooms with curiosity. His buzz cut hairdo barely allows his lime green hair to be noticed as it's roots poke out from his scalp.
>They look just like they did when they visited you in the hospital.
>The woman stops and squints her eyes, as if she's not sure what she's seeing is real.
>"Mouse?"
>The man bumps into the woman, and he moves his attention from the classrooms to her. Upon seeing where she was looking, he promptly looks to you.
>"Whoa. Mouse?"
>Maybe they didn't hear you were back on duty?
>Nah, it's probably the hair.
>A small but heartfelt smile spreads across your face at the sight of your old friends.
"Quick Stitches. Eagle Eye. It's good to see you again."
>Quickly snapping out of her confusion, Stitches briskly closes the distance between you and wastes no time in inspecting your wounds.
>She takes your left arm by the wrist and holds it out to get a better look.
>"Geez Mouse, what the hell happened to you?"
>"Looks like he got his ass beat, that's what."
>Fucking asshat.
>You motion to Bulk with a nod of your head.
"Bulk here shrugged off a taser and took me for a ride through a few inches of wood."
>Eye casually steps around you, eyeing you up and down, before looking over to Bulk and silently sizing him up.
>Stitches leans around your arm to get a look at the perp. She visibly recoils when she sees the size of him.
>"Wow. He... He's a big guy."
"Yeah, he's one huge mothe-
>"For you." Eye pauses briefly to click his tongue, "I bet I could of taken him, easily."
>You decide to ignore Eye's cocky comment. You know by now it's best to just not acknowledge them, so you just refocus the conversation with Stitches.
"Didn't think they'd send you guys."
>"We we're just a few blocks from here when we heard the call, so we came. We heard about your reassignment and wanted to see you anyway."
>Before you even have a chance to respond, Eagle Eye comes back into sight with a shit eating grin plastered all over his face. He steps behind Stitches and lingers briefly before continuing on, walking a circle around you.
>"Well, I just wanted to see why you we're calling for backup and a first aid kit on your second day of reassignment. Isn't SRO supposed to be an easy gig?"
>He hasn't even been here for two minutes and you already want to backhand this asshole.
>Just like old times.
>"Hey, Eye? How about you do your job and take care of the perp, okay?" Stitches spits out venomously.
>You can hear him come to a stop behind you and let out an annoyed blast of air between his teeth.
>"Ppssshh. Yeah, sure, whatever." he says, stepping away from you "He already been patted down?"
"What do you think that stuff next to him is?"
>"If Mouse has already searched him, just take him down to the care and keep an eye on him. I'll be down in a bit."
>"Yeah, fine, fine. Get up, you, lets go."
>You can just make out the chains on the cuffs jingling as Bulk goes about getting himself off the floor.
>Someone begins taking big whiffs of the air behind you.
>"What's that smell? Hey, why are your pants- oh, come on, man. What the hell?" Eye lets out a loud sigh. "Alright, lets go."
>Bulk comes back into sight with Eye guiding him from behind. You quietly watch as the make their way down the hall before disappearing behind the corner.
>Immediately, you look back to Stitches as she's just finished up looking over your arms.
>She looks up to you with tired violet eyes. Upon a closer look at her face, you can see slight wrinkles beginning to form. If you didn't know better, you'd say she was just getting on in years, but you can tell it's from the stresses of the job.
"Thank you so much."
>With a small grin, you get a glimpse of her pearly whites. She gestures to the chair behind you.
>"You're welcome. Now take a seat and get comfortable, this might take a few minutes. In the meantime, you wanna tell me the whole story here?"
>You step back over to the chair and collapse back into it. You let out a quiet sigh as your body relaxes once again.
>Stitches follows you over and takes a knee in front of you, wasting no time in getting the supplies she will need ready.
>You watch as she stretches white, latex gloves over her hands before retreiving a pair of tweezers from the kit.
"Alright, so I was in my office talking to a student when the secretary runs in and tells me I need to get up here ASAP; said there was some kind of fight or something."
>"Uh huh. Hold your left arm out for me."
>You do as she says, and she quickly gets to work pulling out the smallest splinters first.
"So I book it over here and find Bulk, that big guy, freaking out and throwing shit all over the place. Everyone was spread out against the walls or hiding behind a desk just trying not to get hit, the teacher included. So I step in and try to calm him down."
>"I'm guessing that didn't go well."
"Actually, it was surprisingly easy to calm him down a bit. For a few seconds, I had him in a chair and talking."
>"So what happened?"
"Well, shortly after that, some girl yelled something about him hurting her friend and threw a bo- OW! Fuck! Be careful!"
>"Oh, cry about it, you'll be fine."
"So some girl threw a book at him, which hit him in the back of the head, and he went straight into kill mode again. Hit some poor girl with a desk and threw a chair at a crowd of students. Tried to get his attention, to get him to stop, but he didn't listen. Like I didn't even exist. So I tried to tase him."
>Stitches pulls the last splinter from your arm and places the tweezers back in the case. She looks up at you, briefly making eye contact with you before looking back to your arm, unbuttoning your sleeve, and rolling it up above your elbow.
>"What, did you miss?"
"Did I miss? Really?"
>"Hey, I'm just saying. You've been out of the game for a while, it's alright if you're rusty. Plus, you know, the drop on that bottom prong..."
>Stitches reaches back into the kit and pulls out a few disinfectant wipes, and begins to wipe down your arm.
>You clench your jaw but manage to speak through it as the burn sets in.
"I didn't miss. He just didn't give a damn. Turned around, picked me up, and ran me straight through the door and into the wall."
>"Oh. Well, that explains this mess." She motions to your arms with a wave of her hand. As she finishes wiping down your arm, she sets the wipe aside before pulling a roll of bandages out of the box. "Bad cartridge?"
>You pause in thought for a moment as you watch Stitches wrap your arm in bandages.
"I don't know, sounded like it was working. Anyway, most of what happened after that is kind of a blur. He slammed me into a wall, some punches were thrown, then he tackled me and started choking me. Was about to finally draw on him when some of the faculty managed to pull him off of me. After I caught my breath, I got up and took him down with my baton."
>"That's all?"
"Nah. Found an unlabeled pill bottle on him. Not sure whats in it though. Kid might have been on whatever it is. Still got to talk to the kids and the teacher about what happened before I got here, too."
>With a quick tug, Stitches makes sure the bandages are wrapped snugly around your arm. Satisfied with her work, she pulls out a pair of scissors from the kit and cuts the roll free from your arm and sets about securing the loose end. You allow your arm to relax, lowering it to rest on your leg.
>"Well, after this is taken care of, I'll take that bottle back to the lab and see if we can identify it. Think we'll need to get some pictures taken?"
"Eh. I doubt we'll really need it between the loads of witnesses, and at least a handful of phone recordings, but better safe than sorry."
>"Alright, I'll send for one. Want us to come back and talk to the witnesses? You could probably get the rest of the shift off."
"No, no, I'm good. I can handle sitting in a chair and talking to people."
>"Alright, just take it easy. Just because you're not on the team anymore doesn't mean you have to do everything alone. Now, right arm."
>You extend your right arm while examining your freshly bandaged left arm.
>Letting Stitches get back to work, you lean your head back and close your eyes, trying your best to relax as you feel the splinters being pulled from your body.
>Unfortunately, your rest is interrupted once again by two pairs of footsteps leaving the classroom and heading in your direction.
>Probably Celestia and Luna wanting to talk to you again.
>"Anon?"
>Yup. Celestia.
"Mmm?"
>"I'll be heading back to my office with Fluttershy. She's feeling a little... Well, traumatized."
>Wait, Fluttershy?
>You open your eyes and turn your head towards Celestia.
>Standing very close to her is the pink-haired girl from before. Her knee is scraped and bleeding very slightly, and what you can see of her white shirt seems to be moist with her tears.
>Clutched tightly in her  bruised arms is a green backpack, which she seems to be hanging onto for dear life.
>A single tear-filled sea foam eye peers out at you from behind her disheveled hair. It meets your gaze before shifting down to your arms.
>The eye widens as it takes in your injuries before her head jerks around and buries itself into Celestia's side.
>Wow, she looks terrified. Poor thing.
>Wait a minute.
>...
>Oh.
>OH.
>Oooooohhh.
>She was at lunch yesterday. You completely forgot about her.
>Good job.
>"I understand you'll likely want to have a word with her?"
"Uh, yeah, yeah. Just as soon as she feels she's ready."
>"Okay. I'll show her to your office when she's ready. Will you be much longer?"
"I don't thin- OW!"
>You call out in pain as Stitches quickly jerks another sliver of wood out.
>"Don't worry, ma'am. He'll be up and at 'em in ten, fifteen minutes tops."
>"Oh, good, good. Anon, could you stop by my office when you're done here?"
"Yeah, sure thing."
>"Good. Now, if you'll excuse us; come along, Fluttershy."
>Celestia wraps an arm around Fluttershy and leads her off down the hall.
"Do you have to be so rough?"
>"We'd be here all day if I was being gentle, and you're not the one that has to ride around town with an annoyed Eagle Eye. Besides, it's just a small piece. No big deal."
"Yeah, fine. In that case, just hurry up."
>"If you say so."
"OW!"
 
>15 minutes later.
 
>You lead Stitches back down the halls and down the stairs, back to the front door.
>You stop just outside the door to the office.
>Looking out the glass front doors, you can see Eagle Eye lazily sitting on the front of his cruiser staring off into the distance.
>As you watch him, a crimson head of hair steps out from behind you to gain your attention.
>"So, you're good to go?"
>You look down at your bandaged-wrapped arms. A little bit of red has crept in to the cloth, staining the virgin white color.
"Yeah, I think so."
>Looking up, Stitches looks you in the eyes before looking down at your neck. She brings her right hand up and lightly runs her index finger along your bruised flesh.
>"This is gonna be pretty nasty for a while, though, and there's not a thing I can do about that."
"It's no biggie. People around here were already staring at my neck anyways."
>"Yeah, about that..."
>She slides her finger across your throat, skimming just over your Adams apple. She slows upon reaching your scar, leaning in and closely inspecting it while gently running her finger over it, back and forth.
>"...You know I did everything I could, right? Please don't blame me."
"I know, Stitches. You did what you could, I know that."
>"I tried, Mouse. I really tried, but there wasn't anything I could do. We pulled you out first, and by the time you were safe, Blitz was already gone. And Breacher..."
>Stitches pauses to wipe a single tear from her eye and calm herself.
>You reach up and take her hand in your own and gently bring it back down to waist level before letting go of it and grabbing her shoulder.
"I know, Stitches. I would never blame you, and no one in their right mind would either. We all had a job to do, and we all tried our best."
>You say that, but the words are hollow for you, spoken only to make her feel better.
>You can't help but feel what happened was somehow your fault.
>Like it should have been you in place of one of them. Or both.
>She closes both of her eyes as she takes in a deep breath. After a moment, she opens her eyes, the look of grief wiped clean.
>Having centered herself, Stitches brushes your hand off of her shoulder.
>"Right. Thanks Mouse. I'm gonna head out then, and get this bottle down to the lab. I'll be in touch with what we learn about it, and what Bulk says we he talks."
"Cool. I'll get back to you when I'm done talking to people here."
>"Good. Oh, and when was the last time you went out to see Breacher?"
>You can't help but look down at the floor as an immense wave of shame washes over you.
"I haven't yet."
>"I know it's tough, Mouse, but you should go see him. Maybe bring some vodka for him? He'd love that."
>The thought of facing him after what happened terrifies and shames you.
>He was there for you the one time you needed someone.
>But you couldn't do the same. Some friend you are.
"I'll think about it. Been kind of busy lately."
>"Yeah, sure. Just... Yeah. Anyway, I'm gonna split. Watch your back, Mouse."
"You too. I'll talk to you soon."
>You don't bother watching her leave. Not wanting to dwell on her words about Breacher, you decide to immediately get back to work.
>You turn and pull open the door to the office and step inside.
 
>Hugging your backpack, you quietly watch as Principal Celestia pulls another box of clothing out of her office's closet.
>She drops the latest box on top of her desk and begins sifting through it, occasionally stopping to check the size on an article of clothing before placing it back and continuing to dig.
>She sure has a lot of clothes in there. You really hope she can find something for you.
>"I'm sure I've got something in here for you Fluttershy. I didn't think so many of these tops would be so... small for you."
>Oh, what a terrible day.
>First you hurt Bulk's feelings so badly he hurt you and some of your classmates; he even hurt Ms. Harshwhinny!
>And what he did to Officer Anon...
>You thought you were going to faint for sure.
>And now your shirt is all wet from you crying so much.
>Maybe you should stop wearing white shirts.
>You're such a dummy, Fluttershy. You can't do anything right.
>You just want to go home, curl up under your bed sheets and cuddle with Angel until you cry yourself to sleep.
>But Officer Anon wants to talk to you about what happened.
>You just know he's going to yell at you for starting a fight. He's gotta be really mad at you for getting him hurt so badly.
>Sunset will probably be upset with you for getting Officer Anon hurt, too...
>You hope you don't get in any more trouble.
>You hug your backpack just a little tighter, and you can feel Angel shift around inside. Just feeling him move makes you feel a bit better.
>Principal Celestia pulls a bright yellow hoodie out of the box and checks the size on the inside of the collar. She then holds it out in front of her, checking for any tears or stains.
>Finding no flaws on the clothing, she steps around her desk and holds the hoodie out for you to take.
>"Here, try this on."
>Slowly, you lean down and place your backpack between your legs.
>You take the hoodie, sliding both arms inside and pulling it over your body. You reach up and pull your hair out from inside of the collar before looking over yourself.
>While everything else you tried was too small or too tight for your liking, this one is very baggy and loose. Your fingers barely poke out from the sleeves!
>It must be at least a few sizes too big. Rarity would probably hate this, but...
>Despite how loose it is, it's surprisingly warm. Like you're bundled up in your bed sheets.
>It makes you feel safe.
>"Well, it's a little big."
>Looking up, you find Principal Celestia looking over you, tapping a finger to her chin.
"Um... T-this is fine, I really like it."
>"Hmm..." hums Principal Celestia as she inspects you once more "It does seem to suit you. If you're okay with it, then I'll put these boxes back up. Feel free to keep that if you'd like."
>You can keep it? Yay!
"I'd like that. Thank you Principal Celestia."
>"You're welcome, Fluttershy."
>As Principal Celestia goes about stuffing the boxes on her desk back into the closet, you lean over to pick your backpack back up.
>You embrace it once again, using the warmth of the hoodie and the pseudo hug with Angel keep any negative thoughts away from you.
>You try to focus your thoughts on all the cute puppies you get to take care of at the shelter later this week.
>One of them has white paws, so it looks like she's wearing socks. It's so adorable!
>Oh, you're so excited!
>Unfortunately, you come crashing back to reality when the door behind you opens.
>You don't turn around to see who it is. You already know. He's here for you.
>Celestia turns toward the door, box still in hand. Without a second thought, she plops the box back down on her desk and smiles just past you.
>"Ah, there you are Anon. Wow, you look... Well, it's an improvement."
>"It'll have to do. I've got some work to do." says Officer Anon as he steps around your left side and into your view.
>What's left of his sleeves are painted red and rolled up to his biceps. His forearms are blanketed with mostly white bandages; some spots of red bleed through, though.
>His hands are exposed, but the shallow cuts there have already stopped bleeding.
>"Right." Principal Celestia looks to you with her trademark calm smile "Fluttershy, do you think you're ready to talk to Anon?"
>Oh no.
>Please no.
>What if he gives you detention?
>What if he has you suspended?
>Your parents would be so disappointed in you!
>"I don't bite, Fluttershy." Anon speaks out to you "I just want to talk about what happened. You aren't in trouble. Can you talk to me?"
>You aren't in trouble?
>That has to be a lie. He's lying to you.
>Oh, you shouldn't think things like that. Anon seemed nice enough yesterday, he wouldn't lie.
>Besides, a policeman wouldn't lie anyway.
>Right?
"I-I-I t-think so."
>"Good. Celestia, am I good to take her?"
>"Absolutely." replied Principal Celestia as she steps over to one of the many filing cabinets in her office.
>Officer Anon nods at her and turns his head back to you. "Alright, Fluttershy. My office is just at the end of the hall, right next to Luna's. Just go take a seat, I'll be right in and we can get all this out of the way, okay?"
>With a weak nod, you try to push yourself out of the chair. As you stand, your legs nervously shake, but you manage to get them to carry you out of the office.
>Wanting to make a little noise as possible, you take your time silently closing the door. Just as it's about fully shut, Principal Celestia speaks up.
>"Please be gentle with her Anon. She's a good girl; very sweet, but also very delicate."
>"I'm just trying to figure out what happened up there. From what I can tell, she was right there in the middle of it. Don't worry, I'm not gonna bite her head off."
>You really shouldn't be spying on people like this.
>"Alright then, just wanted to warn you. A few years ago, I had to talk to her about some flyers for the animal shelter she put up, and she started crying when she thought she was in trouble."
>You thought you were in so much trouble!
>"Really? That's kind of... cute."
>"Like I said, she's a very sweet girl."
>Alright, that's enough.
>You back away from the door, leaving it as it is, and step down the hall to Officer Anon's office. You crack open the door and peak inside to make sure no one is inside.
>Finding nobody, you slide in between the door and it's frame and into the sparsely decorated office.
>You take a seat in front of the desk and wait quietly, but after a few long moments, you begin to stir.
>You decide to check on little Angel Bunny, and unzip your backpack.
>The second you unzip your bag and open it, a white blur leaps out from the bag and down to the floor.
"Eeep! Oh, Angel! You can't be out right now! Please, come here!"
>You reach out for him, but Angel hops away every time you get close to him.
>Oh no! If Officer Anon catches you with Angel, you'll be in trouble for sure!
>You and Angel run laps around the desk as you chase after him. You make a desperate running leap at him, and upon slamming your body into the ground, your hands finally catch the quick little bunny.
>Owwie! You wish your body wasn't so sensitive.
>You sit up on you knees and hold the bunny out in front of you.
"Bad bunny, Angel! You know you can't be out right now! What if I got caught? We'd get in big trou-"
>"Why is the-"
"EEEP!"
>Your head shoots over to the door. Standing in the doorway to the room is Officer Anon, holding a yellow folder in his hand. His face is painted with a look of annoyance and confusion.
>"Why is there a rabbit in my office?"
 
>You feel your body lock up in fear at his sudden arrival.
>You wouldn't know what to do if you could move anyway.
>You want to to try to lie or run away, anything to just get out of here.
>But you know lying is bad, and Officer Anon would catch you anyway.
>There's only one way out of this.
>But...
>What if he takes Angel away?
>At the thought of losing him, you immediately pull Angel close to your heart and curl your body around him to protect him.
>"Fluttershy?"
"P-please don't take him!"
>"Take him?"
>Officer Anon leans back and peaks into the hallway briefly before stepping into the room and quietly closing the door behind him.
>He stands there, staring at you with an unsure look, before slowly moving over to you.
>You brace for any sudden motions from him, but he just slowly kneels down a few feet away from you.
>"You know, when I went here, we only dissected dead frogs."
>Dissected? Frogs?
>"Celestia mentioned she had to have a talk about you handing out flyers for the animal shelter before. I imagine you're a big animal lover, right?"
>You gently nod, unsure of where he was going with this.
>"Right. Well, I know it may not seem right or fair, but you can't just steal animals from the science lab. If the school wanted to switch from frogs to rabbits, that's just the way it has to be."
>What? No!
"But I didn't steal him!"
>"If you didn't steal him, then why is he in my office?"
"He's... he's my pet."
>"He's your pet?"
>You nod again.
>Officer Anon stares at you in disbelief before shifting his eyes down to the floor in front of you.
>"You just walk around school with your pet rabbit all day?"
"I keep him in my backpack."
>He lets out a sigh before turning back to you.
>"Alright, look... We got more important stuff to talk about. I'm going to go ahead and pretend that this-" He points back and forth between the two of you. "-this didn't happen. Just don't don't get caught again, alright? I can't really ignore this if someone else sees it."
>He's just going to ignore this?
>You aren't in trouble?
"You aren't going to take Angel?"
>"No. I promise. Now, come on, lets get up off the floor."
>He pushes off the ground, but leans down to offer you a hand.
>You cautiously reach one hand out to take his, and he gently wraps his fingers around you.
>His skin feels thick compared to yours. Hard and calloused. His hand is almost twice as large as yours.
>He helps pull you up to your feet before pulling the chair towards you, offering you the seat. Once seated, you let go of him, and he steps around to the other side of his desk.
>He drops the folder onto his desk before pulling his chair back and taking the seat and scooting up to the desk.
>He flips open the folder and skims the first few pages before stopping and folding the other pages behind it.
>As he reads silently, you slide Angel back into your backpack and take the chance to get a better look at Officer Anon.
>His hair looks messy. But, yours probably does too after what happened.
>There's a small gash on his forehead, right above his right eye. There's a little bit of dried blood in his eyebrow.
>You can't help but let your eyes drift lower, right towards his sca-
>Oh my gosh.
>Wrapped around his throat is a dark purple ring, clearly formed by two large hands.
>Did Bulk do that?
>How did you not notice that before?
>It looks so painful!
>And his arms!
>How is he so calm after getting hurt so bad?
"Um. Officer Anon?"
>"Yes?" he replies, not bothering to look up from the papers.
"Are you okay?
>His eyes halt their scanning of the page, looking up to you.
>"Yeah, I'm fine. I've been through worse and come out fine, don't worry about me."
>He promptly begins reading again, but after a few seconds he stops and looks back up to you.
>He lets go of the paper, letting it limply fall to the desk. He scoots up just a bit more and leans forward, resting his arms on the desk in front of him.
>"What about you, are you okay? I saw you get hit by that desk."
>You clutch your left arm, gently rubbing the large bruise hidden underneath the cloth of the hoodie.
>That desk really hurt.
"My arm really hurts, and I h-have nasty bruise..."
>Oh, but he looks so much worse! Why is he asking about you?
"B-b-but I don't want to sound like I'm complaining or anything! Bulk hurt you way worse than anyone else!"
>Officer Anon quietly chuckles as he looks over his arms.
>"Yeah. Yeah, I guess he did. But I'm used to getting hurt on the job." he looks back up to you with a small smile. "Do you know what I did before I was moved here?"
"Um... a detective?"
>"Detective? Ha! You wanna be a detective, you gotta go to Crystal Prep or top of the line fancy-schmancy college for years before they'll even think about taking you! Even then, that bunch of overpaid monkeys can barely do their jobs! No, Fluttershy, I was SWAT."
"O-oh."
>"Yeah. Let me tell you, I've been through some real scary stuff before. I'm real used to getting hurt by now, so trust me when I tell you I've been through much, much worse."
>Wow. Officer Anon must be really tough! No wonder he seems so calm.
>Officer Anon reaches into his back pocket and pulls out a small notepad, then reaching into his front left pocket and producing a mechanical pencil.
>He flips the notepad open to a blank page and clicks his pencil twice before writing down some notes.
>"But we're getting off track here. Did you know Bulk Biceps?"
>You nod your head.
"Oh, yes. We sit next to each other in Ms. Harshwhinny's class, and we've been in some of the same classes before this year."
>"Would you say you knew him well?"
>Well, you never really talked to him much outside of class.
"We normally just worked together on classwork if we could. We didn't talk much outside of that."
>"Can you describe his usual behavior?"
"He's always been very nice. He can be really loud when he's excited, but he's normally been kind of quiet and shy around me. He's seemed kind of sad when I've seen him in the hall lately. Normally he's with some of the other football players, but it's been just him this past week or so."
>Officer Anon scribbles down your every word before glancing over at the page he was reading earlier.
>"Any idea why that may be?"
>You try to think back on the past few weeks.
>You don't think Bulk said anything about why he looked sad. You feel like you would have remembered something like that.
>He always looked happy when he was in class with you anyways.
"N-no..."
>"Aside from what happened today and what you just stated, has he done anything else that might be out of character lately?"
"No, nothing! He's never gotten in any fights or trouble before!"
>"I see."
>Officer Anon scribbles down one last bit of writing before looking up to you.
>"Do you think you could tell me how all of this started today?"
>Oh no.
"I-I, uh, u-uhm..."
>"Just up until I got there."
>Just tell him the truth, Fluttershy.
>You look away from him and pull your bag closer to your chest.
"It's all my fault."
>Officer Anon shoots you a skeptical stare, but leans in and prepares to write once again.
>"Just start from the beginning, okay?"
 
>Well, today has certainly been a bit of a mix up.
>You've had fights before, but nothing like this.
>If someone had told you that Bulk would not only start a fight, but also trash a classroom, hurt multiple students and even a teacher, and almost kill a police officer, you would have laughed them out of the school.
>You've seen Bulk during football practice. He may be a giant, but he wouldn't hurt a fly. Coach Soarin has been pulling his hair out just trying to get him to tackle anything other than the weighted dummies.
>Standing in the doorway, you look out over the mayhem of the classroom before shifting to the bloodstained floors of the hall right outside.
>Just looking at it sends a small chill up your spine.
>You feel selfish for doing so, but you thank your lucky stars Anon was here to handle most of this.
>Had it fallen to you or Celestia, you imagine things would have turned out much, much worse.
>Had Bulk been on you like that, that would have been it...
>"Ms. Luna? I believe this is everyone."
>You look back into the classroom to see Ms. Harshwhinny standing in front of a small group of three students.
"Let's see. Lyra Heartstrings, Bon Bon, and Captain Planet. This is it? Only three?"
>"Well, there was also Fluttershy, but your sister took her. Myself, as well, but I can wait until lunch." Ms. Harshwhinny cups her right elbow and flinches just slightly at the pain. "I don't think it's anything serious, and I don't want to leave my students unsupervised."
"It's for the best. While I'm gone, could you set up a barricade with chair or desks to block off the hallway? Anon is having someone come out to take pictures, and we don't want anything disturbed."
>"Of course."
"Good. Just keep an eye on it. Once the photographer is done, and he doesn't need anything else, just call up the janitor to clean it up I suppose."
>"Anything else?"
"I'll be back up here as soon as I can. Until then, I'll leave this to you. Let's go, students. I trust you all know where the nurses office is?"
>The tired, wounded students nod and mumble something that vaguely comes off as a confirmation and set off down the hall, careful not to step in any blood.
>You slowly follow along behind them, letting your mind drift back to one question you just can't find an answer to.
>Why?
>Bulk is far from a model student due to his somewhat below-average grades, but he's never done anything that could even be possibly misconstrued as intentionally violent.
>What could make him act so out of character?
>Maybe problems at home?
>Ugh. You really hope your sister decides to call his parents before you get back to your office. You really don't want to have to handle that phone call.
>You follow the students down the stairs and through the rest of the halls, hoping you sister won't just dump her work on you again today. Before you know it, the door to the nurses office is in sight.
>The students all stop and gaggle around the door, looking unsure of what to do.
>Upon getting closer, you realize why.
>There's a small sign hanging off the doorknob that reads 'Nurse is out'.
>This again? You are going to have a serious talk with her about this.
>The students step aside from the door as you approach, and you promptly open the door and step inside the darkened room. After blindly feeling the walls around the door, you find a switch and flip it, turning on the lights.
"Nurse Redheart, I know you are in here!"
>You hear the squeak of an old spring mattress and the dull thump of something heavy falling to the floor.
>Just barely, you can make out someone whispering soft curses.
>"Damn it... stupid...."
>The curtains around the bed furthest from the door are thrown open and a familiar nurse with messy bedhead steps out to greet you with a nervous smile.
>"V-vice principal Luna! So nice to see you! I was just, uh... making the beds!"
>Oh really?
>You were just making the beds.
>In this pitch dark room.
>You cross your arms and raise you voice just a few levels to really drive in the authority you have over her.
"We will discuss this later, Nurse Redheart, and it will be the last time we will discuss it. Do you understand?"
>Nurse Redheart nervously rubs her right forearm and shifts her weight back and forth from her left foot to her right.
>"Y-y-yes, Vice principal. I understand."
"Good. Now, we have a few hurt students I want you to take a look at. Just do what you can and make sure nothing is serious."
>She nods her head and springs into action, quickly motioning the students in while she pulls the curtains back from a few beds.
>Lyra sits down next to Bon Bon, who hugs her, and Captain Planet takes a seat on the bed across from them.
>"Can I ask what happened?" asks Nurse Redheart as she goes about digging through her cabinets, preparing any supplies she might need.
>You open your mouth to respond, but Bon Bon practically shouts at the two of you from her bed.
>"That PSYCHO Bulk Biceps freaked out and started throwing chairs and desks everywhere!"
>Lyra weakly nods in agreement as her friend strokes her back.
>"What Bulk did was seriously not groovy. That negative karma is gonna follow him around for a long time. We're just lucky Officer Anon was there to stop him. Though, I think he's really lucky Principal Celestia, Vice principal Luna, and Ms. Harshwhinny were there to help him!" says Captain Planet.
>Nurse Redheart stops her search, bottle of disinfectant in hand, before slowly and stiffly turning to you with confusion written all over her face.
>"I-I'm sorry... Officer who?"
 
"Officer Anon."
>"Anon Mous?"
>You let out an exasperated sigh.
>This woman.
"Yes. Don't tell me you slept through the assembly yesterday as well. All staff are expected to attend to those, too."
>Redheart wordlessly turns away from you, eyes wide with some unknown emotion.
>Maybe terror? Why would she be afraid of Officer Anon?
>Why does she even care?
>She pauses briefly before getting back to work, though noticeably more sluggish than before. Soon enough, she has a nice stockpile of supplies for any cuts, scrapes, or abrasions.
>She places the supplies on a metal tray and carries it to the bed occupied by Lyra and Bon Bon. At the urging of Bon Bon, she wastes no time in looking Lyra over.
>Wait.
>Wasn't she in the the same graduating class as him?
"Redheart, do you know Anon? You did graduate with him, correct?"
>"Y-yeah! Anon and I were... we were real good friends."
>Real good friends, huh?
>And I'm a pretty little princess.
>It seems pretty obvious to you she's lying.
>You decide to drop the subject, though. Partly because it wouldn't be professional to dig up whatever history Redheart and Anon have, but mostly because you just don't like Redheart.
>She's even lazier than Celestia.
"I see. Well, do what you can for these students. Lyra, Bon Bon, Captain, feel free to stay here as long as you need. Lunch is coming up, so if need be, we can have someone bring you a meal from the cafeteria. Once you're feeling better, I'm going to need all of you to go to the office and talk to Officer Anon. Understood?"
>Lyra and Bon both nod.
>"Gotcha Vice Principal Luna. Thanks for the help! I'm sending some serious positive vibes your way!"
"Uhh... y-you, too?"
>You back out of the nurse's office and head back to Ms. Harshwhinny's classroom to relieve her.
>At least you have this to keep you away from paperwork for a while. Hopefully you aren't too rusty at teaching.
 
"We were going over last night's homework, and Bulk is... he has a little trouble with some of his classes. Ms. Harshwhinny called on him to answer one of the questions. He, uh... he might have answered wrong, and I-I-I m-might have called him..."
>You firmly grasp the sides of your backpack, squeezing the material in your hands. Your palms begin to sweat.
>You compulsively begin bouncing your legs up and down, a nervous reaction you developed long ago.
>Darn you and your nervousness.
>Just get it off our chest, Fluttershy. The sooner you say it, the sooner this will all be over.
"S-silly."
>Your stomach churns as the word slips out from between your lips. You think you might be sick.
>Officer Anon glances up from his notepad and looks at you quizzically.
>He opens his mouth, but stops himself, as if he is unsure of what he should say.
>After a short pause, he places his notepad down on the desk and leans back in his chair.
>"You called him 'silly'?"
>You nod, and some of your hair slips down to cover your right eye. You let it hang there, happy for the slightest amount of concealment from Officer Anon's gaze.
>"Y-yes sir."
>This is it.
>He's going to yell at you, tell you you're a terrible person, tell you that all of this is your fault.
>You'll get suspended, your parents will ground you, and you won't be able to go to the shelter or hang out with your friends anymore!
>Will they even want to be your friend after this?
>Your skin crawls as you await the punishment that you know you deserve.
>"And? Is that all?"
>What? What does he mean 'is that all'?
>You started all of this!
"Y-yes, Officer! I didn't think he would get so mad, a-a-and start hurting people! I'msosorryIdidn'tmeantogetanyonehurtespeciallyMs.HarshwhinnyoryouOfficerplease-"
>"Fluttershy."
"-don'thatemeIdidn'tmeantostartafight-"
>"Fluttershy."
"-oranythingijustdon'twanttogetintroublesoplease-"
>Officer Anon lifts his left hand and slams it's palm onto the top of the table, shaking it and causing a loud smacking sound to echo out around the room.
>The sound startles you so much you almost jump out of your skin.
"EEEP!"
>"Sorry. Look, Fluttershy, you aren't in trouble here."
"I-I'm not?"
>"No! Are you serious? What you said in no way calls for that kind of response from anyone! You could of spat in his face and danced on the graves of his parents, and he'd still be in the wrong!"
>Oh, you would NEVER do that!
>But...
"But he got so mad at me, he started hurting everyone! He wouldn't have done that if I hadn't of said anything!"
>"What you said isn't the issue here. The issue here is that he decided to start assaulting others and almost kill me because someone said one little word. If you want to claim responsibility for hurting Bulk's feelings, then fine, but to blame yourself for his actions, what he chose to do, is ridiculous."
>Officer Anon leans forward against the desk and lets out a tired sigh.
>"To further reinforce that point, I have reason to believe Bulk wasn't in his usual state of mind today."
"What do you mean?"
>"When I searched Bulk earlier, I found a bottle of unlabeled pills on him. I don't know what they are or what they do, but judging from what you've said and what his file here says-" Officer Anon flicks his middle and index fingers toward the file on his desk "-it seems very probable that Bulk was under the influence of those pills, and that they are the cause for Bulk's aggression and sudden violent behavior."
>Bulk might have been on drugs!?
>He would never! He knows better than that!
>The Bulk you know would also never hurt anyone. He's too sweet.
>But Officer Anon's explanation does make sense, as much as you hate to even think about it.
>Oh, you don't know what to think anymore!
>"So please, stop blaming yourself for this. It isn't your fault, understand?"
"Yes sir. I u-understand."
>You say that, but you don't fully believe it.
>"Good. So what happened after that?"
>He picks up his notepad off the table, ready to continue his writing.
"Bulk stood up and shoved me out of my chair, and then he just started yelling things at me. He said I was the stupid one, and that no one liked me... Ms. Harshwhinny tried to stop him, but when she touched him, he hit her and threw her to the ground!"
>"And then?"
"I... I closed my eyes after that. I didn't open them until you got there."
>You were too scared.
>"I see. You don't remember anything else?"
>You shake your head. You're sure he kept yelling, but you must have somehow blocked that out.
>"Well, I guess that's that, then." He makes one last note on his notepad and puts it back down before looking up at you. "I just have one more question for you. What was the question, and what was Bulk's answer?"
>Is that important?
"W-well, in Ms. Harshwhinny's literature class, we just finished reading Of Mice and Men. The homework was a worksheet about the book, a-a-and Bulk's question was about the themes of the book."
>He nods, waiting for you to continue.
"Well... Bulk just wrote 'The great depression was bad'."
>Officer Anon blows a gust of air out of his nostrils before quickly breaking into a fit of quiet giggling.
>The serious, cold look on his face is shattered by a wide smile, which he quickly makes an attempt to restrain.
>He shortly manages to calm himself down. Still smiling, although with a much more subdued smile, he prepares to speak again as he wipes a tear from his eye.
>"Hehehe... I mean, I guess he's sort of right."
>He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a phone, which he briefly glances at before placing it back in his pocket.
>"Alright, let's wrap this up. Are you okay, Fluttershy? Do you think you could go back to your classes, or do you want to go home?"
>He's offering to let you go home?
>You could probably manage through the rest of the day, but you really just want to get away from this place right now.
"I-I think I'd like to go home."
>"That's fine. I'll have Ms. Inkwell call your parents and ask them to pick you up."
>Officer Anon stands up from his seat and steps around the desk. He crouches down next to you, just slightly to your left. He looks up into your eyes as he calmly reaches out to grab your shoulder.
>The second the weight of his arm is upon you, your heart rate doubles, and you instinctively brace yourself for any sudden movements.
>"Thank you for sitting down in here and talking to me about this. I know it must have been hard, especially with it so fresh on the mind, but I promise you it was a big help to me."
>As if flipping a switch, Officer Anon seems to turn off his air of intimidation. A small, but soothing smile helps you lower your guard, and calm yourself.
>"You have an appointment with me tomorrow, right?"
>He must have already checked the board.
>"I-I-I do."
>"Well, I'd understand if you want to cancel that, should you even come to school tomorrow. But, if this whole mess is still bothering you tomorrow, we can talk about it if you'd like. Or you could talk to Principal Celestia, or your friends; whoever you want. Just don't let this get bottled up, okay? That isn't healthy."
>You don't really feel like talking about it anymore right now.
>You know he's right, though.
"I'll think about it..."
>"That's all I'm asking for. You're a brave girl, Fluttershy. If you need anything, all you have to do is ask. Just take care of yourself."
>You? Brave?
>Now he's just trying to make you feel better.
>It's beginning to work, though.
>You glance over at his bandage-wrapped arm.
>This whole time, he hasn't flinched, whined, or given any sign that he's in any actual pain.
>It seems crazy to you that he seems more concerned about you than he is about himself.
>You try to reach out and touch his arm, but he pulls his arm away from you and stands up before you manage to make contact.
>"Come on, lets get you home."
>He steps around you to the door. With the realization how close you are to being out of here, you spring to your feet.
>The sound of the lunch bell fills the school as your feet touch the ground. Hopefully your friends don't need you today.
>*BRRRIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNG*
>You'd text them to let them know what happened, but you know you'd just have to explain yourself again.
>Maybe you could just tell them you were feeling sick? It wouldn't technically be a lie, and you could explain things later.
>You follow Officer Anon back into the main office, take a seat, and sit quietly as he talks with Ms. Inkwell. As she picks up the phone, Officer Anon turns away from her and steps back over to you.
>"She's calling them now. Are you going to be alright with sitting here by yourself?"
"Mmmhmm."
>"Okay. I've got to get back to work, then. Take it easy, okay?"
>You give him a nod, and he turns away from you.
>As you watch him walk away, you can't help but realize you no longer feel a sense of dread.
>Is it because you get to go home?
>Maybe because you aren't in trouble after all.
>Maybe Officer Anon's words did more to calm you down than you realize.
>It seems like the worst is over for you, and he even offered to talk with you about it if it still bothered you.
>He even seemed sincere about it, which is more than some of the teachers here can say.
>Maybe...
>Maybe Sunset is right about Officer Anon.
 
>The lunch bell only just rang, and the cafeteria is already bustling.
>You hope you got here first. You'd hate to pull your friends away from their food. Celestia knows you would hate that.
>You stop just inside the cafeteria doors to scan the room for your friends.
>No one in line or grabbing food.
>No one at your usual table either.
>Guess you're the first one here.
>"Whatcha waiting for, Sunny Bunny?"
>Oh, Pinkie.
>You turn to greet her, but just as you lay eyes on her, she wraps her arms around you and pulls you up off the ground and into a rib-crushing bear hug.
"Hi Pink-IIIIIIIEEEEE! PUT ME DOWN, PUT ME DOWN!"
>"Okey dokey loki!"
>Just like that, she loosens her vice-like grip on you and drops you back down to your feet and gives you her usual smile.
>"Stop tryin' ta kill the poor girl, will ya Pinkie?"
>"Yeah, you're way stronger than you think you are. Like, freakishly strong!"
>Applejack and Rainbow approach you from behind Pinkie. A glance over their shoulders and you can see Rarity right behind them.
>Great! Now we just need Fluttershy.
>"Aww, come on, I'm not that strong! It was just a hug!"
>"You may not think so, but I can assure you that you very much are, Pinkie Pie. Now, come along, girls. I'm famished and could do with a salad."
>Rarity steps between Rainbow and Applejack and makes a beeline for the line. You reach out and grab a hold of her arm, halting her from moving away from you.
"Yeah, about that, Rarity... I had other plans for us."
>"Such as?"
"It's time we did something about Twilight, girls."
>"Right now? Can't that wait until after school? I need fuel for soccer practice later."
>You shake your head.
"If we wait until after school, she might slip away the second the bells ring. Besides, we all know where she is right now."
>Applejack nods in agreement.
>"Sunset's right. Twilight can be as sneaky as a fox when she wants to be. Right now, I reckon we oughta be able to corner her in her little lab."
>Good to know someone is following your train of thought.
"My thoughts exactly."
>"Ugh. Fine."
>"Oh, don't be like that, Rainbow. Ya never know, ya might just get an excuse to have a little 'talk' with Timber!"
>A malicious grin overtakes Dash's look of mild disinterest.
>She punches her right hand into the palm of her left.
>"Haha, yeah! That sounds more like my speed!"
>"Let's do it! I want my TwiTwi back!"
>"I suppose I can skip lunch. It is for Twilight after all."
>Yes!
"Great! Now we just need Fluttershy, and-"
>"Oh, Fluttershy won't be joining us today."
>Rarity reaches into her back and pulls out her phone. After a few quick swipes of the screen, she holds it up for you all to see.
>On the screen is a message from Fluttershy to Rarity, letting her know that she went home feeling sick. Rarity, in turn, wished her well, and asked Fluttershy to let her know if she could do anything for her.
"Oh... I hope she's okay."
>"Oh, I'm sure it's nothing to worry about, darling."
>Well, drat. You were hoping everyone would be here, but it looks like you'll have to make due.
>You should be fine, though.
>Hopefully you can pick up the slack in the hugs and cuddles department. Fluttershy was always the best at that when it came to these kinds of confrontations.
>You should know. Alongside Princess Twilight, Fluttershy was a big help in your reformation.
>You take a deep breath and purge all unimportant thoughts from your mind.
>All that matters right now is Twilight.
>Ready and steeled for whatever the world will throw at you, you look each of your friends in their eyes.
>They each look ready and determined to bring Twilight back.
>Let's do this.
"Alright girls. Let's go get our friend back."
 
>You and your friends push against the noisy crowd heading towards the lunch room.
>You have to cram yourselves up against the wall just to be able to get anywhere, and even then, you're moving at a fairly slow pace.
>These halls never feel this cramped until the entire school tries to migrate to the cafeteria. Why CHS doesn't have multiple lunch periods, you'll never understand.
>You can barely even hear yourself think over the shouting and hollering of the other students.
>Looking up, you can see where this hallway connects to the main halls. You're almost there.
>Once you're back in the main halls, you should be free to move at a normal speed, and not be crushed against a wall.
>You try to put a little more pep in your step to get you out of the crowd a little faster.
>It does little to help, as within seconds, you're hit with a light-headed sensation.
>You try to push through it, to tough it out, but it rapidly becomes worse.
>You brace yourself against the wall, using all of your strength just to remain standing.
>Your skin becomes chilled and clammy, and your vision blurs; what little you can make out is overtaken by the blinding light coming from the ceiling.
>You close your eyes and turn away from the blinding sources of light above you.
>This? Again?
>Of course, it just has to do this now!
>The noise of the world around you fades away, replaced by a deafening, sustained ringing noise in your ears.
>You can feel the bile in your stomach rising as alien thoughts invade your mind.
 
>Oh, crap! I forgot to do my algebra homework!
>Ugh! Another fight?
>Is she okay? She looks like she's gonna be sick.
 
>You grit your teeth and try to soldier on through the attack, to ignore it, to block it out, but it's too strong. You can do nothing but wait for the attack to subside.
 
>Where are they? Lyra and Bon Bon always meet me at my locker.
>Man, I can't wait for summer.
>I wish this idiot would just ask me out already! Take a hint!
>I hope everyone is okay.
 
>Just as quickly as it started, the mental assault ceases.
>The ringing stops. Where once there was overwhelming noise, there is almost complete silence.
>You're left panting and in a cold sweat, your heart pounding away.
>You slowly open your eyes, and you're relieved to see your vision has returned to normal. No blurred sight, no blinding lights.
>The clammy skin and the feeling of imminent sickness remains, however.
>As you look away from the wall you braced yourself against, you realize your friends have surrounded you, each of them resting a hand on you, and that the hallway to the cafeteria is mostly empty now.
>"Sunny?"
>A quick look at Pinkie is enough to make you feel even worse. Her hair has deflated some, and she wears the same sorrowful look she did the day she learned what you had been going through.
"I-I'm fine, Pinkie. I just need a second."
>"Darling, perhaps we should go sit down?"
"No! No. I... I can tough this out."
>You face back towards the wall and rest your forehead against it.
>"Are ya sure, sugarcube? Ya don't look too well."
>"Yeah, you look worse than Snips after two-mile fridays in gym class."
"Yeah, I'll be fine... I gotta do this. For Twilight, remember?"
>"Right. Take as long as you need, dear."
>"Hey, I'm gonna go grab you some water. Sit tight!"
>A sudden gust of wind blows past you, heading back towards the cafeteria. It chills you, but you relish it. You'd take just about any feeling or sensation over what you just went through.
>It's bad enough, going through this at least once or twice a week, but you absolutely hate making your friends worry about you like this.
>Every time it happens, they all look at you like you're sick. Dying, even.
>Like you should be laid up in a hospital bed, just waiting for it to end.
>You wish you could find a way to block it out.
>You've tried ear muffs, cotton balls, earphones, blasting music, and even hearing protection for guns.
>Nothing works!
>Another gust strikes you, this time coming from the cafeteria, and fades away just to your left.
>"Here, sip on this."
>A blue hand pulls one of yours away from the wall and wraps your fingers around a plastic bottle.
>You turn yourself around and lean your back against the wall.
>Looking over to Rainbow, you see her standing there awkwardly with her hands at the ready, as if to catch you should you fall.
>The normally cocky sports-star looks just as uncomfortable as Pinkie.
>You must look terrible. If Rainbow is worried about someone else, you know things are bad.
"Thanks, Dash."
>"Yeah, no problem. Just take it easy."
>You unscrew the cap on the bottle and take a small sip of cool water. You let it sit in your mouth briefly before you drink it down.
>"I wish we could discover what is causing these attacks. I can't help but worry that something similar might happen to all of us."
>That's...
>That's a scary thought. One that hadn't even occurred to you.
>What is happening to you seems to be some sort of extension of the magic power you gained at Camp Everfree. Before you had to make physical contact to see into someone's mind, but when these attacks happen, you seem to just start randomly hearing the thoughts of others.
>Rarity or Fluttershy might not have it too bad, but...
>If surges of power like these started happening to Applejack, she could start accidentally crushing anything she has to lay hands on throughout her day.
>Rainbow might start randomly accelerating to speeds well out of control. A calm walk on the sidewalk could end in her suddenly being flung into traffic at hundreds of miles an hour!
>And Pinkie...
>For all you know, Pinkie could be a living, breathing, magical bomb...
>A bomb that could go off at any time, with zero warning.
>You don't even know where to begin speculating what that explosion could do to you, anyone else, or anything that just happens to be nearby!
>Your eyes widen in horror as the realization strikes you.
"Sweet Celestia."
>"What's wrong, Sunny?"
>You push off the wall and take Pinkie wrist in your hand.
"Girls, we have to get to Twilight right now!"
>You don't even bother waiting for a response. You set out for Twilight's lab, Pinkie in tow.
>You can hear the Rainbow, Applejack, and Rarity running after you some distance away. They call out for you to wait, but you've waited enough.
>Now is the time for action.
>You make your way into the science wing and speed past every door, ignoring all of them but the last.
>As you approach it, you slow down, wary to not reveal your presence to Twilight.
>In a blur, Dash appears next to you, with Rarity and Applejack bringing up the rear.
>"Sunset, please don't make me sweat, it takes a lot of time to put on all of this make-up in the mornings!"
>You turn towards Rarity and hold up a finger in front of your mouth to shush her.
>Creeping towards the door, you peak in through the doors window and spot a familiar purple-skinned girl facing away from the door, going about some kind of work in the lab.
>Good, she's here.
>Now, how are you going to go about doing this?
>You'd like to just walk in and talk to her about what is going on, but she's done everything in her power to avoid you so far.
>She's likely to do the same here.
>You turn around to your friends and motion for them to huddle around you.
>Pinkie and Dash lock arms with you, and they lock arms with Rarity and Applejack. You all lean in close to each other to whisper your schemes.
>"So what's the plan, Coach?"
"Here's what I'm thinking. We don't know that she won't just try to run from us on sight, so we'll need to have someone by the door in case she tries. Rainbow, Applejack, I think you'd be best for this."
>"Pfft. Well, obviously. Even if she makes it past us, she won't make it far."
>"Ah just wish Ah had mah lasso."
"Good. Rarity, Pinkie, you'll be backing me up. We're gonna try to talk to her, and keep her calm if she freaks out."
>"Gotcha!"
>"Don't worry, dear. We can do this."
"Just make sure you stay behind me, and try to act as non-threateningly as possible. Everybody clear?"
>Your friends all give you a reassuring nod.
"Good. Let's do this."
>You throw your hand into the middle of the huddle, and your friends quickly pile their hands on top of yours.
>You dip your hands down before quickly throwing them into the air and simultaneously letting out a whispered cheer.
"Break!"
>"Break!"
>"Break!"
>"Break!"
>"Break!"
>With that, you break away from the huddle and step over to the door.
>As you place your hand on the doorknob, you take one last look through the window of the door.
>Twilight is still in there, sitting at one of the tables. It's hard to tell, but she looks to be typing away on her laptop.
>The possibility that she's been avoiding you this whole time for her research occurs to you.
>She hasn't been avoiding you this whole time for something like that, has she?
>No way. She wouldn't do that. Right?
>You suppose there's only one way to find out.
>You twist the door knob, and the door squeals as it is pulled open. Twilight visibly stiffens up, but makes no effort to turn your way.
>As you and your friends step into the room, she calls out to you.
>"If you need to use a lab, could you please use one of the empty labs?"
"We aren't here to research, Twilight. We're here for you."
>"S-Sunset?"
>Twilight closes her laptop and hops out of her chair. Without turning to face you once, she grabs her backpack and scrambles towards a stack of papers on the far end of the lab, and begins stuffing them into her bag.
>"Leave me alone! I don't want to talk with you!"
"Well, that's too bad, Twilight, because we want our friend back!"
>"Just go! You're better off without me!"
>Rarity steps up next to you, ready to give her word.
>"Whatever is wrong, Twilight, we aren't just going to leave you like this. Whatever's the matter, we're your friends! Let us help!"
>Pinkie steps up as well, ready to do her part.
>"Yeah! Come on, TwiTwi! I miss you. We miss you..."
"Just talk to us, Twilight. We'll listen."
>"I... I can't."
>She can't? What's that supposed to mean?
>And why won't she look at you?
"What do you mean you can't?"
>She finishes stuff her bag with the papers and turns to move back to her desk.
>Just as she moves to face you, however, she stops herself, and begins to slowly walk backwards to her table.
>"It's just better this way! Trust me!"
"It's hard to trust someone that won't even look at me. Turn around, Twilight."
>"No! Just go away!"
>She finishes backing up to her table, and slips her laptop into her backpack. With that, she zips up her back, slings it onto her back, and begins trying to back her way out of the room.
>You quickly step into her path, and wait for her to step close enough to you to grab her.
>She backs up towards you and upon stepping on your foot, she quickly tries to run away from you, but you wrap your arms around her to hold her in place.
"Give me one good reason as to why we should just leave you here."
>"Let me go! LET ME GO!"
>Pinkie and Rarity quickly move in to help you with restraining her.
>Pinkie grabs her from her right side while Rarity steps around her for her front side.
>"Please, Twilight, we are only doing this because we lo-"
>Rarity pauses in disbelieve at what she sees, and Twilight quickly stops struggling.
>"O-oh dear... Oh, Twilight, please tell me this isn't what I think it is."
>She says nothing, but she begin to shake as she tries to hold back tears.
>Pinkie releases her and takes a look at her face, only to let out a gasp.
>You let go of her and step around to her front. Your jaw drops.
>What you see makes you regret ever waiting this long to intervene. The sight wounds you with a stab to the heart.
>Twilight's head hangs low, but you can still easily make out a large, dark bruise on her left cheek.
>"I-I'm sorry. I'm so sorry..."
 
>Twilight slumps to her knees and wraps her arms wrap around herself as tears begin to pour down her face. Her wails of anguish fill the room.
>You quickly get down on your knees to embrace her. You pull her as close as you can, but it seemingly does little to help.
>At least she isn't fighting it.
"Shhh... It's alright, Twi. Everything is going to be okay."
>In the blink of an eye, Rainbow moves from the door to you and Twilight. Applejack quickly joins you as well.
>"Twilight? What happened? What's wrong?!"
>Rarity and Pinkie both get down with you to embrace Twilight. Applejack, clearly unsure of what is going on, quietly joins the group hug.
>"Easy, there, Dash... Jus' give the poor girl a sec'."
>Twilight pushes you away just enough to finally meet your eyes. The look of pain, of misery that she wears breaks your heart. She momentarily manages to speak through her sobs.
>"I'm so sorry! I-I didn't mean to make you all worry, please don't hate me! I-I-I didn't know what else to do, s-so I ju-"
>"Calm down, darling. Everything is fine now. We were worried, but we could never hate you for this. Just... just take your time."
>Rarity gently cups Twilight's jaw and tilts it upwards in an effort to more closely examine the bruise.
>It's quite a nasty mark. The bruised flesh has risen well past where it should be, and it's discoloration is just prominent enough to be visible from some distance away.
>"And please, tell us who did this to you."
>"Who did what to her?" asks Rainbow.
>Once again, Rainbow moves behind you with blinding speed to see what Rarity was talking about.
>"WHO DID THIS TO YOU, TWILIGHT? WAS IT TIMBER?! IT WAS TIMBER, WANS'T IT?!"
>You can't see her face, but you don't have to work hard to imagine it twisted and contorted with absolute rage.
>"Calm down, Dashie. We don't know anything yet!"
>"That's what I'm trying to find out, Pinkie! Tell us who hit you, Twilight! Was it Timber?!"
>Twilight pulls away from Rarity and looks to the floor to hide her face. She quickly nods before pressing her face into your shoulder as the tears begin anew.
>"I knew it! I'm gonna... I'M GONNA KILL THAT ASSHOLE!"
>"Rainbow! Language!"
>"Really, Rarity? Our friend has been getting smacked around by her boyfriend, and that's what you care about right now?!"
>You pull away from Twilight to face your enraged friend.
>She stands behind you, fists tightly clenched with her white teeth bared.
"Rainbow, stop!"
>Rainbow doesn't even acknowledge you. She just shifts her eyes from Rarity back to Twilight.
>"Tell us what happened, Twilight!"
>Twilight pulls her head up and rests her chin on your shoulder.
>"Last week... Timber picked me up for a date. W-we went out for milkshakes at Sugarcube Corner, and then he drove me back home."
>Twilight pauses to choke back a few sobs and sniffle.
>"My parents had went out, and he wanted to come in. I told him no, b-because my parents don't want any boys over when they aren't home, but he just kept pushing me to say yes! I tried closing the door on him, but he just pushed himself in!"
>Oh, no.
>You really hope this isn't going where you think it is.
>Rarity turns to you, wide-eyed. You can tell she's thinking the same thing.
>Pinkie, her hair having lost most of it's curl, pushes herself closer to Twilight.
>"TwiTwi? He didn't make you do anything... did he?"
>"He followed me up to my room, and... he tried. H-he started t-touching me, and trying to pull my clothes off. I-I kept telling him to s-s-stop, but he just acted like I was playing with him!"
"So... he didn't... you know?"
>"No... He pushed me onto the bed and tried to c-climb on top of me, but I wouldn't let him."
>Rarity releases the breath she was holding, and you silently celebrate, overjoyed and relieved that your friend wasn't violated.
>"He started yelling at me, saying that I didn't love him, a-a-and then h-he hit me, and I just... snapped."
>"Darling, what do you mean you 'snapped'?"
>"I... I closed my eyes and tried to pull him away from me with my powers. B-but I closed my eyes, a-and when I opened them, he was gone."
>Twilight pulls herself away from your shoulder to seek comfort in your eyes.
"You don't know what happened to him?"
>She shakes her head.
>"No. He won't answer any of my calls or texts, and I'm so scared that I might have hurt him!"
"Don't worry, Twilight, I'm sure he's-"
>"Why do you even care, Twilight? That piece of shit tried to RAPE you!"
>"I still love him Rainbow!"
>"How? HOW?! What is the matter with you?!"
>"A'right, that's enough!"
>Applejack breaks away from the group and stomps her way to Rainbow, and quickly snatches up her wrist in her iron grip.
>"HEY! LET GO OF ME!"
>"Not a chance, partner."
>You stare on as Applejack calmly drags a kicking and shouting Rainbow out of the room.
>"LET GO!
>She tries to use her speed to pull away from Applejack, but Applejack is just too strong.
>As they exit the room, the door slams shut, leaving Rarity, Pinkie, Twilight, and you in moderate silence.
>You can still her Rainbow cursing Applejack, and it sounds like Applejack is throwing some choice words back at her as well.
>You hate watching your friends do things like this to each other, but right now... it's for the best.
>"Don't let Dashie get to you, Twi. She's just upset and worried for you, that's all."
>Pinkie does her best to put on a strong smile, but between the episode you had in the halls and the revelations made known here, cracks in her persona are beginning to show.
>"How about we have a big party later to cheer us up? A big ol' 'Our friend Twilight is okay after all' party! OH! Let's make it a slumber party!"
>Twilight pushes away from the hug to re-situate herself on the floor. She wipes her tears away before letting her legs splay out to her side.
>"Thanks Pinkie, but I'm going to want to wait a bit on the party."
>"Aww... If you say so."
"I don't know, Twilight, I don't think it's a bad idea. Maybe it'll help you get your mind off this."
>She sure look's like she could use the distraction.
>"Not yet. I need to make sure Timber is okay."
>"You don't really want to still be with him after what he did, do you? Why, if a man tried that with me, I'd do everything I could to make sure he gets thrown into prison!"
>"I don't know, Rarity. I just... I just want to make sure I didn't hurt him, or worse. Everything else can wait."
>"I see. Well... just be cautious, okay?"
>"I will." Twilight says with a nod.
>You stand from your kneeling position on the floor, and Rarity and Pinkie join you.
>You offer a hand out to Twilight, which she takes, and you pull her up to her feet and immediately into another tight hug.
"We were so worried about you, Twilight. Please don't do something like this again."
>Twilight quickly returns the embrace.
>"I know. I just didn't want to freak you guys out by showing up with this." Twilight rubs her bruised cheek. "I hope you girls understand. I was going to come back as soon as it went away, honest! Please don't be mad at me."
>"We could never be mad at you, Twi! We were just worried about you, but it looks like things are okay!"
>*BRRRRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING*
>Lunch is over? Already?
>"Sorry, dearie, but it looks like we have to go."
>You release Twilight from the hug to look her in the eyes.
>She looks even worse than when you came in. Probably from the crying.
"Are you going to be okay?"
>"Yeah, I'll be okay. I actually feel a lot better, now that I've seen you all again. Thank you girls, for everything."
>Twilight gives you a modest smile, which you all return two-fold.
>"You're welcome. Us ladies have to stick together!"
>"Don't worry about it, Twilight! We've got your back!"
"What they said. You can always count on us, Twilight."
>"Well, you all better get to class. I can hide out here all day, but you can't."
"Hey, why is that?
>"Oh, uh... I may have impersonated my parents through email, told all my teachers that I was sick, and that they should send any schoolwork that needed to be done to my email."
>"But why?" Questioned Pinkie.
>"I didn't want to attract any more attention to myself. I already have my parents and Shining breathing down my neck non-stop about the whole thing. Besides, a little white lie never hurt anyone, right? Hehe..."
>Huh. Leave it to Twilight to find a way to skip class and still show up for school.
>"Well, girls, it's time to go. Twilight, do text me right away! I want to talk to you."
>"Hey, me too!"
>"Okay okay, I will! Just get moving to class, you'll be late!"
"She's right. Lets go girls. We'll talk later Twilight!"
>You and your friends make your way out of Twilight's lab.
>Once outside, you notice that Applejack and Rainbow are already gone.
>Hopefully Rainbow will cool down. Hopefully her and Applejack didn't get into a fight or something.
>This alone has been more than enough drama for you for some time.
>You wave your goodbyes to your friends as you go your separate ways. You wish you could just fast forward through the rest of the school day and get back to Twilight, but you gotta do what you gotta do.
>As you make your way through the halls, you hope that today doesn't have anymore surprises for you.
 
>You quickly stuff all the excess bandages, disinfectant wipes, and lolly-pops back into whatever drawers will hold them.
>You'll just have to sort them out later.
>Or maybe never. Maybe if you feel like it.
>Right now, however, all you feel like doing is getting over to the library as soon as possible so you can bite Cheerilee's head off.
>You should have known better. You should have seen this coming.
>But how could you? Anon disappeared years ago. There was no sign of him anywhere.
>It was clear that he didn't want to be found.
>And now, after all this time, he's back. Working in the same building as you, even.
>Why didn't Cheerilee say anything? Has she even talked to him yet?
>You finish tossing the rest of the bandages under under the sink and make your way out the door.
>You can't be bothered to turn off the lights or put up that stupid sign that no one reads anyway.
>As you power walk through the halls, you try to think about what to say to Cheerilee.
>You try to think up civil phrases, but 'Why the fuck didn't you tell me Anon was here, you skanky-ass librarian?' keeps winning out.
>You don't want to talk to your lifelong friend like that, but it seems like the only appropriate response.
>She had to have known he was here. She didn't come talk to you until after the assembly, so that much is certain.
>So why didn't she tell you?
>Just thinking about this is getting you more worked up, more frustrated.
>You arrive at the library and throw the doors open, and they slam against the walls. You step into the center of the room to look around.
>After a few seconds of scanning the room, you spot a familiar woman approaching the railing of the 2nd floor.
>"Please don't break my doors, Redheart."
"Cheerilee, get your ass down here right now!"
>She furrows her brow at you, and wordlessly makes her way down the stairs to approach you.
>"What's gotten into you Redheart? Shouldn't you be napping right now?"
>Oh, this bitch.
>You snatch up the collar of her top and yank her right up to you, face to face.
"Would you like to explain to me why you didn't feel it necessary to let me know that Anon is here?"
>"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Don't play dumb with me, Cheerilee! Luna told me, in person, that he's here as the new SRO! I know you know!"
>You throw her back and forth by the collar of her shirt to emphasize your rage, but she quickly manages to break free from you and shove you away.
>"I didn't tell you because he didn't want you to know he was here! You know, you are a real piece of work, Redheart!" She says, crossing her arms with a scowl.
"What are you talking about?"
>"Four years, Redheart. Four years I've been trying to get over this, and the whole fucking time, you knew exactly what happened, didn't you?"
>She knows. He told her.
"I... I don't know what you're talking about."
>Why did you say that?
>"Oh, I'm sure you don't. Just like I'm sure you don't remember leaving Anon to get spit-roasted by some jocks. Do you have any idea what that did to him? He's hardly even the same person now!"
>You were drunk, it wasn't your fault.
>Keep telling yourself that.
>You lie to everyone else. You might as well lie to yourself.
>As tears begin to well up in your eyes and a lump forms in your throat, you try to fight back against the urge to break down.
"I didn't mean to hurt him! I was drunk..."
>"Well, you did! And you spent the past four years lying to his best friend about it, too! That you even have the gall to come in here and act like I'm the bad guy here... it's just disgusting!"
"I'm sorry, Cheeri, I-"
>"Don't call me that! Get the hell out of my library, I don't want to see you again!"
"B-but Cheeri-"
>"GET THE HELL OUT!"
>Cheerilee lashes out at you with a quick, open-palmed slap across your face.
>The sudden strike sends you recoiling backwards, and you fall to the ground.
>You cup your sore flesh as you look up to Cheerilee in shock. She silently stands her ground, but the look of hate she gives you is enough of a threat of further violence to push you to your feet and send you stumbling out of the library.
>As you slowly make your way back to your office, the gravity of the situation sets in.
>As does the crying.
>Years ago, you lost the best man in your life because you couldn't keep your legs closed.
>Now, you've probably lost your oldest, closest friend.
>The only real one you had left.
>Because you couldn't keep your mouth shut and own up to your own mistakes.
>What is wrong with you? Why do you ruin every good thing you have?
>You make it back to your office and weakly drop yourself onto the closest bed and bury your face into the pillow.
>As your tears and make-up soak into the pillow, you curse yourself for pushing away everyone you've ever loved.
>You're all alone, and you have no one to blame but yourself.
 
>As you flip to a new page in your notebook, you take a moment to look over the students in front of you.
>The mint colored girl from Ms. Harshwhinny's classroom preoccupies the only other chair in the room, directly across from you.
>Flanked on her right side is her angry cream colored friend. To her left, a sky blue boy with long, Yale hair and a green bandanna.
>You think he might have been the one to get hit by that chair Bulk threw before you tased him.
>Chairs.
>You should probably get some more chairs in here.
>Or a couch. You could probably fit a small one in here.
>You'll have to remember to ask Celestia about that.
"Normally, I'd be talking to all of you one on one, but I still got a lot of work to do and I ain't staying here after hours just to write a report on this mess, so we're gonna knock all three of you out at once. Understand?"
>The three vibrantly colored students in front of you nod their heads.
"Good. State your names."
>You grab your pencil and prepare to take your notes.
>"Bon Bon."
>"..."
>A few seconds of silence pass. You look up from your notepad to see the mint girl absently staring at your neck.
>She doesn't seem to notice you staring back at her.
>Bon Bon glares at her from the corner of her eyes and quickly nudges the mint girl's shoulder with a quick tap of her fist.
>"Huh? Wha-"
"Name. Please."
>"O-oh, uh, L-Lyra Heartstrings."
>You quickly jot the first two names.
"And you?"
>"Hey, dude, I'm Captain Planet."
>Wat.
>No fucking way.
>You slowly look up at him from your notebook, expecting to be met with some form of shit-eating grin.
>'Captain Planet' just stares back without the slightest hint of a smirk or choked back laughter.
"Captain Planet?"
>"Yup."
>Using your pencil, you jab at the air between you and 'Captain Planet'.
"You screwin' with me?"
>"What? No way, dude."
>"I know his name is weird, but it's legit." Bon Bon flatly states.
>"Yeah! He's a hero! He's taking pollution down to zero!"
>Oh, god damn it.
"Sure, fine, whatever."
>You scribble down Captain fucking Planet next to the other two names.
"So tell me what happened."
>The three students look at each other, asking who will speak first with their eyes.
>"Uh, I wasn't really paying attention until Bulk started freaking out. Was thinking about Eco-club stuff."
>"And I was, uh... daydreaming. About stuff."
"Do any of you actually pay attention in school?"
>Bon Bon huffs and crosses her arms.
>"Ugh. Fine. We we're going over homework, and Bulk got a question wrong, to no one's surprise. A bunch of us laughed, and Fluttershy called him stupid or something-"
"She said she called him silly."
>"Yeah, that. Well, he didn't like that very much. He got all angry, started throwing stuff, hurting people; he really scared the crap out of Fluttershy."
>"By the way, is she okay?" asked Lyra, leaning in with concern.
"She's fine, just a little shaken up. Her parents picked her up just before lunch."
>"Oh, good. She looked like she got it pretty bad."
>"So anyway, then you showed up and started talking to him, I yelled at him and threw tha- I-I mean, someone threw that book at him."
"You threw the book?"
>"N-no! I just said someone else threw it!"
>Nice cover up.
>Bon Bon looks away from you, refusing to meet your eyes.
>Lyra begins shifting in her seat and fidgeting with her hands.
>Captain Planet seems more or less disinterested in what is going on. It's as if he isn't even paying attention.
"Uh huh. Either of you two know who threw that book?"
>"Nope." Captain Planet quickly states.
"Do you have any information at all to add to this conversation?"
>"Uh... Bulk threw a chair at me?"
>How do you remember to breathe?
"Great, thanks. The door is right behind you, by the way."
>Captain Planet turns to glace at the door, then turns back to you, unsure of what to do.
>"So I'm good to g-"
"Yes. Get out."
>As Captain Dumbass leaves the room, you turn your eyes on to Lyra.
"Now, Lyra, you seem like a nice, honest girl. Do you know who threw the book?"
>"Um... I-I don't know."
>Lyra not so subtly tries to eye Bon Bon from the corner of her eyes.
>"Are they in trouble?"
"A little bit. I just want to talk with them and make sure they understand the consequences of their actions."
>"Oh. Um..."
>Lyra turns to fully face Bon Bon, she winces in shame as their eyes meet.
>"Sorry, Bonnie..."
 
-Ten minutes later-
 
>You pull open your office door and step to the side, allowing the two friends the space to pass by.
"Thank you for your time and cooperation, girls. You've been very helpful."
>What a waste of time. Nothing you didn't already know. Well, aside from the whole book thing.
>Can't wait to type up that email to Celestia.
>"No problem, Officer Anon! Thanks for doing what you do!"
>Lyra looks up to you with wide eyes and a bright smile. It's infectious, as you find yourself giving her a small, but warm smile back.
>She may be a bit of an airhead, but she seems like a nice, sweet girl. How she gets along with Bon Bon you don't quite understand.
"Just remember; if you feel like you need to talk about anything, feel free to come by and sign up for an appointment."
>"Yeah, yeah. C'mon Lyra, lets get back to class." commands Bon Bon as she pushes her friend out the door.
>Lyra waves goodbye to you, and Bon Bon refuses to acknowledge your presence further.
>As they exit through the glass door, you contemplate your next move.
>You still need to talk to Ms. Harshwhinny. Though, you wouldn't be surprised if that fails to reveal new information.
>As far as what happened in the classroom goes, you don't see much else you can learn. What you need to know is Bulk's motives.
>Not just speculation from witnesses; you need to hear it from the big guy himself. Stitches and Eye have that covered, though, along with the drugs.
>Fluttershy mentioned he'd been looking depressed lately. That might be worth looking into.
>His file said he was on the football team. Must have been a real monster on the field. Maybe he's got some friends there that may know what he's got going on?
>You might also check his lockers for any other clues. Yeah, that sounds good. You could use a break from talking to people anyway.
>You step over to Celestia's office and poke your head inside the door.
>Typing away behind a monitor is a very frazzled looking Celestia.
>Her suit top rests on the back of her chair. As she glances up to see you, a lock of hair falls in front of her eyes. She quickly pushes it out of the way and turns her back to typing.
>"Yes, Anon?"
"Do you keep keys for the student lockers? I want to search Bulk's locker and see if anything is in there."
>"Don't you need a warrant for that?"
"Only if you say no."
>"Hm. One moment."
>Celestia grabs her mouse and clicks away on her monitor. The clicking stops, and her eyes begin to skim through the screen's contents.
>After she apparently finds what she was looking for, she slides back away from the desk and pulls open a drawer to begin digging through.
>A distinct jingling can be heard, and she promptly pulls out a filled key ring and tosses it at you.
>You reach through the door frame and catch it with your left hand. A quick look at the key ring and you notice a large tag labelled '150-175'.
>"His locker number is 168. Make sure you bring those back, I can't have you running off with the school's keys again; who knows what you'll do this time." she says, shooting you a knowing grin.
>SHE KNOWS.
>Your do your best not to react to her words. You know you've failed when her grin only grows in size.
>You hope she doesn't decide to tell her sister, assuming she doesn't already know. Luna strikes you as the type petty enough to get revenge years down the line, and you'd rather not have to worry about that.
>You decide to make a tactical retreat and quickly back out of the door. You pay Raven no mind and make your way out into the halls, eager to find Bulk's locker.
>Starting with locker 1, right outside of the office, the walk along the wall for some time.
>It's not until you come to an intersection that you glance at the numbers to gauge your progress.
>Locker 50.
>Stepping into the middle of the intersection, you spy a familiar head of rainbow hair slowly stomping her way away from you.
>What's she doing out of class?
>You take a quick look at the lockers lining this section of the halls and the rising numbers point you in her direction.
>You step off in her direction, doing your best to conceal your footsteps.
>Even with the added caution slowing your usual pace down, you quickly find yourself catching up with her.
>You're not about to slow down to a snails pace just to avoid an exchange of greetings or a jaw-dropped stare, however.
>You abandon your attempt at stealth and continue walking normally. Even as you near her, she seems completely oblivious to your presence.
>She just keeps stomping along, hunched over with her hands tucked into her pockets, mumbling to herself.
>"Stupid Applejack and her stupid strength... almost ripped my arm off... who does she think she is, anyway?"
>Hmm. Sounds like her and the cowgirl might have had a little cat fight. She looks no worse off for it, though. At least from this angle.
>You draw nearer to her, little more than five feet behind her.
>"Timber. Fucking Timber. Knew that asshole was trouble. When I get my hands on that prick, I'm gonna... I'm gonna...RAAAGH!"
>In a blue blur, Skittles pulls her hands out of her pockets and throws a heavy right into the locker wall next to her.
>As the sound reverberates through the halls, she takes a second to to cool down. She pulls her hand away from a now somewhat dented locker and opens her eyes, only to spy you out of the corner of vision.
>"AAAHHH!" she cries out as she falls back onto her rear. "What's wrong with you, dude?! Why are you... Whoa. What happened to you?"
"If you don't know already, you probably will soon enough. Don't worry about it."
>"Uh... alright, whatever that's supposed to mean. Are you ok-"
"Yes. Why aren't you in class?"
>"Oh, uhh..." she stalls for time momentarily while she pulls herself to her feet. "I was just heading to the girls roo- you know what? Screw it. I was skipping class. So say what you want, I don't care."
"Hm. Alright."
>With that, you step on right past her and examine the nearest locker. 81. Getting warmer.
>You continue down the halls as a pair footsteps quickly jog up behind you.
>"So you're not going to send me to detention?"
"I've got more important things to do right now than play hall monitor, Skittles."
>"Skittles?!"
>As you come to locker 100, you find yourself at yet another intersection. You do as you did before and hang a right, finding locker 101.
>The hall looks to be about the same length as the past sections, meaning another 50 lockers line this wall.
>A peek over to the other wall and you spy locker 200.
>Bingo. You're closing in.
>You step over to the other wall and scan the numbers as you go, jingling the keys in your hand.
>"Hey! I'm talking to you!"
"Yeah, I heard you. Keep it down, some people actually come here to learn."
>You know the American education system is complete shit, but there's still some good to come out of it.
>"Don't talk to me like that!" she shouts as she jumps directly into your path.
>Arms crossed, she does her best to stare you down intimidatingly.
>You wonder how she pictures herself right now. A brave, strong girl who demanding respect?
>She seems more like a angry child to you.
"What do you want, an apology? Calm down, it's just a nickname."
>"Skittles, though? Really?"
"Would you prefer Gay Pride? Can you walk and talk? I have work to do."
>"I would prefer Rainbow Dash!" she huffs as she steps to your side. "But fine. What's so important anyway?"
"You really wanna know? Check whatever social media platform everyone posts their crap on to these days."
>"Pfft. You don't have a MyBook?"
"Deleted it years ago."
>Gay Pride immediately whips her phone out of her pocket to follow your hint.
>You step off along the walls once again as Rainbow follows along beside you, eyes glued to her screen.
>Your search quickly comes to an end as you finally find it. Locker 168.
>As you begin to rifle through the key ring for the corresponding key, loud cheering  and roaring begins to emanate from Rainbow's phone.
>"RAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"
>"Bulk Biceps?!"
"For real, if you don't stop yelling-"
>"What the hell happened to you, you're bleeding everywhere."
"Bulk Biceps ran me through a door."
>"Whoa..."
>Much to your satisfaction, she continues watching the video in silence.
>You find the key to the locker and unlock it. Just as the door swings open, a bundle of papers slide out of the locker and onto the floor.
>You kneel down to collect them into an orderly stack and then take a moment to examine them.
>They're a series tests, worksheets, and other assignments. Most are marked as D's or F's, but there are a few with C's and C-'s.
>You lay them neatly onto the floor and take a look inside the locker.
>The floor of the locker is covered by a thick, messy, and uneven layer of paper. Judging from the top sheet, likely more discarded school work.
>Fluttershy was right. Looks like he has a lot of trouble with school work. Is he hoarding these so he doesn't have to show his parents?
>A blue face slowly leans into your vision from over your shoulder. You unfocus your eyes, staring blankly ahead as you listen to the rash girl breathing mere inches from your face.
"Yes?"
>"You got some moves, Anon. Nice job with that nightstick thing. I thought he had you when got on top of you, though."
"He almost did. But thanks."
>You wait for Rainbow to back off, but she stands her ground. You turn to look a her as she blankly stares at you.
>"So, uh... you wanna tell me what happened?"
"Will you get out of my face if I do?"
>"Maybe."
>With a sigh, you brace your arm against your knee and rest your head in your palm.
"Long story short, Bulk Biceps had some kind of breakdown in Ms. Harshwhinny's class before lunch. He was being a danger to himself and others, so I got called up to deal with it. Talking with him didn't work out and you saw the rest."
>"Huh. Figured I would have heard about that from Fluttershy, she's in the same... class..."
>Rainbow pauses mid sentence as her, dumbstruck. You swear you can hear the hamster on the wheel in her head doing overtime, trying his best to help her put together bits of information.
>Suddenly, she breaks out of her daze and grabs onto your shoulders and begins shaking you violently.
>"WHERE'S FLUTTERSHY!? WHAT HAPPENED TO FLUTTERSHY?!"
"Get off me!"
>You shove her away from you and get back to your feet. Rainbow wastes no time trying to get back into your personal space, but you hold her at by with an extended arm to her collar bone.
"Fluttershy is fine! She was still shaken up, so I had her parents come and get her."
>Your words give her pause. She struggles against you less as she processes them.
>"She isn't hurt?"
"A little bruised, but she'll be fine. Believe me, I got the worst of the whole situation."
>The rash girl turns her back to you as she reaches for her phone again, you assumed to try and text her friend.
>"Oh man, first Twilight and now this?"
>Isn't Twilight that missing girl they were talking about yesterday?
"What's got your panties in a bunch?"
>She doesn't respond. You take the opportunity to turn your attention back to the locker.
>With no bags or jackets hanging from the coat hangar inside, you look to the top of the locker.
>There's a small shelf with a few more pages of paper hidden underneath a stack of text books.
>As you slide the top text book out, you spy a box of crayons hiding behind the books, crammed against the back of the locker wall.
>You ignore them and begin to flip through the book, looking for any loose papers. You find none.
>As you bend down to place the book on the floor, you hear a faint buzzing noise coming from the girl beside you.
>Her shoulders slowly rise but quickly fall with what you suspect might be a sigh of relief.
>"She says she's okay, and that she'll be back tomorrow."
"Told you."
>Another buzz sounds off. "She also says that you were really nice to her."
>You weren't that nice, were you? You let that whole thing with her rabbit slide, but the everything else that happened? You've never considered yourself that great at comforting others.
>In fact, you were sure you were shit at it. That's why you always left talking to victims and witnesses to Stitches or Breacher.
>Real humanitarians, those two. Something you learned first hand.
>You reach back into the locker for the next book and begin flipping through it.
"Yeah? She was scared that she was in trouble. Somehow got it into her head that the whole thing was her fault. I just told her how it was and let her know we could talk about it some more tomorrow if she wanted."
>"Yeah, she has a tendency to think like that. But she says that Sunset was right about you, so you must have done something right."
>Sunset was right about you?
"Can you elaborate on that bit about Sunset?"
>Another sequence of buzzing.
>"Oh, just that Sunset that sunset thinks you're some kind of cool guy or something. Pretty sure she has a cr... You know what, never mind."
>Nothing in the second book but some old, forgotten math assignments.
>Fuck algebra.
>You place it on the ground and reach for the final book and begin searching through it's pages.
>"So, hey, speaking of Sunset... She said I should apologize for yesterday. You know, at lunch?"
"Yep. I was there."
>"So, look. I'm not too good at this stuff, so- Hey! Will you at least look at me when I'm saying this?"
>You look up from the book to Rainbow. She awkward rubs her arm before meeting your eyes with an uncomfortable look.
>"I'm sorry for bringing up your... I'm sorry for bringing IT up. I'm sorry I'm doing it again right now just by doing this. I want to know how you got it, but it's pretty clear it's a sore topic, so I won't bring it up again."
>Huh. You didn't think she would actually apologize. Seems like a legitimate attempt at one too.
"Apology accepted."
>With that, you return to your search, though by now it seems clear that there is little of any real interest here.
>"That's it? Just 'apology accepted'?"
"What do you want? Confetti? Will you get back to class now?"
>You finish with the last book and drop it on top of the stack with the others. With nothing else in your way, you take a peek at the sheets that were hidden beneath the stack.
>Just more schoolwork. Damn.
>"It'd be kinda pointless to head back now. We've got our appointment coming up in about 15 minutes."
"Pretty sure we just finished up our 'appointment' right here, Rainbow."
>You begin placing everything back into the locker just as you found it.
>"But-"
"No but's, Rainbow. You've wasted enough time today. Head back to class, and if it really bothers you that much, sign up for another appointment."
>"Ugh! Fine. Killjoy." she spits out as she begins to walk away.
>You re secure the locker and turn to watch Rainbow leave down the hall.
>Well, that went better than expected.
>She's a real hot head, isn't she? She's not that bad, though.
>You're glad things worked out this way. You didn't want to waste time with that appointment anyway. Two birds with one stone and all that.
>Not that you couldn't have just outright canceled it, but now you have an excuse.
>With it coming up on 1:30, you decide to head back to your office and finish up the day.
>You let Raven know not to call up Rainbow Dash and head into your office.
>You shoot a quick email to Celestia and Luna explaining the situation so far regarding Bulk, Fluttershy, and the other three you spoke to.
>You make sure to mention Bon Bon's actions in the classroom and recommend she be punished.
>A five day suspension with twenty days in detention sounds good to you. Not that you thought about it much.
>You spend the rest of your spare time typing up a detailed report for the higher ups about what happened today.
>As you send it in, you realize you still have another twenty minutes before school's out.
>You decide to kick your feet up and take it easy for the last bit of the day.
>You close your eyes and let yourself take a well deserved rest for a short while.
 
>You step out of your warm cruiser into the cold winter air.
>Only 6 o'clock and the sky is already pitch black. You spend all year looking forward to winter, and yet, the changes it brings catch you off guard every time.
>A breeze blows by and nips at your exposed skin. You stuff your hands into the pockets of your CPD winter coat and hurry inside before the snow starts up again.
>You step inside the station, relieved to be back inside with the heating.
>The lobby is filled with people. More than you would have imagined on a night like this. You ignore the civilians lined up at the front desk and head down the hall, deeper into the station.
>You make a brief to the kitchen to make yourself a cup of hot cocoa. You use two packs of mix for an extra chocolaty taste.
>The hot liquid warms your hands through the foam cup. As the steam rises from the drink, you take a tiny sip to test the flavor.
>It slightly scorches your tongue, but the flavor is strong enough to make it past a few numbed taste buds. It's just how you like it.
>Drink in hand, you step out of the kitchen and begin to head upstairs to the offices.
>As you round a corner back into the main hall, familiar, cheery voice calls out to you.
>"Hey, there you are Mouse! Wait up!"
>Boots pound against the linoleum floor. You turn to look down the hall just as she catches up to you.
"Evening, Stitches."
>"Can't believe we draw night patrol on a night like this. It's ten degrees outside!"
>You continue moving towards the offices and she joins you at your side.
"It won't be so bad. We got snow coming in, and nobody is going to be out trying anything in that."
>"Yeah, but that just means it'll be a long, boring night!"
>You hit the stairs. You slow down to steady yourself, cautious as to not spill your cocoa.
"There's always conversation."
>Stitches lets out a weak chuckle.
>"No offense, Mouse, but you aren't the best at conversation, you know? I mean, you've been on the team for almost a year now and I still barely know a thing about you."
>She's right. Breacher knows all about what happened after graduation; hell, he's the only reason you're here.
>Blitz seems to have realized that you don't want to talk about yourself. Doesn't seem to bother him any; all that matters to him is that you've got a good sense of humor and you do your job.
>Eye is an ass, but Stitches has been nothing but friendly and welcoming since you got here. If she really wants to know, it wouldn't hurt to open up a little bit for her, would it?
"Yeah, that's true."
>"I mean, you're not some caped crusader type, are you? Like, murdered parents with a thirst for justice and all that?"
"Ha! Yeah, sure. Sorry to disappoint you, but my parents aren't dead as far as I know, and I'm not some masked vigilante cleaning up the streets at night. I'm a lot more mundane than that."
>"Hm. That's a shame. At least you got that whole dark and mysterious thing going."
>As you climb to the third floor, you peel off away from the stairs and down the hall to a familiar wooden door. The faint sound of a phone ringing can be heard through the door.
"I'm dark and mysterious?"
>"Okay, maybe not dark, but definitely mysterious."
"And that's a good thing? I didn't think you would be into that sort of thing."
>"Normally, I'm not, but you seem different. It's in the way you carry yourself, the way you look at people. It's easy to tell you aren't just faking it."
>You reach the door and pull it open. You step to the side, allowing Stitches to enter first, before following behind her. As you step into her wake, your nose catches the slightest whiff of cinnamon.
>The two of you navigate through the labyrinth of office dividers and empty desks, making your way to the far corner of the room.
>Almost everybody has left for the day. All that's left up here are a few scattered officers typing away, likely pulling an all-nighter to file reports or get caught up on paperwork. You pay them no mind.
"Tell you what, Stitches. You take the wheel tonight. If it's a slow night, and you're a good little girl, Santa might just come early."
>"I can't tell if you're saying you'll talk or that we should find a dark alleyway and finally have some fun."
"Do you have a preference?"
>"I'll need some time to think about that. Do I get to pick?"
"No."
>"Aww."
>The two of you arrive at your cubicle. You take a seat in your chair while Stitches stands in the entry way, looking over your shoulder.
>After resting your cup on the desk, you reach to power up your computer, but the glowing power button indicates that it is already on.
>Huh. Could have swore you turned this off yesterday. Oh well.
>You turn on your monitor, which immediately changes to the log in screen.
>You quickly type in your pin and hit the enter key. The screen briefly depicts a series of swirling dots before finishing loading and pulling up a screen you don't recognize.
>It's a MyTube page. What? You don't browse the internet at work. Was someone using your computer?
>You look at the video's title.
>All the single...
>Oh no.
>Oh, god no, please.
>You snatch up the mouse and try to close out of the window before the video stops loading, but the mouse cursor doesn't move.
>And you have run out of time.
>The video finishes loading and begins playing.
https://youtu.be/Mz3Mi_OZYno
>With the built in speakers and video volume cranked all the way up, everyone in the room suddenly becomes alerted to the pure faggotry spewing forth from your monitor.
>You quickly recover from the initial shock and power off the computer, but the damage has already been done.
>A brief period of silence hits before snickering and outright laughter floods the room. Stitches almost falls over, clutching her sides.
>You do your best to ignore it
>Upon inspecting your mouse, you find that the ball has been removed and likely stashed somewhere.
>Finally, all the pieces come together in your mind.
>You stand from your seat, grab your cocoa, and push past Stitches.
>As you head out of the offices and back down to your vehicle, you can only think of one thing.
>Revenge.
"You fucked up now, Blitz."
 
>*BRRRIIIIIIIIIIIIIINGGG*
>You are roused from your slumber by a loud bell.
>Confused, you look around. You're disappointed to find yourself back in your office at the school.
>Still sitting in your chair.
>Still bandaged from today's struggles.
>You stand and try to stretch, but the torn flesh on your arms and your sore back scream for you to stop.
>You think back on your dream. A terrible empty sensation creeps up into your heart.
>The reminder that things will never be the same.
>What you would give to go back.
>You try not to dwell on it, to push it out of your head, but you can't seem to manage it.
>You reach down and power off your computer. As you flip off the lights and step out the door, the thought hits you again and again.
>What you would give to go back.
>Go back to better days.
>What you would do for a second chance at that day.
 
>Groggy, sore, and depressed, you decide to not to stick around for the students to leave today.
>You step out into the swarming halls and head straight for the nearest exit.
>In no time, you find yourself climbing into your cruiser and driving home.
>After nearly 20 minutes of fighting city traffic, you make it to your apartment building.
>You ride the elevator up and lock yourself inside your fortress once again before staggering into your bedroom.
>Through the pain in your arms and back, you struggle to remove your vest and what is left of your top.
>As you manage to unbutton and pull your arms out of the shirt, you look over the shredded, bloodstained fabric in your hands.
>No way this is going to be salvageable. You'll have to wash it and turn it in for a new one next time your at the station.
>That was your last blue shirt, too. Look's like you'll be wearing your winter blacks until you get around to doing laundry.
>You toss it and your undershirt into the dirty clothes and finish changing into some sweat pants.
>You step into the bathroom to use the mirror to inspect yourself.
>Oh, man.
>You look like hammered dog shit.
>Almost liked you got strung up and hanged with how bad that bruise is.
>At least the gash on your forehead isn't that bad.
>That reminds you.
>You grab your electric shaver from the sink and take a seat on your toilets lid.
>You pull over the trashcan from the corner of the room, hanging your head over it, and turn on the shaver.
>As it buzzes to life, you press it into your hair. The buzzing noise dims as the shaver works to chew its way through your thick hair.
>The first locks of hair fall into the trashcan and a slight chill creeps onto the exposed skin of your scalp.
>As you push the shaver further and further along your scalp, you wonder to yourself.
>What will tomorrow bring?
 
-The next day-
 
>A pleasant morning sun beams down on you as you walk along the sidewalk to school. The birds sing their beautiful songs to you and the rest of the world to enjoy.
>Rather, for you to try to enjoy. Trudging along next to you is your concerned childhood friend, who's been barraging you with questions about yesterday since you stepped out your door.
>It's hard for you to listen to the songs with Rainbow constantly questioning you. Not that you aren't thankful to have someone worrying about your welfare, it's just...
>"Are you sure you're really okay, Fluttershy?"
>She can be a little overbearing.
>You understand why she's so concerned. She's always been protective of her friends, but between what happened to you and what she said happened to Twilight, she's really on edge.
"Really, Rainbow, I'm okay."
>Surprisingly, you really are. You snuggled with Angel all day and you didn't have any trouble falling asleep. No nightmares either!
>You guess that after texting Rainbow yesterday, you were too worried about Twilight and Anon to worry about yourself.
>Poor Twilight. You can't imagine how heartbroken she must feel!
>You can't wait to see her again and give her the best snuggle-hug you can!
>And Anon...
>You're excited to see him again, too. You hope he's doing okay, and that he isn't hurting or anything.
>You wouldn't mind giving him a hug, too, but you don't know if you could work up the courage to do it.
>Rainbow seems to have finally given up badgering you as you cross the final cross walk to the school.
>You lay eyes on the Wondercolt statue and the several familiar figures standing around it.
>You see Sunset, Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie, and...
>There she is!
>A huge smile forms on your face as you begin to race across the school's lawn.
>In no time at all, you find yourself wrapping arms tightly around your favorite scientist.
"Twilight!"
>"H-hey, Fluttershy."
"Oh, I missed you so much! Rainbow told me everything. I'm so sorry everything turned out this way. How are you doing?"
>"I'm fine for now, just worried how things will work out. What about you? Rainbow told us what happened yesterday."
>A soft hand places itself on your back between your shoulder blades as Rarity step up to your side.
>"Yes, dear, do please tell us how you're doing; why didn't you just tell us what happened?"
"I didn't want to worry anyone about me. I was going to tell you all about it today, I promise. But please, I'm really okay."
>"I've been asking her all morning, and that's pretty much all she's said. I don't think she's lying."
>"She ain't. Ah can tell."
>Thanks, Applejack. Maybe now Rainbow will finally leave you alone.
>"Well, whatever the case, I'm just glad to see you. Both of you."
>Rarity tightly embraces both you and Twilight. Upon her release, you decide to pull away from Twilight.
>"Though, I must say, Fluttershy." she says, pinching the fabric of your new hoodie and running it between her fingers "Must you wear such baggy clothes? You'd look much better in something more form fitting. You know, to better display your assets."
"But it's so comfy..."
>Rarity just rolls her eyes.
>"Anyway..." Sunset says as she steps closer to you, "I'm just glad you're okay. It looks like yesterday was a rough day for all of us."
>"I know, right?! Like, wowwie! First that big fight with Bulk that you got hurt in, then Sunset had another one of those crazy mind-reading things happen-"
>Sunset's eyes light up with a sudden realization.
>"Speaking of that, Twilight, can I talk with you in private?"
>"Huh? Yeah, I gue- Whoa!"
>Sunset grabs Twilight's wrist and quickly pulls her off and away to the inside of the school.
>"Huh. Well, that's weird." Pinkie points out "Anyway, and then Twilight told us what happened to her, and Bon Bon got suspended, and ohmygoshdidyouseethatvideoofAnonandBulkfighting?!"
>"Ah can't believe Anon got back up after that! Even Big Mac ain't that tough!"
>"But he did! And then he was all 'let him go' and he pulled out his stick thingie and was all BANG POW ZAM!"
>"It was certainly very hard to watch. I can't imagine how badly Anon must have hurt after that."
>Despite the video being all over MyBook and in your text messages, thanks to Rainbow, you didn't watch it.
>It was bad enough seeing the aftermath of the fight first hand. You don't want to know what Anon really went through.
>You turn away from your friends and try to focus on the bird songs again in an attempt to drown out the conversation about the fight.
>Just in time to see a black police car pull into the teacher's parking lot.
>Oh! There he is! You hope he walks over this way so you can say hi to him.
>"Ooooooooo, look! Anon just got here! Let's go see him!"
>Pinkie wastes no time in skipping joyfully past you with Rainbow and Rarity following behind her.
>Applejack takes your hand and gently pulls you along as well.
>"C'mon, partner! Let's go an take a gander at how Anon is doin'."
>Or you could walk over and see him yourself...
 
>You pull into the nearest empty parking space and kill the engine. Throwing open the door, you attempt to climb out of the vehicle.
>Only to stop short as an intense lash of pain travels up your back. You sit back into the seat and take a moment to think to yourself.
>Today is going to be a shitty day.
>Reaching out of the car, you place one hand on the door and the other on the roof. Slowly, you pull yourself out of the vehicle without having to move your back too much.
>Back on your feet, you slam the car door shut and take a minute to prepare for today's trials. Just as you manage to clear your mind, your phone begins to ring, breaking your focus. You quickly dig into your pockets to fish it out.
>You pull it up to your ear without checking the caller ID and answer the it.
"Officer Mous."
>"Good morning, Mouse."
"Morning, Stitches."
>"I got some good news for you. That big ol' teddy bear you wrapped up for us? Finally got him to talk. Heard back from the lab about that pill bottle, as well."
"So what was in the bottle?"
>"It's a relatively new drug called Mind's Eye; that's what the Empire's dealers are calling it, anyway. Some kind of mental performance enhancer targeted towards students and office workers. It basically over-clocks your brain to help you stay awake, boost your attention span, make your brain take in more information and process it faster, stuff like that."
>You lean up against the side of your car and rest your elbow on the roof, rubbing your freshly buzzed head with your free hand.
"Sounds innocent enough to me. I'm guessing there must be some nasty side effects or something?"
>"With high doses or long term use, you run the risk insomnia, auditory and visual hallucinations, paranoia, irritability, among numerous other things, and it's theorized that eventually it might just fry your brain."
"What do you mean 'fry your brain'?"
>"I mean you might just end up in a permanent vegetative state."
"Oh. Well, that's not good. What else?"
>"Well, in the past month alone, there have been several incidents involving enraged individuals that we can confirm were taking ME. Last week, a reporter at the Canterlot Daily went berserk and nearly killed his boss. Most notably was that mini-van incident a couple weeks ago."
>You remember reading about that. Dude lost it when he got cut off, so he rammed a mini-van full of kids off the road and onto a crowded sidewalk. Luckily, no one was killed.
>"Now, the nerds down at the lab said that the chemical composition from the batches involved in these accidents is slightly different that what we first found. They think that the sudden rage is less of a side effect of the drug itself, but a result of an imperfection. Possibly a flawed batch, or a less experienced chemist making the stuff."
"Or maybe the Empire is just cutting corners for a cheaper product."
>"It's possible. Anyway, I was looking over these past cases and I noticed some common ground. All the individuals that went berserk were all under a great deal of stress. The reporter had just been screamed at by his boss and fired, and the driver from the mini-van incident had just been served divorce papers from his spouse."
"You think the stress might factor in to the sudden rage?"
>"It seems likely to me, but I haven't brought it up to the lab yet. Maybe they already know."
"So what's Bulk's excuse?"
>"Mostly poor grades. He barely made it to his senior year, and he's already struggling with his work."
"Already? It's only September."
>"It gets worse. Due to his poor performance in school, he's in danger of being kicked off the football team. If that happens, his scholarship goes poof."
"Along with his future."
>"It's looking like it's already gone. I gotta say, I feel bad for the kid. He isn't a bad person, he's just stuck in this vicious cycle. Even football practice, which he says was his number one stress reliever, just stressed him out more because his coach was always on his case."
>Damn. Kid really must've had it rough.
"Anything else?"
>"Hold on."
>You can make out the faint sound of papers being shuffled around on the other end of the call.
>"Uhh... Yeah, he say's he doesn't know how to talk to this girl he likes."
>Yeah, no way that shit is going to work out now.
>"Oh! He also identified the dealer that sold him the ME."
"I think one of those bits of information is way more important that the other, Stitches."
>"Shut up, I haven't had my coffee yet. Prepare to copy."
"Yeah, one sec."
>You clamp your head to your shoulder to hold the phone hands free and pull out your notepad and writing utensil.
"Go."
>"Suspect is 18 years old, 5 foot 10 inches, lightish tangelo skin-"
"What the fuck is lightish tan jell-o?"
>"I-I don't know, I think it's kind of a shade of peach? Look it up! Lightish tangelo skin, green eyes and short, dark green hair."
>You copy all of the information down, even making a note to look up whatever the fuck lightish tangelo looks like.
"Got it. We got a name?"
>"Yup. Timber Spruce."
"Timber. Spruce. Got it. Anything else?"
>"Bulk said he ran into him after school. Took a short cut through an alley across the street from the front of the school."
>You jot down the keywords 'after school' and 'alley across from school'.
>"That's all we got for now and I'm pretty sure that's all we're gonna get. But, if I hear anything else, I'll let you know."
"Thanks Stitches. You've been a big help."
>"My pleasure, Mouse. Watch your back out there."
"You, too."
>You pocket your writing tool before grabbing your phone and ending the call.
>You take a moment to look over your notes.
>Timber Spruce.
>That sounds familiar. You try to focus on the name, but nothing comes to mind.
>Oh well. You suppose asking Celestia for a student file is a good place to start.
>You slide your notepad back into it's belt pouch.
>You know, maybe today won't be so bad after all.
>As you step off towards the offices, you attempt to slide your phone back into your pocket. However, you fumble it, pushing it right past the pocket and letting it go.
>The phone falls to the ground and bounces just in front of your feet. You hold your hand out and wiggle your fingers at it, as if to pull it closer to you with some kind of psychic power.
>The phone, of course, stays completely stationary.
>You stare blankly at the small black rectangle for what seems like an eternity before breathing deep and letting out an annoyed sigh.
"Shit."
 
>With no other course of action, you slowly and stiffly begin to squat over your phone, doing your best to keep your back straight.
>Easy, Anon, easy. Almost there.
>You manage to lower yourself just enough to quickly snatch up your phone and then proceed to stand back up.
>Well, that could have been way worse. Maybe today will be alrig-
>In the time it took to blink, the previously empty space in front of you becomes occupied with an all too familiar blue-eyed, pink demon.
>"HIYA ANON!"
"AAAAHHHHH!"
>In a blind panic, you instinctively attempt jump backward but manage only to stumble over yourself and send yourself tumbling to the asphalt, back first.
>As you come crashing down, several individual pieces of sharp stone can be felt attempting to pierce your body, pushing up against you from below.
>Pain surges through your spine. It is all you can do to grit your teeth and resist the urge to scream profanities at the top of your lungs.
>"Uh... Anon? Nonny? Are you okay?"
"No, Bubblegum. No, I am not okay."
>"Pinkie, what did you do?!" shouts a raspy voice.
>You believe it belongs to Rainbow.
>"I didn't mean to do it, I swear!"
>Angrily,you stare up at the morning sky, cursing every divine being that comes to mind. You know they're all laughing at you right now.
>Rainbow moves to stand over you, leaning down directly into your line of sight. A somewhat concerned cowgirl and a worried looking Rarity come to do the same.
>Gotta say, standing over someone like this isn't a great idea when you're wearing a skirt.
>You quickly avert your eyes, opting to closely inspect one of your tires. Rarity blushes and steps back, seemingly noticing your actions.
>"Hey, dude. You alright?"
"Oh, yeah, I'm fine. Just peachy."
>They all stand there, staring at you, as if unsure if that was sarcasm or not. You decide to clarify.
"I woke up with terrible back pain, and I really don't want to move right now."
>Pinkie hops over, taking a position almost just above your head.
>Again, with the skirts.
>"Aww, did someone wake up on the wrong side of bed?"
"No, I'm pretty sure this is from yesterday."
>"What? You we're fine yesterday! You even said so!" Rainbow points out.
"Yeah, that's what I thought."
>"Well, it ain't gonna git any better by layin' there on the ground. Come on, up and at em'."
>Applejack extends an open hand to help you up, and the other girls step back to give you some space.
>You ready one arm to push off the ground with, and use the other to take Applejack's hand.
>"Ready?"
"Yeah, just take it easy."
>She most certainly does not take it easy.
>With one quick yank, you are jerked back to your feet. While you're happy to be vertical again, your spine, which you are beginning to suspect is now made out of sticklebricks, has some choice words for you.
"AH! Oh god, why?"
>"Heh, sorry 'bout that, sugarcube. Guess Ah don't know my own strength."
>Eyes clenched shut, you brace yourself against the top of your vehicle and breathe deep.
>"Pinkie, don't you think it would be appropriate to apologize to Anon for hurting him?"
>"But I didn't mean to!"
>"I don't want to hear it, Pinkie Pie! Anon here has been through enough, lately. Apologizing is the least you could do."
>"Yeah, you're right." Pinkie admits with a sigh.
>A pink hand tugs at your sleeves. You manage to peel your eyelids open to see a remorseful Pinkie Pie standing next to you. Her hair looks like it's somehow been deflated like a balloon.
>Looking past her, you see Fluttershy standing on the sidewalk, hands over her mouth with distraught looking eyes.
>"I'm sorry, Anon. I didn't mean to scare you and get you hurt! I'll make it up to you, I promise!"
>You don't know if you want her trying to make it up to you.
"Yeah, it's fine. Whatever. Just don't jump out at me like that."
>You look past Pinkie to Fluttershy and attempt to give her a calming smile.
"Hi, Fluttershy. Glad you decided to come in today."
>She just slowly nods in acknowledgement.
>Huh. Maybe she's still kind of shaken from yesterday?
>"Anon, if I may offer my assistance?" asks Rarity.
"Assistance? What kind of assistance?"
>"Well, it is quite obvious how intense this back pain must be for you. I was hoping I could have a look at it and see if there was anything I could do."
>She wants to look at your back? What? How does that help anything?
"I'm not sure I follow."
>"Oh, it's simple. You see, Fluttershy and I visit the best spa in Canterlot on a bi-weekly basis. Aside from manicures, pedicures, and other spa treatments, we always get a massage. While I'm obviously no expert, I do believe I've picked up enough experience to at least be able to help someone with a little back pain."
"So you're offering to give me a massage?"
>"Precisely."
>Pretty sure you need a chiropractor more than a massage. Wait, do chiropractors do massages?
>Regardless, this seems like a bad idea.
>Somebody might get the wrong idea if they see a female student rubbing on you. Last thing you need right now is the Chief getting a call involving you, a school girl, and some inappropriate touching.
>Hell, she might mess your back up even more.
"I appreciate the offer, but I'm gonna have to say no."
>"Oh, come now, Anon. There's no reason to be shy. Besides," Rarity says with a sly grin, "I feel that I was cheated yesterday. With you running off to be the big hero, we barely got to talk at all! If you agree, I get my appointment with you, you no longer have to deal with that horrible back pain, everybody wins!"
>She could always just reschedule.
>But...
>Things tend to get rough with your line of work, and being in the state you're in right now, you're just asking to get your ass kicked. Can't go chasing down street punks like this.
>Timber could walk by right in front of you and there'd be little you could do to stop him while you're like this.
>Fuck it, why not? If it doesn't work or she just makes it worse, you'll just get the department to pay for it. It did happen on the job, after all.
"Fine, but listen here. One, we're doing this in my office, right now. Two, nobody, and I mean NOBODY mentions this to anyone else. Understand?"
>"If that's how you want it, I agree to these terms. Girls, you all heard that, right? Not a word!"
>"Yeah, yeah. I'm gonna head to class early to finish some homework. I'll see you all later."
>"Ah think ah'll do the same; let you an' Rarity get some alone time."
>"Have fun, Anon! Rarity's massages are the best!"
"Please stop yelling that."
>The group of friends leaves for class. Fluttershy looks to you, then to her friends, and back to you again. She gives you a quick but weak wave of her hand before running off after her friends.
>"We'd best get moving as well. I'd hate to be late for class."
"If that happens, I'll just write you a note. Come on."
>You gently push yourself off your cruiser and begin moving towards your office. Your movements are slow and stiff, so as to not agitate your back any further.
>Despite the slow pace, you find yourself at the office in no time at all.
>You both slide past Raven with a quick morning greeting and head through the glass door.
>You hold your office door open for Rarity before closing and locking it behind you.
>She wastes no time getting situated, opting to lean against your desk.
>She looks to you with a soft, almost seductive smile.
>"Now then, lets get started. First off, let's get rid of that belt, shall we?"
 
>You quickly pull Twilight through to door to her personal lab and lock the door behind you.
>It's probably best if no one else hears this, normal students included.
>"Is everything okay, Sunset? The way you're acting is beginning to worry me."
>No, Twilight, everything is not okay.
>Things are never okay. Just once, it would be great if everything was okay and stayed that way.
>But it looks like this year is going to be a lot like last year. More spontaneous magical nonsense.
"That's why I wanted to talk to you. I had another attack yesterday..."
>This doesn't surprise Twilight, as the attacks have been frequent since they began happening.
>"A bad one?" she asks with eyes that pity you.
"It was pretty bad. But that's not why we're talking! Rarity said something that really worried me after it happened. She said that she was worried something like my attacks could begin happening to them."
>"The headaches?"
"No! Well, I don't know, maybe? I mean their powers going haywire like mine; like Applejack not being able to control her own strength, or Dash not being able to control how fast she moves! If that begins happening, it could be dangerous not just for them, but for everyone around them!"
>"That... that's a worrying theory."
>Twilight crosses her arms and rubs her chin with her hand.
>"But it's still just a theory."
"Don't you think we should investigate though?"
>"Oh, absolutely! In fact, it's high time you let me run some tests on you. If we can identify what's causing these attacks for you, we should hopefully be able to prevent anyone else from experiencing the same thing. I'll get to work immediately!"
>That's a relief. If anyone can figure this thing out, it's Twilight. Honestly, you should have let her do her thing a while ago when these attacks first started.
>You didn't want to worry anyone about it. You figured they'd go away after a while. Now that you think your friends are in danger of going through something similar, things are a lot different.
>You're willing to do anything you can to help.
"So, what can I do?"
>"Right now? Let me brainstorm and try to think some ideas up. You need to get to class, though. School's about to start!"
>Twilight takes a seat in a nearby chair and lays her bag out in front of her. She reaches inside and pulls out her laptop, a stack of papers, and a pencil.
"You don't need any help?"
>"Not right now. I'll need you for those tests later, but right now, I don't have anything set up. That, and you can't 'skip' school like I can."
>True. Plus, you'd really like to have perfect attendance this year.
>But you'd hate to let Twilight do all the work.
"Alright, well... Let me know if you learn anything, I guess. Or if there's anything I can do."
>"Really, Sunset, I got it. Try not to worry about it. Go relax, have a good day. I'll see you at lunch."
>Twilight pulls a sheet of paper in front of her and labels the paper before leaning back in her seat and playing with the pencil between her fingers.
"Yeah. Okay, I'll see you later then."
>"Mmm hmm."
>You slowly step back to the door and let yourself out.
>Twilight's smart. She doesn't need any help when it comes to stuff like this. Right?
>She made a robot dog for Spike to play with, of course she doesn't need help. She's the smartest person you know!
>Twilight is right. Just try not to think about this, Sunset. Just take it easy.
>With only a few minutes of free time left, you decide to go ahead and make your way to homeroom.
>Yeah, just take it easy. You can do that.
 
>You trudge along behind your friends through the rapidly filling hallways, paying attention to little more than the passing tiles on the floor.
>School hasn't even started and your hopes for a better day have already been dashed.
>Anon looked like he was hurting pretty bad. It must be some serious back pain.
>Hopefully Rarity can help him out. Massages always help you when you get start getting your back pains.
>Sometimes, you really wish your breasts weren't so big. Rarity says it's a good problem to have, but you aren't so sure.
>"What's up with you now, Fluttershy? I thought you said you were fine!"
>"Yeah, you are lookin' mighty glum. What's wrong with ya?"
"O-oh, I just feel bad for Anon. He looked like he was in a lot of pain."
>"Eh, I wouldn't worry about it. It's not like you're the one that hurt him. Right, Pinkie?" Rainbow asks, throwing Pinkie an accusatory glare.
>Pinkie droops a little in response.
>"Hey! I said I was sorry..."
>Applejack wraps an arm around your shoulders, pulling you into a side-hug.
>"He'll be fine, sugarcube. Rarity'll take good care of him, we all know that. Shucks, we've all been on the receivin' end of her fingers once or twice, right?"
>Is it just you, or did that sound really lewd?
>A student you've never seen before with short black hair wearing a grey suit stops mid-stride next to you and Applejack with a large smirk on his face.
>"Wow. Uh, phrasing?"
>Rainbow face-palms, Pinkie begins to giggle uncontrollably, and Applejack blushes. You can feel your face begin to heat up with a blush as well.
>Rainbow pulls her hand away from her face to scowl at the stranger. The stranger shrugs and pulls a strange metal bottle out of his suit, takes a large gulp, and continues down the hall.
>"A-anyways, iffin it's botherin' you so much, why not see if she needs help? You go to the spa with her all the time, and you've help me an' Dash out a couple times after a hard day of work or practice, so ah don't see why you couldn't help out."
>Oh, you couldn't do that. It's one thing to give a massage to your closest friends, but to give one to someone you barely know like Anon?
>You don't think you could do that. You'd lock up the second you touched him! Besides, he's a boy, too.
>But you could at least go check up on them, and actually talk to Anon. You kind of just stared at him earlier.
"I think I'm gonna go check on them."
>"Alrighty then. We'll see you at lunch, Fluttershy."
>Applejack pats you on you on your back before letting go and heading off with your other friends. With a wave, you say goodbye to them and head off towards the office.
>It's only a short walk, fortunately, and you make it there before the bell rings.
>You step inside the door and walk up to Ms. Inkwell's desk. She looks up from her work and immediately smiles when she realizes who you are.
>"Oh, hello Fluttershy. Feeling better today?"
"Mmm hmm! Is Anon in?"
>"Yeah, but I don't know if he can talk right now. He looked pretty rough." Ms. Inkwell reaches up to her dark hair and begins twirling a loose lock of it around her finger. "Plus, he's already back there with another student."
"Oh, I don't think they'll mind. Rarity is one of my best friends, and we were all just talking to Anon a few minutes ago."
>"If you say so. In that case, head on back."
>You give her your thanks and head past the large desk and through the glass door. You step up to the door to Anon's office, but just as you reach for the door knob, you hear voices from beyond the door.
>You lean closer and put your ear to the door.
>You're not spying or anything! You're just making sure you're not going to walk in on a sensitive conversation!
>"My goodness, Anon, you're so... stiff. When was the last time you did something like this?"
>"It's been a while. A few years, at least."
>"I believe it. It's so hard! Well, don't worry. I'll make sure you get the release you need. You just relax and enjoy."
>"Ah! Careful, that's sensitive!"
>"Sorry, dear, but sometimes you need to get a little rough to get the job done."
>"Ow! Easy, ea- Oh. Ooooh, yeah.~ Right there, don't stop.~"
>"See? Isn't that much better?"
>An intense blush creeps onto your face once again.
>T-they aren't doing what you think they are, are they?
>Rarity wouldn't do something like that at school, and Anon is a police officer! Of course they aren't!
>The glass door opens behind you, and Ms. Inkwell steps into the hallway with you. Carrying a small stack of papers in her hands, she stops in front of Vice Principal and shoots you a confused look.
>"Fluttershy? Is something wrong?"
>Oh no! You can't let her know what is going on inside Anon's office! Quick, Fluttershy, think fast!
"N-n-no! I was just, uh, t-thinking about what I wanted to talk about. Ifigureditoutthoughokaythanksbye!"
>You throw open the door and rush inside before slamming it behind you. You lock the door behind you to make sure she can't open it from the other side.
>You breathe a sigh of relief lean your back against the door. The relief is short-lived as you take in the sight in front of you.
>Anon is naked from the waist up, laid out on his stomach on the floor, resting his head on his bandage-wrapped arms. The bare skin of his back and what little of his chest you can see hints at an excellent level of physical fitness and reveals numerous small, shallow scars along his left side. He looks at you with fierce, cautious eyes.
>Rarity is sat upon his waist with hands resting on Anon's lower back. Face faintly flushed, she looks to you with shock and worry in her eyes.
>"Oh, Fluttershy, it's just you. You really gave me a scare."
>"I'll say." Anon says as he lifts and turns his head to face away from you. "Forget how to knock?"
>*BRIIIIIIIIINNGG*
>"...I guess that's two notes I'll be writing."
>"Oh, that would be marvelous, I'm sure Fluttershy would very much appreciate it. Say, Fluttershy?"
>Rarity reaches out to you with an outstretched hand and a sly smile.
>"Could you give me a hand? I'm sure Anon would appreciate the help." She says with a wink.
 
>Your eyes are drawn away from Rarity and back towards Anon.
>You feel bad for staring, but you can't help it!
>Why does Anon have these scars? What happened to him?
>Your heart sinks as you take in the sight. You try to tell yourself to be glad they aren't as bad looking as the one on his neck, but it doesn't help much.
>You find yourself stepping away from the door and inching a little closer to Anon and Rarity.
>Nervously, you fidget with your fingers, pressing the tips of your index fingers together repetitively.
"Rarity, I don't know if I shou- EEEEP!"
>Rarity reaches out and snatches one of your hands and yanks you over next to her.
>"Nonsense, darling. I could use another pair of hands, and I'm sure Anon won't mind. Isn't that right?"
>"I don't mind if she doesn't."
>"See? It's fine." she says, still grinning at you. "Come now. Do you think you could take his shoulders while I work on his back?"
>Oh, why does Rarity have to tease you like this?
>She isn't wrong, though. Anon probably could use some more help right now. You can't just stand here and watch, he got hurt trying to help you!
"O-okay, I'll help."
>"Great! I knew you'd want to help him. Anon, could you put your arms at your sides? Here, you can rest your head on this."
>Rarity reaches up to the desk and pull grabs a small black and white bundle from the edge. She then leans forward and places the bundle next to Anon's head, which he takes and uses as a pillow.
>Anon then slides his arms back, allowing to rest along his body.
>You scoot over to Anon's shoulder and sit down on your knees. Rarity places her hands along Anon's hips and begins massaging his lower back with her thumbs.
>Heart pounding, you reach out to his shoulders with your hands. You can see Rarity watching you out of the corner of your eye, but you try to ignore her.
>Your hands land along Anon's shoulders, and you freeze up, unsure of what to do.
>Rarity nods at you, encouraging you on.
>Okay Fluttershy, just pretend he's anyone else, like Rainbow or Zephyr!
>You close your eyes and begin to work his flesh, pushing your thumbs down against him. Anon stiffens and lets out a low groan before relaxing again.
>"Mmm, sounds like someone is enjoying this."
>"Oh, yeah..." Anon sighs contentedly.
>Rarity chuckles at his response. You just try to stay focused on your work.
>"So, Anon, I was hoping to continue our conversation from yesterday. Is that alright with you?"
>"I suppose, so long as the topic stays appropriate. You remember what I said about that, right?"
>"Of course, darling. Can you tell us about your time here at Canterlot High?"
>"What do you want to know?"
>"What were you like? What was the school like? Did you partake in any clubs or teams? I bet you would've been a shoe-in for the football team."
>"Not much to say, really. Well, for my first two years, anyway. I was a pretty quiet kid; never spoke out unless I had to, kept to myself, that sort of stuff."
>"And the other two years?"
>"I became a bit of a trouble maker."
>Anon? A troublemaker?
>"I hope you weren't one of those brutes that went around starting fights."
>"Nah. I was only ever in one fight, and I didn't start it. No, it was mostly just a lot of harmless pranking."
>Pulling pranks isn't that bad. As long as nobody got hurt.
>"What brought about a change like that?"
>"Well... I could go on about that for a while, but long story short; My dad was a bit of an authoritarian and I was used to just doing as I was told. My junior year here, I made some friends. I guess you could say that they brought out a different side of me."
>"I know exactly what you mean. Sometimes, all someone needs to change for the better is a good friend."
>"I don't know if most people would say the change was for the better, but I get what you're saying. Anyways, as for the school, it really hasn't changed all that much. It looks like they may have touched up the paint or something here and there, but structurally it's about the same. Staff doesn't seem to have changed much either."
>He must have noticed all the repairs that have been made the past few years.
>Wait. Does he not know about all of the magical stuff that's happened here? Shouldn't the police know about that?
>"Oh, yes. We've had a few fundraisers to spruce the place up recently."
>You open your eyes to give Rarity a questioning look. She just shrugs at you before turning her attention back to Anon, working further up his back.
>"So, were you on any teams?"
>"No. Like I said earlier, I mostly kept to myself, so I stayed away from teams and sports. The only thing I did that really comes close was participating in the Friendship games."
>Without thinking, you halt the massage on Anon's shoulders.
"You were in the Friendship games?"
>Anon rolls his head around to look at you from the corner of his eye. You assume the look is meant to spur you back into action, and waste no time getting back to work.
>"That's right. Normally, because of my grades and behavioral problems, they never would have let me compete. However, I possessed a rare and highly coveted skill that was necessary to have a shot at winning."
>Still facing you, Anon closes his eyes once again. You find yourself staring at his face as he tells his stories, much more comfortable with making 'eye' contact with his eyes closed.
>"What was it? Fashion design?"
"Animal husbandry?"
>"Competitive shooting. Crystal Prep is the only high school in Canterlot with a J.R.O.T.C. program, and therefore, a Rifle team. They thought they'd have a good laugh at us by taking an even easier than normal win."
>"That's exactly what I would expect from that terrible Cinch woman."
>"Yeah, she was pretty mad about the whole thing."
"S-she was? You mean you won the event?"
>"As far as I'm concerned, I did. I had the highest individual score overall. Crystal Prep still won due to the cumulative team score, they really stomped us into the ground with that, but Cinch was furious that some common troublemaker with bad grades out-shot her entire team."
>"You must be quite the shot then."
>"Eh. I'm alright. Everyone else was just terrible."
"They tried the same thing last year with the archery and motocross events."
>You really hated that. Standing out there with everyone watching you mess up arrow after arrow.
>"Archery I can kind of get behind, but how the hell did the they get the school board to approve motocross?"
>"Honestly, I have no idea. The entire thing was one big mess. How is your back feeling, dear? Any pains?"
>Anon shifts his shoulders and back a few inches, testing for any pains.
>"Still hurts towards the middle of my spine."
>Rarity hums to herself as she runs her fingers down Anon's back, searching for anything out of the ordinary. She pauses half way down his back and begins rubbing small circles into his skin.
>"Yeah, right there."
>"I see. Could you take a deep breath and hold it?"
>Anon breathes deep as Rarity lays her hands on top of each other and presses them against his trouble spot.
>Rarity leans back and rocks forward, using the momentum to push into Anon's back, causing a loud popping sound to come from his back.
>Anon grimaces and clenches his eyes shut even tighter.
>"Ooof. Oh my god, that hurt."
>Rarity places her hands on Anon's hips and pushes off of them to stand. She steps over to you and rests a hand on your shoulder.
>"Sorry about that, dear, I should have warned you. However, I think I may have taken care of your pains. Could you stand and see how you feel?"
>You release Anon's shoulders and scoot back, giving him the room to move.
>Once again, he tests for any pains, rolling his shoulders and his hips, and his back along with them, back and forth.
>Seemingly finding nothing, he shifts into the push-up position and lifts himself off the ground. In one quick motion, he kicks his feet off the ground and pulls them back under him.
>As he stands, your eyes are pulled to his chest. While not extremely cut like Bulk, Anon has very clearly spent a lot of time in the gym. His abs faintly poke out beneath his smooth, well-toned pecs.
>Anon leans to and fro, bending backwards, forwards, and side to side. Finally, he reaches his arms up and stretches, straining the the bandages.
>"Oooooh yeah, that feels way better. Thanks a lot you two."
>"I'm glad I could be of service. Aren't you, Fluttershy?"
>Anon turns toward you and Rarity, revealing a few more small marks on the front of his left shoulder and next to his armpit.
>The scars there are much more jagged and deep-looking than the others.
>Why are the scars only on his left side?
>"Fluttershy? Fluttershy?"
>Rarity gives you a light shake that pulls you back to reality.
"Huh, wha-?"
>You look up to find her staring down at you with a very uncomfortable and lukewarm smile.
>"You were happy to help Anon out, weren't you?"
"O-o-oh, yes, I'm glad-"
>You turn back to Anon to see him staring down at his scars.
"-I could...help."
>He lifts his head to stare through you with hollow, almost glassy eyes.
>You messed up.
>Wordlessly, he turns his back to you and snatches up the bundle of clothes from the floor. He pulls out a white undershirt and quickly throws it on and tucks it in to his pants, then doing the same with his black uniform shirt.
>"I guess I should get you those notes."
>You really messed up. You just couldn't keep your eyes to yourself.
>"Yes, that would be, um... appreciated."
>Anon quickly steps around behind his desk and reaches into a drawer. He pulls out two sheets of paper, quickly writes something down on both of them, and shoves them to the edge of the desk.
>"Here you go."
>Rarity steps up and grabs the papers from the desk as Anon pulls his belt and vest out from another drawer.
>"Thank you. Come along, Fluttershy. We've taken up enough of Anon's time."
>Rarity locks an arm around yours to simultaneously lift and pull you out of the room as Anon fiddles with his belt.
>Rarity manages to yank you to your feet and pull you over to the door. She opens it and pulls you through to the other side before looking back to Anon.
>"Ta ta, Anon. Have a pleasant day."
>He simply waves Rarity off with a quick hand gesture before throwing his vest over his shoulders and re-securing the Velcro.
>He doesn't even want to look at you anymore.
>Rarity quickly but softly shuts the door and leads you out of the office. The second you're back in the halls and out of sight, she drops her smile and pleasant demeanor.
>She releases you as she turns to face you, crossing her arms.
>"I thought we agreed not to bother him about his scars?"
"I didn't mean to stare!"
>"Well, you did! I had him talking and everything, and now look at him."
"I'm sorry, okay?! I just feel bad for him!"
>Rarity sighs and drops her arms.
>"I know you do. I'm sorry for snapping at you like that; it was very much uncalled for."
"It's okay... I'm sorry for making Anon mad at us."
>"It's fine, dear. I don't think he's really mad at us. If he wasn't mad at Rainbow for being so blatant about it, I think we'll be fine. Lets just give him some space, okay?"
>You hope she's right. You were really looking forward to talking with him later, and you really don't want him to hate you.
"If that's what you think is best."
>Rarity pulls you in for a quick hug. She speaks softly as she gently pats you on the back.
>"Everything will be fine. We'll just give him some space, and go and apologize to him later. If that doesn't work, I'll do everything I can to sort this out."
"Oh, thank you Rarity. I'd hate to have him angry at me."
>"And I'd hate to see you spurned by your crush like that."
>Rarity is such a good friend. Sometimes, you honestly don't know what you'd do witho-
>Wait, what?
"Crush?!"
 
>You pace throughout the room as your hands busy themselves, securing your vest and checking your belt.
>Your mind occupied with pushing the memories out of your head.
>The blood on the floor.
>The dust and debris floating in the air.
>The walls littered with holes.
>Their bodies.
>The second your hands are free, you pound against your skull to force the thoughts out.
>No matter how hard you try, the images creep back into your mind.
>That hallway.
>That fucking hallway.
>No!
>Work.
>Need to focus on work.
>You’ve got a dealer to track down.
>Timber. Timber Pine?
>You quickly pull out your notepad and flip to the most recent page to review the notes.
>Timber Spruce.
> 18 years old, 5’ 10”, dark green hair, green eyes. Light tangelo skin?
>You repeat the description to yourself over and over again, memorizing it.
>Another minute or two of pacing and a quick google search for light tangelo later and you feel ready to go.
>Next course of action? You could check out that alley.
>No, you should talk to Celestia first. Given his age and his apparent proximity to the school, there’s a solid chance he attends here. If you can corner him in school, there’s less of a chance of him running.
>She could use an update on Bulk anyway.
>You quickly look over yourself to make sure you look like you didn’t just throw your clothes and gear on. Satisfied with your appearance, you head over to Celestia’s office.
>You knock twice on her door and she beckons you inside with a “Come in!”
>You pull open the door and step inside. Celestia stops her work, laying her hands out on top of each other, and gives you a welcoming smile.
>” Ah, good morning, Anon. How are you- “
“Fantastic, thanks for asking.  You read that email I sent you?”
>”Yes, I just finished it. I was just in the middle of typing up a letter for Bon Bon’s parents. Why, do you have more to add?”
“Yeah, but not about Bon Bon. I got a call earlier.”
>You close the door behind you and take a seat in one of the large, cushioned chairs in from of her desk.
>It looks like it belongs in a therapist’s office.
>Holy shit, this thing is comfy.
“So, I’m going to try to keep this short. Turns out that Bulk was on a relatively new drug called Mind’s Eye; it’s a sort of mental performance enhancer, I guess. We don’t know for certain, but we theorize that this breakdown he had is connected to his poor performance in school and high levels of stress. I was made aware of the situation with his grades and scholarship, and it seems to fit the bill for the other incidents we’ve seen involving ME.”
>”What happened in the other incidents?”
“Stress induced bouts of extreme rage and violence.”
>”Well… If the glove fits. I don’t suppose there’s any chance of him getting out of this, is there?”
>Fat fucking chance.
>He was only caught assaulting an entire classroom, as well as assaulting and almost killing a law enforcement officer, while in possession and under the influence of an illegal substance.
“Do you want me to tell you the truth, or would you rather hear what you want to hear?”
>Celestia buries her face in her hands.
>”Ugh. Never mind. Was there anything else?”
“Yes, actually. Bulk identified the person who sold him the drug. Do you have a student here named Timber Spruce? 18 years old, around five foot ten, green eyes and dark green hair? Oh, and light tangelo skin.”
>The question seems to catch Celestia off guard, as she lowers her hands to stare at you like a deer caught in headlights.
>”Did you say Timber Spruce?”
“Yep. I’m guessing you know him?”
>”Yes. His sister, too. He isn’t a student here, though. Are you sure it’s him?”
>Not a student, huh? So much for an easy hunt.
“As far as I know. This was just the name and description I was given; you’re the one that knows him, you tell me.”
>With a distraught sigh, Celestia lays her head down on the desk. Feeling a story coming on, you prepare to write down any information of interest and pull out your note pad and pencil.
>”Well, what do you know? Both gloves fit. Up until a few months ago, he and his sister ran Camp Everfree, a small campsite about an hour or so outside of town along the outskirts of the Everfree forest.  Timber wasn’t happy living out there and wanted to move to Canterlot. We had a field trip out there last school year, and just about any time the two of them were near each other they would start arguing about selling the camp.”
“Must’ve been awkward. Who’s his sister?”
>Celestia raises her head off the table and sits back in her seat. She stares at you, distraught and unenthused.
>”Gloriosa Daisy. The trip started out okay. It was nice seeing the students experience the camp like Luna and I did when we were younger. They even all pitched in and helped make a new pier for the lake there. But, as time went on, things just got worse between Timber and Gloriosa. I thought they had made up in the end, but now I’m not so sure.”
>You jot down ‘Gloriosa Daisy’ and ‘Camp Everfree’ and underline both.
 “What makes you say that?”
>”Shortly after the trip, Timber started dating Twilight Sparkle, one of our brightest students here.”
>You wonder if this is the same Twilight that hangs out with Sunset and her friends.
>You take note of Twilight Sparkle and underline it as well.
>”Since she transferred here from Crystal Prep, she and I have been talking regularly, and recently she’s mentioned quite a bit about Timber. Most notably that he moved into town over the summer. Timber wanted to sell the camp and move to Canterlot, but Gloriosa wanted him to stay and help run the camp. If he’s in Canterlot, then maybe they started arguing again.”
“Looking back on everything Twilight has told you, does anything stand out?”
>”Aside from the usual boy talk from a teenage girl? Not really.”
“I’ll need to speak to this Twilight, then.”
>”I’m not sure she’ll be here; she’s been sick at home for some time. It must be terrible because she’d never willingly miss a day of school. One sec.”
>Celestia grabs her mouse and begins clicking away on her monitor.
>After a few seconds, she turns back to you with an apologetic frown.
>”Sorry. The attendance report for her homeroom says she’s absent again.”
>Go fucking figure. Nothing is ever easy.
 “Can I get a home address or a phone number, then?”
>”I can call her home right now, if you’d like.”
>You hope the parents both work. You’d rather not have to go through the whole thing with them.
>Too bad this seems like too good a lead to ignore. Probably better than checking out that alley. Right now, anyway.
>For some reason, you find it hard to imagine a drug dealer getting up at 8 a.m. to deal in some shitty alleyway.
 “Yeah, sure. Just put the call on speaker phone.”
>Once again, Celestia goes about clicking away on her monitor, presumably pulling up the personal information for Twilight. Once she finds it, she reaches for her desk’s phone and begins dialing the phone number. Once she’s finished, she turns on speakerphone, allowing you to hear the phone ringing on the other end of the line.
>Before too long, a feminine voice picks up the line.
>”Hello?”
>”Hi, Mrs. Velvet? Its Principal Celestia.”
>Fuck.
>”Oh, good morning Ms. Celestia! To what do I owe the pleasure?”
>”Well, you see… We had a bit of an incident at the school here yesterday, and I’m afraid our new school resource officer needs to talk to your daughter.”
>”What kind of incident? Twilight didn’t mention any kind of incident. Is she in trouble?”
>”No, Twilight isn’t in trouble, its just, um…”
>Celestia looks to you, using her eyes to ask if you’d like to take the lead here.
>It’s probably for the best.
“Hi, Mrs. Velvet, was it? I’m Officer Anon, the new SRO. No, your daughter isn’t in any trouble, I just need to ask her some questions.”
>”Can you explain why you need to talk to her?”
“To be brief, we had a fight yesterday that involved a student who was taking an illegal substance. We’re currently looking for the dealer who sold said illegal substances, and I have reason to believe your daughter is fairly close to the dealer and may know where he is, or at least where he lives.”
>The call goes silent for a few seconds. Just as you were about to ask if Mrs. Velvet was still there, she finally responds with a very annoyed tone of voice.
>”Are you implying my daughter is involved with criminal activity?”
“What? No, I-“
>”Do you have any idea how hard my daughter works in school? How hard she works for her future? How dare you suggest that!”
>Holy shit, lady, calm down!
“Look, I-“
>”What reason do you have to think that my daughter knows anything about this criminal?”
“I’ve been told she’s dating him.”
>”Timber? You’re saying Timber is selling drugs?”
“If this Timber has the last name Spruce, then yes.”
>A quiet sigh can be heard from the other end.
>”I knew that boy was trouble.”
“What makes you say that?”
>”I just… I don’t know. I never liked him that much. He rubbed me the wrong way from the start. He didn’t seem like the type that would hang around a girl like Twilight. Mother’s intuition, I guess. But, Twilight seemed crazy about him. I couldn’t just say no, not after she’s worked so hard at coming out of her shell.”
“I see. Do you know anything about him?”
>”Not really, no. Just that he’s a little older than her, he moved to the city recently, and that he used to live at that camp outside of town.”
“You don’t know where he lives?”
>”No. She knows she’s not allowed to go to his home, so I never bothered asking.”
“Well, in that case, do you mind if I talk to your daughter about this?”
>”Yes, it’s fine. Do you need my permission to talk to her or something? Do I need to come down to the school?”
“We can do this in person if you’d prefer, but if you want to just hand her the phone, that’s fine too.”
>”Hand her the phone? She’s at school.”
>What?
>You shoot a glance to Celestia, who is already pouring over her screen again.
>”Mrs. Velvet, today’s attendance shows that Twilight is absent. We believed her to still be sick.”
>”Sick? What are you talking about?”
>”You sent us an email last week that she was sick and would be staying home for some time, did you not?”
>”I did no such thing! Are you telling me my daughter hasn’t been to school in over a week?!”
>”That’s what our attendance shows.”
>”That can’t be right. H-hang on, I’ll check her room and lab.”
>Lab? What kind of kid has an entire lab?
>There’s an audible clack on the other end, followed by loud footsteps walking away from the phone.
>Is she on a landline? Who the hell still has a landline in their house?
>”This is not how I thought this week was going to go.” Mutters Celestia as she buries her face in her hands again.
>It’s certainly been eventful.
>Not knowing what to say, you just sit there, tapping your fingers against the back of your notepad, letting the seconds tick by.
>They go on.
>And on.
>And on.
>Finally, footsteps can be heard moving back towards the phone.
>”I checked the entire house, she isn’t here!”
“Maybe she’s with Timber.”
>”No, she wouldn’t. There’s no way.”
“If she isn’t here or at home, why wouldn’t she be with him?”
>”Well, um… My son said I shouldn’t talk about it, that he would handle it.”
“Handle what? Who is your son?”
>”Shining Armor. He’s a detective, and he’s already looking into it.”
>This is Armor’s mom? Huh.
>Small world.
“Ma’am, I know your son. Please, if you know anything-“
>”If you know my son, then you can ask him. He told me not to talk to anyone, so I won’t.”
>God damn this woman.
>You are going to give Armor so much shit for this later.
“Fine, just… Ugh. Just call back if you learn where Twilight is.”
>”Fine. Good day.”
>Celestia drops her arms to her lap and leans forward towards the desk.
>”Thank you for your time, Mrs. Ve-“
>There’s a loud clack on the other end of the line, and the call comes to an end.
“Wow. Rude.”
>”Yes, well, parents tend to get a little defensive about their children. So where does that leave us?”
“Well…”
>You think back on everything Mrs. Velvet just told you.
>She confirmed that Timber is living somewhere in the city, which really isn’t that useful.
>There’s also whatever happened that Armor insisted Velvet not talk about.
>That’s totally not fishy as fuck.
>Guess you’re gonna have to badger Armor about that.
>You also now know about Timber’s sister, and you still need to check that alley.
“I’ve still got a couple minor leads, but I was kind of banking on that talk with Twilight.”
>”Hmm. Well, maybe you could try asking her friends? They’ve been in and out of your office the past few days, I’m sure one of them knows something.”
>So that is the same Twilight. Seems like a solid lead.
>You make a few notes about talking to Armor and the gang of girls and put away your notepad.
“Yeah, I’ll try that. I’ll get back to you if anything comes up. Thanks for the help.”
>You push against the arm rests of the chair and stand.
>”My pleasure, Anon. Though, if there’s one more thing I could trouble you about?”
“Yeah, sure. What is it?”
>”Well, concerning Bulk, I was wondering if there was anything you could do to help him with his current situation.”
“What do you mean?
>”I just… I can’t help but think that what’s going to happen to Bulk is unfair.  He’s going to go to jail just for trying to do better in school!”
“He broke the law, Celestia. I thought this was what you wanted? You know, getting drugs out of the school.”
>”It is! But this isn’t Bulk’s fault; he’s a good kid, what happened isn’t his fault.”
“I know you care about Bulk, but it is his fault. He chose to buy the stuff and he chose to take it. Even if I believe you about the kid, I’m not really sure what I can do to help him out. I guess I can try to find out what charges have been added, maybe get some of  those dropped for cooperating with us.”
>Even if they let the possession and any assault and batteries, he’s still facing a felony charge for what he did to you.
>No way are they going to let that slide.
>Guess you’ll be swinging by the station later.
>A solemn smile finds Celestia’s lips as she leans back in her chair to relax.
>”Thank you, Anon. All I’m asking is that you try.”
“Yeah, sure.  Just don’t hold your breath.”
>You begin to make your leave, taking steps towards the door when you get the feeling you’re forgetting something.
>You stop just short of the door and begin to pat yourself down.
>Everything on your belt is secure.
>Phone, wallet, keys, keys agai-
>Oh, yeah. Almost forgot.
>You dig the second pair of keys out of your pocket. It’s the keys for the lockers that you borrowed yesterday.
>Yup. Those are the locker keys. You turn and toss them onto Celestia’s desk.
>”Oh, thanks. I had completely forgotten.”
“Yeah, me too.”
>With that, you step out of Celestia’s office.
>The second the door shuts behind you, you fish out your phone and dial Stitches as you make your way outside to the courtyard.
>Stitches answers just as you pass Raven and step out the main office’s door. You keep moving towards the door leading outside of the school.
>”What’s up, Mouse?”
“Hey, got some info. Timber doesn’t attend here, but the Principal was kind of familiar with him. Said he used to live at a Camp Everfree just outside of town by the forest somewhere, and that he’s got a sister named-“
>”Gloriosa Daisy? Yeah, I know.”
“And you just chose not to tell me?”
>”Even if I had told you, you wouldn’t have been able to head out there. You’re a school cop now, you can’t just run off doing whatever.  You’re supposed to stay there, protect the school, be a role model and all that. “
“But the alley is fine?”
>” The alley is right across the street. Anyway, the first thing I did after getting the info on Timber was send Eagle Eye out there to take a look around. I’m just waiting to hear back from him now.”
>You throw open the glass doors and step outside into the warm, morning sun.
“Alright, whatever. Just let me know what happens. Do we not have a home address on this guy?”
>”File just says the camp.”
“And why didn’t you tell me this?”
>”Well, pretty much the same reason as before.”
>Oh, this girl.
>If you didn’t have to worry about sneaking into the women’s locker room, you’d fill her locker with shaving cream.
“You know what? Fuck it, just forget it. Anyway, I’ve been told that he moved into town.”
>”Who told you that?”
“Principal Celestia and a woman named Twilight Velvet. Apparently, Timber is dating a girl that goes to school here. This girl told both of them that he’d moved into town recently.”
>”Have you spoken to this girl yourself?”
“I’m looking for her, but no one seems to know where she is. By the way, if you see Detective Shining, tell him I need to talk to him.”
>”I’m not your secretary, Mouse.”
"Well, you know, I can’t exactly go looking for him. You know, what with being tied to the school and all.”
>”So just call the station and leave a-“
“I mean, god forbid I want to talk to an old friend and maybe actually get some work done.”
>”Mouse, I-“
“It’s just me over here, Stitches. I get lonely. Who am I supposed to drink coffee and eat donuts with?”
>”Oh my god, fine, I’ll talk to him. Anything else you want, my liege? Maybe a boot polishing, or some cake?”
“Just the reclamation of the Holy Land.”
>”I’m going to hang up now.”
“Aww, okay sweetie, I’ll talk to you later.”
>”You’re an ass.”
“You know you love-“
*Beep beep beep*
“-it.”
>Aww, she’s so cute when you push her buttons.
>You’ll have to watch out, though. She’ll push right back when she gets the chance.
>You pocket your phone and begin making your way down across the school’s courtyard and towards the alley.
>Stepping down the cement pathway to the sidewalk, an intense chill shoots up your spine as you near the Wondercolts statue, stopping you dead in your tracks.
>You can feel goosebumps beginning to form as the hair on your body stands straight up.
>What is with this thing? Why is it that just being near it puts you on edge?
>You warily stare up at the Wondercolt, as if expecting it to suddenly lash out at you with some malicious intent.
>You circle around it, eying it up and down, searching for whatever the hell it is about this thing that sets you on edge.
>This must be the hundredth time you’ve done this.
>Like every attempt before, you find nothing.
>The only thing you notice is that some of the stonework itself is different.
>The pedestal has the appearance of being fairly worn and faded, likely from being exposed to the elements for so long.
>The Wondercolt itself seems relatively new, however. The stone is slightly brighter than the pedestal, and less worn.
>The difference is so slight, you’d only really notice it if you were closely inspecting the statue.
>Did they remake the statue? Maybe it broke at some point.
>It wouldn’t surprise you if it was one of those Crystal Prep assholes. They always did love to vandalize the school.
>Against your better judgement, you cautiously approach the statue.
>Inching toward it, the air around you begins to change; it’s as if it’s charged with some strange energy.
>Gravity itself seems affected, in some inexplicable way. Your body and its movements feel heavier and weightier, and you feel as if some unseen force is pulling you in.
>Hand shaking, you reach out for the base of the statue, your fingers inches away from brushing against the stone.
>You rest your index and middle fingertips on the base, and…
>Nothing happens.
>Everything feels the same, but nothing happens.
>Why do you feel like something was supposed to happen?
>You gaze back up at the Wondercolt, looking for some gesture or message.
>Any clue as to just what is wrong with this thing.
>But there is nothing.
>*BRRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING*
“Jesus!”
>You yank your hand away from the statue jump back, startled by the sudden noise of the bell ringing.
>Once again aware of your surroundings, you begin to feel a little self-conscious.
>How long have you been standing here, staring at this statue acting like you expected it to jump at you?
>Anyone driving by would have thought you were crazy.
>Not to mention any number of students near a window could have seen you.
>You back up a few more steps before turning your back on the statue.
>You decide to try to put it out of your mind and to avoid getting too close to it.
>Maybe you just don’t like statues.
 
>As students begin pouring outside for a breath of fresh air during the passing period, you push further away from the school while eyeing your destination.
>The opposite side of the street is lined with numerous small buildings;  a laundromat, a  thrift shop,  a two-story specialty shop for band instruments, and more.
>You pay no mind to the rest of the buildings. You’re only interested in the thrift and band shops.
>Or, more accurately, the alleyway that lies between them.
>You can’t see all the way down the alley from this here, but it appears to be of the typical sort; shady, trash leaking from overturned garbage cans on the left wall, a closed dumpster on the right. Probably reeks of piss.
>As you come to the sidewalk, you hang a left and walk along the side of the street, looking down the alley out of the corner of your eye.
>As more of the alley reveals itself, you spot a back wall to the alley. A dead end? That’s good.
>No dealer, though. At least, not in plain sight. Maybe he’s crouching behind the dumpster.
>Having scoped out the alley the best you can from here, you decide it’s time to get a closer look.
>There’s a crosswalk about thirty feet down the sidewalk, but…
>You look down the road to the left.
>Then the right.
>Then the left again.
>No oncoming cars.
>Eh, fuck it.
>You cross the street right where you are.
>You hit the other side of the road and head straight into the alley, albeit cautiously.
>The stench of decaying trash hits you immediately.
>When was the last time someone picked this stuff up?
>As you approach the dumpster, glass bottles clink and tin cans clang together as something moves about inside it.
>Probably just a raccoon or something.
>You peek around the corner of the dumpster to check your blind spot; there’s nothing there.
>You quickly scan around the alley, searching for any other place someone might hide.
>You notice another, smaller alley connecting to this one in the far-left hand corner. Keeping your distance from the dumpster, you move down the alley and peek around the corner.
>Roughly thirty more feet of unobstructed, narrow alley that leads straight back to the road.
>Guess this isn’t a dead end after all. A good choke point if you had some backup, though.
>Seeing nothing else of interest and satisfied with your little scouting mission, you turn back to head back to the school.
>As you pass by the dumpster, something thumps against the heavy lid, barely causing it to lift an inch before slamming shut.
>Your heart skips a beat as you backpedal away from the dumpster.
>You stand back and eye the dumpster and after a few seconds, it happens again.
>Slowly, you tread closer, listening intently.
>”Mmmrreeeeoooooooww!”
>”Mmreooow!”
>It’s just a cat. Must’ve gotten stuck in there.
>Fuck, why are you so jumpy today?
>You lower your guard, approach the dumpster, and lift the lid. No longer contained by the lid, the stench intensifies and rises into your face. You choke back a gag and try your best to ignore it.
>Peering inside the dark insides of the large, metal box, you see a pair of pale green eyes peering up at you.
>You push the lid upwards, letting it fall back and rest against the brick wall, and step back to allow the likely stray cat some space.
>The cat leaps out on the edge of the dumpster and then down to the ground. He stands there, staring at you as if questioning whether or not he should trust you. You take the opportunity to get a good look at him.
>Through his matted and dirty hair, you see orange and white stripes. An orange tabby.
>He doesn’t look like he’s been having trouble finding any food, though. Not exactly fat, but still well off for a stray.
>There’s a flea collar around his neck, too. Maybe he’s not a stray, just a run away; maybe his owner abandoned him.
>You kneel down in front of him and meet his eyes. Surprisingly, he doesn’t flinch from your movements.
“You seen a kid named Timber around here? A few inches shorter than me, green eyes, green hair, probably looks like he should be in school?”
>”Mreeoow. Reeeooow.”
“So is that a no, or…?”
>”Mreow.”
“You don’t say.”
>Oh, if only you could talk to animals.
>Ah, well. You should get back to the school.
>You find a relatively clean spot behind the tabby’s ear and give him a scratch. He pushes and rubs his head against your fingers as he purrs loudly.
>As you stand, you make a note to find some hand sanitizer first thing when you get back.
“Take it easy, buddy. Watch out for those dumpsters.”
>”Mmreoow.”
>You have a laugh at your own expense for entertaining the idea of having a conversation with this cat and begin to make your way back to the school.
>With no dealer in the alley, your options are pretty limited. You should check back towards the end of the school day, but as for now, it seems your only real approach is to talk to the girls and wait for someone to get back to you with some new info.
>You could always just pull them out of class for a short meeting. That, or try to catch one of them in the halls, like how you ran into Sunset the first time.
>Then again, Fluttershy does have an appointment with you later today.
>No, on second thought, you don’t really want to talk with her more right now.
>If what she was like yesterday is anything to go off, she probably thinks she did something terrible this morning and will start crying out apologies the second she sits down. You’d prefer to avoid anything that might get your mind back onto-
>No. Work. Focus on work.
>You need to talk to Sunset. Or Rarity, or the cowgirl. Applejack, was it?
>Hell, you’d settle for Bubblegum, as much as the thought of being in a room alone with her scares you.
>Finding yourself back at the school already, you make your way back into the offices.
>The second you pass through the door, Raven calls out to you.
>”Hey Anon, you’re late for an appointment!”
>You stare past her, squinting your eyes at the wall in thought.
>What? You were pretty sure Fluttershy’s appointment wasn’t until later.
“With who?”
>”Flash Sentry. He’s already in your office.”
>Great. Hopefully this’ll be over soon enough.
“Guess I forgot about that. Alright, I’ll get right on it.”
>”Mmhm. Have fun.”
>Yeah, sure.
>You spot a bottle of hand sanitizer resting on the countertop near the cork board and take a hit of it as you make your way back through the glass door and open the wooden door to your office.
>As the door squeaks open, a head with spiky blue hair turns from its position in its chair to face you deep, depressed eyes.
>Is that…?
>You step inside, closing the door behind you, and step around him to your chair.
>It is.
>Flash Sentry is the dumbass that asked you if you’ve ever shot anybody back at Monday’s assembly.
>You can’t wait to discover what deep and meaningful conversations you will have with this boy.
>The possibilities are endless.
>You take your seat and get comfortable. You notice his eyes flick down to your neck before immediately moving back to your face.
>At least he’s trying to be subtle about it.
>”Uh, hey man, what’s up?”
“What can I help you with today, Flash?”
>Flash shifts in his seat slightly and begins rubbing his hands together nervously.
>”Well, uh… You see… I-is this, like, a private conversation? You’re not going to go and tell a bunch of people this stuff or anything like that, are you?”
“Unless you're about to tell me about something that Celestia or Luna should know about, or something illegal that I or some other police officers should get involved in, no, I guess not.”
>”No, no, it’s not anything like that, it’s just kind of embarrassing to talk about, you know?”
“Then no, I won’t be sharing this information with anyone.”
>”Okay, good. Soooo, uh…”
>Flash’s eyes bounce around the room as her attempts to formulate his next sentence.
>You decide to take a peek at your phone’s clock.
>9:14.
>You look back up to Flash as he stares off at nothing, tapping a finger to his chin.
>Use your words, dumbass.
>”Uh, so… Are you any good with girls?”
>Well, you weren’t expecting this. Maybe one of the nerdier-looking kids, but not from someone like Flash.
“I don’t think I’d say so. Why do you ask?”
>”I could use some advice. There’s this girl I’m crazy about, but I don’t think she likes me back. Everyone I’ve talked to said I should move on, but I just can’t forget about her. I thought ‘hey, Officer Anon seems like a pretty alpha dude, maybe he can help.’ So, here I am.”
>You? Alpha?
>Can’t recall if anyone’s ever called you that before, but you have to admit, it feels good.
>You thought he’d be asking for advice on how to pick up chicks, but this actually sounds like a legitimate issue for him.
>And he’s actually asking you for help with something instead of just badgering you with questions.
“So is she taken, or just not into you.”
>”She’s single. At least, that’s what Sunset told me last time I asked.”
“So she’s just not into you.”
>”That’s what I thought at first, the more I think about it, the more confused I get.”
>Flash slumps forward, crossing his arms and bracing them against his knees.
>”She seemed to really like me when she was here; we danced together at the Fall Formal. She disappeared for a while, but came back for the battle of the bands. I think I might have made her mad during the competition, though. I haven’t seen her since.”
>Disappeared?
“What do you mean she just disappeared? Does she not go to school here?”
>”No, she’s not from around here. She just visits.”
>Maybe some kind of travelling student program?
“So tell me about her.”
>”Well, she’s… Twilight is something else.”
“Twilight? Twilight Sparkle?”
>”Uh, yeah. Do you know her?”
>Bingo.
“I know of her, and she does go to school here. Sorry to tell you, but I’m pretty sure she has a boyfriend.”
>Flash bats your statement away with a wave of his hand.
>”Nah, that’s the other Twilight. She’s different.”
>What?
“There’s two Twilight Sparkles?”
>”Yeah. That Twilight looks a lot like the original Twilight, and she kind of acts like her, too, but she’s just not the same, you know?”
>This guy’s full of shit, isn’t he?
“So you have two girls with the same name, identical looks, and fairly similar personalities.”
>”I guess aside from appearance, maybe they aren’t that similar, but yeah, pretty much.”
“Putting aside my disbelief, what makes your Twilight so special?”
>”Oh, well, I’m pretty sure she’s some kind of magical pony princess from some place called Equestria.”
>…
>You take a moment to dwell on the words that just came out of his mouth.
>Surely, he didn’t just say that.
>Maybe you must fallen asleep during that massage earlier; hell, maybe you haven’t even rolled out of bed yet.
>You blink several times and even pinch yourself just to make sure you aren’t dreaming.
>Nope. You’re as awake and responsive as ever. Unfortunately.
>You lean forward in your seat, planting your elbows along the edge of the desk, balling your hands together and resting your chin on them.
“That’s, uh, pretty interesting.”
>”Yeah, it’s pretty awesome. Sunset is from Equestria, too! I think she said she’s a unicorn. Kind of explains all of the crazy magical stuff her and her friends get involved in.”
>This fucking guy.
>He’s just having a ball.
>Taking the piss.
>Yanking your chain.
“Well, it’s been fun having this ridiculous conversation with you, Flash, but I have stuff to do.”
>”You don’t believe me, do you?”
>Would any sane man?
“Nope.”
>”So you’re just throwing me out?”
“Yep. Get out.”
>”Come on, I’m being serious, I swear!”
>You stare him down, intently studying his face for any signs of deception.
>He just stares back.
>His eyes are unwavering, though lacking life or any enthusiasm.
>His frown doesn’t change. Not even a twitch from the corners of his mouth.
>The rest of his body doesn’t even move aside from breathing. Not even a little.
>Damn, he’s pretty good. Must be a drama kid.
>That, or he’s just crazy and legitimately believes what he is saying.
>That’s a scary thought.
>He doesn’t seem crazy, but the crazy ones that don’t act crazy are the ones you really gotta worry about.
>You’d rather not get stabbed on the way to your cruiser today.
>Fuck it, you’ll humor him.
“Fine. Look, I don’t know what’s got you so wrapped up around this ‘magical pony princess’ girl, but let me give you some advice. Don’t go through life stressing about getting some girl, princess or not. Life ain’t worth living like that.”
>”So you’re just saying I should move on, then? Like everyone else? All my friends keeps telling me that, but no one can explain to me what I’m supposed to actually do!”
“Most people would probably tell you to find another girl. Don’t do that. I say just do you. Find a hobby, start reading, maybe work out or something. Anything you can get passionate about. If you take care of yourself, yourself will take care of you.”
>”That doesn’t make any sense.”
“Don’t think about it. Actually, that’s another thing. Stop thinking so much. You get those negative thoughts floating around your head, it’s just going to hurt you and drag you down. Don’t focus on the past, focus on now and what you can do to better yourself for the future. Don’t think; just do. Everything else will come naturally.”
>Flash lowers his eyes to the floor momentarily before meeting your gaze again. He stands, presumably ready to leave.
>”I think I understand what you’re getting at. I, uh… I think I’m gonna try that.”
“It’s what worked for me.”
>You rise from your seat to step back to the door, eager to urge him out of the door. He moves over with you.
>”So what was your passion?”
>You open the door for him, and he steps out and turns back to face you.
“My job. It’s been nice talking to you Flash. Good luck.”
>Flash’s frown manages to transform into a weak, but hopeful smile.
>”Thanks a lot, Officer Anon.”
>You begin to slowly close the door until there is little more than a small window of space between it and the door frame.
“No problem. Oh, one more thing. Try to cut down on the anime; maybe go outside and take a walk or something every now and then.”
>”Wha-?”
“Later.”
>You push the door completely shut.
>Well, that was weird.
>You handled it pretty well, though.
>Gotta remember; when dealing with people like that, it’s better to just play along. If they get a reaction out of you, they win.
>Now you can finally get down to…
>What were you about to do?
 
>Oh yeah, that whole search for Twilight thing.
>You check the time.
>9:29
>Man, time flies.
>Guess you should call one of the girls up here.
>Suppose you’ll start with Sunset and work your way through the group if you have to.
>You reach for the door, but stop yourself.
>Flash could still be out there.
>Yeah, you should just hang out in here for a few minutes.
>You lean against the wall next to the door.
>Might as well check out the news.
>You unlock your phone and slide over to the news tab.
>’Tensions rise between U.S. and North Korea over latest missile launch’
>’New flurry of sexual assault allegations; Senator denies all’
>’Crime continues to rise in metropolitan areas; analysts point to current political climate as cause.’
>Depressing, as usual, but mostly unrelated to your work.
>You decide to check the local news.
>’Have you seen this girl? Local high school student missing.’
>Attached to the article is a photo of a teenage girl.
>Petite build, powder blue skin, purple eyes, and glasses that look to be some shade of pink or peach.
>Due to the lighting of the photo, you have a hard time telling if her hair is silver or some shade of icy blue.
>It’s done up in a bit of a unique but cutesy style; pigtails on the sides of her head, a ponytail on the back.
>She stands facing the camera with her arms crossed behind her back, a small but sweet looking smile on her face.
>What stands out to you most is the Crystal Prep school uniform.
>’Have you seen this girl? Late Monday night, Sugarcoat, a student at Crystal Prep Academy, was reported missing by her parents after failing to return home from an outing with her friends at Canterlot Mall. She was last seen around 7:00 P.M. Monday evening walking home after the outing was over, according to her friends. Police Chief Top Brass commented on the case at a press conference early this morning.’
>”We currently have no reason to suspect kidnapping or any other form of foul play, but we’re not ruling anything out. Rest assured, we have our best detectives and officers on the case; we will find this girl.”
>Hm. That doesn’t bode well.
>Maybe she just ran away?
>You’ve heard more than enough nasty rumors about how cutthroat Crystal Prep can be. Between constantly competing with your fellow students and dealing with the high-class elitist parents that send their kids there, it isn’t hard to imagine a teenage girl calling it quits and running.
>You hope that’s the case. If it turns out to be kidnapping, well…
>You just hope the Empire or the Hive aren’t involved.
>Having had enough of a dose of news, you pocket your phone, push off the wall, and step out into the small hall.
>Just as you shut your door, Luna steps out of her office and turns towards you.
>”Oh, Anon. I was just about to see if you were in. Do you have a few minutes to spare?”
>You’re not going to get anything done today, are you?
“Is it important?”
>”Somewhat. It’s actually a few things I wanted to ask you about regarding your involvement with school activities.”
>Eh, the day is still early. You can spare the time.
“Sure, I guess. What’s up?”
>Luna pulls open the glass door and beckons you with her index finger as she steps through the doorway.
>You quickly close the gap between you and her and follow along behind her as she moves towards the main office doors.
>”First off, the staff here have started doing casual Fridays here. I don’t know if you’re allowed some sort of casual uniform, but I thought I’d let you know. Maybe run it by your superiors.”
>Sounds nice, but you doubt the Chief would go for it.
“Noted.”
>You follow Luna out of the office and down the hall, deeper into the school. You take advantage of the wider space and move up alongside of her.
>”Secondly, my sister and I would like to ask you to begin attending staff meetings.”
“What for? I don’t have much to say on the school’s curriculum.”
>”Obviously. This meeting primarily concerns planning next months pep rally, among a few minor other topics.”
“I still don’t see what that has to do with me. I thought you just wanted me to take care of student disciplinary action or whatever.”
>You and Luna hit the first intersection and take a left, passing the Nurse’s office.
>Just seeing the door is enough to remind you that your ex works right down the hall from you.
>If Redheart is the new nurse, then Nurse Sweetheart must have retired finally.
>Shame. She was always, well, sweet.
>”Yes, well, you remember how Celestia wanted you to participate in school clubs and activities?”
“I’m not joining the cheer team, Luna.”
>Luna half scoffs, half chuckles at your statement.
>”Oh, please. As much as I would love to see that, I know it’ll never happen. We were just wondering how you would feel about joining in a few of the games for the pep rally. You know, staff versus students stuff. If you’re fine with joining in, we could use some more input as far as what events to plan.”
>That actually sounds pretty fun.
>Hell, you used to get hype as fuck for the pep rallies that did stuff like this.
>You’ll never forget the time the students stole victory away from the teachers by winning the egg race; they then proceeded to celebrate by shoving Celestia’s face into a cake.
“Oh, sure. Sounds like a lot of fun.”
>”Fantastic! I think the student’s will be very excited to hear that you’ll be competing. To be honest, the teachers will be, too. We’ve been in a bit of a slouch the past few years.”
“Whys that?”
>Luna steps ahead of you and stops in front of a door. She rests her hand on the door knob turns to face you.
>You take note of the sign next to the door.
>Teacher’s  lounge. Wasn’t this upstairs?
>Guess they moved it.
>”Simply put? Most of us aren’t as young as we used to be. It’s hard to keep up with the students on the more physical activities when someone falling and breaking a hip is a very real possibility.”
>Luna steps inside and you follow her in. As she moves off toward a large fridge in the far right corner of the room, you take a look around the rest of the room.
>In the center of the room is a large rectangular table lined with chairs.
>Running most of the length of the right wall is a kitchen counter with a microwave and a coffee machine with some cabinets on the wall above it. A trashcan sits in the corner closest to the door.
>On the left wall is a very comfy looking couch, boxed in by some small end tables and an office water dispenser.
>The wall directly opposite the door has a large flat screen tv mounted on the wall.
“I didn’t think you and Celestia were that old. You certainly don’t look it.”
>Luna ceases her digging through the fridge to shoot you a cold stare.
>”I wasn’t talking about my sister and I, Anon. I was talking about some of the faculty members like Granny Smith, Mrs. Harshwhinny, and Mr. Doodle.”
“Oh. Right, that makes sense.”
>She just rolls her eyes and turns her attention back to the fridge.
>You wait for her to say more, but she seems to be pretty preoccupied. That, or she’s fresh out of dialogue.
>You decide to take a seat on the couch while she goes about getting her snack.
>You plop down onto the center seat and immediately sink slightly into the cushioning.
>Oh my god, it’s heavenly.
>It’s like you’re sitting on a cloud.
>You’re definitely coming over here next time you decide to take a nap.
>You glance over to Luna to find her bent over, still digging through the fridge.
>She leans from one side to the other, peeking past food items.
>As she moves, her butt sways gently back and forth.
>Not that you were checking it out.
>Nope.
>Man, that wall over there is pretty nice.
“So, uh, was there anything else you needed?”
>”Nope. You’re free to get back to whatever it is you’ve been doing.”
>You stand up from the world’s comfiest couch and move towards the door.
“Well, I thought I might go mess with Cheerilee some. Maybe move all the books on World War II to the fantasy section again.”
>Luna backs out of the fridge, breakfast sandwich in hand, and stands to her full height.
>She turns her head just enough to stare you down from the corner of her eye. Her cold eyes flicker with a hint of malice.
>”You may not be a student here anymore, Anon, but if you get back into your old antics, I swear I will make you suffer.”
 “It’s j-just a prank, bro.”
>”Mhm.” She hums.
>Alright, so maybe don’t piss off Luna.
>You decide now is definitely the time to leave.
>Keeping your eyes on her, you grab the door knob, open the door, and proceed to back out slowly.
>You try to, at least, but you bump into someone as you step through the frame.
>You quickly turn to apologize to the stranger.
“Oh, sorry, ex-“
>Only to see the last person you wanted to lay eyes on.
“-cuse me…”
>”Anon…”
>Just like everyone else here, she doesn’t seem to have changed much.
>Aside from the nurse’s outfit, anyway.
>Still has that soft, pure white skin.
>And those blue eyes.
>The long pink hair, now in a bun instead of the pony tail you were used to.
 >You can even smell that strawberry perfume that used to drive you wild.
>It’s all more than enough to hit you with an emotional sucker punch.
>But her hair is messy. Her eyes are watery and red, and her eye shadow is somewhat smudged.
>Someone’s having a bad day.
>Looks like she’s going to be sharing that bad day with you.
>”Can we talk?”
>Can we talk?
>She runs into you again after all this time all she has to say is ‘can we talk’?
“Sorry, but I don’t have much to say to you.”
>You try to step past her, but she blocks you passage with an outstretched arm.
>You let her block you, anyway. You could easily brute force your way past her, but that would be both inappropriate and uncalled for.
>”Then just listen to me. Please, don’t make me beg.”
“I need to get back to work.”
>”Anon, please, just give me a few minutes!”
>”Oh, come on, Anon. Surely you can spare a few minutes for an old friend.”
>Oh god, you forgot Luna was here.
>Redheart’s eyes widen and she peaks over your shoulder. You turn your head and do the same.
>Luna is leaned up against the counter, arms crossed, watching the two of you as she awaits the microwave to finish cooking her sandwich.
>You narrow your eyes at her. She smiles smugly in return.
>Damn her. Damn everything.
>As much as you hate this, you suppose it was bound to happen eventually.
>You’d love to simply brush her aside and get to work, but that probably wouldn’t solve much.
>She might just bother you until you decide to listen.
>A permanent solution is always better than a temporary one. Maybe if you just hear her out, she’ll leave you alone.
>With a sigh, you decide to concede.
“Fine. Just not here.”
>”Thank you. Thank you so much!”
>You lay a hand on Redheart’s shoulder and gently push, urging her away from the door.
“Look, just… is your office empty?”
>”Oh, yeah, come on.”
>Redheart quickly walks off towards her office, a slight but noticeable bounce in her step.
>You don’t know what she expects to happen. There’s no way things are going back to the way they were.
>You look to Luna once more and give her a scowl. Her smugness only grows as she calmly raises an arm and slowly waves goodbye to you.
>So that’s how this is gonna be, huh?
>Laugh now, Luna. You’ll get yours.
 
>Wordlessly, you follow Redheart back to the nurse’s office.
>When she reaches the door, she opens it and turns to you with a weak, gloomy smile, allowing you to enter first.
>You’ve half a mind to just keep walking; to just go back to trying to pretend she doesn’t exist.
>But you said you would hear her out, and you try to stand by your word as much as possible.
>You avoid her eyes and step inside.
>With just a quick glance, you can see they haven’t changed anything in here.
>Counter and cabinets on the left wall, a few rows of beds on your right.
>But the counters are messy; loose bandages and band-aids cover one end, spilled cotton swabs, and an out of place otoscope on the other. There’s a few balled-up tissue papers next to the trashcan by the door. The sheets on the bed closest to the door are messily tossed to the side; black smudges cover the bed’s pillow case. Lastly, a half empty tissue box and more balled up papers lay on the ground next to the bed.
>Redheart was never the most cleanly girl, but this is a bit much.
>The door shuts and Redheart steps past you to sit on the edge of the messy bed. As she sits, she notices the smudged pillow and lets out a short, nervous laugh and quickly flips the pillow over.
>You decide to take a seat on the bed opposite of hers.
>She turns to face you, but you focus your eyes on the floor instead.
>Small flecks of dirt and dust. It could use a good sweep.
>”So, um, i-it’s nice to see you again.”
>Off to a real strong start there, Redheart.
>”You look good. You’ve definitely grown up.”
>Come on, get to the point.
>”Have you talked to your dad lately? I bet he’d be proud to-“
“I didn’t come here to make small talk and catch up with you, Redheart. If you have something to say, say it.”
>Out of the corner of your vision, you can see Redheart’s head drop. Her hands slowly crawl toward each other, seeking each other’s comfort. They meet, and one begins massaging the other’s palm with its thumb.
>She sits silently for a few moments. You begin to consider standing and just walking out, but before too long, her voice sparks back to life.
>”I don’t think there’s any way I can say this that will make you believe me, but I still want to try.”
>With a sniffle, she raises her head and wipes her face off with the back of her hand, leaving a large dark smear across her cheek.
>”I’m sorry. I am so, so sorry. I messed up. I-I messed up really bad. I was drunk, and I did something s-s-shouldn’t have, and…”
>Redheart rises from her bed and steps over in front of you, visibly beginning to shake and struggling to control herself.
>It’s enough to get you to focus your eyes on her.
>”I-I’m not trying to make *hic* make excuses. I was drunk, but I still knew what was happening-”
>She turns back to the door and steps toward it. A lump begins to form in her throat as the tone of her voice rises.
>”and, and… I still did it! I knew it was wrong, and I still *hic* did it! You’re right to hate me for it!”
>Hate. Do you really still hate her?
>It’s been years.
>You moved on, found a new place in life. You found new friends; a new family.
>A family you never would have known if it wasn’t for Redheart’s actions.
>Yeah, you haven’t dated anyone since Redheart, not that you haven’t been almost constantly badgered by a certain female co-worker about it.
>Is that really her fault, though? She isn’t the one that’s been saying ‘no’ all these years. She isn’t the one that hasn’t even been trying.
>She turns again to continue her pacing. Fresh tears roll down her face, leaving watery black streaks across her ivory skin.
>”I lost you, a-and now Cheeri doesn’t want anything to do with me…”
>Cheeri told her off? Guess that’s to be expected. Redheart has been lying to her this whole time.
>She turns again, though too quickly. She trips over herself and falls to the cold linoleum tile floor.
>Sobbing, she pushes off the ground to set herself up into a sitting position, her legs splayed out beside her.
>Finally, she seems to lose all control. More and more tears slip through as she scoots back to rest against the counter. With a mournful wail, the dam breaks, and the waterworks begin. She tries in vain to wipe the tears away, but she only succeeds in further ruining her makeup.
>Seeing her like this, you feel something inside struggling to wake up.
>It’s strange. Maybe hate is a strong word, but it wasn’t that long ago that you would have considered any hardship or ill luck that would fall on this woman as karmic justice.
>The very ground beneath her feet could have opened up and swallowed her whole, and the only reaction you would have given would be a ‘good riddance’.
>Here is this person that, for years, you were happy to ignore their existence.
>And now, seeing her like this, you feel pity for her. Not just pity, but a strange, empty feeling in your chest; small, but still noticeable, still significant.
>A longing for a lost connection.
>You rise from the bed and take a few short steps over to her.
>You kneel down in front of her and offer her your hand.
>Between tear-drenched blinks and makeup-smearing wipes of her hand, she takes notice of your hand. She manages to stifle the flow for a few brief seconds to stare up at you in disbelief.
>Christ, she looks like a crying raccoon.
>She clinches her eyes shut and lunges to wrap her arms tightly around you.
>Little bit early for hugs, Red.
>”I’m sorry! I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry!”
>You give her a few pats on the back before pulling her to her feet and walking her over to her bed.
>You sit her down and grab the box of tissue to offer one; she gladly accepts a handful.
>You take a seat next to her as she begins to calm down and goes about cleaning her face and blowing her nose.
>”C-can you forgive me?”
>Can you? Why wouldn’t you?
> It’s over. You’ve dealt with it.
>But someone else obviously hasn’t.
“Why did you lie?”
>”What? I didn’t lie to you.”
“Why did you lie to Cheerilee?”
>”Oh, uh…”
“You understand that she has infinitely more reason to be pissed at you than I do right now, right?”
>”W-well, yeah, but…
“But? But what? It’s been four years, Redheart. Why didn’t you tell her?”
>”I wanted to, okay?! I did!”
>Redheart turns away from you. She looks down to the soiled, blackened tissue in her hands before tossing it to the trash.
>”I was scared. You never came back; you didn’t answer your door or phone, and after a while, we noticed the sign in your yard. I told myself you just moved, but I was afraid you had… you know.”
>You almost did.
>But you didn’t, thanks to that stubborn old man.
>”I was never that close to anyone besides you and Cheerilee. Yeah, I had ‘friends’, but no one else like you two. I was afraid that Cheerilee would leave me too if she knew what had happened. I didn’t want to lose her, too.”
>But that’s what happened anyway.
>”I fucked up… I fucked everything up, and I have no idea how I can even try to fix it.”
“How mad was she?”
>Redheart gives her left cheek a few gentle rubs.
>”She slapped me and screamed at me to leave.”
“Yeah, I’d give her some room for a little bit.”
>”A little bit? More like the rest of my life…”, Redheart sighs out.
>It’s a strong possibility. You’ve never known these two to fight over anything.
>That Cheerilee laid hands on Redheart makes it pretty clear where they stand right now.
>”Anon? Are we okay?”
“Okay?”
>Redheart looks up into your eyes.
>”Do you still hate me? Cheerilee said you didn’t want me to know you were here.”
“No, I don’t still hate you. It’s in the past for me. I just didn’t have to deal with…well, this.”
>”Yeah, I can see that.” she says with a nod, “I didn’t really want to deal with it either.”
>No kidding.
>A long, awkward break in the conversation sets in; the only noise in the room being Redheart’s sniffles. The two of you sit there with neither of you knowing what to say to the other.
>The between to two of you drags on for what feels like hours.
>It seems like both of you have said your piece for now. Maybe it’s time to head out.
>*BRRRRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNGGGG*
>In a matter of seconds, the atmosphere changes for uncomfortable silence to that of a roaring crowd.
>Christ, it’s almost lunch.
>Yeah, it’s time to leave.
>Redheart watches as you stand and shuffle over to the door. As you lay hands on the door knob, you turn back to her. She looks up to you with uncertainty.
“I’ve got some work I need to take care of.”
>”O-okay. Can I ask a favor?”
>There aren’t enough hours in this day.
“What?”
>”Do you think you could talk to Cheeri for me?”
“That’s kind of something you should do yourself, don’t you think?”
>”I know, and I want to! I’m just worried she won’t give me a chance to try.”
>Honestly, if you were Cheerilee, you probably wouldn’t give her a chance either.
“Fine, I’ll talk to her. Just, I don’t know, give her some space for now. Let her cool off before you go trying anything.”
>She nods and gives you another smile; this one seems a little more confident.
>”Thank you, Anon. Thank you so much. I’ll talk to you soon?”
>You don’t really feel like you have a choice anymore.
“We’ll see.”
>You turn your back on her and pull open the door to the busy halls. Right away, students begin to take notice of your presence.
>Like before, some smile, some wave, but most pay you no mind.
>You step into the ocean of bodies and begin ride the noisy current back to the offices.
>So not only does Redheart know you’re here now, but now you’ve reestablished contact with her.
>Sounds like Cheerilee really gave her a piece of her mind, too.
>Getting her to talk to Redheart again won’t be easy.
>Not that it’s really your problem in the first place.
>You just said you’d talk to her, not that you’d get results.
>You’re kind of surprised Cheerilee didn’t come find you after whatever happened between them.
>Seems to you that that would be something Cheerilee would want you to know about.
>It’s only a matter of time before she comes around again. She sounded pretty serious on Monday. She’ll likely visit you soon.
>Whatever. It can wait.
>No more wasting time on stupid bullshit like this.
>The tide dies down as you approach the office. The only students going this far down the hall are the ones unlucky enough to have lockers so far out of the way.
>You use the extra breathing room to lengthen your stride out, and in no time, you’re pulling open that office door.
>You immediately home in on Raven, whose leaned back in her chair, chatting on her phone.
>”No way! Oh, I’m so happy you finally found someone! What’s he like?”
>As you lean onto the edge of the desk, Raven smiles awkwardly at you and holds up a finger, silently asking you to wait.
>You can barely make out the voice of another woman coming from her phone. You can’t understand what she’s saying, but it’s clear she’s excited.
>”Hey, can you wait just a sec? Thanks.”
>Raven lays the phone down face first onto the desk and turns her complete attention over to you.
>”Sorry about that, just got some good news is all. What do you need, Anon?”
“Call Sunset Shimmer up here, and cancel any other appointments for today.”
>”You got it, boss.” She says, already reaching for the intercom. You hear a click and her voice begins to echo throughout out the building. “Sunset Shimmer, please come to the office. Sunset Shimmer, please come to the office.”
>She releases the button with another click, and leans back into her chair, hand hovering over the phone.
>”I’ll send her in when she gets here.”
“Thanks.”
>She lifts the phone back to her ear as you make your way back to your room.
>”Sorry, but go on… Oh, he sounds like a real catch! You know, it’s funny that you mention that…”
>As you push through the glass door and it shuts behind you, Raven’s words are muffled.
>You move into your office and collapse into your chair, causing it to roll backward a few feet.
>You hope Sunset can help you clear this whole thing up real quick.
>You also hope this doesn’t turn into too much of an interrogation.
 
>You walk along through the empty halls, keeping a slow but steady pace to catch your breath.
>Goosebumps begin to form along your arms and legs as the chilly inside air cools down your body.
>The slight coating of sweat and loose nylon shorts doesn’t do you any favors either.
>Hopefully this’ll be over quick, so you can get back into the warm sun.
>Wonder why they called you to the office.
>Maybe there’s a new student Principal Celestia wants you to show around.
>It’s almost lunch, though. It’s too late in the day for that.
>The office door comes into sight. You reach for the knob, but stop just short.
>You don’t smell, do you?
>You are kind of sweaty…
>You take a quick glance around the halls. No one in sight, in front or behind you.
>Coast is clear.
>You quickly turn your head towards your shoulder, lift your arm, and take a small whiff.
>Nope, still good! That’s a relief. You’d hate to be stinking up Principal Celestia’s office.
>You step back up to the door. Through the door’s window, you spy Ms. Inkwell chatting on the phone.
>You push through the door and give her a smile and a wave as you pass by the desk.
>She holds up a hand to stop you, however.
>”Yeah, hang on just a sec.” She pulls the phone away from her mouth and leans toward you. “Hey Sunset, Officer Anon is waiting on you.”
“Anon? I thought Celestia needed to talk to me.”
>She shakes her head.
>”Nope, it was Anon. I don’t know what he wants, but he looked like he was in a mood. He’s in the room on the right. I wouldn’t keep him waiting.”
“Oh, okay then. Thanks.”
>”Mmhm.” She hums, pulling the phone back to her ear. “Yeah, I’m glad someone’s over there looking into it. I can’t imagine how scared she must be right now. Poor girl.”
>You move on past the desk and into the back offices.
>Wonder why Anon wants to talk to you.
>Hope you aren’t in trouble for something.
>No, there’s no way. You haven’t done anything bad.
>Maybe he wanted to talk, and didn’t want to wait for Friday?
>If that’s the case, maybe he should be making appointments with you.
>You smile and chuckle to yourself as you open the right-most door.
>Seated a few feet behind an old desk is Anon, laid as far back in his chair as it will allow, legs splayed out in front of him, and staring blindly up at the ceiling.
>As the door squeaks completely open, he turns his head down to you.
>He wears a light scowl with tired looking eyes.
>”Sunset.”
“Hi Anon.”
>You give him a smile, but he makes no attempt to return it.
>Ms. Inkwell was right, he does look like he’s in a mood.
>Anon corrects his sitting posture and scoots towards the desk. He pulls out and notepad and pencil and drops them onto the desk and motions for you to take a seat.
>You step around the chair and sit down as he flips open his notepad to a half-filled page and gives its contents a quick scan.
“Are you okay, Anon? You look kind of mad.”
>His eyes flick up to you, then back down to his notes.
>”Just some old friends pestering me, that’s all.”
>You get the feeling that whatever the issue is goes deeper than that, but decide not to ask about it further.
>As he turns his attention back to you, he leans forward onto his desk and steeples his hands in front of him.
>“I’ll make this quick. Where’s Twilight Sparkle?”
>He’s looking for Twilight?
>Oh no. Does he know about what happened between her and Timber?
“Do you mind if I ask why you’re looking for her?”
>He slightly narrows his eyes and purses his lips.
>”For starters, I’m sure her mother would like to know why her attendance record shows that she’s been absent for several days. I’m also sure Principal Celestia would like to know why she isn’t actually home sick right now. All I want to do is ask her some questions.”
“Questions about what?”
>”Don’t play this game with me, Sunset. If you know where she is, I need to know.”
“Sorry! I’m just worried about her, that’s all.”
>”Look,” he says, lowering his hands, “I just need to ask her about her boyfriend. I don’t care about her skipping school or whatever she’s been doing; I’m leaving that to her parents and Celestia. Right now, as far as I’m concerned, she isn’t in trouble. But if you aren’t going to help me, I’m just going to call up every one of your friends until I get something to go on. Maybe one of them will be a little more cooperative.”
>So he does know about what happened. Why else would he be looking for him?
>Unless Timber has been doing something else he really shouldn’t be.
>You would say it seems out of character of him, but after what Twilight said, there’s no telling anymore.
>”Well? You going to talk or should I get Rarity up here?”
>Anon’s really serious about this. He’s not really giving you much of a choice.
>Even if you don’t talk, he’ll probably be able to get to Twilight through the others.
>Applejack’s a horrible liar, Fluttershy would probably cave instantly, and Rainbow would jump at the chance to throw Timber under the bus.
>Maybe this is for the best. Twilight said she just wanted to find Timber and make sure he’s okay.
>If the police are looking for him, it’s only a matter of time until they find him. At least this way Twilight will get some closure, even if Timber going to jail isn’t what she wants.
“If I take you to her, can I stay with her while you ask her questions?”
>”If she’s okay with it, sure, I don’t care.”
>You give a slight nod and rise from your chair. Anon collects his things and rises as well.
“Okay. Follow me.”
>Sorry, Twilight.
 
>You lead Anon out of the office and through the halls toward the science wing.
>The entire trip, he stays just behind you to your left, completely silent.
>His mood, his demeanor begins to worry you.
>You glance over your shoulder to find him staring intensely straight forward down the halls.
>When his eyes flick over to you, you give him a small smile and meekly turn away.
>Maybe some good ol’ conversation will cheer him up?
“So, uh, have you been enjoying your time back?”
>”It’s certainly been an experience.”
>You were hoping for a ‘yes’.
“It’s been a little more exciting than usual the past few days. Especially yesterday.”
>You look over your shoulder to peek at the bruising circling Anon’s throat.
“That looks really painful, by the way.”
>He looks to you with confusion before realizing what you mean. He raises a hand to his throat and gently prods at the mark with two fingers.
>”It’s not so bad. Feels a lot better than yesterday. Actually…”
>Anon gives his arm a few prods at various spots. After a few pokes, he begins gingerly slapping his bicep and forearm.
>”Huh. My arms barely hurt now, too.” he says, stopping in the middle of the hall, “Weird.”
“Really? They looked pretty torn up in that video. Did you take some medicine or something?”
>He turns toward you and shakes his head.
>”Nope. I just went home, ate an entire large pizza, and slept for fourteen hours.”
>He turns his head to look through the window of a nearby classroom window.
“Huh. Maybe you’re just really- wait, you ate an entire large pizza and slept for fourteen hours?!”
>Anon shrugs and motions for you to continue guiding him.
>”I was hungry; and fourteen hours really isn’t that bad. Used to sleep almost all day when I was on medical leave.”
“Medical leave?”
>With a sigh, he closes his eyes and shakes his head. He looks back to you and again urges you onward.
>”Come on, lets get back on track.”
>This time, you oblige him.
>Medical leave, huh?
>Anon’s scar comes to mind.
>You suppose he would need medical leave for a wound like that.
>However it happened, it was almost certainly nearly lethal.
>Maybe that’s why he doesn’t want to talk about it. Because he almost died.
>It must’ve been traumatizing.
>You’re tempted to ask if he wants to talk about it, but you know he’ll just say no.
>Maybe after you’ve known him for more than a few days.
>Upon hitting the science wing, you and Anon turn down the hallway of science labs.
>As you draw nearer to Twilight’s lab, you begin to get cold feet.
>You don’t have much of a choice, but something about this gives you a bad feeling.
>You can’t help but feel like you’re going behind Twilight’s back. If only there was some way to warn her.
“Hey, so, you promise Twilight won’t get in trouble? I kind of feel like I’m turning her in right now.”
>”You kind of are. But, like I said earlier, I just need to ask her questions. So long as she isn’t doing something blatantly illegal, I don’t care.”
>You turn on a dime to look him in the eyes. He has to abruptly stop himself so that he doesn’t walk into you.
“Promise?”
>”Yes, Sunset, I promise.” He says, rolling his eyes at you. “What, is the word of a police officer not good enough?”
“Of course it is! It’s just, you know, sometimes people lie.”
>Anon tucks his thumbs behind his belt and leans in, towering over you.
>”And what’s stopping me from lying about that promise?” he asks with a smirk. “Never mind. Are we almost there?”
>You turn down the hall to glance towards Twilight’s lab. With a sigh, you turn back to Anon and raise an arm, pointing it out.
“Last door on the left.”
>Wordlessly, Anon steps around you and begins walking toward the door at a much faster pace than before.
>You jog to catch up with him, and even then you have to power walk just to keep his pace.
>As he reaches the door, he peers inside the window, scanning the room.
>Inside, in the same position as before, sits Twilight.
>Anon steps to the side of the door and motions inside the room with his head.
>”Ladies first.”
>Well, this is it.
>After a deep breath, you pull open the door and step inside. Immediately, Twilight spins around with wide, scared eyes.
>She relaxes when she sees you, though.
>”Oh, Sunset, it’s just you. What are you doing here, you should be in…”
>As her voice trails off, her eyes rise above your head.
>”O-oh, hello , sir.” Twilight nervously croaks out.
>You glance behind you to find Anon standing just behind you in the doorway.
 >”Twilight Sparkle?”
>”Yes sir?” she asks, sinking into her seat.
>A hand finds your shoulder and gently pushes you to the side. Anon shuts the door behind him and steps toward Twilight.
>With every step toward her, Twilight sinks further into her chair.
>Anon comes to a stop in the middle of the room, just a few feet away from Twilight. As he glances around the room, Twilight slips her pleading eyes over to you, begging for an explanation or maybe help.
>You can do little but close the distance to them and mouth the words ‘I’m sorry’.
>”So this is where you’ve been hiding. You know, your mother and Principal Celestia are worried about you.”
>”Oh, hehehe, y-yeah, I know. She’s been trying to call me for the past hour or so.”
>Twilight scoops her phone off the table and holds it up to you and Anon.
>37 missed calls, 21 voicemails.
>Suddenly, you’re a little glad your parents are back in Equestria.
>You notice Anon’s eyes flick from the phone to Twilight’s face. He takes note of her bruised cheek before meeting her eyes again.
>”Not going to answer any of those calls?”
>”My mom says I’m not supposed to use my phone during school hours.” She says with a guilty smile.
>”Uh huh. Might want to get to work on a better excuse. After we’re done here Principal Celestia is going to want to have a word with you, and she’s probably going to call your mom.”
>Twilights shoulders slump.
>”I’m in a lot of trouble, aren’t I?”
>”Yup.” Anon grabs a chair and slides it over across from Twilight. “But not with me. I just need to ask some questions.”
>”Questions? About what?”
“He, uh… he wants to know about Timber.”
>”TIMBER?! Uh, I-I mean-” Twilight stops to fake a cough and give her chest a light pound.
>Anon smirks as he pulls out his notepad and pencil and takes his seat.
>You decide to pull up a seat of your own next to Twilight.
>“Ehehe. Sorry, did you say Timber?”
>”Yup. Your boyfriend, correct?”
>Twilight’s head bounces back and forth between the two of you, looking for some form of clue as to what is going on.
>You notice a small glimmer of fear in her eyes.
>”Well, yes, but what is this about?”
“He knows, Twilight.”
>”He knows? YOU TOLD HIM!?”
>”Relax.” Anon says, holding a hand up to calm Twilight. “She didn’t tell me anything. All Sunset did was lead me to you. Don’t go getting mad at her; if it wasn’t going to be her, it would’ve been one of your other friends.”
>”But if she didn’t tell you, who did?”
>Anon leans back in his chair, crossing one leg over the other.
>”I got a call from a friend this morning. One of his buyers ratted him out. Said he was dealing right across the street, in fact.”
>What?
>”Dealing?” Twilight asks, glancing at you.
“Anon, what are you talking about?”
>Anon’s air of confident composure falters for a second as he looks to the two of you, confused. He quickly recollects himself and doubles down.
>”C’mon, don’t play this game with me. Both of you have been acting like you got caught red-handed, don’t pretend you don’t know what I’m talking about.”
“I thought you were talking about something else.”
>”Are you saying someone accused Timber of dealing drugs?”
>”That’s exactly what I’m saying. What were you two talking about?”
>You and Twilight turn to each other simultaneously.
>Shoot! Now what are you supposed to say?
>”Oh, uh… nothing! We we’re just playing around, you know?”
>Anon lets out a loud, drawn out sigh. He drops his notepad into his lap, looks down, and reaches up to scratch his jaw.
>He raises his head to stare down Twilight with a pair of cold, tired eyes.
>”Look, girls. I’m not in a terribly good mood right now. I got reassigned to a job I didn’t want, I’ve been dealing with people and events of my past I’d rather just forget about entirely, and yesterday I got tackled through a door and nearly choked to death by a caveman.”
>Anon sits up to scoot his chair a few inches closer to the two of you, the leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees.
>”I don’t want this to come across as a threat or some form of intimidation. I’m not going to get violent with you, or something like that. I’m not some underhanded corrupt cop. I’m just quickly growing tired of this thing you two are doing; and that’s coming from someone who considers themselves fairly patient. Now, Twilight…”
>He braces his head up by resting his right hand below his jaw. His thump taps absent-mindedly against his skin.
>”I’ve already spoken to your mom. She mentioned that something had happened with Timber, but that your brother, Detective Armor, told her not to say anything and to let him take care of it. I’m going to go out on a branch here and guess that it has something to do with Timber and that bruise you have on your cheek.” He says, pointing with a nod of his head.
>“So, the way I see it, either one of you can tell me what happened and save me a whole lot of trouble, I can wait to hear back from Detective Armor, or I can go and ask all of your friends what’s up. Just know, I’m getting short on time, and I really don’t want to have to pressure, say, Fluttershy or Rarity for this information.”
>Eyes completely still, he clicks his tongue as he opens his mouth.
>”Your choice.”
 
>There he goes mentioning your friends again. Once again not giving you much of a choice.
>You could both remain silent, but it sounds like he’ll find out eventually anyway.
>A wave of shame and embarrassment washes over you for getting Twilight into this situation. This is what you get for assuming.
>No, this isn’t your fault. If Mrs. Velvet mentioned what happened with Timber to Anon and he knows Shining Armor, it was only a matter of time until he found out anyway.
>That’s what you try to tell yourself, anyway. It doesn’t help much.
>With a deep frown, Twilight slumps forward and stares down at her feet.
>Should you say it?
>You absent-mindedly raise a thumb to your mouth and begin chewing on the nail.
>You don’t really feel like it’s your place to speak about this. If Twilight wants to remain silent, maybe you should too.
>Then again, what Timber did is downright monstrous. If this happens to another girl because you chose to remain silent, that’s on you.
>No, you won’t take that risk.
>Anon’s eyes drift away into the vacant space between you and Twilight. His face adopts a look of contemplation as he appears to zone out somewhat.
“Alright Anon, you-“
>”Wait.” He says, his eyes snapping back to you. “This thing, whatever it is, this is why you wanted to be here to support Twilight, isn’t it?”
>You give Anon a nod. Twilight refocuses in on the conversation.
>”…So how bad is it?”
“Pretty bad. Not as bad as it could be, but still pretty bad.”
>”I see.” He says, nodding.
>His eyes move over to Twilight, closely studying her mark. She turns her cheek away in an attempt to hide the mark.
>Anon looks back to the floor and nods a few more times to himself.
>”I, uh… I’m sorry, for coming on so strong like that. I assumed that whatever Sunset was talking about to be the same reason I’m looking for Timber, and… Well, you know what they say about assuming. How about this; let me tell you my side of the story, what I’ve been told, what I’m trying to do, all that stuff. After that, if you want to, you can tell me your side if you want. If not, I’m not going to push you. Okay?”
>Twilight meets his eyes and meekly nods.
>You scoot closer to her and rest a hand on her back, giving her a few comforting pats.
>She leans toward you and rest her head on your shoulder. You slide your hand over to rub her arm.
>”Have you heard about what happened yesterday with Bulk Biceps?” he asks Twilight.
“She did. Rainbow sent the video to all of us.”
>”Well, that’s where all of this starts. After I restrained Bulk and searched him, I found a small unlabeled container of pills on him. Some friends came and picked him up for me while I talked to Fluttershy and a few other witnesses. Fast forward to this morning, my friend Stitches gives me a call and explains what’s going on. Bulk claims that someone named Timber Spruce sold him the pills. I asked your principal about him because I figured he was a student here, and she pointed me here to you.”
>Anon slides his right hand to his knee about begins tapping away at his kneecap with the side of his pencil.
>”Normally, I wouldn’t be too worried about this. Drugs in a high school isn’t really anything new, you know? This could get pretty nasty, though. What Bulk bought is called Mind’s Eye; it’s basically a performance enhancer for your head. Makes you think faster, be more perceptive, that kind of stuff. I know it sounds pretty harmless, but we’re pretty sure what happened yesterday is a result of Bulk taking those pills.”
“Wait, what do you mean? Do they do something else?”
>”We don’t know for sure, but Stitches pointed out that there’s been other instances of the drug being present in cases of violence like this. In these cases, the one on the drugs has been under a great deal of stress. It appears the stress is some kind of trigger for the bouts of violence.”
>”But what was he so stressed out about?” Twilight asks, lifting her head from your shoulder.
>”School. I was told he barely passed last year and he’s already slipping this year. He’s in danger of losing his spot on the football team and his scholarship.”
>You trade looks with Twilight.
“I had no idea he was in trouble…”
>”Not to be dismissive of his struggles, but look at the bigger picture here. There could be plenty of other students that feel the same way he did. What if more make the same mistake he did? This is just some public school, so overall pressure to perform here is pretty low, but can you imagine if this stuff started making it’s way into Crystal Prep?”
>Anon leans forward and points at the both of you.
>”That is a bad time just waiting to happen.”
>Okay, yeah, he’s got a point there. A pretty big point.
>Crystal Prep has a reputation for being the most elite and cutthroat school around. There’s no telling how many students would be willing to get that edge up.
>”That’s why I need to know where Timber is. We find him, we might be saving a lot of people from falling into the same hole Bulk did.”
>If only you knew where he was. You’d like to have him turned in in an instant, but Twilight most likely wouldn’t like that.
“Twilight? Do you want to tell Anon what happened?”
>Twilight shakes her head and turns away.
>Come on, Twilight. This is for the best.
“I think you should tell him, Twilight. I think he can help.”
>She looks at you from the corner of her eye.
>”I don’t want to talk about this again.”
“I know it’s hard, but I think-“
>”I don’t care what you think!” Twilight shouts, bursting out of her chair. “It didn’t happen to you! You don’t have to live with knowing what your boyfriend tried to do!”
>She stomps away to the other side of the room before turning back to you.
>”And now I get told he’s some criminal dealing drugs to other students by the police officer trying to arrest him, and… and… ARGH!”
>She slams her fist down onto a table, just barely catching the edge of the table with her wrist. She quickly recoils, hopping in place and grasping her wrist with her other hand, whimpering in pain.
>”Ow, ow, ow, ow…”
>You stand and rush over to her to try to calm her down.
>”It’s not fair, Sunset! Why does all of this have to happen to me? First the Friendship games, and now all of this!”
>You reach out for her, but she turns her back to you to spurn you. It doesn’t stop you from embracing her from behind.
>”It’s not fair…”
“Shh, shhh… I know, I know. But it’s for the best, Twilight.” you whisper to her.
>”But-“
“What if he tries again? On someone else, this time?”
>”H-he wouldn’t!”
“We don’t know that. He’s already tried once; we shouldn’t risk it.”
>”No.”
“But Twilight-“
>”No! Shiny said he would handle it, and he will! Anon doesn’t need to know.”
“Okay, okay…” you whisper as you release her. “Just take it easy.”
>Well, her brother is a detective. Surely, he’s doing what he can.
>And if Anon really needs to know, Shining Armor will tell him. Right?
>Twilight takes a few breaths to calm down before she  breaks the embrace and sluggishly walks back to her chair.
>You follow just behind her and take yours as well.
>”I’m not going to talk about what happened.”
>”That’s fine, Twilight. I won’t push you. But I hope you understand that I do need you to answer some questions.”
>She slumps back down into her seat and nods defeatedly at Anon.
>Anon snatches up his notepad and prepares to take notes.
>”Do you know where Timber is?”
>”No.”
>”Do you know where he lives? Celestia and your mother said that you mentioned he lived in town now.”
>”…I don’t know. Not for sure, anyway.”
>”Can you elaborate on that?” he asks, tapping his pencil against the spine of his notepad.
>”I’ve only been there once. Timber made me stay in his car while he ran in. It was at night so I couldn’t see the address or street name, but I think it might have been close to the ghetto.”
>”What makes you think that?”
>”We drove towards the city, but we stopped before we actually hit anything heavily urbanized.”
>”Alright, were there any key details that you remember? House size, did it have a yard or garage, what was the neighborhood like, stuff like that.”
>”Um…” Twilight trails off, tapping a finger to her chin, “The house was two stories, I remember because the second floor lights were on. It had a yard but I’m not sure about the garage; we didn’t pull into the driveway and it was too dark to tell. I think one of the street lights was out. From what I could tell of the rest of the neighborhood, most of the buildings looked pretty similar. There was a lot of junk in some of the yards, and a lot of the people that lived there were out on their porches pretty late.”
>”Mmhm.” Hums Anon as he takes his notes, “Was the building brick, wood, or…?”
>”I think it had wood paneling. It looked like it was painted green.”
>”Anything else?”
>Twilight pauses to run through her memory once more.
>”No, nothing else really stands out.”
>”Alright. Last question, any idea where Timber might be now? Any places he likes to hang out, maybe a friend’s house, where he works, or something like that?”
>”No. Timber’s never really talked about any friends or what he does for work, or…”
>Twilight eyes open wide. She lowers her head just slightly before outright dropped it into her hands.
>”Oh my god, he is dealing drugs.”
>Rather than asking the obvious question of how she knows that, Anon just waits patiently for Twilight to continue.
>”He never wanted me to go over to his house. He said his roommates don’t like visitors and that I wouldn’t like them anyways. He never told me where he works, just that he works as a ‘delivery boy’ and that he sometimes had to work nights. A couple of times, he even had to cancel a date for… ‘work’.”
>You remember talking to Twilight those nights. She was always upset, but understanding.
>It must hurt to realize he was lying. What else has he been lying about?
>With what he tried to do in mind… did he ever even care about her?
>”Sound’s pretty obvious, but that takes us back to assuming.” Anon calmly states as he finishes his notes.
>He closes his notepad and stuffs it and his pencil back into a pouch on his belt.
>”That’s all I’ve got for now, but I’m going to have to ask you to try to remain available for more questions should the need arise. Do you have any questions for me?”
>Twilight drops her hands back to her knees and looks up to Anon.
>”Can you let me know what happens? If you find him, can I talk to him?”
>”I’d be happy to let you know what happens. As for speaking with him, it’s possible, but an officer is going to need to be there once he’s in custody.”
>”That’s okay. I just need to… sort some things out with him.”
>”I bet. Do you have a number or email I can use to get in contact with you?”
>”Oh, yes, um…”
>Twilight turns to her work station and grabs a blank sheet of paper. She tears off a corner of the sheet and jots down a number before turning back and handing the slip to Anon.
>”It’s my home phone number. I’d give you my cell number, but I’m pretty sure I won’t have one later today.”
>She laughs half-heartedly at her own struggles and gives a broken smile.
>Anon glances down at the paper before stuffing it into his pocket.
>”Thanks. And thank you for your cooperation with this. I know it must be hard to do this to someone you love, but it’s the right thing to do.”
>”I know. It doesn’t make it hurt any less, though.”
>You reach over and give Twilight another few reassuring pats to her back.
>”I know. Is there anything else you’d like to ask?”
>Twilight quietly shakes her head.
>”Alright then. Well, in case you didn’t already know, I’m the school’s new resource officer and I’ve been asked to help with counseling students. I know you’d probably rather talk to Celestia or your friends about this, especially given my role in this whole situation, but just know that if you want to talk, I’d be happy to make time for you.”
>”I think I’ve talked all I want to about this for now… but thanks for saying so.”
>Anon nods and rises from his chair. He calmly moves over to the door but turns back just as he’s about to step out.
>”Not to put you in a worse mood than you’re already in, but I think you should go ahead and see the Principal. Sunset, you should probably get back to class. It’s almost lunch.”
>Already?
>You take a look at your phone, and sure enough you have about 10 minutes until the end of the period.
>Guess you should get back and change.
“Yeah, I’ll head out in a few minutes.”
>”Alright.” Anon says as he glances back to Twilight one last time. “Good luck.” He says with a nod as he backs out of the door and closes it behind him.
>With Anon gone, you turn back to Twilight, who remains seated in her chair.
“I’m really sorry, Twilight.”
>She doesn’t respond as she pulls her glasses away from her face to wipe at her eyes.
>She stands as she slides her glasses back on and silently begins packing her things back into her bag.
“Are you okay?”
>Finished stuffing it, Twilight zips up her bag, pulls it over her shoulder and turns in your direction. She doesn’t even meet your eyes as she pushes past you and towards the door.
>”Why are you asking a question when you already know the answer?”
>You open your mouth to respond, but no words come to mind. You simply watch as she slowly walks out of the room and softly slams the door behind her.
>She’s right.
>Of course she’s not okay! Why in Equestria would she be okay?!
>Her boyfriend tried to rape her and now she’s being told he’s been dealing drugs and lying about it!
>She must feel terrible. Just thinking about it puts a needle through your heart.
>You wish you could do something, anything, to help with the situation, but nothing helpful comes to mind.
>You suppose the only thing you can do is be there for her when she needs you and give her space if she wants it.
>That, and hope for the best.
>You decide it’s time to get back to class. Everyone else is probably already changing.
>As you trudge back to class, you do your best to put the negativity behind you.
>Hopefully the rest of your friends are having a better day than you.
 
>The cafeteria roars with life. All around you, students laugh, cheer, and chat about today’s latest happenings and gossip.
>None of which interests you.
>You’re not even hungry.
>In fact, you have half a mind to just go sit outside or in the library for the rest of lunch. Just to try to get away from it all.
>You stare down at your lunch tray, idly rolling a small tomato from your salad back and forth with your fork.
>You groan and lift your head to look around your table.
>Most of your friends seem to be in the same situation.
>Applejack sits quietly on the far side of the table, munching on an apple.
> Across from her, Rainbow has her tray pushed to the side and is resting her head on the table.
>Between you and Rainbow, Fluttershy has her head propped up with an arm, blankly staring at a piece of lettuce she has impaled on her fork as she twirls it around.
>Across from Fluttershy, Rarity gazes past you all and out into the rest of the room, watching as other students talk as she eats a few pieces of rice at a time with her chopsticks.
>Lastly and directly across from you, Pinkie is quietly eating her way through multiple chocolate pudding cups, her eyes fixed in place on the table in front of her. Her hair seems to be lacking it’s usual spunk.
>Looks like everyone is having a rough time.
“Bad day for you guys too?”
>”Ah’m just not feelin’ to talkative right now.” Applejack says with a shrug.
>”I bombed on my history test.” Rainbow laments, her voice muffled from the table.
“What about you, Rarity?”
>”Oh, I’ve just hit a bit of designer’s block. I can’t seem to draw up anything I like.”
“Pinkie?”
>Pinkie looks up from the table as she scoops the last of her pudding out of her cup and stuffs the spoon into her mouth.
>Thankfully, she swallows the pudding before speaking.
>”I still feel kinda bad about this morning, that’s all.”
“This morning? What happened this morning?”
>”Oh, I maybe, might-a, sort-a scared Anon and made him hurt his back…”
>”Don’t worry about it, Pinkie. Fluttershy and I took care of it. He’s fine now.”
>”Oh, goodie! I’ve been kind of worrying about it all day.”
>A little bit of bounce returns to Pinkie’s curls.
“You took care of it? What did you do?”
>Rarity scans her eyes around the room for anyone suspicious nearby, turning to glance over her shoulder.
>Satisfied, she leans forward and holds a hand out to muffle her voice.
>”We’re not supposed to tell anyone, but Fluttershy and I gave him a back massage.”
“Oh! Well, that was nice.”
>”Oh, yes it was!”Rarity says, keeping her voice low, “You girls should have seen him!”
>Rarity raises her hands to her cheeks as she dreamily stares off in the distance.
>”Oh, his muscles were so big and firm… With some work, that man could be a model!”
>Rainbow flops an arm onto the table and pushes herself up, her forehead bearing a large, red circle. With her other arm, she jabs a finger in the direction of Rarity.
>”Big muscles? Anon is scrawny compared to Bulk, but I’ve never heard you singing his praises.”
>”Well, obviously Bulk is bigger. Disgustingly so, if you ask me. Bodybuilders like that are just so…”
>Rarity frowns and juts her tongue out between her lips.
>”…Bleh.”
>”Gotta agree with Rarity on this one, Dashie. Once you get so big, it just gets kind of nasty.”
>”Agreed. Plus, ah always thought Bulk had a face only a mother could love.”
>That’s a little rude of Applejack, but… Well, you’d never admit it, but she’s right.
>Rainbow opens her mouth to respond, but stops herself. Instead, she slumps back into her seat and shrugs.
“What about you, Fluttershy? You okay?”
>Fluttershy’s only answer is a single shake of her head as she continues her staring match with her lettuce.
>”Fluttershy believes she angered Anon this morning.” Rarity states, matter-of-factly.
>Well, did seem pretty annoyed earlier.
“What happened?”
>Fluttershy remains silent. You lean forward to meet her eyes, but with a flick of her head, a pink curtain of hair falls into place to block your vision.
>”Well…” Rarity leans forward, again lowering her voice. “It turns out there’s more than one scar.”
>”No way. How many more?” asks rainbow, sounding almost excited.
>”It looks like his entire left side might be covered in them.”
>”Whoa.”
>”Wowwie…” Pinkie mutters unenthusiastically.
“Covered?”
>”We only saw his chest and arms, so it’s hard to say. They were all smaller than the one on his neck, but they were everywhere.”
>”That’s it! Sunset, you’ve got to read Anon’s mind and find out what happened to him!”
>”Will ya just drop it, Rainbow? You know Sunset ain’t gonna do that, and you know Anon don’t want’cha snooping around in his business. I thought we weren’t gonna talk about this no more! What does this have to do with Shy here anyway?”
>”Well, I suppose Fluttershy must’ve been caught off guard by how numerous they were. Anon caught her staring at them and promptly had us leave.”
>”Aww, bummer. That’s okay though, all you have to do is apologize to him! Ooh! We should bake him a cake to really seal the deal!”
>”He …..led ..r a……ment…” Fluttershy mumbles, barely audible.
“Uh… I’m sorry, what was that Fluttershy?”
>”He canceled our appointment.” she states much more clearly as she drops her fork, letting it clatter against the plastic tray.
>”O-oh. Well, I’m sure if you just give him some time, he’ll-“
>”Oh, don’t be so dramatic Fluttershy. He’s a big boy, he’ll get over it.”
“Don’t be like that, Rainbow. And Fluttershy, don’t worry about it, I don’t think he canceled because of that. I just talked to him earlier.”
>”Y-you did?” she asks, eyes peeking through her hair.
“He was in a bad mood, but I don’t think it had anything to do with you. Just talk to him next time you see him.”
>You give her a reassuring pat on the back.
>”So what did you and your boyfriend talk about?” Rainbow asks, feigning interest.
>Ugh.
>Rarity shoots Rainbow a nasty look.
>You decide to ignore her jab at you and answer her question directly.
>Might as well tell them, they’ll hear about it eventually anyways.
“He wanted me to help him find-“
>Suddenly, a loud slamming noise sounds out throughout the cafeteria.
>With a slight jump, you all look towards the origination point of the noise, the lunchroom doors.
>The entire lunchroom does the same.
>Your friend Twilight Sparkle is practically in an all-out sprint towards your table, ducking and dodging in, out, and around chairs, tables, and other students. Behind her, one of the heavy, wooden doors slowly swings closed.
>Still moving at top speed, Twilight slams her waist against the side of the table, causing everyone’s trays to jump.
>Panting heavily, Twilight braces herself against the table and looks to Pinkie with wide, panicked eyes.
>”P-PINKIE! You drove…” she huffs, stopping only to quickly catch her breath. “You drove to school today, right?!”
>”Yeah, but whats the matter, TwiTwi? Need a ride home?”
>”No, I need a ride right now! Please!”
>”Right now? We can’t leave right now, school’s still in session!”
>”I know, but it’s important! Please, please, please!”
>”Now hold on here. Twilight, what the heck is goin’ on?”
“Yeah Twilight, I thought you were supposed to be talking with Principal Celestia.”
>”Principal Celestia? Darling, does she know about-“
>”STOP!” Twilight practically screams out, ignoring all the strange looks she receives from the other students. “IoverheardOfficerAnontalkingonthephone, Ithinkhe’sabouttogolookforTimberandIneedhelpfollowinghim, okay?! Can we go now?!”
>”Whoa now, hold your horses Twilight.” Says Applejack, reaching out for Twilight.
>With a jerk of her arm, Twilight bats Applejacks hand away.
>”There’s no time! We have to go now!”
>”I don’t know, Twi… This doesn’t seem like a good idea.”
>”Oh, come on, Pinkie. You know what? Give me your keys, I’ll drive her. I wanna see where this is going.” Rainbow says, holding a hand out towards Pinkie.
>”No way! I know how you drive!”
>”Pinkie, please, I am begging you!” Twilight bows her head to Pinkie, “I’ll do anything you want, just please help me this once! I’ll never ask for-“
>Pinkie slams her hands down on the table and practically jumps out of her seat.
>”Alright, I get it, I get it! I can’t leave a friend hanging in their time of need! Don’t worry Twi, you can count on your best pal Pinkie!”
>She immediately rounds the table to Twilight, hooks an arm around Twilight’s, and hauls her off toward the doors.
“Wait! What about class?”
>Either they can’t hear you, or simply don’t care, as neither of them stop on their way out of the lunch room.
>”Yeah, I don’t think I’m gonna risk missing out on Timber getting arrested.” Rainbow remarks with a grin before jetting off in a blur.
>Applejack stands and glances over to you, Fluttershy, and Rarity.
>”Y’all comin’?”
>Rarity lets out a whiny groan as she stands.
>”There goes my perfect attendance!”  she whines as her and Applejack run off together.
>Darn it.
>Now what are you supposed to do?
>You really shouldn’t, but…
>What if something happens? What if your friends need you?
>Well, what’s the worst that could happen?
>Detention for a few days? Extra homework?
>It’s not like skipping a few classes is the worst thing you’ve ever done.
>Fluttershy turns to you and pulls the hair out of her face.
>”Sunset? Are you going, too?”
“Yeah, I think I am. What about you?”
>Fluttershy glances toward the lunchroom doors. When she looks back to you, her sad expression has been wiped away, replaced with a small smile and a look of determination.
>”I think our friend needs us.”
 
>You and Fluttershy chase after your friends as fast as you can, sprinting through the halls and towards the student parking lot.
>You’re making a pretty good pace, thanks to all that exercising with Rainbow, but Fluttershy quickly begins to fall behind.
>Poor girl is a pretty weak runner.
>Fortunately for both of you, you draw closer to the parking lot, throwing open a pair of doors to the outside.
>You spot Applejack and Rarity running off towards the asphalt field of vehicles, only to stop and change direction as a large, dirty grey van peels out from the rows of cars, stopping to let them in.
>Rainbow slides open the side door as they near and they quickly pile in.
“HEY! WAIT A MINUTE!”
>Thankfully, Rainbow notices you and tells Pinkie to wait, much to the annoyance of Twilight.
>She leans back from the passenger seat, calling for you to hurry up.
>You reach the van and clamber into the back seat with Rarity, panting from the sprint.
>Twilight is twisted around watching desperately for your last friend to get in.
 >”Hurry up, Fluttershy!”
>You glance out the dirt-covered window and spot Fluttershy slowly running along, not twenty feet from the van.
>Rainbow reaches out to her and helps pull her into the seat in front of you before attempting to climb into the back between you and Rarity.
>”GO!”
>Pinkie floors it just as Fluttershy shuts the van door, throwing Rainbow into the empty seat next to you. Fluttershy immediately buckles up, still trying to recover her breath.
>”Hey! Take it easy, ya tryin’ to kill us?”
>”There’s no time, we have to hurry!” shouts Twilight.
>Pinkie pulls out of the parking lot, swinging a quick, hard right past the teacher’s parking lot and towards the front of the school.
>Narrowly avoiding slamming your head into the window from the sheer speed of the turn, you decide it might be a good idea to buckle up like Fluttershy.
>You reach down to search for the straps, only to be thrown forward into Fluttershy’s seat after Twilight shouts for Pinkie to stop. Rarity and Fluttershy let out fearful shrieks.
>”They’re still here! Quick, pull over!”
>You look up to see a lone police car parked in front of the school. No officers in sight, though.
>Pinkie, finally at a safe and reasonable speed, turns onto the road running in front of the school and parks in the student drop off lane, leaving a good 40 feet or so between you and the police car.
>”Heh. Sorry! Is everybody okay?” Pinkie says, leaning back to check on you all.
>Fluttershy gives her a shaky nod and Applejack silently straightens her hat with a grimace.
>”Ooooh… I feel like I just got off a roller coaster…” groans Rainbow.
>With your own stomach churning, you have to agree.
>”Pinkie Pie, Twilight? While I understand the rush we’re in, don’t you think it’s much more important that we all make it out of this safely? Do you think we could slow it down just a tad or two?”
>”Sorry Rarity! I’ll slow it down a lotta tads!”
>Twilight remains silent, scanning the surroundings for any sign of Anon. Finding none, she acknowledges Rarity’s complaint.
>”Well, uh… I-I guess we didn’t need to rush so much, huh? Hehe…”
>”Great going, Twilight.”
>Rainbow closes her eyes and lays her head back.
>She looks a little pale. Does she have problems with motion sickness?
>“So, what now Twilight?” You want me to just wait here?”
>”I guess that’s all we can do, Pinkie. Maybe he’s talking to the other officers?”
“Do you think they might be looking for you? Maybe they wanted to ask you more questions.”
>”Oh, I hope not…” Twilight mutters, looking off towards the school offices.
>”Twilight, dear, could you please explain to us why Anon is looking for Timber? Did you tell him about what happened?”
>”Can we just… ugh, I’m tired of talking about it! Sunset, can you explain?”
>Rarity, Applejack, and Fluttershy all turn toward you expectantly. Even Rainbow seems to perk up a little to listen in.
>You roll your eyes at Twilight and, with a sigh, begin to recount today’s events.
“So, you know how Fluttershy told us that Anon said Bulk might have been on drugs? Anon said that Timber was the one that sold them to him.”
>Rarity and Fluttershy gasp.
>”He WHAT?!” Rainbow shouts into your ear.
>”That… that… scoundrel!”
>”That no good, dirty, rotten varmint!”
“Yeah… it’s not looking good.”
>Pinkie turns toward Twilight, an eyebrow cocked.
>”So Anon knows where Timber is?”
>”Well… it sounded like he might know…”
>*BRRRRIIIIIIIIIIIINNNG*
>Even from the street, you can faintly hear the tardy bell ring.
>You hope this doesn’t end up a huge waste of time.
>You really hope Principal Celestia doesn’t find out. If she notices that all of you were absent for class at the same time, she’ll know something was going on.
>”Uuuuuggh… Please don’t have this be for nothing.”
>”D-don’t be like that, Rares! Just think of it as a, uhh…” Pinkie trails off in thought, “Oh! An exercise in friendship! See, we all came along to help out, so-“
>”Look! There he is!”
>Fluttershy points out her window towards an alleyway across the street.
>You all turn to look out the window. You feel Rainbow shift in her seat, leaning around you to see.
>Deep in the alleyway, Anon stands next to a pale-skinned female officer, the two of them watching a third yellow-colored officer search a figure in a black hoody on the ground.
>A black backpack lays on the ground next to them.
>”Ooooo, is that Timber?”
>”Oh, he was right across the street? Well, maybe I won’t be that late after all. Do you think Coach Spitfire will let it pass if I tell her I had a female emergency?”
>”Fat chance! Coach Spitfire doesn’t take excuses, no matter what they are.”
>You watch Anon and the other officers talk amongst themselves until the yellow one finishes his search and cuff the hooded figure.
>He stands, roughly pulling the hooded figure to his knees and pulling the black hood from his head, revealing a young, red-skinned man, not much older looking than you.
>In fact, you’re pretty sure you’ve seen him before. Wasn’t he a senior last year?
>”Hey, that’s not Timber! That’s Red Baron! I was wondering where he went…”
“What do you mean? Didn’t he graduate last year?”
>Out of the corner of your eye, you see Pinkie’s curls bounce with a shake of her head.
>”Nope. He got held back. I thought he moved, but maybe he just dropped out?”
>Questionable it may be, but it’s handy having a friend that seems to know everyone and almost everything about them.
>You once asked her how she does it. She just smiled, said you we’re being silly, and told you not to worry about it.
>”So, what’re we doin’ now? We just gonna sit here and watch?”
>Nobody says anything, each of you expecting someone else to speak up.
>”Uhh… Twi? What do you wanna do?” Pinkie asks, turning to face Twilight.
>Twilight stares past her, fixated on the alleyway.
>”Yeah, let’s just… wait a little bit, see what happens.”
>You look back to the alley to find Anon and the female officer crouched in front of Red Baron.
>The female grabs Red by the neck and pulls him close to her face but Anon quickly rises and pulls her away from him.
>She takes a few steps away from them, crossing her arms and facing out the alleyway. It’s hard to tell, but she seems to be choking back a smile. Same goes for the yellow officer standing behind Red.
>What are they smiling about?
>Anon pulls his notepad out and crouches down to eye level with Red.
>He points to a dark red bandana tied to Red’s left bicep with his pencil.
>He takes a few minutes talking to Red, probably asking him questions.
>About what, though? Timber? Did they expect to find him here?
>Red seems hesitant at first, but quickly begins talking. He motions toward the back of the alleyway with his head, then towards the backpack.
>The yellow officer speaks up, but Red seems to decline or respond in the negative with a shake of his head.
>As if turning on a dime, the female officer puts on a fearsome scowl, whips around, and stomps toward Red while jabbing a finger at him.
>You can’t quite make it out, but she is clearly yelling something.
>Once again, Anon hops up to stop her, physically holding her back as she aggressively pushes and reaches for him.
>”She seems really mean…” Fluttershy mutters.
>With Anon and the female distracted, the yellow officer pulls Red to his feet and speaks directly into his ear.
>Seconds later, Red nods and says…something. He seems to go on and on about it, barely stopping to take a breath.
 >Whatever it was, it got Anon and the female to stop fighting. In fact, after a glance at Red and the yellow officer, they turn back to each other with a grin.
>Even the yellow guy is smiling.
>What is happening?!
>The woman snatches up the backpack and slings it over her shoulder. Anon quickly writes something down and pockets his notepad.
>With a toothy grin, Anon turns, leading the way back towards the street, his fellow officers in tow.
>”Oh no, they’re coming! Everyone, get down!”
 
>”Wait, what just happened?”
>You stop just short of the street, checking for any cars. It’s clear.
>”You’re pretty green, aren’t you?” Stitches says with a big grin.
>You can’t help but smile as well. It’s always fun, messing with these noobie criminals.
>They all think they’re hard till there’s a boy in blue in their face.
>Or, in this case, a girl in blue.
>It’s funny how good she is at playing bad cop.
>”I-I’ve been around the block! But… you aren’t really going to do that stuff, right?”
>”How stupid are you? We’re the fucking cops, not some south of the border drug cartel.”
>”Oh… oh man, I, I am so fucked!”
>You briefly wonder whether he’s more concerned about going to jail or retaliation from the Empire for ratting his brothers out.
>You approach Stitches’ and Eye’s cruiser and pull open one of the back doors for Eye. You lean over the opened door as Eye pushes the kid into the back seat.
“Probably, but don’t worry. From what I’ve seen, the Empire normally doesn’t kill snitches until they get out of prison.”
>”C’mon, man! I can’t go to jail! I-I’m sorry!” the red thug cries.
“Don’t worry, you’ll be fine. All you have to do is-“
>You slam the door shut before finishing your sentence and turn towards your friends.
“Well, that was fun.”
>”I know, right? Like old times.”
>”How come I never get to be the bad cop anymore?”
>”Because last time, you slapped the shit out of that hooker for spitting in your face.”
>”Yeah, well… she had it coming. Whatever, what’s the game plan? We taking this guy back, or is he coming with?”
>Stitches tucks a thumb into her belt, tapping her fingers on her thigh in contemplation.
>”Hmm… Nah, might get awful crowded if we end up cuffing more than one of his friends over there, especially if they don’t want to play nice with the rat. I’ll take him back to the station and drop off all this product,” she gives the bag a shake with a tug of the strap, “then I’ll meet you over there.”
>Great, that means you’re with Eye.
>Oh well. Eye isn’t THAT bad. Besides, any time spent actually doing some real work would be a welcome change of pace.
>Regardless of who you’re with.
>Eye crosses his arms and shifts his weight to his right foot.
>”If you wanna handle the paperwork, that’s fine by me.”
>”Good. I’m taking our cruiser, though. You’ll have to take Mouse’s.”
>”Alright, that’s fine.”
>”You mind getting it real quick, then? I need to have a word with Mouse real quick.”
>Eye stands in place, shrugging.
>”…So talk to him.”
>”A word with Mouse… alone.”
>Eye groans in annoyance and holds his hand out for your keys.
>With a smug grin, you dig them out from your pocket and drop them into his hands.
“Chauffeur.”
>”Oh, fuck off.”
>It’s so easy to push his buttons sometimes.
“Car’s in the faculty parking lot, east side of the building.”
>Wordlessly, he crankily shakes his head and stomps off towards the parking lot.
>You turn back to Stitches, who takes a step closer to you.
>You look back at her, waiting to hear what she has to say.
>She just stares back at you with those violet eyes of hers.
“So…?”
>”So I was thinking about yesterday… Who’s the milf?”
“Milf?”
>”Yeah.” She says, crossing her arms with a mischievous smile, “The busty white one with the crazy hair?”
“You mean Celestia?”
>”Yeah, sure.”
“What about her?”
>”Oh, nothing. I just saw the way she was looking at you yesterday and thought I’d ask.”
>The way Celestia was looking at you?
>What is this silly bitch talking about?
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
>”Uh huh. Sure.”
>She shakes her head and takes a few steps away only to quickly turn around and squeeze her arms to her chest so as to better assert her curves.
>”’Oh, Anon! Please come to my office, so I can reward you like the big hero you are!’”
“You know it’s not like that.”
>”Oh, sure. I’m sure she was merely concerned about your safety, and has no further feelings for you past your relationship as co-workers, right?”
>Well… that’s not entirely the case.
>You lean back against the cruiser to put some distance between you and her. She ignores your distancing, only stepping forward in response.
“Well… so maybe she asked me out.”
>”I knew it! I SO knew it! My female intuition never lies.” She says, lightly tapping her temple. She leans back slightly, giving you just a little breathing room. “So. What’d you say?”
“I told her I’d think about it.”
>”So what are you thinking then?” she clarifies, eying you expectantly, eager to know more.
>This is a trap. A trap she may not expect you to fall for, but is playing it regardless.
>After all her chasing, all your leading on, she’ll be livid if she knows you were even thinking about saying yes.
>Even worse, she knows all of your tells. She smells your lies like a shark smells blood.
>Makes her a real cunt at cards.
>”Mouse…?”
“Uh…”
>”Mouse.”
>Fuck. Better just tell the truth and take the beating.
“I was thinking about… saying yes.”
>She pauses, staring blankly at you, her mouth slightly agape.
>You can only imagine she’s struggling to hold back pure, white hot rage.
>”Good.” She says, nodding slightly, “You should. It’d be good for you.”
>Does not compute.
“What? Really?”
>She finally takes a step back.
>”Yeah, yeah. I mean, after everything that’s happened, it might be good for you to get close to someone not on the force, you know? I think you should go for it.”
“You wouldn’t be mad, or jealous, or-“
>”No, Mouse, I wouldn’t be mad,” she says, chucking and averting her eyes with a slight smile, “Maybe a little jealous, but that’s fine!”
>Fine?
>Leading her on, never giving her a real answer for so long, getting her hopes up is just fine?
“Stitches, I’m sorry.”
>”Don’t start with me, Mouse. I’ve been pushing you toward this for a long time. It’s about time you moved on, don’t you think?”
“Well, yeah, but you-“
>”But nothing. You don’t owe me anything. We were never an official thing anyway, you know how the brass feels about dating in the ranks.”
>Why is she doing this?
>Just playing wingman, pushing you onto Celestia.
>She steps to your side, leaning up against the cruiser next to you
>”Besides… after last year, it kind of seems like a bad idea for us to get involved, don’t you think?”
>So that’s what this is about.
>She’s scared.
>Scared to get closer to you. Scared to lose someone else.
>You can’t really blame her. The thought still terrifies you.
>You catch the sound of a car nearing you.
>You glance down the road as Eagle Eye pulls up in your cruiser, passing the two of you and parking just in front of Stitches’ cruiser.
“I guess you’re right.
>”Don’t worry about me, Mouse. I’ll be fine. But you deserve some TLC. You know, a woman’s touch?”
>Eye honks the horn twice, impatiently urging you on.
>You ignore him.
“And if it doesn’t work out?”
>”Then… I don’t know. Maybe we can talk about it. But you have to actually try, got it? I just want you to be happy, and I’d rather someone else make you happy then no one at all.”
>Coming from anyone else, you wouldn’t believe them. But Stitches…
>Well, she could probably tell you rubbing hand sanitizer in your eyes is a great idea, and you’d believe her.
>You give her a nod.
>Guess you’re doing this now. She’ll know if you don’t try.
>Fucking mind-reader, she is.
“Yeah, yeah. I hear you.”
>”Good,” she says, giving you a light thump to the arm, “Just one more question for you. What’s with-“
>Eye briefly turns on the sirens, eliciting a *woop-woop* from your cruiser.
>”Attention asshole. Get. in. The vehicle.” He calls out over the loudspeaker.
>”HEY! WERE TALKIN’ HERE!” Stitches shouts, scowling towards Eye.
>She pushes off the cruiser, moving just in front of you once again, rolling her eyes and giving you another mischievous smile.
>”As I was saying… what’s with you and white-skinned girls? I mean, your ex is white, I’m white, Celestia is white…”
>Huh. You hadn’t even noticed…
>You don’t think you have a thing for white girls.
>Do you?
“I… I never realized-“
>”Uh huh, uh huh. I think you just like to paint white on white.”
>Lewd.
>”Not that I’m complaining or anything…”
“W-well, it’s a lovely color.”
>She stifles a laugh.
>”Mmhmhmhm. You better get a move on, before Eye decides to leave without you. 1142 Pleasant street, right?”
>You’re pretty sure that’s what the kid said. But just to be sure…
>You snatch out your pad and flip to the most recent page.
>Spot on.
“Yup, that’s right.”
>”Alright.” She steps back to the cruiser and opens the driver door, “I’ll be over as soon as I take care of all this business here.”
“Gotcha.”
>She tosses the backpack into the passenger seat and climbs inside. You give her a wave before stepping off to your cruiser and climbing into the passenger seat.
>Eye gives you a nasty look, and shoves the on-board computer your way.
>”You two done flirting?”
>You buckle up and grab the computer, quickly pulling up the GPS window and typing in the address the rat gave you.
“Wasn’t flirting.”
>”Could’ve fooled me.”
>The computer pulls up your destination on a map of the area.
>Not too far from the city, a cramped and fairly populated but poor area.
>Not the worst neighborhood in the area, but it’s understandable that someone better off would consider it a ghetto.
>You shove the display back over to Eye, who quickly takes note of the directions.
>He puts the vehicle in drive and takes off down the road, right at the speed limit.
>Hopefully, that kid isn’t full of shit.
 
>You watch as Anon and the other officer split up into separate cars.
>The woman climbs into the car with Red Baron while Anon climbs into the passenger side of the other car.
>”That woman seems to be awfully friendly with Anon…” Rarity observes.
>”I recognize her! She was here yesterday, helping Anon with his wounds after his fight with Bulk!”
>The two police cars start up and pull off down the street to the stop light, pausing for a red light.
>”Well, Anon did mention a friend or two earlier. I think her name might be Stitches.” Sunset adds.
>”Stitches? What a horrid name. Who would name their daughter that?”
>The light turns green, and Anon’s car turns left. The woman’s car carries on straight ahead, however.
>They’re splitting up? Why?
>”Not to interrupt, but what now? Twilight?”
>Maybe she’s heading back to the station?
>If either one of them is going after Timber, it would be Anon and that other guy.
>There’s no reason they’d send someone alone to track down a criminal with someone already locked up in the back of the car.
>Especially with how bad the crime is here.
>And Anon was taking notes and asking the questions. It seems reasonable that he would be the one leading this search.
>Assuming they’re still looking for Timber, and not something or someone else.
>And, well…
>You know what they say about assuming.
>Still, it seems like a solid chance, and you’re not about to just give up on this.
“Follow Anon, I think he’s going after Timber!”
>”Okie doki loki! Uh, which car was he in again?”
“The first one, the one that turned left! And stay away from him, so he doesn’t realize we’re tailing him!”
>”Gotcha! Don’t worry, I got this!”
>She reaches into her hair and pulls out an old fishing hat, fishing hooks and lures included, and throws it on. Next, she pulls two large swathes of her hair across her face, forming an improvised pink beard.
>Lastly, she pulls out a large pair of reflective aviator sunglasses out of a small compartment in the driver side door and puts them on before finally starting up the engine.
>”Stealth mode: Engaged.”
>She pulls off at a quick but nearly legal speed, catching the light before it turned red and getting Anon back in sight.
>Slowing down at a safe, acceptable distance as you shadow Anon, you begin to feel more hopeful.
>Hopeful that Timber will be okay.
>That he realizes the gravity of his situation and the impact his actions have had on you.
>That he can somehow truthfully explain everything, and brush away these new accusations.
>You know how unlikely that is, but…
>Even after what he did, you don’t want him to suffer, to rot away in prison.
>Even if you’d rather never see him again after this.
>Your friends continue to talk amongst themselves, about skipping school, Timber, the whole situation you’ve dragged them into.
>You really do have some great friends, being so concerned about you to come along.
>Even though you haven’t known them for nearly as long as they’ve known each other.
>You hope they don’t get into too much trouble. Unlike you, they may get out of this unscathed.
>You already know you’re in for the grounding of a lifetime.
>But hopefully sometime soon, you can do something to remind them of how much they really matter to you.
 
>You stare out the window, watching buildings and cars pass by, the quality of each seeming to drop little by little the farther towards the city you travel.
>You tune out the occasional radio chatter, listening only to the gust of wind accompanying passing cars and the faint radio music you overhear from other vehicles at intersections.
>Surprisingly peaceful for this side of town.
>You hope it stays peaceful, but you doubt that it will. You’ve got a bad feeling.
>While Twilight wasn’t as helpful as you’d hoped, you caught a lucky break when Stitches and Eye witnessed a shady looking individual entering the back entrance of the alley.
>You probably would have caught him anyway when you checked the alley again, but it at least saved you some time.
>While unfortunate that the suspect wasn’t Timber, you managed to catch yet another lucky break.
>Red Baron not only knew who Timber was, he claimed to live with him.
>Given that you caught Red dealing in the same spot Timber was accused of dealing in, and that they both apparently live in the same home…
>It’s no coincidence. You’re likely dealing with a small group of gangbangers, possibly part of some distribution operation.
>If that’s the case, you just hope they’re all as green as Red was.
>Life is a lot easier when people don’t know their rights.
>”So…”
>You turn your head, glancing at Eye as he keeps his eyes on the road ahead of him.
>”How’ve, uh… how’ve you been holding up? You okay?”
>Did… did he really just ask that?
>Is he really asking you how you’ve been?
>No, this is just awkward small talk. It has to be.
>It’s just awkward small talk that he’s never made before. Or maybe he’s just fucking with you.
>He did manage to sound uncomfortable with asking you…
“I’m… good, I guess. Still here, so, you know… ”
>”Good. That’s good to hear.” He says, nodding slightly.
>The car comes to a stop at an intersection as Eye awaits the oncoming traffic to give him an opening for a left turn.
“Why do you ask?”
>”No reason.”
“Eye, the only time you’ve ever asked me or the rest of the team if we were okay, we’ve been in full kit and getting shot at.”
>”Yeah, well…” he pauses as he pulls through a break in the traffic, “maybe I just thought I’d ask.”
>With the turn comes a change in scenery as the gas stations, corner stores and small mom and pop shops are replaced with neighbor streets lined with mostly poor, rundown-looking houses.
>”Nevermind. Forget about it.”
>You know what? Fuck it, who cares?
>You’re fucking sick of people asking you that anyway.
>”We’re coming up on the house.”
>Eye brings the cruiser to a pause at a stop sign before pulling through the intersection and in to a dead-end street.
>He slows to a crawl as you cruise down the street, taking in the sights.
>It looks to be a pretty cramped street.
>Mostly comprised of similarly shaped houses; two-story homes with tight, narrow floor plans.
>The houses are tightly spaced, leaving little room between one building and the next.
>To describe some of the yards as ‘messy’ would be an understatement. Several are in desperate need of some lawn care, a few with thick grass up to knee height.  Unkempt shrubbery threatens to overtake a porch here and there.
>You pass one yard that appears to have a small thicket of trees growing out of a heavily rusted, broken-down truck.
>Many others are simply littered with cheap plastic children’s toys and lawn furniture.
>On the left side of the street, you spot a pair of women, grey with black stripes, sitting and chatting together on some porch steps. The younger looking of the two, probably barely into her twenties, holds a small toddler in her arms, bouncing the boy on her knee.
>Both of them eye you warily, following the vehicles movement.
>They shift in discomfort as you come to a stop right across the street from them.
>Eye looks past you, motioning to the other side of the street with a nod. You turn to look.
>A two story home, lined with wood paneling. Olive green paint peels from its walls.
>”This is it. 1142 Pleasant Street.” Eye says, killing the engine and opening his door.
>Yeah. Real pleasant.
>You unbuckle and climb out of the car, making a quick effort to scan your surroundings.
>You hadn’t realized it, but Eye parked directly in front of the driveway, blocking in a beat-up red minivan and a monstrosity of an old junker.
>Piece of shit probably doesn’t even start up.
>Smart move on Eye’s part, regardless.
>Scanning further up the street, you spot a few more individuals watching you from windows and porches, some with worry in their eyes. Others with resent.
>Not twenty yards away, you spy one of the streets handful of streetlights. The light fixture atop this one is broken.
>Huh. Looks like Twilight was right. This has got to be the place.
>You shut your car door, and hear Eye slam his shut as well. He steps around the car to your side, sizing up the building in front of you.
>”Oh, lawdy, da po-lice here ta shoot up da neighbahood again!”
>You both turn to look over your shoulders at the two zebracan women behind you. The older, plumper of the two women, stands on her porch, holding her door open.
>”Ya’ll don’t do nuffin! Ya’ll just sit right there, I got some Bepsi in the fridge for ya!” she calls out before storming into her house.
>You do your best to hold in a smile.
>Eye tries to do the same and fails horribly, breaking down into a snickering mess, much like an immature school boy during his first sex ed class.
>After a few seconds of laughter, Eye sighs and recollects himself.
>”Sometimes, this job is alright…” he says to himself, leading the way to the front door.
>You follow behind him, walking along the cracked cement walkway and climbing up the creaky old steps onto the porch.
>Wasting no time, he immediately pounds on the door with a clenched fist.
>You try to peer into one of the heavily curtained windows, looking for any movement. The cloth is far too thick to see past, but you do notice the windows shake as a set of heavy footsteps approach the door.
>The knob turns, and the door is pulled back just far enough for pale young face with a bright red mohawk to peer through the gap.
>”What do you want?” he asks, obviously frustrated by your mere presence.
>”We’re looking for someone by the name of Timber Spruce. We were told he lives here.”
>”Nope. Don’t know anyone by that name.”
>Bullshit.
“Maybe you’ve seen him around? About your height, green eyes, green hair?”
>”Nope.”
>”Oh yeah? I find that kind of hard to believe, seeing as we just picked up a guy named Red Baron who claimed to live here with this Timber guy.”
>The pale young man opens the door a little farther as he leans his body against the wall, allowing you to sneak peaks into the messy, disheveled house.
>”Yeah, well, I don’t know what to tell you. It’s just me and my girlfriend here. Never heard of those jerk-offs.”
>”You mind if we talk to your girlfriend, then? I bet she knows ‘em.” Eye says with a smirk.
>The man scowls at Eye, becoming blatantly more annoyed as the conversation carries on.
>”Are you implying something?”
>He absolutely is.
“No, he’s not. We’re just trying to cover all of our bases, that’s all.”
>”Yeah, well she ain’t here, and she ain’t seen ‘em either.”
“Alright, if you say so. You mind if we at least take a quick look around inside?”
>”Are you fucking serious?!”
>”Yes. Is there a problem?”
>”Fuck yes there’s a problem! You two pigs just show up acting like I know some deadbeats, call my girlfriend a whore, and then you have the nerve to ask if you can look around my house?! Do you have a search warrant?”
>God damn it.
“No,” you say with a sigh, “we don’t.”
>”That’s what I thought. Fuck off until you got one.”
>The pale man quickly slams the door in your face, shaking the windows as he stomps away.
>”Fuck.”
“Did you have to say his girlfriend is a slut?”
>”Hey, I didn’t say that.”
>You both step down from the porch and make your way back to the car.
“You smirked when you said she knew them though.”
>”I didn’t say it, but I was thinking it. What now? We just gonna wait?”
>It’s still early, only just past noon. Plenty of daylight left.
>No point in leaving. You’re just going to be coming back, and by leaving you’ll be making it easier for him to hide and move anything he doesn’t want you to find.
“Yeah. I’ll call Stitches, get her to get the warrant. We’ll play stakeout in the meantime.”
>Upon reaching the car, you lean against the door and reach into your pocket for your phone and quickly pull up Stitches’ number.
>You glance up across the street, meeting the eyes of the zebracan mother. You give her a friendly nod before turning around and hitting the call button.
>As you wait for Stitches to pick up, you run your eyes over the building in front of you again, looking for anything suspicious or unusual.
>Out of the corner of your vision, you notice one of the second floor windows shaking, shimmering in the sunlight as it moves.
>The curtains behind the glass shake violently, but refuse to reveal the origin of their movement.
>After another round of thrashing, the heavy piece of cloth is pulled away as a petite girl throws herself into view.
>White-haired with eyes full of tears and terror, her mouth covered with a large piece of silver tape.
>Bare-chested with her arms seemingly tied behind her, she thrusts herself against the window over and over in a desperate bid for your attention.
>The ringing stops.
>”Mouse? What’s up, you got him already?”
“Eye.”
>”Hm? What?”
>You point to the girl’s window, and Eye follows along, spotting the disturbance.
>”Mouse?”
>”Holy shit.”
>The girl quickly looks behind her before redoubling her efforts at the window, practically slamming her skull against the glass.
>A dark red woman steps into frame, grabbing the girl and hurling her to the ground behind her.
>She looks out the window, the light revealing her leaf green hair. She takes immediate notice of you.
>She turns and calls out to someone before reaching behind her.
>As she steps back into the room from the window, she raises her hands in front of her.
>From the sunlight pouring into the darkened room, you can just barely make out the shine of black metal in her hands as a loud bang cracks through the air, shattering the side mirror next to you into a hundred of pieces of glass and plastic.
>As a second shot rings out, you throw yourself to the ground and quickly crawl around to the other side of your cruiser for cover.
>Hunkering down behind the engine, you draw your firearm and chamber a round as Eye quickly throws himself onto the ground next to you.
>You hear the distant sound of glass shattering, likely the woman clearing the cracked glass from her vantage point.
>Much like you, he quickly repositions himself to a crouch and draws his weapon as another shot is fired, slamming into the car inches from your head.
>Fuck, this is not good!
>His glock readied, Eye tries to peak out from cover. Another bang thunders across the air as a round impacts the asphalt road, scattering black pebbles and forcing Eye back down.
“Don’t shoot, there’s a girl up there!”
>He turns to you, his eyes full of fire.
>”We cannot stay here! We are pinned down directly in front of a high vantage point! We are sitting ducks!”
“No shit!”
>You scan around you, looking for any safe position to move. The mother from before crosses your vision, still sitting on the porch with her child, now crying from the sudden noise, stiffly watching in shock as the situation unfolds.
“WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?! GET INSIDE!”
>As if jolted awake, she clumsily jumps up and runs inside with her child in her arms.
>Jesus Christ.
>Yeah, lemme just stand outside with my baby as the cop across the street gets shot at.
>You continue scanning in vain, finding no nearby cover or concealment that wouldn’t endanger you or those around you.
>Just more idiots standing outside watching. Nearly every house you can see has someone poking their head out to see what’s going on.
>”Dispatch, this is Sierra-57, officers taking fire at 1142 Pleasant Street, requesting immediate back-up, over!”
>Fuck, what are you supposed to do from here?
>While you could risk a bound to a neighboring house, you’re not about to risk a civilian catching a bullet for you.
>And you REALLY hate the idea of returning fire towards hostage.
>You’re confident with your aim, Eye doubly so, but you know through training and experience that anything can go wrong at a moment’s notice.
>”Understood, Officers in route. How many shooters? Over.”
>”One confirmed, more possible, over!”
>Oh fuck, if these guys have friends on this street, you are a dead man.
>”Understood. Multiple officers in route. Keep us updated, dispatch out.”
>You look around again at all the ‘civilians’ watching from their homes.
>Yeah, you need to get off the street, pronto.
>No way you’re getting in the cruiser and driving away without getting peppered from that bitch upstairs.
>If only there was somewhere safe where she couldn’t… shoot…
>You lay prone on the asphalt and crawl towards the nose of the car, peeking your head around the front to get a view at the house.
>Curtains are still drawn over the windows. No signs of another shooter, hidden or not.
>Not that that makes you feel much better. You know for sure there’s at least one more person in the house besides the shooter and the hostage.
>But there’s nothing in your path to the front door, aside from the car. The roof covering the porch probably won’t stop a round completely, but the concealment from your amateur sharpshooter is better than nothing.
>From there, you can breach the house and eliminate the threat, one way or another.
>Now that you think of it, you’re pretty sure that guy didn’t lock his door.
>It’s a risky plan, but staying here is becoming riskier by the second. At least with this course of action, you have a chance at doing more than sitting around as some cunt takes pot shots at you and hoping her neighbors don’t join in.
>You sit up, pushing your back against the car again.
“I got an idea.”
>Eye, once again trying to peek out from cover, is pushed back into place by a pair of suppressive shots blasting through the rear windshield.
>”What?!”
“We make a break for the house, breach, and clear.”
>He gives you a questionable look, a meeting half way between the look you give someone when they kick your dog and one you would give someone who just shit their pants in front of you.
>”Are you stupid? Did you lose some brain cells yesterday?”
“Probably.”
>Undoubtedly.
“You got a better idea?”
>He looks away and shakes his head in frustration.
>”…No. Who goes first?”
“Both of us. If we try stagger our approach, she’ll know what’s going on and cap whoever’s second for sure.”
>He lets out an annoyed sigh.
>”God damn it… I’m gonna get shot today, I can feel it.”
“On three.”
>”Wait, one two three, or one two three go?”
“One two three, on three.”
>”Alright… alright…”
>You both get on your feet in a low crouch. Eye begins taking deep breaths, in through his nose and out through his mouth.
“Ready?”
>”Yeah, let’s just go.”
“Alright. One… two… three!”
 
>You burst out of cover, bolting as fast as you can towards the house.
>You hear the bitch upstairs fire off more shots, but you keep going.
>Stopping now will just get you killed.
>As you come to the porch, you leap up the stairs, stopping your sprint only upon slamming and compressing yourself against the wall next to the door.
>Eye does the same on the opposite side of the door.
>He looks down at his chest and limbs, checking for any wounds. Happy to see nothing out of the ordinary, he gives you a quick nod before motioning towards the door.
>Taking his hint, you reach for the nob and try it. It turns freely.
>Unlocked.
>Eye shifts his stance, crouching slightly to minimize his shape. He readies his weapon for action.
>You turn your barrel up, mimic his stance, and take a deep breath.
>He gives you another nod and you throw open the door. Weapon raised, Eye quickly storms in with you following right behind him.
>Just inside the doorway, the house opens left into a living room. About 10 feet from the door, a wall on the right opens into a room with filthy white walls and a tiled floor; likely a kitchen.
>Past that, it’s just a hallway with three doorways. One on the far right, two on the left.
>There looks to be a gap between the two on the left. Maybe that’s the staircase?
>Eye swings left into a filthy living room, sweeping left to right through the room for anyone, his weapon out in front of him.
>You follow him into the living room, quickly sweeping your right flank before turning around to post up and watch the doorways for any movement.
>In just a few short seconds, you feel a firm slap on your shoulder from behind, a sign that the room is clear.
>You quickly and quietly step off, pointing your weapon down the hallway.
>As you move up, you get a better view of the gap. It is indeed a stairwell.
>You’ll have to keep an eye on it, or that bitch upstairs will get the drop on you.
>You reach the kitchen and pivot inside, sweeping the room with your handgun for any would-be assailants as you turn.
>The room is sparsely furnished enough for you to tell at a glance there’s no one here.
>Just a shitty dinner table and counter tops with stacks of dirty, roach-covered plates of half-eaten food and trash.
>Fucking animals.
>Just as you turn back, the house shakes with the footsteps of someone quickly moving about upstairs, directly above you.
>They pause after a loud slam before continuing on, away from your direction.
>You move back towards Eye, who’s positioned himself at the doorway watching down the hall.
>Just as you reach out and give him the signal to move, the heavy footsteps, heading back in your direction. Only, much louder and less muffled.
>Eye holds his position, not budging an inch.
>You peek out around him and down the hall.
>The footsteps rapidly become louder and louder. Just as you realize where the sound is coming from, the dark red woman comes bounding down the stairs.
>”Crim! The cops are right-“
>She nearly slams herself into the wall as she reaches the floor, turning on a dime towards you.
>Immediately, she notices you and recoils, tripping backwards over her own feet.
>”-SHIT!”
>”HANDS UP!”
“DROP THE-“
>The red girl falls on her rear, but never loses sight of you and Eye. As she attempts to quickly get back to her feet, she raises her pistol, firing wildly in your general direction.
>As Eye returns fire, you lean out around him just enough to fire your own barrage of rounds.
>Acting out of pure muscle memory, you neglect your sights. With her mere feet away, you don’t really need them.
>You point your barrel at her center of mass and fire.
>One.
>Two.
>Three.
>Four.
>Multiple rounds slam into her chest and stomach, rocking her body with each impact.
>Before she could even get to her feet, she was already on her way back down to the floor.
>Splayed out on her back, her fiery disposition melts away, leaving her a writhing, moaning, red mess on the floor.
>You both watch her for a moment, looking for any sign of further retaliation.
>In a poor attempt to save herself, she weakly reaches to her chest, the gun slipping from her limp fingers.
>You hear her breathing become strained as crimson streams leak from her body.
>She’s not getting back up.
>You tap Eye again. After a second’s hesitation, he cautiously steps forward, past the door on his left and down the hall.
>You lower your weapon as he crosses your line of fire, shifting it to the door on the left as he advances.
>As he crosses the stairway, he points his weapon up the stairs, ready for another gunman.
>There must be no one there; he continues his creep forward.
>He reaches the red girl. She reaches up to Eye with a bloodied hand, desperately begging for help. You can see the fear and pain in her eyes.
>Her life slipping away.
>Eye quickly glances down at her from his watch on the hallway doors in front of him.
>He simply kicks the handgun out of her reach before stepping back.
>As he takes a single step back toward you, you hear a heavy thump from behind the door in front of you.
>Eye stops and focuses on the door. An instant later, more muffled footsteps begin to head your way.
>Suddenly, the door is flung open towards you, bouncing it off the wall. Two figures emerge from the top of a dark stairwell.
>First, the pale young man from the door, wielding a Mac-10.
>He steps out from the door and into the hall, taking notice of Eye and his dying companion right away.
>The second figure remains in the doorframe, partially obscured. You only catch sight of a tangelo skin holding a Beretta.
>Is that…?
>”Cherry, wha-“
>”DROP THE WEAPONS!”
“GET DOWN!”
>”Y-you shot my-“
>”GET ON THE FUCKING FLOOR!”
>The tangelo arm drops his weapon and raises his hand.
>The figure takes a step back and accidentally kicks the door away from him, revealing a male with a head of green hair, partially covered with a grey beanie.
>Well, what do you know? He looks an awful lot like someone you’ve been looking for.
>With the second figure disarmed, you shift your aim over to the first.
>”Come on, Crim… J-just drop it, look at her, she’s-“
>”You FUCKING PIGS!”
>Crim attempts to quickly raise his machine pistol.
>Five.
>Six.
>With split second timing, you put a pair of 9x19 into his gut.
>He drops the gun and staggers forward a step before falling and slamming his head against the carpeted first step of the stairwell.
>Eleven rounds left.
>His companion screams and turns to run, only to be met with a warm barrel in his face.
>He immediately raises his arms again and tries backpedals away from you.
>”P-p-p-please, man, don’t shoot, I-I-I’m sorry, I-“
“Get. Down.”
>Breaking away from the panic, he slowly drops to his knees and lays down on the filthy, stained carpet.
“Hands on your head.”
>He cautiously complies.
“Good. Don’t fucking move.”
>You glance back to Eye, who is already sliding the twos weapons away from Crim.
>Crim has rolled onto his uninjured side, clutching at his wounds and staring down the hall at the red girl.
>The girl lays still, save for her rising chest and rapid wheezing for air.
>”C’mon, Cherry… just hang on, everything’s gonna be fine.”
>Keeping his eyes and weapon on Crim, Eye pulls his mic to his mouth.
>”Dispatch, this is Sierra-57. Alert the EMT’s, we have two wounded suspects here. Looks like one’s suffering from tension pneumothorax; she’s not looking too hot. Over.”
>As he finishes speaking, you can hear the faint sound of police sirens wailing in the distance.
>Just a little longer until help is here.
>”Sierra-57, we copy. EMTs have been alerted and are on their way. Out.”
>With Eye covering Crim, you holster your weapon to and bend down over your captive to cuff him.
>You pull a pair of cuffs off your belt and slap one around his left wrist before pulling it down to the base of his back.
“Timber Spruce?”
>You snatch up his right arm and guide it down towards the other to finish giving him his new pair of matching bracelets.
>”Y-yeah? Ow!”
>Bingo bango.
>This whole thing’s turned into a clusterfuck, but at least you know that he won’t be getting out of this.
>His friends won’t, either.
>You rise, redraw your firearm, and turn towards Eye.
“Hey, cuff him. I got you covered.”
>Without breaking his watch over Crim, he nods, holsters his glock, and roughly rolls Crim onto his stomach.
>Forcefully, Eye jerks his arms into place along his back before putting him in chains.
>You hear Crim mutter something, but you can’t quite make it out.
>As Eye rises up from the gunman, he meets your eyes.
>”Check these other rooms,” he points behind him with a thumb as he redraws his weapon, “I’ll watch these clowns.”
>Yeah, you should probably do that right away.
>Last thing you need is to be standing in the middle of a hallway like this with another on of these shitheads hiding out behind you.
“Right.”
>As you move toward the last two doors, Eye steps back and positions himself just behind the wheezing girl with his eyes and barrel directed toward the stairs.
>As you move past the girl, you take a brief look at her.
>You count seven entry wounds, six of them on her torso alone.
>Four holes in her abdomen. Two, tightly grouped, right around her stomach, the other two a few inches below on opposite sides of her navel.
>Another two holes on the right side of her chest, right where one of her lungs should be.
>The seventh and final hole in her right shoulder.
>Moving up to her face, you immediately notice tracheal deviation to the left side of her neck.
>Her red color seems to have dulled somewhat.
>It sounds like she can barely breathe at this point, as well.
>Despite everything, she continues to fight and cling to life.
>But you can tell already. She’s not going to make it.
>Shitty way to go, but what can you do?
>She asked for this.
>You move on, refocusing yourself on your task.
>Nearing the end of the hall, you come to the last two doors on this floor, one on each side of the wall.
>You see a light shining from underneath the door on the left. Seems like the dirty carpet transitions to another tile floor at the doorframe.
>Maybe it’s a bathroom?
>You can’t tell much about the door on the right. No light or other clues as to what’s on the other side.
>You’re gonna start with the left one first.
>You push up against the wall, ready your weapon, and reach for the knob.
>Let’s see what’s behind door number one…
>You twist and push the door open, revealing an absolutely disgusting bathroom illuminated by the bright sunlight shining in through a window across from you.
>Just below the window is a toilet with it’s seat up, revealing a multitude of stains and marks in various shades of brown.
>Flanking the stained porcelain throne on it’s left is a pile of towels. On it’s right, a small, overflowing trashcan.
>A dirty bathtub lines the left wall. With the shower curtain already with pulled back, you can tell no one is hiding in there.
>On the right wall there is nothing more than a simple sink, it’s bowl covered with short, red hairs and some sort of dried, blue cream; toothpaste, you’d guess.
>You lean in just enough to peak around the door.
>Nobody hiding in the corner. Room’s clear.
>You back out and shut the door before gagging internally.
>You’re not the cleanest guy in the world but… eeugh. You’ve seen porta-potties that look better than that.
>The sound of sirens in the distance grows louder as you move over to the other door.
>You push open the door and look inside.
>The room is dark, too dark to see much. You can see the faint light of a curtained window on the other side of the room.
>You quickly reach across your body and slam your hand into the wall, urgently feeling for a light switch.
>Luckily, you find one almost immediately and flip on the lights.
>Light springs forth from a single bulb hanging from the middle of the ceiling, revealing a messy, sparsely furnished bedroom and closet.
>A bare queen-sized mattress is pushed into the corner in front of you with nothing more than a couple of pillows and a comforter tossed on top of it.
>In the far corner of the room, a dresser, it’s drawers half open with various garments hanging out. An overturned clothes hamper lies next to it.
>The only other things in the room are a bean bag chair pushed against the hallway wall and the bong next to it.
>You step into the room and move towards the open closet.
>You pull the door entirely open and inspect the inside. Just more clothes. No one hiding inside.
>Good, the first floor is safe, relatively speaking.
>As you turn to move out of the room, the sound of the sirens die.
>Tires squeal as a car comes to a sudden halt. Red and blue lights flash against the wall at the end of the hallway.
>Two more screeches from tires. Multiple doors slamming shut. Too many at once to count.
>Finally!
>You rush back into the hallway and put your eyes toward the front door.
>You see a group of officers, three in total, sprinting towards the house with weapons drawn.
>Stitches leads the charge, followed by two others you know by name.
>Blue Falcon and Greenhorn.
>You’ll never understand why Chief paired the rookie up with that shitbag.
>Behind them, a white-skinned man with an athletic build runs along after them, his tan trench coat billowing behind him.
>Pistol in his right hand, his left holding his fedora to his head.
>Fucking Detective Armor and his Dick Tracy cosplay.
 >Shit, everyone is showing up to this party.
>Well, you did want to talk to him.
“Looks like the cavalry’s here.”
>”It’s about time.”
>Stitches and crew storm into the house. The building shakes so much from the movement, it feels like it may very well collapse on top of you.
>She slows, taking note of Eye pulling security. She peaks into the open door and the stairwell before looking to the both of you.
>”Hey, You guys alright? Sitrep?” she asks quietly.
“Fine. Ground floor is cleared, haven’t checked upstairs or the basement. We bagged Timber along with two other-“
>”One.” Eye interrupts.
>You give Eye a quick questioning look before glancing back at Cherry.
>She lies still with unfocused eyes, her mouth agape as if still gasping for breath.
>Figures.
>As you turn back, you take notice of how Crim has buried his face into the carpet.
>You can just barely make out the shine of tears on his cheek.
“-One wounded suspect. Look’s like they had a hostage or captive upstairs.”
>”A hostage? What the fuck…” Stitches shakes her head in disbelief.
>“We’re gonna move up. Grab someone and take the basement.”
>She nods in confirmation to Eye and turns to look at her options.
>In your opinion, you’d find all candidates lacking.
>”Armor. Ever been in a shootout?”
 >”No, but I-“
>”Go grab the first aid kit out of my car and do what you can for this kid before he bleeds out. Falcon, you’re with him. Greenhorn, behind me; I got point.”
>Armor gives you and your team an uncomfortable look before turning and jogging out the door.
>”Are you serious? You’re gonna take the rookie over a vet like me?”
>”Yuuup. He’s gotta stop being a rookie sometime.”
>Annoyed, Falcon scowls at Stitches. Just to push him further, she gives him an angelic smile back.
>Greenhorn awkwardly slides away from falcon to Stitches’ side.
>Falcon’s the better pick. More experience, but… well, you can’t really blame Stitches for not wanting to trust her life to that sleazeball.
>Shit, you’re kind of surprised she didn’t just go in alone.
>”Mouse,” Eye calls out to you, “let’s go. I’ll take point.”
>Right. That girl could be hurt. You need to find her ASAP.
>As Stitches and the rookie descend into the basement, you quickly step over to Eye and give him a pat.
>Without a second’s hesitation, he steps over the bleeding criminal moving up the stairs, weapon raised.
>You hope the rest of the house is clear. You haven’t heard anyone else moving around, and four people in a house like this is rapidly approaching overly crowded by your standards.
>You steel yourself for the worst-case scenario and step after your teammate, ready to bring an end to this.