>Your alarm clock goes off at 7AM as usual. For obvious reasons, you forgot to turn it off
>With Dash between you and the clock, you can't quite reach it
>*SLAM*
>With the swing of her fist she shuts off the alarm, probably permanently
"Thanks"
>She groans as her eyes slowly drift shut
>...
>* RIIIIING*
"I think that's yours"
>Dash: "Ugh... damn it"
>She crawls out of bed and finds her dress still lying on the floor
>She removes her phone from the pocket. Answering it seems to be a struggle for her, still trying to wake up
>Dash: "yeah?... I'm at Rarity's place, I spent the night... I went to the dance, remember?... yeah, I'm okay, just tired... alright, I'll be home later"
>She hangs up, then turns her phone off for good measure
"Rarity's place?"
>Dash: "You wanna call my grandpa back and tell him we slept together?"
"... my lips are sealed"
>She lets out a yawn before crawling back into bed
>...
>Dash: "You can't sleep, can you"
"Nope"
>Dash: "Me either"
>Well so much for getting your rest
>You have to climb over her to get out of bed
>Dash: "Where are you going?"
"I'm going to take a quick shower. I'll leave the door unlocked, so if you need anything just come get me"
>Dash: "Alright, I'm going to try and get some rest"
>She pulls the covers over herself, gets comfortable, and falls back asleep
 
>You close the bathroom door, get undressed, and turn on the shower
>The water usually takes forever to heat up, you end up getting in while it's barely tolerable
>After about five minutes you hear the door creak open. You can't see through the curtain but you can assume who it is
"Dash? Is that you?"
>Dash: "Yeah, it's me"
"Need something?"
>Dash: "Kind of... I need you"
"What for?"
>Dash: "..."
>When she doesn't respond you peek out from behind the shower curtain
>She's standing there rubbing her arm, awkwardly staring at the ground like she's looking for something to say
>Oh yeah, and she's naked
>.... Oh, that was her trying to be playful and sexy
>Either you're completely oblivious or she's just really awkward
>Probably both
"Come on, get in here"
>She carefully steps into the shower
"The water's not too cold, is it?"
>Dash: "No, it's fine"
>She'd be more convincing if she wasn't already shivering
"Don't worry, it'll heat up in a minute"
>She snuggles up against you, acting like she's doing it out of love and not to use you as a shield from the water
>Well, you're used to cold water so you let her
>Dash: "hey Anon..."
>She looks up at you and whispers "maybe we can make it a little hotter on our own"
>Her second attempt at seduction, much more effective
"What did you have in mind?"
>She just winks
>Pressing her body against you, she slips one leg between yours. You can feel her prickly pubic area rubbing against your thigh
>Does it still count as "dry-humping" if you're in the shower?
>Whatever you call it, it's working
>Even an ice bath couldn't stop you from rising to the occasion
>Dash: "A little too excited aren't you?"
"You're one to talk, I bet there's more than just water running down my leg"
>Dash: "Not if you're going to make me do all the work here"
>Realizing she's got a point, you consider your options
>Something new
>Something she's not expecting...
>Got it
>You start kissing her on the lips, putting your arms around her. Just as she opens her mouth, hoping for your tongue, you move your kisses down to her neck. She starts running her fingers through your hair. Slowly, you start kneeling down, not ceasing kissing her body, pausing just as your face is between her breasts. She instinctively pushes your head downward, waiting for you to move to her crotch
>But that's not happening
>Instead, you move over towards her breast and kiss her erect nipple, before gently sucking it
>They were already erect from the cold water, making it easier for you to o your job
>She gasps out loudly, probably from surprise and not because she liked it that much
>She starts playing with her other side, roughly groping herself and flicking her nipple around. With her other hand, she presses your face into her like she's trying to suffocate you
>Okay, maybe she did enjoy it that much
>You push her active hand away and do exactly as she was, letting yourself take full responsibility of pleasing her
>With nothing else for her hands to do, she slips her fingers between her legs. Even with her own fingers inside herself, she still humps your leg, using you to push them in an out
>The water has to started to reach a reasonable temperature
>Dash: "Anon..."
"Yeah?"
>Dash: "I want you to- AAH!"
>You gently bite her nipple, which seems to cut her off
"You were saying?"
>Dash: "I want- mmh!"
>You do it again
>She seems to really like it
"Sorry what was that"
>You gently nibble her tit, while she struggles to speak through her gasping
>Dash: "I-I want you t-to fuck me!"
>The fact that she was able to say it out loud like that means she must be desperate
>You can feel the steam rising in the room
>You move the wet clumps of hair from her face before kissing her once again. This time, you welcome her tongue into your mouth, and your hands find their way back to her chest
>As her hand starts massaging the growing appendage between your legs, yours do the same with her soft breasts. Though admittedly small in size, there's a certain attractiveness to them that you can't resist
>Between toying wit her tongue in your mouth and her small nipples with your fingers, you seem to get lost
>It throws you off when she breaks away from the kiss
>Dash: "Anon, please"
>She grabs your hand and guides it down her wet body and between her legs
>Oh yeah, she has a vagina too
>Her body eagerly and gladly welcomes your intruding fingers
>Once you start pumping your fingers in and out of her, she resumes the kiss, even letting out a quiet moan under her breath
>The again, since it only takes one hand to finger her, you continue groping her with the other
>Every part of her body seems to be enjoying this moment
>Her pussy tightens around your fingers every time you try to pull them out. Her tongue wrestles with yours like an aggressive puppy. Her nipples poke out in a way that almost begs you to play with them
>Dash's grip on your dick loosens. She steps back towards the wall of the shower, turns around, and sticks her ass out, resting on the wall with her hands
>Dash: "I can't wait any longer"
>You approach her, gently grabbing her from behind before thrusting your cock into her
>A little abrupt but it worked
>As you pump in and out of her, dripping water splashing between your hips with every impact. You're cautious not to move too fast, you've slipped on this shower floor one too many times to not know your lesson
>Of course, that goes out the window pretty quickly. Once you start to move faster you can feel her start to wobble. At first you think it's the slippery floor, but then you realize she's only balancing herself on the wall with one hand
>It's not unheard of for her to touch herself during sex, rubbing her clitoris while you fuck her
>But her hand isn't anywhere near her crotch
>It's at her chest
"You okay Dash?"
>Dash: "Y-Yeah, just don't stop"
>You lean over her a little more to get better look, and sure enough, she's playing with her own breast, squeezing and flicking her nipple. And she's enjoying it
>You should let her carry on in peace. To bring it up now would most likely embarrass her, and that's no way to treat the girl you love
>Dash: "... h-Hey! What are you doing?"
"Nothing, Dashie"
>You reached for the other side of her chest, teasing it the way she is doing to herself
"Should I stop?"
>Dash: "...."
>No response
>So you continue to play with her tit. Leaning over like this makes it a struggle to keep your balance, but Dash sure loves it, and that's what matters
>Dash: "A-Anon... stop for a sec"
>Well you thought she did
>You pull your hand away and back away so you're no longer leaning over her, but you continue moving
>Dash: "I meant stop everything"
>You stop moving and pull out, and she turns to face you
"Did I do something wrong?"
>Dash: "No, of course not. It's just that... do you really like my boobs THAT much?"
"Well, yeah. Kind of"
>When a girls asks that, there's really no good answer
>But to your surprise, she's happy with your response. Otherwise she wouldn't have that embarrassed half-smile of hers that always gives you a heart attack from cuteness
>Dash: "W-Well, do you wanna do more with them?"
"More like what?"
>Dash: "You know..."
"Actually I don't know"
>Dash: "Well you should, I found it on your computer earlier"
>What
>Dash: "... and a whole lot of it"
>You really need to start hiding your porn folder
>She kneels down, beckoning you closer and closer until your penis is pressed up against her, right at chest level. After a few nudges and adjustments, little Anon finds a snug home right down her cleavage
>Pressing her small breasts together with her hands, she quickly realizes that this is nothing like one of your Japanese animes
>Not with those small (but still perfect) B-cups of hers
>Regardless, she follows through with her plan, bouncing her breasts up and down, trying to squish your dick between them
"I'm not sure that-"
>Dash: "-Shush! I can do this!"
>Her eyes are filled with a lustful determination,a look that you can't help but find irresistible. And you doubting her only seems to make her try even harder
>The hot water raining down makes her already warm body that much warmer. Sliding between her soft, slippery breasts feels pretty good
>But the look in her eyes, the determination, the desire; it's absolutely irresistible, it makes the sensation all the more amazing. Hell, you might actually be getting dizzy
>Realizing that she's doing something right, Dash decided to be a little more adventurous
>She holds your dick out in front of her and pokes it into her left breast, rubbing it around until you run over her nipple
>Your cock twitches when you feel the little bump
>Dash: "So are you enjoying it so far?"
"Just keep going"
>You barely manage to stutter that out
>She smiles triumphantly, continuously rubbing your head over her tits, taking extra time teasing you with her nipples. It's hard to tell how long this has been going on, because the shower rinses off any traces of precum you left trailing across her chest
>Mental note: Do this again outside of the shower
>It must have been a while though
>Your legs start to tremble, feeling weak
>You feel a far-too-familiar tingle building up, and the more your dick twitches in anticipation, you don't even have to give Dash a heads-up. She can just tell
>You've trained her well
"Dash..."
>Dash: "I know"
>Immediately, she returns your cock to it's position between her breasts and begins massaging you
>Though you missed the feeling of her little bumps rubbing against your head, she substitutes it for her tongue gently lapping at you
>She takes as much of you into her mouth as she can, though not flexible enough to really get past the head
>It's all you really need
>The warmth of her mouth, the rough texture of her tongue slowly swirling around your cock, her slippery breasts massaging you on either side
>You can tell you're at your limit, so you do the most sensible thing at the moment
>You pull away
>You pull away, letting your cock pop out of her mouth, spraying strand after strand of your cum onto her face and with a little careful aim, onto her tits
>She flinches as if you just shot at her
>Then again, you kind of just did
>It was really the most intense orgasm you've had in a long time. You feel your legs getting weak, no, your whole body getting weak...
>Then you black out
 
>Dash: "... Anon? Are you awake?"
>Dash is standing over you, wearing the sweater you gave her last night
"... I think so. What happened?"
>You struggle to get up, but she urges that you stay lying on the bed
>Come to think of it, when did you get to your bed?
>Dash: "I take it you're not used to exercising in the heat"
"Why? What happened?"
>You remember doing it in the shower, and the heat making you dizzy, but not much... other than it being awesome
>Dash: "You passed out from exhaustion after you... you know, on me"
>You do recall catching a glimpse of Dash looking up at you, the water slowly rinsing your cum from her face before everything went dark
>Mental note: Do this again outside of the shower. Take pictures
"Did you carry me to bed?"
>Dash: "Yeah. I had to dress you too"
>All you're wearing is your boxers
"This is what you call dressed?"
>Dash: "W-Well I had to make sure you stayed cool, didn't want to wrap you up too much. Heat exhaustion, you know?"
>... yeah, sure
>She's gotten better at bullshitting
"So can I ask you one quick question?"
>Dash: "Sure"
"When you came into the bathroom, was doing all that part of your plan?"
>Dash: "No, not really. I was going to do something else, but then you did that thing with your mouth, and it just... got me in the mood"
"So what we're you going to do?"
>Dash: "... I'll save it for another time"
>She crawls into bed next to you, her still damp hair feeling providing a relieving coolness against your skin as she hugs you tightly
 
>And just now, it occurs to you
>She went through your porn folder at least once, and most likely again while you were passed out
>She knows all of your fetishes
>All of them
 
>You wake up several hours later, after having fallen back asleep
>Dash had taken the liberty to snuggle up next to you under the covers while you were asleep, though you can’t really say against your will
>You try to sit up without disturbing her, but she still wakes
>She rubs her eyes as she slowly gets up. She’s still wearing that baggy old sweater you let her borrow, which is way too big on her. Her hair is a mess, which is perfectly normal seeing as how she just woke up, but it still surprises you
>The fact that the sporty, athletic, tomboy Rainbow Dash could be so adorable
>Dash: “Morning Nonny”
>You glance over at the alarm clock
>1pm
“I’d hardly call it morning”
>She looks at the clock
>Dash: “True. At least I got some sleep though”
"Yeah, about half a day's worth. Didn't you tell your grandpa this morning that you'd be home a long time ago?"
>Dash: "Yeah, kind of"
>She lays back down
"Still tired?"
>Dash: “No, I just don’t feel like going home yet”
"Then don't, stay as long as you like"
>Dash: "Really?"
"Sure, why not"
>Deciding to take you up on your offer she sits up next to you
"Though maybe you should at least stop by at home for a bit and change clothes. You've been wearing nothing but my sweater since last night"
>Dash: "Don't worry. I'll make sure to wash it before I give it back-"
"-Don't worry, keep it"
>Dash: "You sure?"
"Yeah, it looks good on you"
> Her reaction is delayed
>First nothing. Then a little smile. Then a little blush.
>Then all at once, she tackles you into a hug tight enough to suffocate you, loudly thanking you over and over again. You fall back onto the bed
>As cute as she is, it doesn't change the fact that she's strong, really strong.
>And it doesn't change the fact that she still doesn't have clean clothes to wear
>Finally, she jumps up out of the bed, taking the sweater off to get dressed
>She puts her dress back on and ties the sweater around her waist
>After throwing some other clothes on, you walk with her to the front door to see her out
"You know your way back home right?"
>Dash: "Pretty sure. What do you want to do when I get back?"
"I was thinking that maybe we could have lunch or something, seeing as how it's already afternoon and we haven't eaten all day"
>Dash: "I like the way you think. What are you going to make?"
"Actually, I was thinking we could go out somewhere. There's a lot of really good restaurants nearby"
>Dash: "Go out to eat?"
"That's what I said"
>Dash: "You mean like... like a date?"
>It never really occurred to you until now, but you've never really taken Dash out on a date, just the two of you
>Unless of course asking her to the dance counted, which it didn't
>What the hell kind of boyfriend are you
"Yeah, just like a date"
>Dash: "... Sure, sounds fun, See you in a bit"
>She waves goodbye and heads off down the street
>Looking down at yourself, you realize you should probably get dressed in something better too
>For some reason, you expected a lot more spaghetti dropage from her just now
>Maybe she's getting over awkwardness
>Good for her
 
>Be Rainbow Dash
>As soon as you round the corner out of sight from Nonny's apartment you take your phone out and turn it back on
>Nonny just asked you out on a date. Like, a real date with just the two of you. The dance didn't really count, all your friends were there. But this time, it's no friends. Just you and him...
>You're about to have a heart attack
>Once your phone is on you call Rarity
>You're going to need some advice
 
>Be Rainbow Dash
>As soon as you were done on the phone with Rarity you hauled ass back home
>Not fast enough for gramps apparently
>Gramps: "Where the hell have you been? I thought you were coming home hours ago"
"Sorry, I meant to come home sooner but I was so tired"
>Gramps: "You're dad would kill you if he knew you were out all night"
"Well it's not like I was sleeping in the streets or anything, I was at Rarity's place"
>Gramps: "Well hurry and clean yourself up. You reek of sweat and you look a total mess"
>He's never really been a gentle talker
>Then again, he does have a point. You're wearing the same dress you wore last night; the only difference is it's more wrinkled after spending the night thrown on the floor. Not to mention how you hurried home in it today, you petty much mixed in fresh sweat in with the old sweat from last night's dancing and drunken sex
>Don't exactly look like a rainbow or smell like a bowl of skittles
>First thing's first, you take a shower
>The shower at Anon's place didn't really get you any cleaner
 
>While in the shower, gramps starts calling out your name. When he doesn't stop you double-time getting yourself cleaned up
>After drying yourself off you step out of the bathroom, with nothing but a towel around you to cover up
"Alright alright, what do you want?"
>Gramps: "The commie's here to see you"
>Rarity steps out from behind him
>Rarity: "Is this a bad time"
>Yes it is, you're naked. But you do need her help, and you did ask her to come by...
"No, it's fine. Come on"
>You take Rarity back to your room
>When you get to your room, Rarity sits on your bed
>Rarity: "He's never going to warm up to me, is he?"
"Don't take it personal, he doesn't like anyone"
>You drop the towel and start getting yourself dressed. As you put your bra on you're interrupted by Rarity jumping up and groping you from behind. Your boobs are a little sore from earlier
"What the hell are you doing?"
>Rarity: "Hmm... "
>She pulls her hands away and sits back down
"I think you need to size up again"
>Damn it, you just did a month ago
>Ignoring it, you continue getting dressed
>Rarity: "So does your grandpa know about your date today?"
>You shush her
"he doesn't even know that I have a boyfriend"
>Rarity: "really? why not?"
"if he knew about me and Anon he'd kill him. especially if he knew about... everything"
>Rarity makes a zipper motion across her lips
>When you're finished dressing you present yourself
"So, how do I look?"
>She says nothing
"... What?"
>She shakes her head
"Too casual?"
>She sighs
>Maybe you should have asked Fluttershy for help
>Rarity: "Well, its... nice. But if this is for Anon you ant to look better than nice, right?"
"Yeah, I guess, but-"
>Rarity: "-No excuses! It's my job to make sure you look absolutely perfect!"
>Well, she's got enthusiasm
>After rummaging around in your closet, she picks something out
>Rarity: "Here, try this"
>After trying it on she decides it's not "perfect" either, so she puts you in something else
>She puts you through a whole damn fashion show, turning your closet inside out before deciding on an outfit for you, a nice red blouse, not too fancy but still nice, with black shorts, and long black socks up to your knees
"You're sure I look good in this?"
>Rarity: "Trust me darling you look magnificent. Or 'awesome', as you'd probably put it"
>You look at yourself all over, really getting a sense of what you're wearing. You do look pretty damn awesome
"Yeah, you're right"
>For once her picky sense of fashion may save you
>Rarity: "So where is the date going to be?"
"We haven't even decided yet. He just told me there's some nice places around"
>Rarity: "Well do you have an idea of where you might be going?"
"Nice try, you're not coming along"
>Her pout says you hit the nail right on the head
>On your way out, you grab Anon''s sweater, which was balled up by your pillow
>Rarity: "Dash, wait"
"What?"
>Rarity: "Don't you have a sweater that's not so... worn out?"
"This is Anon's sweater, but he told me this morning I could keep it, so I thought I'd wear it"
>She doesn't seem pleased at all
>Rarity: "I'm sure it means a lot. It's just so old and faded, it makes your whole outfit look a little... well, no offense, sloppy"
"Well tough luck, I'm taking it. Besides, it's actually really warm and comfy"
>You quickly put it on, unzipped and open. The sleeves are long enough to cover up your hands to your fingertips. Then you head out, showing Rarity out with you
>As far as gramps is concerned, you're heading back to her place
 
 
"Sorry for the wait Anon, I didn't take too long did I?"
>Anon: "No, not at all"
>He's waiting for you outside his front door, tapping his finger on the wall with the same expression he had when you met him at the cafe last night
>Yup, he's lying
"Are you sure?"
>Anon: "Well you did kind of take two hours, but it was worth it"
>The second half of that statement was almost sweet enough to make you ignore the first half
>He tries to take your and, but ends up with a handful of sleeve. So instead, he puts his arm around your shoulders
"So anyways, where are we going?"
>Anon: "What are you in the mood for?"
"Doesn't matter, whatever you have in mind"
>Anon: "We can go anywhere really, it doesn't matter to me"
"Anywhere's fine with me too"
>The two of you are stuck in this situation, the whole "I don't know where do you want to go" endless loop, and you both realize it
>You start walking together towards no specific place, figuring you'll decide on the way
 
>He's awkwardly staring at you the whole way there. You decide to ask him about it
"Is everything okay?"
>Anon: "I'm fine. You just look great today"
"Even with your old worn-out sweater?"
>Anon: "Looks a lot better on you than it did on me"
>You put your arm around his waist and pull yourself closer to his side
"Thanks. You look great too"
>He smiles
>Victory
>Anon: "Thanks Dashie"
>Sometimes you wonder if he calls you that just to gauge your reaction... jokes on him, that just makes it a double victory
 
>Not far down the street there's a big outdoor plaza with a bunch of different restaurants, like a big food court
>There's a sushi bar that looks closed at the moment, probably having something to do with the big red board nailed to the door, with bold letters that read "PUBLIC HEALTH NOTICE"
>Next door is an Italian place with a window sign that boasts having the best spaghetti in town, claiming it's "out of this world"
>A little further down there's a barbeque place with an intoxicating scent wafting over
>In the middle of the parking lot is a Mexican food truck, with a long line being held up by a blue-haired girl at the front loudly demanding more tacos
>There's a McDonald's too, don't they have a dollar menu?
>Anon: "See anything in particular?"
"Well... "
>You wouldn't mind getting dirty with some BBQ ribs... but that Italian place does make an interesting statement
>Yup, you've made up your mind
"How do you feel for some spaghetti?"
>Taking each other's hands you head into the Italian restaurant, Ampliare Pene
>The host is a young looking guy, probably just a few years older than you and Anon. He tells you that the wait shouldn't be long, they're clearing up a table now
>The two of you stand against the wall waiting for them to call you up. There's another couple waiting outside the restaurant
>Before you can really think too much, the host calls you up and takes you to your table
 
>You got a booth along the wall by a window. A minute or two later the waiter shows up to take your drink orders
"Just water is fine"
>Anon: "I'll have coffee"
>He leaves and the two of you look over the menu
>Anon: "You have an idea of what you're getting?"
"Not sure, do you?"
>Anon: "The pasta's definitely worth trying. It's what I usually get"
"So you come here often?"
>Anon: "Sometimes, but not usually with another person... scratch that, never with another person"
"You mean you go out to eat alone?"
>Anon: "Yeah, I was THAT guy. At least I got a few free sympathy deserts out of it though"
>Damn, you actually feel bad for him
>Even before you had him, you would go out to eat with the girls, never by yourself
"Well you don't have to be that guy anymore"
>You reach your hand out across the table for his. A simple gesture, but it gets a smile out of him. Out of both of you
>Just then, the waiter arrives with your drinks and a basket of complimentary breadsticks, just in time to ruin the moment
>Then he takes your orders. You order the spaghetti and meatballs in a four cheese tomato sauce, sounds really good right about now. Anon simply says "make that two"
>Once the waiter's gone, you try to think of a way to restore that moment, that feeling of happiness that makes you forget that anyone else was even in the room, like the rest of the world doesn't even matter
>...
>Nope. Nothing. He ruined the moment
>Someone's not getting a tip
>Less than a minute after he's gone Anon had emptied his cup of coffee
"Already?"
>Anon: "I needed it. Had to skip my morning coffee because someone kept me busy"
"Hey, just for the record that was all your idea"
>You know just as much as he does how wrong that is
>Anon: "Pretty sure it was yours"
"That's not how I remember it"
>Anon: "Are you remembering the same morning?"
>Initiate damage control
 
"Let's just agree that it was a mutual idea"
>Anon: "But it was all you-"
"-So anyways have you tried these breadsticks? They look good"
>You immediately grab one and stuff it in your mouth, trying to change the subject
>He's quietly laughing
>Anon: "Regardless, I'm sure the next time it will be all my idea"
"Next time?"
>Anon: "Of course. Let's face it that was too awesome to be a one-time thing"
>You nearly choke on the last of the breadstick, but manage to force it down
"... so that good, huh?"
>He smiles
>Anon: "Dashie, everything you do is awesome"
>You can't tell if he's teasing you again or being sincere, so you have no idea how to respond
>He reaches across the table for your hand again, lacing his fingers with yours
>Yup, it's sincere
>You try to come up with a response
>You know, something sweet, something romantic
>...
>*BUMP*
>Anon: "Did you just kick me?"
>Yeah, that's the best you got
"It was more of a tap"
>He quietly chuckles. He knows what that 'tap' means
>An acceptable substitute for punching him in the arm
>It's really something special that such a small gesture can mean so much between-
>*BUMP*
"Hey!"
>Anon: "What? It was just a tap"
>Forget love
>He just declared war
>The two of you spend the rest if the time waiting for your meals kicking each other under the table
>There's probably a lot of people staring at you
>But fuck it, you're having fun
>The kick fight halts when the waiter came by to refill Anon's coffee
>After assuring that your food should be out shortly, he leaves you be, and as soon as he's gone Anon makes the first shot
>Go time
>In your attempt to retaliate you accidentally kick the table stand. The table rattles, nearly making his coffee almost spill over and knocking your utensils on the floor
>Maybe you shouldn't have left them on he edge
>Anon: "Smooth"
>You get down to pick them up, and while peeking under the table, you notice he's sitting with his legs abnormally wide open, even for a guy
>...
>Target locked
>You toss your utensils on the opposite corner of the table against the wall, making a mental note to ask for new ones. God knows when the last time they cleaned this floor
>When you sit back down you try your best to conceal your smile as you discretely kick your shoes off
>You lean back and extend your leg forward, caressing his shin with your toes a lot more gently than you have been. He notices the change in mood
>Anon: "Dash, what are you up to?"
"Nothing"
>So you say as you slide your foot up to is thigh, gently rubbing him up and down as if massaging him. It's hard to tell if he's actually liking it at first, he's too good at keeping his cool; it's a little nerve-racking You hate to rush these things, but you need to know. Your foot makes it's way between his legs, gently enough to not hurt him but quick enough to catch him off guard
>And it's still a little unclear, but there's something going on in there
>You give him a little pressure
>Anon: "Nothing, huh?"
"Is it working?"
>He doesn't say anything; his body speaks for itself
>Something's rising in there
>Victory
>Even between his pants and your socks, you can make out the shape of his thing, so you start stroking it the best you can. It seems easier than you thought it'd be
>Just one of the many things you learned about while looking through his computer
>You can feel his leg shaking
>You're doing something right, so you move just a little faster
>He always seems has the same expression when you do this stuff- trying, and failing, to not look like he's loving it
>Anon: "Hey Dash"
"Yeah?"
>Anon: "Having fun?"
"Maybe"
>Anon: "How far are you planning on taking this?"
"As far as you want to go"
>That was a sexy response right?
>He grabs your foot, sliding his thumbs between you and his body
>Maybe not so sexy after all
>He squeezes you with his thumbs, rotating them around the ball of your foot
>He's massaging you
>Maybe that was sexy after all
>You slide your heel up and down his length, a feeling you've missed for so long
>You're not quite as good at hiding your expression as he is
>You feel a tingle in your foot, that eventually spreads up between your legs
>There's no real way to explain why having your feet touched has always been so exhilarating
>Through his pants you can feel a little twitch every now and again. It makes you want to giggle every time
>He stops rubbing your foot, much to your dismay
>You try pouting, hoping to get him to continue
>A smile spreads across his face... you're not sure how you feel bout it-
"Ah- mmh!"
>You quickly stuff your face with another breadstick, trying to stifle your voice. His foot just pressed between your legs
>Part of you wishes he'd given you a heads up. Another part of you is wishing you were wearing a skirt
>He must have taken his shoes off too, because you can feel each toe rubbing your crotch up and down
>This is what, the third time you've done it in the past two days?
>And yet, this is the most exciting
>You scoot in closer and gently grind into his foot. Damn it, if only he could move his toes like his fingers
>Nevertheless, you can feel your underwear getting more and more damp by the minute
>.... And far too soon, he pulls his foot out from between your crotch, and pushes yours away
>There's no way he finished yet, you would have felt it
>But regardless, it seems he's done for now
>Damn it, you're still wet, and it's uncomfortable, really uncomfortable
>Maye you should run to the bathroom. You can't finish yourself off, but you can at least clean up a little
>Anon: "Hey Dash, the-"
"Just a second, I'll be right back"
>You jump out of your seat
>Anon: "Dash wait-"
*CRASH*
 
>Be Anon
>Dash had started some foot play with you, so you returned the favor
>But sooner than you'd have liked, you catch the waiter coming back with the two plates of spaghetti
>You had to break off the foot play, you don't want to risk getting caught in public, especially not in a good restaurant like this
>Since he's coming towards you, Dash doesn't see him approaching
"Hey Dash, the-"
>Dash: "Just a second, I'll be right back"
>She jumps out of her seat
"Dash wait-"
*CRASH*
>... just in time to collide with the waiter
>Dash stumbled back, managing to catch herself on the table
>The waiter tripped forward, falling onto his knees
>The spaghetti plates fell from his hands, making a perfect 10/10 landing
>One in your lap, the other on your head
>Both spaghetti-side down
>This could have gone better
 
>Be Rainbow Dash
>You just bumped into the waiter. He fell over but you managed to catch yourself
>Waiter: "You okay ma'am?"
"Yeah, I'm fine"
>The waiter gets to his feet and apologizes, to you first but mostly to Anon
>And that's when you glance over at Anon, his face covered in spaghetti
>...
>Well consider yourself single from now on
>The waiter rushes off to get some towels, leaving you and Anon alone together at the center of attention
>The whole restaurant is watching you trying to find the right words to say for a sincere apology
"... u-umm"
>He looks at you without saying a word. You've never seen him mad before so it's hard to tell if he is or not
"I-I didn't mean to, I'm sorry"
>Anon: "Don't be"
"I didn't do it on purpose I just-"
>Anon: "-Dash, please"
>He puts his hand up to shush you. At first, you can't tell where he's going with this
>Your palms are sweaty. You knees are weak. Your arms are heavy
>He lets out a sigh. He closes his eyes as if trying to think...
>Then, as he puts his hand down, he quietly chuckles
>Anon: "It's not the first time I've dropped my spaghetti here"
>His chuckle bursts into a full on laugh, which you awkwardly try to join in on
>After wiping off all the noodles off himself and onto one of the plates, he gets up and puts his hands on your shoulders, as if hugging you from a distance
>Anon: "It's no big deal alright?"
>He gently strokes your cheek, and you nod in acceptance
>You don't care about getting messy, you collapse into his chest and hug him tightly
>Naturally he smells like spaghetti
>At least the food smells good
>The waiter shows up with an armful of towels and starts cleaning up. He hands one to each of you, before offering to comp your meals
>You and Anon clean yourselves up as best you can, then take your seats on opposite sides of the booth
>Everyone else carries on with their business, save for the occasional awkward glance
>Anon: "Hold still"
>Not long after the heads up, the waiter comes back out with two identical plates of pasta, putting one in front of each of you, assuring you it's on the house
>It looks much more appetizing on a plate rather than in Anon's hair
>As hungry as you are you find yourself having a hard time managing your fork, your nerves still calming down
>Anon: "You okay?"
"Yeah, I think"
>He silently shakes his head, then gets up to sit on the same side as you. Taking your fork from you, he twirls it on the plate then holds it up to you
"Are you trying to feed me?"
>Anon: "Aren't you hungry?"
>You silently lean forward and take the bite
>....
>Anon snickers
>Yeah, you're probably smiling like an idiot right bout now, but damn is this the best pasta you've ever eaten. And suddenly you feel well enough to feed yourself. You take your fork back and start stuffing your face
>After a minute or two you catch Anon watching you in astonishment, which is when it suddenly dons on you that you've been eating rather... aggressively. "Uncouth" as Rarity often describes it
>In front of Anon it is a little embarrassing. As if dropping the spaghetti wasn't awkward enough
"I swear I'm not usually such a messy eater"
>Anon: "Save it Dash. I'm actually impressed"
"What?"
>Anon: "A guy's gotta love a girl who knows how to appreciate good food. Remind me to take you to that barbeque place down the street, they've got some damn good ribs"
>And Rarity said you'd never get a real date when acting so unladylike
>Suck it
 
>You both finish your food pretty quickly, and the waiter comes back with the desert menus
>Looking through it your eyes light up. Everything on here looks so delicious, even if you can't pronounce half of it
>Anon: "... I think she wants one of everything"
>He's actually right, so you close it and set it down
"You pick something Anon"
>Anon looks at you, then back down at the menu, then back at you, then back at the menu
>He holds it up to the waiter and points at something, which you can't see, and asks for two
>Anon: "And can we actually get then to-go?"
>The waiter nods, takes the menus, and heads away
"Why to-go?"
>Anon: "Sorry, but I don't want to be eating desert covered in spaghetti"
"So... does this mean that-"
>Anon: "-Yes, you're coming back to my place"
>All of a sudden you feel giddy about going back to his place
"So what did you end up getting?"
>Anon: "You'll find out"
>The waiter comes back with a small white box. He tells you everything is on the house, as an apology for earlier
>A fun date, a little under-the-table action, and now free food?
>This day just keeps getting better and better
 
>The walk back to Anon's place was pretty quick. He carries the box the whole way
>He puts the box in the fridge, then takes you back to his bedroom. The sweater seemed to get a little messy, so you take it off and you're fine. Anon, on the other hand, needs a shower
>Anon: "Oh, and Dash, try not to ambush me in the shower again"
"I'll try not to"
>He smiles
>Perhaps you finally got the whole "playful and sexy" thing down
>Anon: "And don't peek in the box either"
>With that, he heads to the bathroom, and as soon as you hear the shower running you head straight for the kitchen
>Just one peek wouldn't hurt
>Inside are two slices of cake, with white frosting and topped with a strawberry syrup and sliced strawberries
>It makes your mouth water just thinking about it
>You quickly close the box and put it back where it was, making sure it was facing the same direction and everything
>Don't want to leave any evidence
>You hurry back to his room and plop down on the bed, the way he usually does when he comes over to your place
>Your phone rings
"... Hello?"
>Rarity: "Hey Dash, hope I'm not interrupting anything"
"No, you're good. Just chilling"
>Rarity: "So what's the word, how was your date?"
"It was great, I'm at his place now-"
>"-Damn girl, are you about to get some ass!?!"
>You hear Pinkie shouting in from a distance
>You must be on speakerphone
"No no, we're just hanging out, going to have desert in a bit. Who else is there anyways?"
>Rarity: "Just me and her. So what's all this about desert?"
"It's not what you think, Anon just ordered something from the restaurant. A little strawberry cake"
>Rarity: "From that Italian place down the street?"
"Yeah, how'd you know?"
>Rarity: "Oh, I've been there plenty of times. Trust me, that cake is absolutely divine, you'll love it"
"That good, huh?"
>Pinkie: "Yeah, that good? Why didn't we pick some up earlier-"
>Rarity: "-shh!"
"What? You were there too?"
>Rarity: "Yeah, Rarity told me about your date so we went down there to check up on you. Sucks about the spaghetti thing, but don't worry we won't tell-"
>Rarity: "-Pinkie!"
"You guys were spying on us!?"
>Rarity: "Well... it was your first date and all, and we were curious. You're not... too upset are you?"
>... eh, who cares. Today was the best day ever. And at least they DID leave you two alone. Knowing that isn't going to ruin your day
>Still tough, you really need to find a way for some privacy
"You're not still following us, are you?"
>Rarity: "Of course not"
"Then it's fine, just don't tell anyone about the spaghetti thing alright?"
>Rarity: "Don't worry, our lips are sealed"
>You'll probably hear about this at school on Monday
"Good, I've got to go"
>You hang up, and quickly go through the apartment, making sure all the windows and curtains are closed just in case
 
>While checking on the windows you hear the shower shut off, and Anon steps out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist
>Anon: "Why's it so dark in here"
"Had to make sure no one is watching us"
>Anon: "Uh huh... well I'm going to get dressed. I'll check my closet for an extra tin foil helmet"
>You have no idea what that means, but you assume it's a joke. He retires to his room to get dressed
>Come to think of it, it is pretty dark in here. The only light in the whole building was coming in from the windows, and even now the sun is starting to set. You flip the light switch in the kitchen, and a single bulb flickers a few times before turning on
>Anon: "Hey it actually worked"
"Huh?"
>Anon comes back in, fully dressed
>Anon: "I swear that bulb's been half dead for almost a week, I've just been too lazy to replace it. Can you get the box from the fridge?"
>You take the box out while he grabs two plates and two forks, setting them down on the table. You set the box down
>Anon: "Go ahead, open it"
>Pulling up the lid of the box, you're just as excited to see it now as the first time
>Anon: "So what do you think?"
"Looks okay I guess..."
>You hold back your laugh and wait for his response. As soon as he looks visibly disheartened, you let yourself giggle
>Now you get why he teases you so much. It's fun
>After serving each plate with a slice of cake, you dig in. It's so delicious, the first bite makes you want to jump out of your seat. You rock back and forth in your chair, nearly falling over several times
>Anon: "So is it good?"
"The best!"
>Anon: "I had a feeling you'd like this one"
"Well your feeling was right!"
>All this excitement, all this energy, it's got you acting like a small child
>And you only took one bite
>You don't even wolf it down the way you did the pasta. With this, you slowly savor every last bite
>And yet, you still finish yours sooner than you'd have hoped
>But glancing across the table, Anon still has a few bites left
... hey Nonny?"
>Anon: "Yeah?"
"So I was thinking, today was so much fun"
>You give him your best bedroom eyes, which probably aren't very good in the first place, mostly awkward
"A-And once we're done here, we could go back to the bedroom. Maybe we can have a lot more fun... i-if you know what I mean"
>Anon: "I think I get what you mean Dashie..."
>He leans in real close to you, looking right into your eyes
>Anon: "... one bite. That's it"
>He slides his plate closer to you
>Well... it kind of worked
"For real?"
>Anon: "Yeah, for real, go ahead"
>You take just a small bite
"Thanks, you really are awesome Anon!"
>Anon: "Hey, I thought I was 'Nonny' "
>That catches you by surprise
"Well yeah, but I mean like, not always you know"
>Anon: "So then I'm not always your 'Nonny' ?"
>Where is he going with this... wait a second
"Are you saying you want me to call you that all the time?"
>Anon: "If you do then you'll always get to be my Dashie"
>... damn, he drives a hard bargain
>You scoot your chair over next to him
"Deal... Nonny"
>His arm swings around your shoulders
>Anon: "Right back at you, Dashie"
>It makes your heart skip a beat every time he calls you that
>You'll be dead by the end of the week
>There's one last bite of his cake, and you decide to let him have it. He scoops it up on his fork and raises it up... to your mouth
>You happily take that last bite
>The two of you, Dashie and Nonny, snuggle on the couch watching t.v. Or rather, flipping through the channels looking for something to watch
>Before you even realize it, the sun has gone down
>Anon- scratch that, Nonny had turned the lights on, so you had no idea how dark it had gotten
"Crap, it's getting late. I gotta get going"
>Nonny: "Do you have a ride?"
"Not really"
>Nonny: "Can't you call someone? What about your grandpa?"
"He doesn't drive. I can walk, it's fine-"
>Nonny: "-Like hell you're walking. Not this time of night"
"It's not that dark outside, I'll be fine"
>He stares at you, waiting...
>...
>... you feel a yawn coming in that you can't hold back
>Nonny: "I knew it, you're too tired to walk even if you wanted to"
"So what should I do?"
>Nonny: "Let me know when you're ready for bed, that's what you'll do"
"Wait, I'm spending the night again?"
>Nonny: "Yup"
 
>Part of you is saying you shouldn't. You can't be spending every night here, gramps is going to get pissed; not to mention it's am imposition on him. Plus, being under the same roof alone with him, with your lack of self-control it's only a matter of time before you do lewd, inappropriate things; things you shouldn't be doing
>Yeah, part of you is saying that
>The stupid part
>You call gramps again, letting him know that you're "spending another night at Rarity's place"
>As much as you hate it, you're tired already, so Anon takes you back to the bedroom
>He tells you to go ahead and get yourself comfortable, so you strip to your underwear. It's how you've been sleeping lately, it ensures maximum coziness.Realizing it, Nonny does the same
>He gets in bed first, then you get in with your back to him. After taking your position as the little spoon, he pulls you closer against him
>The warmth of his skin against yours and the rhythmic beating of his heart, which you feel strongly thumping against your back, helps lull you to sleep
 
>You are Anon
>Waking up, you notice another warm body next to you nestled in your arms, her face buried your chest
>Dash spent another night at your place
>A routine you could get used to
>Burying your face in her hair, you close your eyes, taking in her sweet scent
>She still smells like skittles, even before showering or anything
>...
>The calm silence of the room is broken by a quiet groan
>Dash: "... Nonny?"
"Yeah?"
>Dash: "Are you sniffing me?"
"Of course not"
>She looks up, her eyes meeting yours
>Dash: "Why not? I feel weird being the only one doing it"
>She quietly laughs to herself
"Have it your way"
>You press your face down into her head, taking in a deep, loud, exaggerated inhale. It gets a laugh out of her, just as you intended
>Dash: "Alright alright, I get it"
>She gently pushes you away and sits up
>Her lips have just the slightest curve, forming a half-asleep smile
>Dash: "So what's the plan for today?"
"Plan?"
>Dash: "Well yeah. We weren't just going to stay in bed all day were we?"
"That's my usual Sunday plan"
>Dash: "Somehow that doesn't surprise me"
>She's right you know
"Alright, just give me a minute to have some coffee"
>The two of you crawl out of bed
>Somehow, you managed to forget that she was still in her underwear
"... Yeah, maybe we should get you a change of clothes first off"
>Dash: "Tell you what, let's do it after breakfast"
>Oh yeah, breakfast
"Breakfast, huh? What'd you have in mind?"
>Dash: "Anything, I'm starving"
>She's got a point; all you really ate yesterday was the pasta and the cake. You could really go for some breakfast too
>And you know exactly what you're going to make
"Hope you're in the mood for pancakes, Dashie"
>Her eyes light up, and she quickly jumps to your side to kiss you on the cheek
>Dash: "I have been waiting so long for a guy to say those words"
>Looks like you made the right choice
>You head to the kitchen and get started on cooking up some pancakes, while Dash watches eagerly
>After taking out two plates, you serve a small stack on each of them, topped with butter and syrup
>You take them to the living room, and you and Dash spend the morning eating pancakes while watching whatever makes up Sunday morning television
>Basically, nothing
 
>After a long pause of silence between the two of you, the only sound coming from the television, Dash speaks up
>Dash: "... hey Nonny, what the hell are we watching"
"No idea"
>You had completely zoned out long ago while channel flipping
>You were on some random channel, some cartoon about talking vegetables and Jesus or something
>Weird stuff
>Dash: "Well, there's pretty much nothing on television, want to see if there's anything worth doing around town?"
"First off, we have to get you some clean clothes"
>Dash: "Yeah, good point. Then again, I really don't feel like walking all the way home though"
"Hell, if you want I could just wash the clothes you have here. I don't have my own washing machine, but there's a laundromat about a block down the street. I have quite a bit of laundry to do for myself, so I might as well"
>Dash: "So should I wait here while you go?"
"Nah, you could come with me if you want"
>Dash: "In my underwear?"
"... now that you mention it, we should wash your underwear too"
>Dash: "What? Then what am I supposed to wear?"
>After thinking for a moment, you get an idea
"You ready?"
>Dash: "I... I think so"
>You wait outside your bedroom door for it to open, and when it does, out steps your Dashie wearing your clothes. An old baggy t shirt and jeans that barely fit her, even with a belt
>She looks like a Mexican drug dealer
>A really cute one
>Dash: "I look ridiculous, don't I?"
"That'd be saying I look ridiculous, seeing as how they're my clothes
>Dash: ""Well... no offense Nonny but-"
"-Okay let's go before you turn full Rarity on me"
>Throwing her clothes in a bag with yours you head over to the laundromat
 
>It's usually pretty empty this time of day, and today is no different; come afternoon this place gets packed
>When you arrive, you promptly throw all the clothes into an available machine
>Not long after, your druggie neighbor comes in with what looks like a surprising amount of laundry
"Damn, you actually have clothes?"
>Neighbor: "What the hell is that supposed to mean"
"I just figured you wore the same thing every day"
>She just rolls her eyes
>Seriously, the only clean part of her wardrobe is that stupid hat she wears every day. Other than that, it's the same ripped jeans, same faded t shirt every single day
>Like every stoner
>At the back of the laundromat there's a notice board with flyers for local events, charities, numbers for local call girls, etc.
>Like an old-school Craigslist
>You usually don't bother with it, but Dash seems to be interested in something
>Dash: "Hey Nonny, come check this out"
>Neighbor: "Pfft, Nonny?"
>Ignore her and go over to see what Dash wants
"What's up Dashie?"
>Dash: "Take a look at this"
>There's a flyer for some kind of music festival down at the strip mall. All kinds of bands, street performers, and guitar-playing art students thinking they have talent will be there
"Sounds interesting. You want to check it out later?"
>Dash: "Yeah, it looks fun"
>When you agree to it, she pulls you into a hug
>You take the opportunity looking over Dash's shoulder to shoot a taunting stare at your neighbor
>A reminder that she's still single and you're not
>Your neighbor just rolls her eyes again
>Once the clothes are finished you quickly hurry home, shower, fool around a bit, shower again, and head to the mall for the music festival
 
>There's a big plaza at the center of the strip mall, mostly for people to relax and hang out
>But today, there's a big stage set up with performing musicians, flyers all around detailing a lineup of performers throughout the afternoon
>As you and Dash approach the stage you hear the sound of a banjo, ultimately cut off and concluded by a round of applause
>The performer descends from the stage and comes directly towards you
>"Hey y'all, long time no see!"
>It's that friend of yours, Applejack
>Remember her, the one with thee apples?
>Yeah, her. It's her
>Dash: "Hey AJ, it's been a while. What have you been up to lately?"
>Applejack: "Well, lately me and Fluttershy have been..."
>She stops and contemplates her next words
>Applejack: "... heh, if I told you I reckon you wouldn't believe me"
>You and Dash look at each other in confusion
>Applejack: "So anyways, what brings you two lovebirds down here?"
"Nothing, just came for the event. It was mostly Dashie's idea-"
>Applejack: "-Dashie? Haven't heard that one in a while"
>She throws her arm around Dash like a bro and laughs and Dash tries to change the subject
>Dash: "I see you got the banjo back out. You put up your bass for good this time?"
>Applejack: "Nah, I just missed the old thing. Why?"
>Dash: "Just asking"
>Applejack: "You're not thinking of getting the old band back together are you?"
"Band?"
>Dash makes a throat-cutting motion with her hand towards Applejack
>Applejack: "Didn't you know? Me and Rainbow Dash used to have a band. I was on bass, Dash sang and played guitar"
"Holy crap, how have I not heard about this?"
>Dash: "Because we were never really that good. We played at the talent show, and it was kind of a disaster"
"Damn, I wish I could have seen that"
>Dash: "Trust me, you don't"
"Still, seeing you performing on stage like that would have been pretty awesome"
>Dash: "Well sorry, but the Rainbooms aren't getting back-"
>Pinkie: "-You guys are getting the band back together!? It's about time!"
"Where'd you come from?"
>Dash: "Yeah, are you still following us?"
"Still?"
>Dash: "... It's a long story. So what are you doing here?"
>Pinkie: "Are you kidding? This whole event is like one big giant dance party. I wouldn't miss it for the world!"
>Dash: "Is Rarity here too?"
>Pinkie: "Nah, she didn't want to come, something about the whole festival being 'uncultured' or something. But anyways, now would be the perfect time for the Rainbooms to make a comeback, what with the big musical showcase at school coming up"
"Musical showcase?"
>Pinkie: It's a big competition at the school where all the student musicians and bands can join in and showcase their skills. There's even a prize for the winner"
"And anyone can join? No matter what kind of music?"
>Pinkie: "Yup. We get everything from post-avant jazzcore to progressive dreamfunk. So what do you guys say, get the band back together?
>Dash and AJ exchange glances
>Applejack: "Well, what do you say? We were Canterlot's fourth most popular guitar-based folk duo"
>Dash: "... Ah, what the hell, why not. I'm in"
>Pinkie explodes into a fit of cheering
>Pinkie: "WOOHOO!!! That's great! I'll go let everyone know, and I'll sign the Rainbooms up first thing on Monday. See ya then!"
>Before she even finishes talking she runs off
>Dash: "But if we're going to compete we're going to need a fuller band. I don't think the two of us can really make it on our own"
>You'd offer to join the band and help out
>Too bad you can't play any kind of music
 
>Pinkie ran off and AJ went home to see if she could still find her old bass, so you and Dash are left alone to enjoy the festival together
>That is, until a familiar figure comes running out from one of the stores, calling out to you in her usually cheery voice
>Cadence: "Hi Anon!"
>Cadence is dressed as skimpy as ever, yet not in her regular work uniform. She's wearing a commemorative t shirt from the festival that's clearly two sizes too small
>She pulls you both into a big hug, almost making certain that you're suffocating in her chest, letting you go just in time for you to hold consciousness
>It's times like this that you're glad Dash is small
>Cadence: "Haven't seen you two in a while. Congrats on winning princess"
>She pinches Dash's cheek, like a mother would to a small child
>Dash: "How'd you know"
>Cadence: "Rarity and I keep in touch, she's been telling me all about you lately. And speaking of 'lately', where have you two been? Haven't seen either of you in forever"
>Dash: "Sorry, we just haven't been down here in so long"
>Cadence: "Well you're here now, why not stop by sometime. Shoot, I'll even give you a little discount on any purchase, today's special"
>A thinly veiled shill for her own store
>Nice try Cadence
"Sounds good, maybe we'll stop by"
>Cadence: "Alright, maybe see you two later!"
>She runs off back to her store, the same perky bounce in her step she always has
"... well?"
>Dash: "Well what?"
"You wanna go?"
>Dash: "I don't know, I still have to get home and look for my old guitar, see if it still in good condition. Plus, it's getting kind of late already"
"Yeah, you're right. We should probably get going"
>The two start to leave
>Dash: "... okay, maybe we could stop by really quick. I do want a few things"
>Yup, you saw that coming
 
>After a quick stop at Cadence's Closet -okay, you were there for quite a while- Cadence give's Dash her personal cell phone number
>She offers it to you too, so she can keep you updated on special offers and new inventory, and so you can keep her updated on your relationship (her words)
>You turn her down, but then immediately change your mind
 
>Afterwards, you decide to walk Dash home
>Standing on her porch illuminated by a single light by her door, you just now realize how dark it's gotten
>You really should be getting home, but Dash won't let go of your hand
>Not that you mind
>She turns to face you, and takes your other hand
>Dash: "So, umm... thanks for everything. These past few days, prom night, it was all really fun"
"I thought so too"
>Dash: "Except for the whole spaghetti thing"
"Nah, that was pretty fun too"
>She lets go of your hand just to bump you in the arm with her fist, really gently
>Dash: "Come on, how was that anything but a disaster?"
"I'm still here aren't I?"
>Dash: "Well yeah but-"
"Then there's nothing to argue about. I'm here, that's what matters"
>Unable to think of a response, she leans into your chest
>She looks up at you with those magenta eyes of hers and smiles
>Not an excited smile, not a lewd smile... a calm smile. An "I'm just happy to be here right now" smile
>Then, her eyes close
>She slowly inches forward
>You mirror her actions
>Your arms wrapped around her
>Her hands gently placed palms down on your chest
>After what felt like an eternity, your lips meet
>She pulls away just as slowly as she went into it
>Dash: "... Nonny?"
"Yeah Dashie?"
>She giggles quietly
>Dash: "Just wanted to hear you say it again"
>Well, you walked right into that one
>But it's no big deal really, especially if it makes her happy
>She opens the door and heads inside, not breaking eye contact as the door slowly creaks shut
>You wait on her porch for a moment before leaving
>Just savoring the moment here
>The next day
>Monday
>After a long, eventful weekend, things are finally back to normal
>You wake up early, a little disappointed that Dash isn't there this time, and get ready for school
>You still make it on time, and long before Dash
>After waiting for a while, Rarity shows up
>Rarity: "Morning Anon, how was your weekend?"
"Eh, it was alright"
>Rarity: "Anything interesting happen while Dash was-"
"-Yes, we went out on a date"
>Somehow, you knew she'd have found out by now
>You're just thankful she hadn't heard about the spaghetti thing
>Dash shows up shortly afterwards
>She looks at Rarity. Rarity looks at her
>Rarity: "I should probably get going, let you two have some privacy. Catch you later Anon"
>She heads inside
"What did she mean by 'letting us have our privacy'?"
>Dash: "Long story"
 
>After biology, you and Rarity meet up with Dash as usual
>This time, Applejack had the courtesy to join you
"Wait, you mean to tell me this whole time you've had your before-lunch class right next door to us?"
>AJ: "Yeah, I'm surprised y'all didn't notice before"
>Neglecting a friend like that, way to be an asshole Anon
>That's not the way your early childhood cartoons raised you
>From across the cafeteria, you immediately notice something wrong
"... guys, we've got a situation at our table"
>Dash: "What do mean, what is- oh..."
>There's someone already sitting at your table, alone. Someone you don't recognize
>The girls seem to know what's going on
"You guys know her?"
>Dash: "Well... kind of. Remember how we told you about the Fall Formal being destroyed by a demon from another world, who then tried to turn the entire school into her own personal zombie slave army to take over an alternate universe?"
"Yeah?"
>Dash: "That's her"
"What?!"
>Dash: "Yup, in the flesh"
>Hell, you don't care if she is a demon, she could be the Loch Ness monster and you wouldn't think twice
>But she's invading your table
>And that's just not right
>Your inner Vlad senses are awakening, filling you with a primal desire to remove her
>Dash: "Anyways, we were supposed to be looking out for her after the whole disaster, and we all agreed that it'd be best if she started sitting with us at lunch, you know. Getting used to being normal"
>There's hardly anything normal about hanging with your group, but you'll allow it
>For now at least
>It's weird to think you're going to think you're going to be eating lunch with a demon from another world
>But regardless, you all make your way to the table
>The new girl perks up when she sees the girls, and almost deflates when she sees you
>Already off to an awkward start
>Dash gently nudges you in the side, trying to get you to break the silence
"Hey there, I'm Anon"
>You put your hand out for a shake, but she just lifts her hand straight up in a half-assed wave
>"Sunset Shimmer. You can call me Sunset. Hi girls"
>That's about all she says as you all take your seats, you between Sunset and Dash
>Not long after Pinkie and Fluttershy show up too
>Pinkie: "Hey Sunny, glad to see you here today"
>Sunset: "Glad to see you too Pinkie Pie"
>Seems like you're the only one who hasn't gotten to know her
>Pinkie: "So Dash, what's the word on the band?"
>Sunset: "Band?"
>Rarity: "Oh great, not THIS again. I thought you were done for good"
>Dash: "Nope, we're going to be competing in the showcase. Speaking of which, when is it Pinkie?"
>Pinkie: "A couple weeks"
>Dash: "Good, we still got time. We still need more members if we're going to compete, there's no way we could do it on our own.... "
>They trail off on their discussion about the band, leaving you and Sunset as the only ones with no idea what they're talking about
>Sunset, or whatever her name is, seems to have that expression of someone who always has something to say, but never says it
>You might as well use this opportunity to get to know her better
"So... you always this quiet?"
>Sunset: "Huh?"
"Nothing"
>Well this is going well
>Sunset: "Oh, sorry, I'm not usually this quiet. Your name's Anon, right?"
"Yeah"
>Sunset: "Yeah, I remember you. You were prince of the Winter Ball with Dash, right?"
"Nope didn't win. I was supposed to, but I kind of missed it"
>Sunset: "Sorry, I didn't know"
"No big deal. It was a last second kind of thing at the dance"
>Sunset: "I didn't actually go to the dance"
"I know, Dash told me how you're ban-"
>Dash's elbow deliberately bumps into your ribs, cutting you off
>Apparently she's keeping an eye on your conversation as well
>Sunset seemed to notice
>Sunset: "I take it they told you not to talk about... me"
"I'm not very good at doing what I'm told"
>Sunset: "Well, relax, it's no big deal. I've gotten used to being THAT person. You know, the one who almost destroyed the school"
"Believe it or not, we've got a lot more in common than you think"
>Sunset: "Like?"
"You tried to bring up an entire army to take over the world. I hired a guy who nearly destroyed the cafeteria"
>Sunset: "One guy is hardly an army"
"You'd be surprised"
>She seems like an okay person
>You'll allow this girl in your group for now
>(Implying you're even the alpha dog in the group)
>Lunch ends and you all start heading to class
>Sunset walks with you and Dash, since her next class is in the same direction. On the way you catch a lot of awkward stares and whispers, but no one really makes a scene
>Sunset: "I've been getting that since I came in here today. This kind of thing comes with being the school monster"
>She stuffs her hands into her pockets and shifts her gaze to the ground
>Sunset: "Ugh, I'm never going to live this down"
>Dash: "Don't worry, you will"
"Yeah, this school goes through gossip like a machine gun. Don't let it get to you"
>You speak from experience
>Sunset: "It's not, I've learned to just ignore it"
>The expression on her face, the slight twitch of her eye, and the biting of her bottom lip say otherwise
>One person you pass by actually has the balls of a tough guy
>"Hey Sunset, you trying to get into Anon's harem too?"
>Her fists clench. Dash notices it as soon as you do
>Dash: "Sunset, you good?"
>She lets out a loud sigh and lets go of the tension in her hands
>Sunset: "Yeah, I'm fine. I've gotten better at controlling my temper and just letting things go-"
"-Then it's a good thing you've got a friend like me"
>You pat her on the back and turn your attention to the other guy
>"No wait, let me guess: you had to brainwash him to let you in"
"There's actually no room in my harem, your mom just took up the last spot"
>Yup, classic "your mom"
>Works every time
>"You want to say that to my face?"
>He steps forward, and Dash gets between you and him
>Sunset: "Guys, please, just forget-"
>Dash: "-You got something you want to say, you're saying it to the both of us"
>"Please, I could take the both of you down with my arms tied behind my-"
>*BANG*
>Sunset slams her fist on a locker, but the sound is almost snuffed out by the boom of her voice
>Sunset: "Everybody shut the fuck up!"
>Everyone not involved instantly floods out. Sunset aggressively pushes you and Dash aside, getting right into the other guy's face, her glare powerful enough to burn through a man's skull
>Sunset: "Listen here, mess with my friends and you're messing with me to, got it?"
>"Hey bro I was just-"
>Sunset: "Got it!?"
>He silently nods his head
>Sunset: "Good. Now get your ass out of here"
>He runs off down the hall, probably pissing himself
>Once he's gone, the hallway goes silent
>After a brief moment of silence, Sunset turns back around to you, once again looking down with her hands in her pockets
>She clears her throat, then speaks up
>Sunset: "... yeah, still need to work on controlling my temper"
>Note to self: Never piss off the new girl
>After silently agreeing to not talk about this incident ever again, you all head to your classes, eventually going your separate ways
>Once your alone, Dash pulls you over and quietly tells you something
>Dash: "Hey Nonny, just a reminder: we're trying to keep Sunset Shimmer OUT of trouble"
"I'll keep that in mind"
>No promises here though
>Causing drama is what you're best at
 
>History class
>As always, you and Dash push your desks together
>In doing so, you catch a small sparkle in the corner of your eye
>Behind your desks there's a bookshelf against the wall, and wedged between the shelf and the wall is something that clearly doesn't belong. Something shiny and metal
>And everyone knows there's nothing more distracting than a shiny object
>You immediately go over to inspect
>Dash: "What happened?"
"I think there's something down here"
>It's stuck in there pretty tight, but you manage to pull it out
>Dash: "What is it?"
"... I think you forgot something Friday night"
>A small metal flask with the initials 'PP' nicely engraved, and a smiley face crudely scratched in next to it
>Dash: "shit, I completely forgot about this"
>She brings her voice down to a whisper so as to not draw attention as she stuffs it into... your backpack
>then again, she does know you have Pinkie in your next class so it makes sense
"thank God no one found it until now"
>You each take your seats, and class goes on as normal
>... well not so normal
>Your mind is all over the place now
>More specifically, one place
>You whisper over to Rainbow Dash, who has her head down, looking like she's falling asleep
"hey Dashie, seeing that thing again got me thinking"
Dash: "about what?"
"you think these are the same desks as from prom night"
>She instantly picks her head up
>Apparently she had forgotten
>Dash: "they're not, mine had a wobbly leg that night"
>She shakes her desk; stable
>Dash: "see? it's different"
>So somewhere in this room is a pair of desks that you and Dash had sex on, and whoever is sitting at it is none the wiser
>You're not sure whether to laugh or feel bad for that person
 
>After class
>You're joined by Pinkie on the way to English
>You reach your classroom, with Dash's being right across the hall from yours
>Time for you to go your own way for now
>You give Dash a quick hug before going
"See you in gym"
>Dash: "See ya Nonny"
>You head into class, Pinkie following behind
>You take your seat, and Pinkie takes hers next to you
>She stares at you with a huge grin, like she's got a joke to tell but is trying not to prematurely laugh
>And knowing Pinkie that could very well be the case
>Or not
>There's really no predicting anything with this girl
>Pinkie: "So Nonny, care to explain?"
"Explain what?"
>Pinkie: "Looks like I'm not the only one calling you Nonny now"
"Oh yeah, she and I started doing that"
>Pinkie: "When we first met you spent a whole month saying not to call you Nonny, I thought you hated that name"
"And yet you still do it"
>Pinkie: "Well duh, it's fun. But what'd she have to do to get you to be okay with it?"
"Nothing... it's just cuter when she does it. Oh, and by the way, here you go"
>You hand her the flask, as discretely as possible
>Pinkie: "I was wondering where I'd lost this one. Did Dash still have it?"
"Nope, she left it in the classroom. Luckily I found it before anyone else"
>Pinkie lets out a loud, disappointed sigh
>Pinkie: "Should have known the good stuff was too strong for her..."
 
>After class you and Dash walk to gym together as usual
>Pinkie: "See ya tomorrow Nonny, bye Dashie-"
>Dash: "-Pinkie, what'd I say about calling me Dashie?"
>Pinkie: What? But Nonny does it all the time"
"... it's cute when he does it"
 
>Gym class
>You sit out on the bleachers as usual, finding some creative way to get yourself injured
>Not long later, Dash comes limping up to you, an expression of pain on her face
"Holy crap, what happened?"
>Dash: "I think I sprained my ankle pretty bad"
"Are you going to be okay?"
>She takes a seat next to you and her expression of pain goes away as she stretches out her legs to relax
>Dash: "I think I'll be fine" she says with a wink
>Holy shit
>Fooling the coach is one thing but she even managed to play you
"Damn Dashie, not bad"
>Dash: "Learned from the best"
>The two of you laugh at what a bad influence you've been on her
>Remember kids, habitual lying is no laughing matter
"So how's the band looking?"
>Dash: "Eh, still looking to expand. Rarity's joining on piano, and Fluttershy said she'd help out however she can. We still need a drummer though"
>You'd offer to help but you've got no musical talent whatsoever
>Maybe you could be a groupie or something
"And you're singing, right?"
>Dash: "Yup, and guitar... well I WAS on guitar anyways"
"What happened? Couldn't find it after all?"
>Dash: "Oh no, I found it, just not all in one piece. We're actually going down to the music store to find a new one. Want to come along?"
"Wish I could, but I've got an essay due in English tomorrow that I haven't even started yet"
>And you thought procrastinating was devoid of consequences
>Dash: "No worries, maybe next time"
>She looks like she's trying to hide her disappointment
>Way to go Anon
 
>Later that day, after school
>You're home alone working on that essay
>You've been in a slump for the past hour, but you finally think you've gotten into the groove of tings, and you start typing away
>*RIIIING*
>And there's your phone, the perfect distraction to ruin your train of thought
>It's a message from Dash
>"Sorry you couldn't make it, but check this out! Badass, isn't it?"
>Attached is an image, a selfie of her and her new guitar and what looks like a pair of wings attached to her back. Must be part of the new band costume or something
>Undeniably, it looks adorable on her
>You send her a quick reply, and then get right back to your essay
"The... "
>Good start
>Only 799 words to go
 
>The next day, Tuesday
>You barely got any sleep last night from working on that essay, but you got it done
 
>After biology, you meet up with the girls as usual
>Dash: "Umm... hey Nonny, wait up for a second"
"Huh?"
>Dash put her hand on your shoulder to stop you
"Is everything okay?"
>She looks over her shoulder at Applejack, who just shakes her head. She shifts her gaze to Rarity
>Rarity: "Oh no, you're not pinning this off on me"
>Dash: "Come on, a little help here"
>AJ: "You're the girlfriend, it's your business"
>Applejack pats Dash on the back before leaving with Rarity to the cafeteria, giving you and Dash some awkward alone time
>Dash:  "... so, umm... can you do me a little favor?"
"Yeah?"
>Dash: "Okay, so, you know I love you right Nonny?"
"Of course I do"
>And you also know that when a girl says those words, it's never followed by good news
>Dash: "Okay, so do you think that... maybe you could sit somewhere else at lunch for a while"
"... what?"
>Seriously, what?
>Dash: "I-It'd just be for a few days, I'll explain everything in due time I swear"
"And you can't explain now?"
>She starts rubbing her arm, idly staring at the ground
>Dash: "Well... look, I promise I'll make it up to you, it's just that we've got band things to discuss, and I kind of want to keep it secret. It's just for lunch, I swear"
"I get it, but why do you need to keep it a secret from me?"
>Dash: "Because... it's a surprise"
"What's a surprise?"
>Dash: "That's the secret. Come on, it's just for a few days, please?"
>She looks nervous enough to die right here and now
>You decide to just let it go. Like she said, it's only a few days, and it's just during lunch. Not like she's asking you to switch out of all her classes and move out of town
"Alright sure-"
>She tackles you hard enough to almost knock you over, swinging her arm tightly around you
>Dash: "Thank you so much Nonny, I swear it'll be worth it!"
>She happily plants a kiss on your cheek before running off
>Dash: "See you after lunch!"
>Well, looks like you've got to go back to your old table
>Not like you burned any bridges last time you sat there, right?
 
>In the cafeteria, there's a table for just about everyone: there's the jocks, the hippies, the nerds
>And then there's the 'other' table
>The table of all the average Joe's, the people who don't really stand out, the people who you'd forget after graduation
>The table you sat at before you started hanging with the girls
>After taking your seat, you look around the table, recognizing a few faces
>The 'other' table is actually two tables locked together making it the biggest sitting area in the cafeteria, and yet there's still always an available seat
>You take one last look back at the girls in time to catch Dash looking back at you
>...
>This is going to be a log few days
 
>Be Rainbow Dash
>You just got out of that awkward situation with Nonny
>You're glad he understood, but you still feel bad about it
>You plop your food tray down at the table
"Thanks a lot guys for leaving me alone back there"
>AJ: "Well what were we supposed to do?"
"I don't know, at least a little back up? I nearly died out there"
>AJ: "Yeah, but you didn't. Besides, this was your idea"
>Rarity: "And don't worry darling, once you reveal it he'll understand"
>You take one last look back at him sitting at the big table and catch him looking back at you
"Yeah... you're probably right"
 
>Gym class
>You sit out on the bleachers as usual, finding some creative way to get yourself injured
>Not long later, Dash comes limping up to you, an expression of pain on her face
"Holy crap, what happened?"
>Dash: "I think I sprained my ankle pretty bad"
"Are you going to be okay?"
>She takes a seat next to you and her expression of pain goes away as she stretches out her legs to relax
>Dash: "I think I'll be fine" she says with a wink
>Holy shit
>Fooling the coach is one thing but she even managed to play you
"Damn Dashie, not bad"
>Dash: "Learned from the best"
>The two of you laugh at what a bad influence you've been on her
>Remember kids, habitual lying is no laughing matter
"So how's the band looking?"
>Dash: "Eh, still looking to expand. Rarity's joining on piano, and Fluttershy said she'd help out however she can. We still need a drummer though"
>You'd offer to help but you've got no musical talent whatsoever
>Maybe you could be a groupie or something
"And you're singing, right?"
>Dash: "Yup, and guitar... well I WAS on guitar anyways"
"What happened? Couldn't find it after all?"
>Dash: "Oh no, I found it, just not all in one piece. We're actually going down to the music store to find a new one. Want to come along?"
"Wish I could, but I've got an essay due in English tomorrow that I haven't even started yet"
>And you thought procrastinating was devoid of consequences
>Dash: "No worries, maybe next time"
>She looks like she's trying to hide her disappointment
>Way to go Anon
>Later that day, after school
>You're home alone working on that essay
>You've been in a slump for the past hour, but you finally think you've gotten into the groove of tings, and you start typing away
>*RIIIING*
>And there's your phone, the perfect distraction to ruin your train of thought
>It's a message from Dash
>"Sorry you couldn't make it, but check this out! Badass, isn't it?"
>Attached is an image, a selfie of her and her new guitar and what looks like a pair of wings attached to her back. Must be part of the new band costume or something
>Undeniably, it looks adorable on her
>You send her a quick reply, and then get right back to your essay
"The... "
>Good start
>Only 799 words to go
 
>The next day, Tuesday
>You barely got any sleep last night from working on that essay, but you got it done
 
>After biology, you meet up with the girls as usual
>Dash: "Umm... hey Nonny, wait up for a second"
"Huh?"
>Dash put her hand on your shoulder to stop you
"Is everything okay?"
>She looks over her shoulder at Applejack, who just shakes her head. She shifts her gaze to Rarity
>Rarity: "Oh no, you're not pinning this off on me"
>Dash: "Come on, a little help here"
>AJ: "You're the girlfriend, it's your business"
>Applejack pats Dash on the back before leaving with Rarity to the cafeteria, giving you and Dash some awkward alone time
>Dash: "... so, umm... can you do me a little favor?"
"Yeah?"
>Dash: "Okay, so, you know I love you right Nonny?"
"Of course I do"
>And you also know that when a girl says those words, it's never followed by good news
>Dash: "Okay, so do you think that... maybe you could sit somewhere else at lunch for a while"
"... what?"
>Seriously, what?
>Dash: "I-It'd just be for a few days, I'll explain everything in due time I swear"
"And you can't explain now?"
>She starts rubbing her arm, idly staring at the ground
>Dash: "Well... look, I promise I'll make it up to you, it's just that we've got band things to discuss, and I kind of want to keep it secret. It's just for lunch, I swear"
"I get it, but why do you need to keep it a secret from me?"
>Dash: "Because... it's a surprise"
"What's a surprise?"
>Dash: "That's the secret. Come on, it's just for a few days, please?"
>She looks nervous enough to die right here and now
>You decide to just let it go. Like she said, it's only a few days, and it's just during lunch. Not like she's asking you to switch out of all her classes and move out of town
"Alright sure-"
>She tackles you hard enough to almost knock you over, swinging her arm tightly around you
>Dash: "Thank you so much Nonny, I swear it'll be worth it!"
>She happily plants a kiss on your cheek before running off
>Dash: "See you after lunch!"
>Well, looks like you've got to go back to your old table
>Not like you burned any bridges last time you sat there, right?
>In the cafeteria, there's a table for just about everyone: there's the jocks, the hippies, the nerds
>And then there's the 'other' table
>The table of all the average Joe's, the people who don't really stand out, the people who you'd forget after graduation
>The table you sat at before you started hanging with the girls
>After taking your seat, you look around the table, recognizing a few faces
>The 'other' table is actually two tables locked together making it the biggest sitting area in the cafeteria, and yet there's still always an available seat
>You take one last look back at the girls in time to catch Dash looking back at you
>...
>This is going to be a log few days
 
>Be Rainbow Dash
>You just got out of that awkward situation with Nonny
>You're glad he understood, but you still feel bad about it
>You plop your food tray down at the table
"Thanks a lot guys for leaving me alone back there"
>AJ: "Well what were we supposed to do?"
"I don't know, at least a little back up? I nearly died out there"
>AJ: "Yeah, but you didn't. Besides, this was your idea"
>Rarity: "And don't worry darling, once you reveal it he'll understand"
>You take one last look back at him sitting at the big table and catch him looking back at you
"Yeah... you're probably right"
>You are Anon again
>After a bit of awkward but desired eye contact you carry on with the business at your table
>Sitting across from you is someone who looks familiar, but you've never seen her at the school before
>You try to wave to her to get her attention but she's so lost in her lunch like she's never eaten before
>You tap on the table in front of her to get her attention, which finally works
>"Hmm?"
"Sorry to interrupt, but you look familiar"
>She swallows the food in her mouth before responding
>"Couldn't be, I just transferred in today"
"Maybe I've seen you around town or something"
>"I dunno- wait a sec, weren't you at the big restaurant plaza the other day?"
"Yeah"
>"Oh my gosh, I recognize you, you're the spaghetti guy!"
>... shit
"You were at the restaurant"
>"Well, kinda. I was at the taco truck until the guys running it made me leave, and they threatened to call the cops if I didn't. I was just passing by and took a quick peek in the window and saw you. But dude, that was hilarious!"
>She bursts into laughter, regaining her composure to introduce herself
>"The name's Sonata, nice meeting ya"
"I'm Anon"
>You spend the rest of lunch listening to her laugh about an embarrassing story about you
>It's like Pinkie is still here with you
>When the bell signaling the end of lunch rang you weren't sure what to do
>You weren't sure if Dash was done with her secret business or not and you'd rather not interrupt, so you headed to class without her
 
>You got there a little while before Dash did
>Dash: "Sorry I'm late Nonny, things took a little longer than I thought. On the bright side I think I finally found myself a drummer"
"Who?"
>Dash: "Pinkie"
"Really? I didn't even know she could play"
>Dash: "Me either, but she's definitely got the energy of a drummer. Believe me, you're lucky you weren't at the table today. She was a hell of a lot more crazy than usual today"
>You instantly think back to that Sonata girl
"I think I know how you feel"
 
>After school that day, Dash had band practice, so you went along home
>By yourself
>It's only a few days... right?
 
>The next day, Wednesday, at lunch
>You had walked into the cafeteria with Dash and your friends as usual
>After getting your food you go your separate ways
>Dash: "Hey Nonny"
"Yeah, I get it, no big deal"
>Dash: "Thanks"
>The two of you hug, interrupted by a hard slap on the back
>Sonata: "Hey Anon, wassup"
"Oh hey Sonata"
>Thanks for interrupting
>You introduce her and Dash
>Dash: "Hey, weren't you at the restaurant plaza on Saturday?"
>Sonata: "Yeah, I was there. You must have been the girl with spaghetti guy over here"
>She points over at you
>Dash and you laugh
>Something about the way she brought it up makes the whole memory void of awkwardness
>Dash: "You were there too?"
>Sonata: "Nah, I'm not big on Italian food. That taco truck though, it's to die for"
>"Sonata! Come on!"
>Two girls walk by, one of them calling out to her
>Sonata rolls her eyes
>Sonata: "See ya later Anon, nice meeting you Dash"
>She heads off to get in line for her food with the other two girls
>Dash: "Hey Nonny, wait for me after lunch this time, alright"
>She gives you a quick kiss on the cheek, and you head your separate ways
>Not long after taking your seat, Sonata hurries over and sits across from you
>Sonata: "Hey Anon, sorry about that. Aria's not really the friendliest person around. So who was that, your girlfriend?"
"Yeah, why?"
>Sonata: "Just wondering. You two seem close"
"We are"
>Sonata: "I mean like, reeeeaally close"
"Yeah... sure"
>Just what the hell is she getting at?
>Sonata: "So then, how come you're not sitting with her now? Is something going on between you two?"
"No, she's just busy... why?"
>She starts fiddling with the small pendant around her neck
>Sonata: "No reason... just wondering"
>Those friends of hers come by and sit on either side of her
>They stare at her, then at you, before carrying on with lunch in silence
>Even Sonata goes quiet, the only time she's done so in the past two days you've know her
>Just dead, uncomfortable, silence
 
>After lunch you meet up with Dash by the doors of the cafeteria
>Dash: "So how was your lunch?"
"...interesting. So how's the band looking?"
>Dash: "Good, better than I expected. I think we're almost done"
"Done with... ?"
>Dash: "With the surprise"
>Damn. Still not telling you
>Dash: "Okay, I'll give you a hint but that's it"
>Better than nothing, score 1 for Anon
>Dash: "We're working on some new music, and I don't want you to hear it until it's perfect, you know?"
"Yeah, I get it"
>Dash: "Don't worry, we should be done tomorrow for sure. Then everything'll be back to normal"
"Sounds good"
>In truth you're relieved as all hell to hear that
>Sonata's pretty chill and all, but those friends of hers seem... off
"So what's the deal with Pinkie? Is she your drummer for sure?"
>Dash: "Yeah, you should see her. She's insane"
"I knew that, but how's she at drumming?"
>Very funny Anon
>History
>Once again, Dash is focused and taking notes
>Which is how you know she's up to something
>She's trying to cover up what she's writing, but you manage a peek over at her notebook
>It looks like poetry... or maybe song lyrics
>As soon as she catches you peeking she slides her notebook to the far end of her desk, leaning over it to cover it up
>Dash: "Nice try"
>Well you're not getting anywhere there
 
>Once again after school today, she's got band practice, so you head home
 
>Thursday morning before school
>While waiting for Dash as usual, you see her come up with her usual guitar case, but a second one in her other hand
"Hey Dash, carrying Applejack's guitar too?"
>Dash: "No, they're both mine"
"Why'd you bring two today?"
>Dash: "Because"
>You know that's the only answer she'll give you, so you accept it
"Need a little help?"
>Dash: "'Yeah sure"
>She hands you a case, and together you walk to the music room
>The two of you set the instruments in the corner of the room for the day, until it's time for practice
>Dash said it's safer and easier to leave them here rather than carrying them around
>Not long after, Rarity comes in carrying a similar case
>Rarity: "Oh hey Anon, didn't expect to see you here"
"I'm just helping Dash with these cases"
>Dash: "By the way Nonny, we've got band practice again today after school, you should stop by"
"What?"
>Rarity: "Yeah, what?"
>Dash: "I think he should come by and see what the wait was for"
>Rarity: "But Dash, are you sure it's ready?"
>Dash: "Of course it is. I've been practicing non-stop"
>Rarity: "Don't you mean we?"
>Dash: "Yeah, well, you know what I mean. So what do you say Nonny, want to come by?"
"Sure why not"
>You try to play it off cool. Truthfully you've been anticipating this since she brought it up
 
>Lunch time
>The last lunch you'll be spending alone
>And thank God for that
>Lunch time
>The last lunch you'll be spending alone
>And thank God for that
>As always you take your seat, later to be joined by your new friend
"Hey Sonata, how's it going?"
>Sonata: "Not bad, just tired. How about you?"
"I've been good"
>Sonata: "And Dash?"
"Yeah, she's fine. I'm actually going to meet her in the music room after school today, finally going to find out what she's been up to the past few days-"
>"Hey Sonata, who's your new friend?"
>The two girls from yesterday show up
"Hey there, I'm Anonym-"
>"-Did I ask you?"
>Sonata: "Ugh, why do you always have to be so rude Aria?"
>Aria: "Why do you have to be-"
>"-Knock it off, both of you"
>The poofy-haired one shuts them up, and her and Aria- pretty sure that's the other one's name, you've heard Sonata say it a few times- sit on either side of Sonata
>Poofy-hair: "Sorry about them, just ignore them"
>Sonata: "Don't tell him to ignore me, he's my friend-"
>Poofy-hair clasps her hand over Sonata's mouth
>Poofy-hair: "Anyways, I'm Adagio, you've already met Sonata, and she's Aria"
>Aria just trolls her eyes
"I'm Anonymous. Just call me Anon"
>Adagio: "Nice to meet you Anon"
>Adagio's smile seems friendly... and creepy
>Really, really creepy
>Adagio: "So is this your usual spot?"
"No, I usually sit somewhere else. My girlfriend's just working on some kind of surprise and asked for privacy, so I'm sitting here for a while"
>Adagio: "Sounds like the two of you are having some kind of trouble"
"Nah, we're fine. Sonata and I went through all this yesterday"
>Aria: "Doesn't sound fine to me"
>Adagio: "Knock it off Aria, they're surely doing okay. After all he said he's still meeting her... where was it, the music room?"
"Actually, no. We're meeting by the front of the school. We always walk home together"
>Yeah, you lied
>For some reason, you feel the need to keep these girls away from you and Dash
>You have enough people getting in your business with Dash as it is
>Adagio: "Well regardless, it's great that the two of you are still strong together"
>Adagio leans over the table, getting closer to you
>Adagio: "After all, we'd hate for anything to come between the two of you, wouldn't we?"
>If you thought her smile before was creepy, her expression now is horrifying
>It leaves you with a sick feeling in your gut
>She starts fingering the pendant around her neck, identical to the one Sonata has, and come to think of it, Aria too
>Out of the corners of your eyes you notice all of them doing the same as Adagio with theirs
>You silently nod
>Nothing would ever come between you and Dash... right?
>Adagio: "Good"
>Finally she backs away
>Adagio: "Come on girls, we should get going. There's a lot we have to do"
>Sonata: "But I haven't finished lunch-"
>Adagio: "-Bring it with you"
>Sonata: "... alright, fine. See ya later Anon"
>She picks up her tray and starts walking off
"Hey Sonata"
>Sonata: "Hmm?"
>You push your tray over to her
>That sick feeling in your gut doesn't seem to be going any time soon
>During gym, Dash took a page from your book and got injured to go to the nurse
>A.K.A. She sneaked off to the music room
>In all honesty you feel the need to see the nurse yourself, your stomach still felt upside down
>Regardless, after class you head straight to the music room
 
>Dash: "Hey Nonny, glad you made it!"
"Wouldn't miss it for anything"
>Not even this churning in your stomach
>Everyone is there, Dash and Applejack with their guitars, Pinkie on drums, Fluttershy holding a tambourine, and Rarity on, of all things, a keytar
>You never thought you'd say this, but... Based Rarity
>Sunset is sitting on the side, the only one not actually in the band, so you take a seat next to her
>Sunset: "Hey Anon, where've you been lately?"
"I've been sitting with the new girls, Sonata... Adagio, and..."
>You're drawing a complete blank on the other girl's name
>Sunset: "Aria?"
"Yeah, her. You know them?"
>Sunset: "I was supposed to show them around the school tomorrow, but I've never met them. What are they like?"
"... it's hard to say"
>As soon as the two of you quiet down, they get to practicing
>...
>It could be that you're just irritable from the stomachache, but maybe Rarity was right
>This music does need more work... a lot more
>Still, it's a hell of a lot better than you could ever do
>After getting through a few songs, Dash puts her guitar down
>Dash: "Tell you what guys, let's wrap up band practice a little early today"
>Pinkie: "Really? I was just starting to have fun"
>Applejack: "She probably just wants some alone time with her little Nonny over there"
>Dash doesn't deny it. No one does
>Regardless, they all agree to wrap up band practice early, and they all make their way out
>Just as you get up, she sits you back down
>Dash: "Hey Nonny, wait up a second"
>She gets up and grabs that second guitar case she brought with her today and opens it, pulling out an acoustic guitar
>She pulls up a chair facing you and sits down
>Dash: "So I've got this new song I wrote, and I want to know what you think. I admit it's not the usual kind of song I write, but... I don't know, I'm really feeling this one- whoa, you okay there Nonny?"
>She seems to have just now caught how sick you look
>You've been holding it in, but it's slowly feeling worse and worse
>But it's just a little longer, you assume you'll be fine
"Yeah, I'm good. Just go on Dashie, I've been waiting to hear this for a long time"
>She smiles, looking down at her guitar only to avoid embarrassing eye contact
>She strums the first chord of the song... and you lose it
>You fall out of the chair, clenching your stomach
>Dash: "Nonny, you okay!?"
>What you want to say: 'Don't worry Dashie, it's just a stomachache; I've been really eager to hear your music, and I hope this in no way insulted you'
>What you did say: 'BLARRRGHH'
>You throw up on the floor, and your vision goes black shortly after
 
>...
>You slowly open your eyes, awakening in Nurse Redheart's office
>Nurse: "You know what fascinates me? The one time, the ONLY time you're sick and should come down here, you don't"
"I had more important business"
>You slowly pick yourself up, feeling a little better
"Sorry about that Dashie, I really did want to hear your song"
>Dash: "Oh on, forget it Nonny. It' fine. You just worry about getting your rest"
>Nurse: "Whoa whoa whoa, you're not getting your rest here. I should have been home over an hour ago"
>Dash: "But Nurse, he's sick"
>Nurse: "And that's my fault?"
>She looks at you,struggling to stand up from the bed
>Nurse: "... alright, tell you what. Since you can't stay here, I'll drive you home. Come on"
 
>Redheart's car is parked on the far end of the parking lot
>When you finally reach her car, she unlocks it and opens the back door for you
>At first it you think she's actually being polite, opening the door for you and all, but then you catch her rolling a bunch of empty beer cans under the seat
"Are you sure you're okay to drive?"
>Nurse: "Better than you are to walk. Besides, those are from at least a few days ago"
>Wow, what a slob
>Dash gets in the front so she can give her directions, and though she doesn't say it, just in case you throw up again
 
>You unlock the door and invite the others in
>Nurse: "Damn kid, got your own place already?"
"Yeah"
>For some reason you feel a little more proud of it, like you just proved to Redheart that you're more of a man than she thought
>Nurse: "How the hell did you manage that?"
"My dad's a realtor, and he owns the place""
>Okay, so maybe you don't have that much to be proud of, but still
"He said so long as I keep my grades up and stay out of trouble I could stay here"
>Nurse: " 'Stay out of trouble' my ass, you're nothing but. But still, I have to admit, it's not half bad"
>He claims it's so you could "learn some responsibility", which is just his way of getting you out of the house
>But hey, you still have your own place nonetheless
>You sit down on the couch with the girls sitting on either side of you
"Thanks again for the ride Nurse Redheart"
>Dash: "Yeah, thanks, see you tomorrow at school-"
>Nurse: "Whoa, hold up. I'm not going anywhere just yet. You still have to tell me what happened"
"I thought that I wasn't your problem once school hours were over"
>Nurse: "That was before Dash had to drag you into my office half dead. And now that I'm here you're pretty much my responsibility whether I like it or not"
>You could always kick her out, this is YOUR place after all
>Theoretically, you could
>Realistically, she's here whether you like it or not
>She grabs your wrist to check your pulse
>Nurse: "So come on, what happened"
"I just wasn't feeling well, I'm fine now"
>Nurse: "When did it start?"
>She puts her hand to your forehead
"At lunch"
>Nurse: "Was it something you ate?"
"Not that I know of, I hardly ate anything"
>And if it was something you ate, Sonata is probably dead by now
>Nurse: "Well, you seem normal for now, so just take care of yourself alright?"
"Yeah, sure-"
>Nurse: "-I mean it kid. I don't want to see you getting any worse"
"I will, alright, I promise"
>She stares you in the eye, not so much threatening but more like a concerned mother
>Well, kind of a combination of the two
>She lets out a long sigh before getting up from the couch
>Nurse: "Good, you better"
>She makes her way to the door
>Nurse: "I should probably get going, it's already pretty late. You want a ride Dash?"
>Dash: "No, I think I'll stick around a little longer. Just to make sure-"
>Nurse: "-Yeah yeah, I don't need the details. I know what's happening as soon as I walk out that door. Just don't wear him out, remember he's not as fit as you"
>She hesitates, giving you one last look before heading out the door
>Nurse: "Oh, and Anon? Now I know where you live"
>It's hard to tell if that was a threat or not
>But you'll assume that it was
>Once she's gone, Dash pats her legs inviting you to lie down
>You lay your head in her lap, which is more comfortable than you thought
>Dash: "You feeling better?"
"Mostly"
>Dash: "What happened to you anyways? Do you remember?"
"No idea. I was feeling bad for a while, and when you started playing I just completely lost it. No offense by the way, you're a great singer, and the band's coming along nicely too. It just came up out of nowhere. I wish I could have heard that last song in full"
>Dash: "If I hadn't left my guitar at school I could have played it for you now"
>She sighs
>Dash: "Damn it, and I was really looking forward to playing it for you"
>She's not really trying to guilt trip you, but it's happening anyways
"Sorry I kind of ruined everything"
>Dash: "Relax Nonny, it's not ruined, jut postponed for a bit"
>She pats you on the head
>Dash: "Besides, it's not like I'd let something like this come between us"
>Adagio's voice echoed in your head... "We'd hate for anything to come between the two of you, wouldn't we"
>Damn it
"Hey Dashie... you remember Sonata, right?"
>Dash: "You mean that girl you were sitting with these past few days? What about her?"
"I was just wondering what kind of impression you got from her"
>Dash: "I dunno, she seemed friendly"
"Did you get a chance to meet her friends?"
>Dash: "Nu uh, why?"
"No reason, they just seemed... weird"
>Dash: "How weird?"
"Hard to say"
>Dash: "Is one of them trying to steal my Nonny?"
>She says it as a joke, but there's always a hint of seriousness when a girl says that
>You reach up and gently stroke her cheek
"Don't worry Dash, I'm still yours"
 
>Friday
>You're feeling better, no stomach issues today
>But just in case, you stop by the local drugstore on your way to school and bought a bottle of Tums
 
>You get to Biology
>You take your seat
>Immediately it begins
>Rarity: "So, how was it?"
>You know what she means
>You pretend that you don't
"You mean the band? You guys sound better than I expected"
>Rarity: "I mean the song Dash wrote for you"
"I know what you mean"
>She rolls her eyes. Clearly she should have saw that coming
>Rarity: "So then how was the song? She wouldn't play it in front of us, not even to practice, so I have no idea what it sounds like"
"I didn't get to hear it either"
>Rarity: "Huh? Why not?"
"... long story"
>Rarity: "Let me guess, she was going to play but you ended up doing 'something else' instead"
>She makes air quotes when she says 'something else'
"What do you mean by 'something else'?"
>You mimic her air quotes
>Rarity: "You know exactly what I mean"
"Alright fine. I should start off by saying that there was a hell of a mess for the janitor to clean up-"
>Rarity: "-Okay okay, just stop me before you ruin the music room for me and make me want to skip out of band practice today"
>She immediately goes back to her work
>What she doesn't know is that she'd be probably be more grossed out by knowing what really happened than what she's probably thinking happened
 
>You're focused on school work when someone comes in with a note from the principal's office
>It's for you
>That can't be good
>Rarity: "What's that for Anon?"
>You look over the note
"... It says Nurse Redheart needs to see me immediately"
>You hurry over to the nurse's office
>Nurse: "Oh hey, you were quick"
"The note said to come down here immediately, is there some kind of emergency"
>Nurse: "Well there's no emergency. I just wanted to make sure you were okay today. You were still half dead when I left yesterday"
"Seriously? That's it?"
>She silently nods
"Well then yeah, I feel fine. If that's all I'm going back to class"
>You start to make your way out but she grabs your hand
"What? I told you I'm fine"
>Nurse: "And you expect me to believe a word you say? Sit down"
>She's not letting you go, so you might as well get this over with
>She does all the typical stuff
>She checks your temperature
>She checks your pulse
>She even breaks out the old stethoscope, which gets a chuckle out of you
>Nurse: "What's so funny?"
"Nothing. It's just cute how you think you're an actual doctor"
>She doesn't respond
>Then again, you really shouldn't be talking to her like that now that she knows where you live
 
>Once she concludes that there's nothing physically wrong with you, aside from a couple of her usual petty insults thrown your way, she sends you on your way
>You are on your way back to class, hurrying down the hall
>You're not really paying attention to where you're going
>*BAM*
>And apparently neither is the person you just walked right into
>Sunset: "Ugh... "
>She starts rubbing her forehead, and she looks pissed
>Sunset: "Damn it, you moron! Would it kill you to watch where the hell you're going! ... Oh, hey Anon"
>She seems to get embarrassed as soon as she realizes it's you
>You help her up, and she brushes herself off
"You okay?"
>Sunset: "Yeah, you?"
"I've had worse. So what's got you in such a hurry?"
>Sunset: "I was just showing the new girls around a few minutes ago, but then they took off out of nowhere. Did you see them come by?"
"Nu uh"
>Sunset: "Damn..."
"But now that you mention it, what did you think of them"
>Sunset: "The new girls? They were... well, they were different"
"So I'm not the only one who thinks so"
>Sunset: "Yeah, it's like there's always something they're not saying but want to... do you think someone already told them about us?"
"What about us?"
>Sunset: "About me being a demon from another world, and about you being in with the mafia"
>Oh yeah, that stuff
"Sonata told me they just transferred in. I doubt they already-"
>*RIIIING*
>The bell cuts you off before this conversation before it could go any further
>Sunset: "Isn't that the lunch bell?"
"Yeah. I usually meet Dash and Applejack after class, I'm going to try to catch up with them"
>Sunset: "Care if I tag along?"
"Not at all"
>The two of you hurry back to your class
>Sunset: "Oh, and can I ask you for one last favor?"
"Sure"
>Sunset: "About me getting pissed off back there... you know, losing my temper and all"
"Don't worry, I'll keep it between us"
>You catch Dash, Rarity, and Applejack on their way to the cafeteria
>Thank God Rarity has your backpack, you didn't even realize you'd forgotten it
>Dash: "Nonny, there you are! Rarity told me you went to the nurse's office, is everything okay?"
"Yeah, she just wanted to check on me, make sure I was okay after yesterday"
>Rarity: "Are either of you going to tell me what happened"
>Dash: "Do you really want to know?"
>Even Dash knows how to handle Rarity now
>You've taught her well
 
>You get to the cafeteria, a good deal later than usual
>Even now, Sonata and her friends haven't shown yet
>Applejack: "Seriously Anon, if ya wanna sit there again we won't judge"
"Nice try. You're not getting rid of me that easily"
>Still though, you do wonder what the deal with them is
>As you take our seats, the girls immediately turn to Sunset, asking about Sonata's gang
>She looks at you, and you return the gaze
>You both have the same thought going through your heads
>"How the hell do I explain this"
>The best explanation that she can give is that they're "kind of off"
>Not that you could say much better
>*BANG*
>The conversation is interrupted by the slam of the cafeteria doors
>But not closed... they were bursting open
>A gentle hum starts to echo through the cafeteria, which at this point has fallen silent
>All attention turns to the source...
>Sonata and her friends
>Quite the dramatic entrance
>Then, to your surprise, music starts playing from the intercom, and the poofy-haired one- Adagio, if you recall correctly- starts singing
"Hey Dash, is there another dance thing going on?"
>Dash: "Nu uh... not that I know of. Pinkie?"
>Pinkie: "Nope. I'm as stumped as you guys"
>The continue on with their spontaneous music number
 
>The crowd gets riled up
>The energy of the room is building
>...
>You feel the it getting to you
>The new girls come to the end of their song
>You had no idea Sonata and her friends even sang, but the fact that they would go so far as to challenge the whole school to a battle of the bands..
>And in a song no less
>Now that's cheeky
>The cafeteria was left in chaos, and Sonata's gang is basking in the moment
>The crowd looks like they belong at a concert for some edgy metal band you outgrew in middle school
>Everyone but your friends is going crazy
>Once again you feel sick to your stomach
>Dash: "A battle of the bands?"
>Pinkie: "They can't change the musical showcase like that! It ruins the whole idea!"
>Dash: "You're not going to let them do it, are you?"
>Applejack: "Are you hearin' that crowd? It may be out of your hands"
>None of them seem as excited as the rest of the students
>Dash: "Hey girls... "
>Dash directs everyone's attention towards you, now hunched over and clutching your gut
>Applejack: "You okay there Anon?"
>"Don't you know that if you ever have to ask that then the answer is no"
>Is what you want to say
>But you know it's just the pain talking, so you bite your tongue and hold back the sass
"Not really"
>Dash: "Do you need to see the nurse?"
"... yeah, I think so"
>You get up and, accompanied by Dash, you start head across the cafeteria
>"Anonymous! Good seeing you again!"
>From amongst the commotion a hand reaches out and grabs you, and it takes you a moment to find just who it was
>The creepy one
"Not now Aria"
>Adagio: "Actually I'm Adagio"
>Oh right, Adagio was the creepy one
>Not your fault, you're not thinking straight
>Dash: "Look, now's not a good time, alright- hey, weren't you one of the girls singing?"
>Adagio: "That's right, I'm with the Dazzlings"
>Not the name you would have chosen, but okay
>Adagio: "Are you two leaving so soon?"
>Dash: "I said now's not a good time"
"A horrible time"
>Adagio: "What's the matter? Are you sick again?"
>She's looking you in the eye again, that same smile on her face as before
>Like she's looking into your soul
>Fuck it
>You jerk your arm free and run off as fast as you can
>Dash: "Nonny, wait!"
>Adagio: "Damn it, still nothing..."
>You ignore the both of them, hauling your ass out of there
 
>You know you can't make it all the way to the nurse's office
>Just like you know you can't hold down your stomach contents
>So you head straight to the bathroom
 
>Once you've finished emptying the contents of your stomach, you wait around in the stall for a minute just in case
>You weren't really self-conscious about it until you hear someone else enter the room
>The person comes straight to your stall and knocks, and a voice you really should be more surprised to hear in the men's bathroom calls out
>Pinkie: "Nonny? You okay"
"Yeah, I'm fine now. I think"
>Pinkie: "The other girls went to the nurse's office looking for you, but somehow I knew you'd be here"
>You stumble out of the stall
>Pinkie: "Come on, I'll help you over there"
>She puts her arm around you for support, and you lean on her as you shamelessly walkout of the bathroom together and head to Redheart's office
>Nurse: "God damn it not again. What the hell is up with you!"
>Redheart helps you lay down with a gentleness that doesn't match the tone of her voice
>The girls are there for you; thankfully, it's just your friends, none of those Dazzlers, or Dazzlings, or whatever they're called
"I don't know-"
>Nurse: "-Oh no, we're not doing this crap again. Tell me what happened, and tell me now"
>She wheels her chair over to block the door
>Nurse: "I'm not letting any of you out until I get an answer, so someone talk"
>She looks directly at you, making sure you know you're on the spot
>Thankfully, Dash saves your ass
>Dash: "We were just sitting at lunch, and again, out of nowhere he got sick"
>Nurse: "Anything unusual happen before?"
>Dash: "Nothing, aside from the Dazzlings"
>Nurse: "Who?"
>Dash: "The new girls. They came in and started singing, and that's when he got sick"
>Nurse: "Singing, huh? Weren't you at their band practice when you threw up last time?"
>Rarity: "You what"
"Yup, that's what happened. I puked in the music room"
>She seems mildly disgusted, probably not enough to be skipping band practice
>Nurse: "Anon, do you get migraines?"
"No, why?"
>Nurse: "Sometimes people with chronic migraines are overly sensitive to sound. Listening to constant loud music could have set you off"
"Sounds more like a hangover to me"
>Nurse: "Is that it?"
>You give her a "are you serious?" look
>... okay, she is serious
"No, I don't have a hangover. It's probably just the stomach flu or something"
>Nurse: "If that were the case, you wouldn't have felt so fine this morning"
"Then what else could it be?"
>Sunset: "Weren't you sitting with those Dazzling girls yesterday too?"
"Yeah, why?"
>Sunset: "... nothing"
>There's something on her mind that she's not saying
>Redheart: "Well regardless, you should stick around for a bit Anon. At least until you're feeling okay. I'll get something for your stomach"
"Don't, I've got stuff in my backpack"
>Once again, Rarity saved your backpack
>You open it and take out the bottle of Tums from the front pocket of your backpack-
>...
"Hey Rarity, were you watching my bag the whole time?"
>Rarity: "Not the whole time, but for the most part. Why, are you missing something?"
"... no, never mind. I found it"
>You pretended to look for something for a moment
>Nurse: "You should head back to class before your all late. I'll keep an eye on him"
>Dash: "I can stay behind too if you want-"
"-Don't"
>She seems surprised, almost shocked
"Go ahead and go, I'll be fine"
>Dash: "You sure?"
"Don't worry Dashie, I'll be okay"
>Skeptically, she sighs and kisses you on the forehead
>Dash: "I'll come back and check on you after class, alright"
"I'll be waiting"
>Applejack: "Come on y'all, he probably needs his rest"
>They all head out
>Just as you'd expect, Dash is the last one lingering behind
>Redheart carries on with some paperwork, and you pull the privacy curtain aside
>Once you're concealed, you open up the front pocket of you bag, and pull out a white envelope with your name scribbled on the front
>You found it earlier while looking for the Tums and it threw you off
>Inside the envelope is a folded up paper with a message written inside
>There's no name or signature, just the message
>"Sonata and her sisters are trouble. Stay away from them"
>To whoever wrote that note: No freaking duh
>Obviously all of your friends know that
>Which means that there's someone else out there who knows that the Dazzlings are up to no good
>For now, you crumple up the note and stuff it in your pocket
>You are still a little queasy, so you close your eyes to get some needed rest
>...
 
>...
>Upon waking you feel a big pressure in your gut
>You don't feel anything coming up, not even a dry heave
>Then, you realize the pressure's coming from outside your body
>Dash is on her knees beside the bed, resting her head on you and using your body as a pillow
>She seems to catch you as soon as you wake
>Dash: "Hey, how you feeling?"
"Fine. Is class over already?"
>Dash: "Yeah, I came in just a second ago to check on you-"
>Nurse: "-Bullshit"
>Nurse Redheart pulls the curtain aside
>Nurse: "She came back like, five minutes after she left, claiming she wasn't feeling well"
"Seriously?"
>Dash: "Of course not!"
>Nurse: "I tried to get her to leave but she said she wouldn't leave your side until you woke up. She's way too worried about you"
>Dash: "Am not!"
>Dash's face flushes bright red
>Redheart is getting her worked up in a way you haven't done in a long time
>Nurse: "You should have seen her a minute ago Anon, she was crying that you wouldn't ever wake up"
>Dash: "Wh-what? Nonny, you don't believe her do you?"
>Now that you know for sure is bull
>... but screw it, you can't resist
"Your eyes are still watering"
>Dash: "B-But I wasn't even... you're screwing with me aren't you?"
 
>Nurse Redheart bursts into laughter
>Nurse: "Damn Anon, now I get why you keep her around"
>She teasingly pinches Dash's cheek
>Nurse: "Relax kid, we're just messing with you. We both know you weren't really crying"
>Dash: "And that other stuff didn't happen either!"
>Nurse: "Yeah, sure, whatever you say. Anyways, you're almost late for your next class. Take this before you go"
>She hands you a piece of paper
"What's this?"
>Nurse: "It's to get you out of gym for a while. I think you actually should be sitting out for once, at least for a while"
>The note details your stomach issues over the past couple of days, with her signature at the bottom
"Really? I didn't lose a toe this time?"
>Nurse: "It was either that or herpes"
>She's not as good at excuses as you are, but to her credit no one would really question her
>You stuff the note in your pocket and leave the office
>Dash: "Just for the record, I wasn't really crying over you"
"I know, I was just messing with you"
>Looking back, maybe you did take it just a bit too far
"You're not mad, are you?"
>Dash: "Of course not Nonny, but... I have been a little worried lately"
>She gently punches your arm
>Once again, something she hasn't done in a long time
>Something you've missed
>Dash: "And trust me, when I'm mad you'll know"
>Well that's... reassuring
>Maybe
 
>Gym class
"Hey coach, I have to sit out today"
>Coach: "What is it this time?"
>You reach in your pocket and pull out the paper, handing it to him
>Coach: "... 'Sonata and her sister are trouble'? What's this?"
>Crap
>You shouldn't have put both of them in the same pocket
>You quickly fish out the other note and trade them off
>Coach: "... Stomach issues huh? Alright, go on"
>He holds on to the note from the nurse while you stuff the one about the Dazzlings back into your pocket
>You feel like you should hold onto it just in case... hell if you know, but anything could happen
>But you've got to be a little more careful with it
>Especially if you're going to continue keeping it a secret
 
>Dash insisted on skipping band practice and walking you home, but you assured her that you'd be fine
>And for the rest of the day, you were fine
>In fact, you were fine for the rest of the weekend
 
>Monday
>You decided it's best to leave that note pinned on the fridge
>It's more of a mini-fridge really, but it came with the place
>The note in itself isn't exactly fridge-worthy work, but you've never aced a test and you don't have any kids with shitty arts and crafts projects, so it's better than nothing
 
>As soon as Dash sees you waiting for her in front of the school, she asks if you are okay
>You assure her that you are
 
>In Biology
>As soon as rarity sees you in your seat, she asks if you are okay
>You assure her that you are
 
>At lunch
>As soon as you sit down at the table, you assure everyone that you are okay before they even ask
>At least you've got friends that care
 
>You go all day without throwing up
>That's a win as far as you're concerned
 
>Tuesday
>Lunch time
>To your surprise, Pinkie is the last one at the table, and she is irritable
"What's the matter Pinkie?"
>She pulls out a piece of paper
>Pinkie: "THIS is the matter"
>It's a flyer, one that looks a lot like her old flyer for the musical showcase, but with the title replaced with "Battle of the Bands"
>Pinkie: "And I'm guessing you all know who's behind this one. Nonny, you're friends with one of them right? Can't you try and talk to her or something?"
>Sunset: "I don't know Pinkie, those girls seem like trouble. If anything we should be staying away from them"
>... nearly a direct quote
>Still, you have to be sure
"When I spoke to Sonata by herself, she seemed normal. It's those sisters of hers that seem to cause trouble"
>Sunset: "They're sisters? I thought they were just friends"
>... the note specifically said 'Sonata and her sisters'
>So much for that lead
"Anyways, Pinkie's right. I should at least try to talk to her about all this. Maybe she can talk some sense into them"
>Applejack: "Speak of the devil"
>Applejack turns your attention across the cafeteria, where the Dazzlings just took their seats at the big table
"I guess there's never a better time than now"
>Dash: "Hang on, I'm coming with"
>She joins you as you get up to head towards them
 
>Sonata: "Anon? What are you doing here?
>Aria: "Yeah Ass-non, what are you doing here?"
>That's actually the first time you've heard that one
>Clever
"Look, we need to talk about last week"
>Adagio: "You weren't in the mood to talk then"
"Yeah, I'd been sick the past few days"
>Sonata: "Really? Are you-"
"-Yes, I'm fine. That's aside from the point. You need to call off the whole 'Battle of the Bands' thing"
>Adagio: "Call it off? We didn't even start it. We just took the musical showcase and spiced it up"
"I know, and Pinkie Pie's not cool with it. It kind of ruins the whole idea of the showcase"
>Dash: "It's supposed to be a fun event, not a hardcore competition"
>Adagio: "... I see what the problem is here. You don't think you and your band can hold up to the competition"
>Dash: "I'm saying there shouldn't be any competition at all"
>"Of course you'd say that"
>One of the other girls sitting at the table calls out
>You don't really know her but you've met her; she's the one you always run into at the vending machine
>Trixie was her name, if you recall correctly
>Dash: "Excuse me?"
>Trixie: "Admit it; you're scared of the competition"
>Dash: "As if. You think I'm really-"
>You stop her before she escalates things any further
>Dash: "Look, all I'm saying is that this isn't the best idea"
>Another familiar, more annoying voice speaks up
>Snips: "And what do you know about good ideas?"
>Snails: "Yeah, what do YOU know?"
>Adagio: "Well well well, look like majority rules. The Battle of the Bands is on"
>She and the other girls get up from their seats and leave
>On her way out, Adagio walks past Trixie, caresses her face and whispers something in her ear
>Aria does the same to Snips and, after a stare from the others, Sonata does to Snails
>The table gets more rowdy with excitement, and you and Dash make your way out before things get any worse
 
>Applejack: "Nothing, huh?"
"Nope, it's like they didn't hear a word we said"
>Pinkie: "What did you tell them?"
>Back at your table you and Dash describe the situation- everything, even the little whisper at the end
>Sunset, once again, looks troubled
"You know something Sunset?"
>Pinkie: "Come on Sunny, let it out"
>Sunset: "... I'm not sure. I'll get back with you on that"
>She gets up and leaves, despite lunch being just about half over
>Applejack: "Okay, am I the only one not sure if she can be trusted"
>No one speaks up, but they all seem to silently agree
>But not you
"Give her time, she might know something we don't"
>Dash: "If she knew something why doesn't she just tell us?"
"Sometimes you need to be absolutely sure before you say anything"
>They all accept your answer; they may not agree but they accept it
 
>After lunch you and Dash start heading to history
"Hold up, I think my textbook is in my locker"
>Dash: "Alright, I'll meet you in class"
>You hurry off to get your book
 
>You open your locker
>You take out your book
>You see another envelope fall out
>... another one, looking just like the last one
>You take it and, after making sure no one's around (maybe you're a little too paranoid, but what the hell) you read the note
>"Quit the band"
>... motherfucker
>It's one thing to sneak into your backpack while you're in the bathroom throwing up, but to actually come to your locker...
>You're sure this won't be the last one, and you've got nothing to lose
>You tear a page out of your notebook and write down "I'm not in the band"
>You fold it up and write "Whoever You Are" on the outside, and leave it right in the middle of your locker, where it's sure to be seen
>Thinking you can actually respond to this person is admittedly stupid and irrational
>But there is nothing about this situation that isn't
 
>You get to class a few minutes after the bell
>Dash: "What took you so long?"
"Nothing, I just walk slowly"
 
>After school, you meet up with Dash outside the locker rooms as usual
>Dash: "So are you coming?"
"To what, band practice?"
>Dash: "Didn't you get the message?"
>...
>Oh
>Shit
"So you know?"
>Dash: "Yeah, she sent it to all of us"
"Who sent it?"
>Dash: "Sunset, did you not get her text?"
"... okay, back up. I'm missing something here"
>Dash: "Sunset sent out a mass text for us to meet her by her locker after school"
>... never mind
>Dash: "Wait, did you ever actually give her your number?"
"Nu uh"
>Dash: "That explains it. Now that you know, you might as well come along, I'm sure she meant for you to come too"
"Yeah... sure"
 
>You meet the girls at Sunset's locker
>Sunset: "Okay, so something's been bugging me about the Dazzlings since I first met. There's something... different about them"
>Dash: "Are you saying what I think you're saying?"
>Sunset: "Yup, I think they're from my world"
>This kind of thing should really come as more of a shock to you
>But lately, otherworldly creatures seem to be the norm around here
>She opens her locker and pulls out a fancy looking book
>Sunset: "This book is magic, I can use it to communicate with the world I came from"
>Great, you're dealing with otherworldly creatures and an inter-dimensional transmitter communication device
>Yup, your friend is an alien
 
>After writing... something in the book, she stuffs it back into her locker and leads you all outside to the front steps of the school by the big statue
"So what exactly are we waiting for?"
>Sunset: "Hard to say. Don't worry, it'll all make sense in a moment"
>You seem to be the only one out of the loop, so you wait
>... and wait
>... and wait some more
>Long after school hours, the sun had already started to set
>Pinkie helped you break into the school to grab dinner from the vending machines
 
>After enjoying a lovely art-school dinner, you wait some more
"... yeah, this all makes sense"
>Sunset: "I don't know, maybe she just-"
>Sunset abruptly stops and gets up
>You quickly realize what's caught her attention
>A bright light radiates from the big statue out front
>A strong breeze kicks up
>There's a loud, thunderous boom, and the light becomes blinding
>When you get your vision back, you see a girl sitting on the floor in front of the statue dazed and confused
>Yup... makes perfect sense
>Less than seconds later, a small dog follows her out through the statue
>The girl on the floor picks herself up and the others embrace her in a big group hug
>Without you
>Statue girl seems to notice and breaks away from the group to introduce herself
>"Hi there, I'm Twilight Sparkle"
"I'm Anon"
>You take her hand for a handshake, but stop when you realize how limp her arm is, flopping around like a wet noodle
>Like she's never had a handshake before or something
>Twilight: "Nice meeting you Anon"
"You too. So do you always come out of statues or did you just miss the bus today?
>Nothing like a little smartass-ery to break the ice
>The joke seems to have gone over her head
>Twilight: "Right, the statue. Now I'm sure you're probably wondering just what's going on here and there's really no easy way to say this so I'm just going to say it"
>She lets out a long sigh
>Twilight: "You see, the truth is I'm actually-"
"-I know, you're an alien"
>Twilight: "Alien?"
"Yeah, an alien from another world. Sunset too"
>Twilight: "Okay, now I'm the one confused here"
>Dash: "Maybe you should just let her explain Anon"
>She's got a point
>You cut the comical genius for just a moment to let her carry on with her explanation of recent happenings
>So it turns out that Twilight is actually a princess in her world, not that it means anything here
>But wait, there's more
>She seems to have it all figured out
"... Sirens?"
Twilight: "That's right, sirens. They're mythical creatures who once roamed the land of Equestria- where I'm from- until they were banished. They must have found their way to this world"
"Banished? If they're so evil why not just kill them?"
>Twilight: "That's not how we do things in Equestria. We don't just go around killing each other willy-nilly, even with reason"
>You really ought to thank Twilight for checking your edginess
>Twilight: "Even if we wanted to, their magic was too great. There's no way they could be defeated in their most powerful state. Thy seem to be wakened here, but the more conflict and anger between everyone, the stronger they get"
"And what happens when they reach their strongest state?"
>Sunset: "As I'm sure you've noticed, they have a way of making people act not like themselves, making them angry and aggressive"
.Twilight: "Yes, and with enough power they're capable controlling the minds of others, forcing them to do their bidding"
>Dash: "None of us have been affected by it yet"
>Twilight: "It might have to do with what happened the last time I was here. Some of my magic may still be inside you"
>You struggle to not make any sexual joke about that out loud
>Twilight: "We may be protected from it now, but if they get any stronger there's no telling what will happen"
>Rarity: "But what about Anon? He didn't receive any of the magic when you were here last, but he doesn't seem to be under their spell either... are you?"
"Not that I know of"
>They've probably tried to cast their spell on you before though
>That would explain all that stuff about coming between you and Dash last week
>And when she tried to keep you from leaving the cafeteria after their song
>... and how you puked each time afterwards
"At least, not entirely under their spell"
>Rarity: "What do you mean?"
"I think their magic may have something to do with how sick I've been the last couple of days. Every time I got sick, it was after speaking to Adagio"
>Dash: "But you didn't throw the first time until I started playing"
"And I didn't throw up the second time until you started pulling me away from Adagio"
>Dash: "Where are you going with this?"
"Adagio said something to me when we first met: 'It'd be a shame if something came between you and Rainbow Dash'. Maybe this is part of their spell. You're protected by magic and they're too weak to make me do anything. Trying to make me sick around you is their way of pushing us apart"
>Dash: "... that's almost crazy enough to make sense"
>Twilight: "I think so too"
>She starts eyeing you up and down
>Twilight: "And now that you mention it, I do feel something coming from you, something magical"
>You always knew you were special
>Twilight: "But first things first, we need to figure out a way to defeat the Dazzlings"
>"What we need is some kind of counter-spell against them"
>... did her dog just talk?
>It seems to look straight at you
>"Yes, I just talked. The name's Spike"
>Apparently it reads minds too-
>Spike: "No I can't read minds. I just get that look every time I come to this world"
"What the hell kind of dog are you?"
>Spike: "I'm not a dog, I'm actually a freaking dragon-"
>Twilight: "-Spike! Language!"
>The dog snickers and sticks his paw out like some kind of animal bro-fist
>You just bro-fisted with a dog
>Fuck anybody who says you didn't
>Twilight: "Anyways, for a counter-spell to work we'd need everyone under their spell to hear it. That way we can ensure that no one is left under their control"
"What you should do is write it in the form of a song and perform it at the Battle of the Bands"
>Twilight: "... all the students will be gathered in one place, Anon you're a genius!"
"Yeah, sure"
>You're no genius
>You're just a cheeky asshole, wanting to see the Dazzlings get beaten at their own game in front of the whole school
>Twilight: "If I'm going to have that spell ready in time, we have to get started immediately. Come on Spike"
>She starts heading towards the school until Pinkie stops her
>Pinkie: "Wait, where are you going?"
>Twilight: "Usually I sleep in the library when I come here"
>So SHE'S the hobo who made that bed up there
>Pinkie: "Not tonight, you're sleeping at my place"
>lol she's gonna get raped
>Pinkie: "WAIT! I've got a great idea... slumber party at my house!"
>lol they're all gonna get raped
>Pinkie: "See you girls later. You too Nonny-"
"-Wait, me too?"
>Pinkie: "Well duh. Can't have a band slumber party without our only groupie present"
>...
>You're gonna get raped
 
>When you get home you throw some stuff in a backpack for the slumber party
>Pajamas and a change of clothes for tomorrow
>A tightly sealed travel cup of coffee for the morning just in case Pinkie doesn't have any at her place
>You consider putting on three pairs of underwear for protection in case SOMEONE gets frisky (you know who, the one who's been demanding a sex party since you've met)
>But then you change your mind, in case someone ELSE gets frisky (you know who, the one who's actually willing to push through three pairs for you)
>Not long after you've gotten ready Dash picks you up and you head over to Pinkie's place
 
>Pinkie: "Dash, Nonny, you're late!"
>She takes one of your hands and one of Dash's and drags you inside and up to her bedroom
>Well she cuts right to the chase
>Much to your relief, you get there and find the others already arrived and are still conscious and fully clothed
>As soon as you step in the room Rarity smushes her face up against yours
>Rarity: "Say cheese!"
"What-"
>*CLICK*
>You haven't even been here five minutes and you just got selfie raped
>Applejack: "Relax Anon, she does that to all of us"
>Dash: "Yeah, and I can guarantee more than once"
>This is going to be a long night
 
>Okay, this is actually a lot more fun than you expected
>Aside from the typical girly girl stuff like makeovers and gossip (to which you've heard your name a few times), the girls are actually pretty fun
 
>You're sitting at the foot of the bed watching Dash and Applejack play some vidya when Twilight comes by and sits next to you
"Hey Twilight finished already?"
>Twilight: "No, just taking a break. I'm having a hard time coming up with anything. What are they playing?"'
"No idea, but it's still fun to watch"
>Twilight: "Why?"
"Wait for it..."
>3
>2
>1
>*SLAM*
>Applejack: "Hey! I was just about to win!"
>Dash: "I dunno, it seemed pretty close to me"
>Dash hit the reset button on the console... again
>Dash: "Of course, if you wanna go again"
>Applejack: "... You're on"
>And they immediately start playing again
>There's no stopping the competition between them
>Twilight: "How long have they been going at it like this?"
"Since we got here"
>Twilight: "Wow..."
"Yeah. Wow"
>They continue playing
>...
>*SLAM*
>Once again, Dash #NoScopes the console
>Applejack: "You did it again!"
>Dash: "It was an accident, I swear"
>This seems to be the final nail in the coffin, and Applejack rage quits
>Applejack: "So Twi, how's that spell coming along?"
>Twilight: "... it's a work-in-progress"
>Applejack: "How much progress are we talking?"
>Twilight: "Quite a bit. Magic can be really tricky sometimes. Like how Anon somehow managed to get himself enchanted"
>Applejack: "Yeah, how did that happen anyways?"
"No idea. Maybe it's just because I've been hanging out with you guys more lately"
>Twilight: "Maybe... I don't know, magic is usually a little more intimate than that"
>You prepare for the shitstorm as soon as you hear the word 'intimate'
 
>Rarity: "Oh, he and Dash have been VERY intimate lately"
>Dash catches on and immediately tries to play it down
>Dash: "Yeah, he and I have been going out for a while now"
>Rarity: "You've been doing a lot more than that"
>Twilight: "What do you mean?"
>Wow, does Twilight really not get it?
>Rarity: "Let's just say they've been exchanging lots of magic lately"
>Twilight: "Huh?"
>Rarity: "Come on, do we have to spell it out for you"
>Pinkie: "S-E-X"
>God damn it Pinkie
>Even after that it takes Twilight a moment to register the meaning of that
>And once she does she releases a spaghetti storm
>Twilight: "... O-Oh! That would... work I guess. C-Can't really say from experience but it's a reasonable hypothesis"
>Applejack: "Judging by the way you talk Rarity, sounds like you're speakin from experience. Care to eplain?"
>Rarity: "What? Who told you about us-"
>You and Dash: "-RARITY!"
>Too late
>Applejack is already laughing her ass off
>Fluttershy is already blushing in second-hand embarrassment
>Pinkie is already swearing on her life that she didn't tell
>And Twilight still doesn't get what that means
>You never thought having an M-F-F threesome would be something you'd want to live down
>Then again, you never thought you'd have such gossipy friends
>*DING DONG*
>Thankfully, you're saved by the bell. The doorbell to be exact
>Pinkie: "Pizza's here!"
>Thank God for pizza
 
>Later that night
>Everyone's all partied out and agree that it's best you hit the sack
>Or rather, the floor for most of them
>Somehow you and Dash manage to find room to fall asleep spooning
>With everyone sprawled out wherever there's room you all drift off to sleep
>... okay, they all do
>Your eyes are closed but you're wide awake
>You know that as soon as you let your guard down Pinkie's gonna take out a sharpie and draw a dick on your forehead
>You're not going to let that happen
>You hear a quiet rustling, and you crack your eye open just a bit to catch Twilight sneaking out of the room
>Looks like you're not the only one awake
>No one else seems to notice
>And you don't really care, so you bury your face in the back of Dash's head and close your eyes
>... more rustling, and this time Sunset leaves
>Busy night
>Probably working on that spell thing of hers
>Again, none of your business
>...
>Dash: "hey Nonny, you awake?"
>She whispers just barely enough for you to hear
"yeah"
>Dash: "same here, can't really sleep. are you worried about the Dazzlings too?"
"not really. what's got you worried?"
>Dash: "are you sure you're able to resist their spell?"
"for the most part, why?"
>Dash: "... I don't know"
"Dashie, what aren't you telling me?"
>She turns around to face you
 
>Dash: "things could get bad. like, really bad. and I just want to make sure your safe, and-"
"Dashie, I'm going to be okay"
>Dash: "but what if you're not? what if somehow the Dazzling's spell gets to you"
"it won't"
>Dash: "but what if it does"
"it never will"
>Dash: "Nonny, please..."
>She struggles to find the words to say
>Dash: "all I ask is that we keep your involvement with the band to a minimum, at least until we find out what they're really capable of. if they are capable of controlling people's minds then the last thing I want is for you to be a target. I'm not saying we should stop hanging out altogether, but you are in more danger than any of us. it's for your own protection"
>You pull her as close as you can, your face just inches from hers
>Close enough for you to see her eyes start to water
"look, Adagio is clearly trying to cause a rift between the two of us. now I just watched you slam the reset button at least five times earlier when you were playing against Applejack, and if there's anything I can say for sure about you, it's that no one has ever beaten the one and only Rainbow Dash. are you really going to let Adagio be the first?"
>Dash: "of course not, but I don't want anything happening to you either"
"tell you what. if things get too real I'll back off like you asked, but until it they do you're stuck with me, got it?"
>Dash: "... promise?"
"promise. and if I don't and I somehow fall under their spell I'm giving you my blessing to smack the sense back into me"
>That got a giggle out of her
>Dash: "deal"
>She wipes her eyes
"got something in your eyes?"
>Dash: "y-yeah"
>She turns her back to you again and wiggles into a comfortable position
>You drape your arm over her and pull her close
>For the first time tonight, you feel like actually getting some sleep
>As you wake up the next morning you take a minute to figure out where the hell you are
>... Oh yeah, the slumber party
>Man, you slept surprisingly good last night
>"Morning Nonny"
"Morning Dashie"
>"Try again"
"... what?"
>You pick yourself up and rub your eyes, still struggling to wake up
>Dash is lying next to you clinging to your arm, but still asleep
>Pinkie Pie, on the other hand, is sitting up in bed wide awake
>She climbs down from the bed and sits next to you, careful not to step on anybody, then gives you a big hug
"What's that for?"
>Pinkie: "I thought you'd need it. You and Dash sounded upset last night"
"... You heard that?"
>Pinkie: "All of it. I was wide awake the whole time. And don't worry, I won't tell anyone"
"Thanks Pinkie. But everything's fine, you don't have to worry about us"
>She tries to hug you again
>Pinkie: "As long you're okay that's what matters. Did you at least get some sleep?"
"Yeah I did. What were you doing up that late anyways?"
>Pinkie: "What do you think?"
>You really don't want to think about what she was doing while everyone was asleep
"Dare I ask?"
>Pinkie: "I had to dish out the new guy treatment"
"And what pray tell is the 'new guy treatment'?"
>From across the room, Sunset yawns and stretches
>Sunset: "Morning guys"
>You stare blankly at her
>Sunset: "... what's with that look?"
"You got a little something up there"
>You point to her forehead, where someone wrote the 'EVIL' in black marker
>She takes out her phone and checks her reflection
>Sunset: "Damn it, who did this?"
>Pinkie: "Nothing personal Sunny, it's the new guy treatment"
>You weren't sure if she'd be angry or if she'd take it well
>To much relief, she laughs
>Sunset: "I really should have known better"
>Pinkie: "Took you long enough to finally fall asleep"
>She tries to rub it off, which only serves to smear it around but still keep its shape
>Pinkie: "Relax, it'll wash off with soap"
>Twilight slowly wakes up next
>Twilight: "What's with all the commotion?"
"... good morning egghead"
>Twilight: "E-Excuse me?!"
>Sunset: "Your chest"
>She looks down at herself
>Her shirt is halfway buttoned down, and just beneath her shoulders she has 'EGGHEAD' written on her chest
>On a side note, someone really needs to get her a bra
>Twilight: "What? Who would do..."
>She figures it out pretty quickly
>Pinkie: "Consider it a compliment, you're one of us now"
>Twilight: "I'll never understand some of these human traditions"
>You take this opportunity to look yourself over, but you appear to be clean
"Did you forget something?"
>Pinkie giggles
>Pinkie: "You got a very special treatment"
"Is that just your way of saying you molested me in your sleep?"
>It was just a little more than a joke
>Pinkie: "Sorry Nonny, you haven't earned that privilege yet. Play your cards right and maybe next time"
>Note to self: don't play your cards right next time
>Fluttershy: "morning everyone"
>You had no idea she was even awake
>Fluttershy: "you know, it's almost-"
>Rarity: "-Good morning"
>She covers her mouth as she yawns
>Even waking up for her is polite, graceful, and fancy-ass
>She takes a moment to glance over those of you who were awake
>Rarity: "... you guys got the new guy treatment pretty hard"
>Twilight: "Yup. Apparently I'm a... an 'egghead'"
>She struggles to let out even a basic insult like that
>Stick around and you'll teach her the finer arts of bitchiness
>Fluttershy: "umm, girls-"
>Rarity: "What about you Anon?"
"Apparently I got a special treatment"
>Rarity: "The what?"
>Pinkie: "If you ask me it's my best work of art"
"-What the hell does that mean?"
>Pinkie: "Well I've never had a guy over here before"
>You don't like the sound of that
>Pinkie: "The problem with girls is that their boobs get in the way. A guy's chest is flat, a perfect canvas for a work of art"
"My chest?"
>You lift up your shirt and behold Pinkie's 'work of art'
>Sunset: "Pfft- HAHAHA!"
>Sunset erupts into a laughter that awakens the others
>Dash: "What's the big deaOH my God!"
>Dash joins her in the laughter, and once Applejack notices she does the same
>Dash: "Sorry Nonny but that's freaking hilarious!"
>You have to admit, it was pretty good
>And fitting for you
>Fluttershy: "girls I think-"
>*KNOCK KNOOCK KNOCK*
>Pinkie: "Come on in... oh hey Maud"
>"I heard a loud noise. Is everything-... That's hilarious. Good one Pinkie Pie"
>It's hard to tell if that was sarcastic or not because everything she said was so monotone
>Fluttershy: "girls, we're-"
>"You should all get going. School started half an hour ago"
>You check the time
>... shit
>Dash: "Why didn't anyone say anything?"
>Fluttershy: "I was trying"
>You really ought to listen to Fluttershy more
>Before leaving she looks over at you
>"What's your name"
"Anon"
>"Anon, there's a large drawing of a penis on your chest"
"I noticed"
>"You probably shouldn't have a drawing of a penis on your chest"
"I'll keep that in mind"
>Everyone hurried home so they could at least make it to school in time for the second class
>You took extra time in the shower to wash off the sharpie dick drawn on your body
 
>You make it to school and find Dash waiting out front for you
"You're waiting for me?"
>Dash: "You always do for me. And besides it's not like we're getting any less late"
>True that
>Dash: "Did you at least manage to get the drawing off?"
"Yeah, I scrubbed it until it got off"
>Pun intended
>Dash: "All of it?"
"Is this your way of trying to get me to take my shirt off?"
>Dash: "What? No, I'm just asking"
"And that's all you gotta do if you want me shirtless, just ask"
>Your first class was almost over, you didn't even bother going
>Instead, Dash took you to the back of the school where no one would catch you having sex
>When you asked her why she was so eager today she said that she was 'just surprised you didn't do anything to her last night'
>Which is Dash-speak for 'disappointed that you didn't do anything to her last night'
 
>Lunch time
>You, Dash, Applejack, and Rarity takes your seats at the lunch table
>The Dazzlings occupy their usual seats at their usual table
>It's weird thinking that they're actually monsters from another world
>Just when you least expect it Adagio winks at you
>... reeeeeaally creepy
>Dash: "Anon!"
"Huh?"
>Did she just use your regular name?
>Haven't heard that in a while
>Dash: "I said your name like five times, are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just zoned out for a minute"
>She looks over in the same direction you are
>Dash: "... Nonny, you remember the deal right?"
"Yeah"
>Dash: "Good"
>About half way through lunch a call comes in over the intercom
>Celestia: "All bands performing in the Battle of the Bands please report to the gymnasium immediately"
>Dash: "What's that all about?"
>Pinkie: "No idea"
>All the performers clear out of the cafeteria in a hurry, which to your surprise is nearly half the cafeteria
>Pinkie: "Whoa, we've never had this many people performing before"
>Applejack: "That's because we've never had monsters from another world brainwashing everyone before"
>Except for Sunset... you don't dare say that out loud
 
>You arrive at the gym the same time as the Dazzlings
>Adagio: "Fancy meeting you all here. What a coincidence"
>Applejack: "Hardly"
>Adagio: "Not you girls, I mean you Anon. I had no idea you were even in the band"
"I'm not"
>Adagio: "You may as well be, what with the way you all are so inseparable"
"It's called having friends. Try it out sometime"
>The girls laugh; even Sonata and Aria snicker a bit
>Adagio rolls her eyes
>Adagio: "We'll see how long that lasts"
>The three of them head inside together
>You let your friends go in before you, and as soon as you step inside you meet awkward encounter #2
 
>Flash: "Well well well, look who it is"
>Damn it not this again
"Look Flash, I don't want any trouble with you so just back off"
>Flash: "Hey, I don't want any trouble either"
"Then why are you talking to me?"
>Flash: "Just to wish you good luck. I mean, let's face it, you guys are no competition for me, but the Dazzlings, now they're the ones to beat"
"Yeah, and WE will be the one's to beat them"
>Flash: "For once, I actually appreciate that attitude of yours. I heard you giving it to Adagio out there. And it's like that old saying goes... "
>He reaches out for a handshake
>Flash: "The friend of my enemy is an enemy of my friend... or something"
>Not even close
>You return the handshake, not sure what to expect
>... nothing. Just a friendly handshake
>Has science gone too far?
>Celestia and Luna enter the gymnasium and make their way to the center
>Celestia: "Can we have everyone's attention please?"
>No one seems to hear her
>Luna: "WE SAID BE SILENT!"
>Luna and her trusty megaphone get the job done
>Celestia: "Thank you all for coming, we have something important to announce regarding the Battle of the Bands. There are far more entries than we could have ever anticipated, so we've decided to hold a preliminary audition this Friday after school. We do appreciate the enthusiasm from you all, and we're glad to say that we've had the opportunity to extend the event. To make sure we make time for everyone, please see the commissioners of the Battle of the Bands to sign up for your spot in the auditions"
>She directs the attention of the room to a table towards the front, where the 'commissioners' are seated
>And who else would it be
>Pinkie: "The Dazzlings?! Are you kidding me!"
>It takes all of Applejack's strength to hold back Pinkie from going on a rampage
>After assuming it'd be best if Pinkie stayed as far away from them as possible, Dash makes her way to the table, with you following behind her
>Dash: "Maybe you should sit this one out"
"You think I'd let you go up to them alone? You're just as dangerous as Pinkie"
>Dash: "As long as you remember-"
"-Yeah yeah, the deal. Got it"
>The two of you maneuver your way through the crowd towards the table
>The Dazzlings perk up as you approach the table, as if they've been waiting for you
>Dash makes sure you're behind her- not by her side, but actually behind
 
>Sonata: "Hi Anon, long time no see!"
>She sends you an excited wave much like Pinkie Pie and you give a simple wave back
>Adagio: "Well would you look at that. What a surprise that we keep bumping into each other"
>Sonata: "Not really, you were just saying a minute ago how certain you were that they'd show"
>Aria: "Ugh, ever hear of sarcasm, Sonata?"
>Sonata: "Have YOU ever heard of not being a-"
>Adagio: "-Knock it off, both of you"
>It's like watching the Three Stooges
>Adagio: "So what's it going to be Rainbow Dash? Here to talk us out of it again?"
>Dash: "Fat chance. Someone's gotta take you down"
>Adagio: "And what makes you so sure that you'll be the one to win?"
"Because no one wants a bunch of demons from Ponyland winning the Battle of the Bands"
>Adagio's eye twitches
>Got her
"You know, it's cute how you think that little spell of yours would have worked on me"
>Aria: "You know what's even cuter? You thinking is hasn't"
"I know it hasn't"
>Your stomach is feeling a little upset, but you're sure you can hold it for now
>Dash: "If the rest of them knew the truth, do you really think they'll still support you? This school has a bad history with brainwashing monsters. I don't think they'd take too kindly to three more invading our school"
>Adagio: "They don't seem to mind us now. And sooner or later, neither will you"
>Dash: "Please, we'll never be good in my book"
>Dash signs her name on the form
>Adagio: "We'll see about that. Nice seeing you again Anon"
"Not really"
>Dash steps between you and her before leading you away
 
>You regroup with the others just in time to catch Twilight stumbling into the gym
>Twilight: "Sorry I'm late, what'd I miss?"
>Dash: "There's going to be a preliminary audition tomorrow"
>Twilight: "What? But the spell isn't even close to being ready yet!"
>Dash: "Relax, the actual competition isn't until Saturday"
>Applejack: "Assuming we'll even make it that far"
>Dash: "You're not naysaying on us already, are you?"
>Applejack: "No, I'm saying they've been pulling the strings of this event for long time now. What if this is just a plot to get us kicked out before we even have a chance to perform? I mean, they already hijacked the event, who's to say they didn't rig it too?"
>Pinkie: "No way they'd do that... would they?"
>Applejack: "Anon, you know them better than any of us. Do you really think they'd go this far just to keep us out of the competition?"
"...I dunno. By the way, where have you been hanging out Twilight, seeing as how you don't have class and all?"
>The most reassuring thing you can do here is change the subject
>Wonderful
 
>You went with Dash to sit in during band practice after school
>She kept practice going extra late today, wanting to be sure that they'd make it in the qualifiers tomorrow
>After practice you made a quick stop at your locker
>There's no new note, and the response you left the other day looks like it hasn't been moved
>Looks like your response wasn't even read
>Looking back, it was kind of a dumb idea
 
>You get home and unlock your door
>As soon as the lock clicks your neighbor bursts out from her place
>Neighbor: "Hey Anon, this came for you"
>She hands you a stack of papers
"Damn it, what did I tell you about going through my mail?"
>Neighbor: "It was different this time. Look at the one on top"
>At the top of the stack is a white envelope
>No postmark
>No address
>Just your name
>Shit
>Neighbor: "I came back from the park and saw it taped to your front door. I thought I was just seeing shit again, but for sure it was real"
>You quickly tear it open, just to be sure it's one of THOSE letters
>....
>'The Rainbooms will qualify. It's all part of the plan'
>Yup, this is the real deal
"Who put it there?"
>Neighbor: "No idea, it was there when I got here"
"You didn't see anything?"
>Neighbor: "Nope"
"Nothing at all?"
>Neighbor: "I already said no. What the hell is going on?"
>She takes the note out of your hands and reads it
>Neighbor: "I don't get it?"
>You snatch the note back from her and take it with you inside, locking the door behind you
>First thing's first, grab a knife from the kitchen
>Are you paranoid? Damn right
>After clearing the apartment, making sure no one else is in here with you, you call Dash
>...
>Dash: "Hey Nonny, what's up?"
"You need to get own here"
 
>When she arrives, you have all three notes laid out on the coffee table in the living room
>She reads over them, one at a time
>Dash: "... and this last one came directly to your place?"
"That's what my neighbor said"
>She holds the final note, silently staring at it
"Don't worry about me Dashie, whoever this is can't even-"
>Dash: "I'm not worried, I'm pissed"
>She immediately turns to you, a scowl on her face
>She crumples up the note and throws it at your face
>There's no way it would have hurt even with a throw from her, but it's the thought that counts
>And it is not a good thought
>Dash: "Damn it Anon, don't you think we needed to know about this sooner?"
"I didn't want to involve any of you until I was sure it was legit"
>Dash: "And it wasn't legit when they put their spell on the whole school? Or when we found out that they are actually monsters from another world? And this new one is a treat against all of us! Were you going to keep this one secret too?!"
>Even back before you were dating and you used to tease her, she never raised her voice at you like this
"It's not really a threat, all they said is they've planned for you to be in the competition"
>Dash: "Exactly. We're all a part of their plan. Especially you"
>She takes out her phone
"Who are you calling?"
>Dash: "Backup. As much as I hate to admit it right now I'm worried about you"
>You can't tell who she's calling. She speaks in one word sentences mostly consisting of "Yeah" and "Uh huh"
>Once she's done, she sits back down on the couch, leaving as much distance between you two as possible
>She won't even look at you
>Dash: "Is there anything else, you're not telling us?"
"No, this is it"
>Dash: "Swear?"
"I swear"
>Dash: "Alright. They're on their way"
"Why do we need backup?"
>Dash: "Because the Dazzlings know where you live now"
"How do you know it's them?"
>Dash: "Come on Anon, who else would it be?"
"Yeah, you're probably right"
>Hardly a reason, but you really shouldn't argue with her right about now
 
>You wait together for a while in silence until she finally breaks it
>Dash: "Sorry about all that Anon. I'm not mad at you or anything"
"You're not?"
>Dash: "... okay, I kind of am"
>Like she said, you'd know it
>Dash: "But this is serious stuff we're dealing with here, you should have told us sooner. We can't afford to have you getting hurt"
"We can't afford any of us getting hurt"
>Dash: "We have magic protecting us. You're special"
"Doesn't the fact that I'm not magic mean I'm not special"
>Dash: "You're still special, just in a different way"
>She finally makes eye contact with you as she scoots over towards you
>Dash: "You may piss me off sometimes, but other times you're actually worth all the trouble"
>She quietly chuckles
>Calm enough to make a joke, maybe calm enough for snuggling...
>Success
>You get your arm around her without resistance
>Dash: "No more secrets, got it?"
"Promise"
>She slowly leans forward to kiss you on the cheek
>Never have you anticipated the feel of her lips more than-
>*BANG*
>"HANDS IN THE AIR, NOW!"
>Your door slams open as two soldiers in uniform rush your living room, assault rifles in hand and gas masks on their faces
>You quickly get up and try to block Dash from them as best you can
>You know that old saying ' I'd take a bullet for you' ?
>Sometimes it actually means something
>One of them aims right at you
>"IDENTIFY YOURSELF"
"What the fuck's it to you-"
>"-I SAID IDENTIFY YOURSELF"
>The barrel of his gun presses against your temple
>Now's not the time to be a tough guy
>Dash: "-Anonymous! His name is Anonymous!"
>The man slowly lowers his gun, and the other follows suit
>"... Anonymous?"
>He takes off his mask and calls out to the door
>"Is this the one?!"
>From the doorway, in steps Vladimir donning a matching uniform with the rest of these men
>Vlad: "That's him. That's the little man"
"... you called in the big guns?"
>Dash: "Hey, it's you versus the sirens. Those aren't very good odds"
[spoiler]>With odds like these, should have called in John Cena[/spoiler]
 
>Vlad and his two comrades sit around your living room as you and Dash explain the situation
>The guy who nearly blew your head off identified himself as Ivan. The other guy has yet to remove his gas mask or give his name
>Vlad: "So these ladypeople. You say they're not really people?"
"That's right. And if what we think is true, they may now know where I live"
>Vlad: "... this is bad. Bad times indeed"
>Ivan: "Reminds me of the old days of war. Reminds me of Sergei"
>Vlad: "I will never forget..."
"What happened to Sergei?"
>Vlad: "He was good soldier. Always knew how to put a smile on one's face just before he killed them. One day, he meet a woman. She was just innocent civilian... or so we thought"
>Ivan: "Turns out, she was undercover spy sent to take down the motherland. Sergei fall in love with her, and they leave motherland together"
>The three soldiers bow their heads in silence
"I'm sorry to bring it up... did you ever see Sergei again"
>Vlad: "Yes. I saw him when I killed him"
"Oh"
>More silence, this time out of awkwardness rather than respect
>Dash: "Anyways, I'm going to be looking after Anon for a while. I just want to make sure we can call on you guys if they ever do make a move"
>Vlad: "Worry not ladywoman. Once a comrade, always a comrade"
>His sense of honor is admirable
>Almost makes you feel guilty he's protecting an ass like you
>The least you could do is shake their hands and thank them
"Thanks Vlad. You too Ivan"
>As you shake the masked man's hand he says nothing
"Sorry, I never got your name"
>He just gives off a deep, Darth Vader-like breath
"What's up with the mask anyways?"
>After another deep breath he responds
>"... No one cared who I was until I put on the mask"
 
>Once everything is sorted out, the soldiers see themselves out
>By now Dash seems to have fully calmed down
"By the way, what was all that about you looking after me for a while?"
>Dash: "You're coming home with me"
"What?"
>Dash: "You heard me. Pack up whatever you need for a few days, cause you're staying at my house"
"Why?"
>Dash: "Do I have to spell it out for you? They know where you live now"
>She walks over to your side
>*punch*
>Dash: "... And I can't have you at risk like that"
>Good old loving Dash is back
>Let's never make her angry again, agreed?
"How are you going to convince your grandpa to be okay with this?"
>Dash: "You leave that to me, just hurry up"
>You quickly do as she says
>While doing so, your door opens just a crack and a familiar face pokes in
>Your neighbor
>Neighbor: "... is it safe? Are the feds gone?"
"They weren't feds. And yes, it's safe"
>Neighbor: "What the hell was all that?"
"Long story... by the way, can I ask you something?"
>After getting a good look at her, you mentally compare her to Vlad and notice something you've never noticed before
"You remind me of someone I know. Are you related to Rarity in any way?"
>Something about her just looks like she's part of the family... pretty sure it's the hair
>Neighbor: "Related to who?"
"... nevermind. I think the feds are back"
>Neighbor: "Shit"
>She quickly retreats, slamming the door behind her
>It's fun messing with a paranoid high person
 
>You dredge an old backpack from your closet and stuff five days' worth of clothes into it, along with some other general stuff you'll need
>You toss your stuff in the trunk of Dash's car and head off to whatever the next few days has in store for you
 
>Upon arrival at Dash's house, it seems her grandpa is still asleep
>It's been so long since you've been here that you almost forgot how cute her bedroom is
>Dash: "Go on, make yourself at home. I'll be back in a minute"
>As she heads out, you set your bag of stuff in the corner and patiently wait sitting on the bed
>You hear an exchange of words... some arguing...
>Before long Dash returns, quickly closing the door behind her
"What did he say?"
>Dash: "Doesn't matter. The point is you can stay"
>She tosses your clothes bag into her closet
>Something's not right, she's too nervous
"Again, what did he say?"
>Dash: "He said it's okay if you stay"
"He did?"
>Dash: "Well, kind of... look, what he doesn't know won't hurt him, so just don't let him find out"
"He said no didn't he"
>Dash: "Yup"
"And you're going to keep me here regardless"
>Dash: "Uh huh"
"And you wouldn't let me stay somewhere else even if I wanted"
>Dash: "No chance in hell"
>Not that you want to stay anywhere else
>Dash: "Don't worry, you shouldn't have to be here more than a week. It's just to keep you safe until this all blows over"
>Well then
>This should be one hell of a week
 
>Friday morning
>You're just now waking up
>Your eyes slowly crack open and you try to stretch
>Of course, that's not easy to do with your girlfriend halfway clinging to you
>Last night, even by the time you went to bed she seemed a little ticked with you
>She fell asleep with her back to you hugging a pillow, saying you're lucky she's not making you sleep on the couch
>... fair enough
>So you went to sleep back to back, hoping she'd feel better in the morning
>But sometime during the night you felt her slender arm wrap around you and her face buried in your back
>Still holding that pillow wedged between the two of you, but hey, snuggling is snuggling
>And as much as you'd like to savor this moment, you have school
>Damned if you're going to be late, especially on the first day of the Battle of the Bands
>You give Dash a gentle nudge, then another, and another
>She is one hell of a deep sleeper
>Finally, you see those magenta eyes of hers open
>Dash: "... Non.. what are you... *yawn* oh right... you're here now..."
>She's unable to form a coherent sentence, which is natural seeing as how you just woke her up
>Dash: "so what's up?"
"We should get ready for school soon"
>Dash: "what... already?"
>She yawns again and slowly gets up
>Dash: "It's still really early isn't it?"
"Not that early"
>You glance over at her alarm clock
>7:32 AM
>This is actually normal for you, but this is Dash we're talking about and she's barely on time every day
"Okay, maybe a bit"
>Dash: "Exactly"
>She lays back down and gets herself comfortable again
>With nothing else to do, you get yourself resettled in
>You can't really fall back asleep but at least you can relax
 
>At 8:30 her alarm clock goes off
>After making sure the coast is clear the two of you hurry off to the bathroom and take a quick shower together
>You did it together solely so you could get it done faster, absolutely no sexual implications or intentions here
>At least, none outside your head
>After the shower she quickly throws some frozen waffles in the toaster
 
>You ended up leaving the house with about fifteen minutes to spare before school starts
>And yet you still somehow made it on time
>In a way, it's impressive that she does this every day
 
>At lunch, you decide (with a little persuasion from Dash) that it was best to come clean and tell everyone about the notes
>You had brought them with you for everyone to see
>The reactions were mostly shock and confusion
>Twilight was not happy at all
>Twilight: "And you kept this a secret? This kind of thing is really-"
>Dash: "Relax Twilight, I already gave him the lecture. I think he got the message"
>Yup, you sure did
>Twilight grabs the most recent one and reads it again
>Twilight: "This is not good. Not good at all"
>Dash: "Relax Twilight, I'm sure we can handle whatever they throw at us"
>Twilight: "But what if it's not us they're throwing it at? All these messages came directly to you, Anon. You're not in the band, you don't have any magic. Why you?"
>Applejack: "Maybe that's exactly why. They see him as the weakest link here"
>Ouch
>Applejack: "And if that's the case, we need to find a way to keep him safe"
>Dash: "Don't worry, I've got that covered. He's going to be staying with me for a while, and just in case we arranged for Vlad to keep an eye out for anything suspicious"
>Twilight: "Who"
"... long story"
 
>You find yourself having to explain several concepts to Twilight that she seems to be unfamiliar with
>Apparently her world doesn't have mercenaries, trained assassins, or vodka
>Twilight: "So this Vlad guy is some kind of bodyguard?"
"In a way, yeah'
>Twilight: "And you're sure he's... safe right?"
"Hasn't killed any of us yet"
>Your little joke doesn't seem to reassure her any bit
>*RIIIIIING*
>Thank God for the bell, always seems to know when the conversation gets too awkward
 
>Gym class
>You're stepping out of the locker room
>For once, Dash is already out waiting for you
>Dash: "Hey Nonny, you got a plan to skip out today?"
"Don't I always?"
>Dash: "Think you can get me out too?"
"Sure, shouldn't be too hard. We're playing dodgeball today"
>You don't even have to explain it anymore, the nod of her head tells you that she gets exactly what you mean
 
>Moments later you find yourself leaving the gym and heading over to the nurse's office
>She got the message
>She REALLY got the message
>It was the usual plan: she aims her throw at you, you purposely take a dive, you get hurt, both of you have to sit out
>The usual
>But she got you good today
>The sheer look of terror on Redheart's face when you reach her office speaks for itself
>Nurse: "Jesus Christ, get in here"
>She quickly drags you in and sits you down
>Immediately she puts on some latex gloves, grabs some wet paper towels, and starts dabbing away the almost dried blood coming from your nose
>Nurse: "Alright kid, don't lie to me. Tell me everything"
"About what?"
>Nurse: "I haven't seen you this banged up since Flash kicked the shit out of you"
>For the record it was a mutual shit-kicking
>Nurse: "Spill it. Tell me who did this to you. If not I'll figure it out myself sooner or later"
 
>She notices Dash staring at the ground not saying anything, then she notices you avoiding eye contact with both her and Dash
>Nurse: "Don't tell me... oh my God no way!"
>She takes no effort to hold back her laughter
>Apparently she forgot that you're still here, and in pain... and bleeding
"Hello? I'm kind of dying here"
>Nurse: "Right right"
>She goes back to dealing with your face
>The bleeding seems to have stopped at this point, it's just matter of cleaning up a bit
>Nurse: "So what's the story here, whose ass was he staring at for this?"
>Dash: "W-What? No one's! It was just a plan that went... a bit wrong"
>Yeah, only a bit
>Nurse: "Plan, huh? The usual?"
"The usual"
>Nurse: "Thought so"
>Even Redheart is accustomed to your usual nonsense
>She tosses the towel she used to clean up your face in the trash along with her gloves
>Once she's done she hands you a little paper cup of pills for the pain
"And you're sure it's not broken or anything?"
>Nurse: "As sure as I'll ever be"
>You don't really feel comfortable with that answer, but hey... this is Nurse Reheart we're talking about here. It's the best you'll get
>So you take the pills and leave it at that
>Nurse: "So what now? You got a plan or are you ditching just to ditch"
"Not really, just-"
>Dash: "-Yeah, we got a plan"
>...
>Well this is the first you're hearing of this 'plan'
>Nurse: "Well don't let me hold you any longer. You're free to go whenever you want"
>With that, Dash takes your hand and leads you out
>She turns back to her desk and starts doing some paper work you must have interrupted
"Where to now?"
>Dash: "Just follow me"
>She takes out her phone and starts texting faster than any teenage white girl you could ever imagine
 
>Eventually you find yourselves at the music room
>Dash: "I asked the others to come down here too. Thought we should get in one last rehearsal before we have to go up toady"
>Makes sense, but you remain silent on account of your nose still throbbing
>Dash: "I didn't knock you out too bad, did I?"
>She takes a seat next to you and examines your face
>You haven't gotten a chance to look in a mirror yet, but you're sure you won't be winning any beauty pageants anytime soon
"Nah, it's fine. It could be worse"
>Not from a dodgeball
>A chainsaw, maybe
"But I gotta ask, what kind of anger did you tap into to muster a throw like THAT?"
>Dash: "..."
"You're still ticked about the notes, aren't you?"
>Dash: "Well, there's that..."
>Wow
>You really messed up big time with this one
>Dash: "... but I mean, that's not really that big of a deal"
"Then what was it"
>She replies with a timidness you don't usually see in her
>Dash: "... I guess you just got the bad end of a lot of pent up stress. Sorry about that"
>She tries to kiss you gently so as to not hurt you... it still hurts
>But that much stress?
>You had no idea...
"What's got you stressed?"
>Dash: "I guess worried would be a better way of putting it"
"About what?"
>The door slowly creaks open
>Dash: "I'll tell you later"
>Twilight was the first to show up
>Twilight: "What's up, I thought you had class?"
>Dash: "Yeah, but we're ditching"
>Twilight: "What? Are you serious?"
"Yeah, why not? No one's going to stop us?"
>Twilight: "What about the teachers, or the principals? What if you get caught or something?"
>She has a lot to learn
>Dash: "Relax, we do it all the time"
>She looks just about ready to faint at the thought of skipping class
"My face is fine by the way, thanks for asking"
 
>Finally, the girls have all arrived
>Applejack: "So what's the deal Rainbow Dash?"
>Dash: "I just thought it'd be a good idea to get one last rehearsal in before tryouts"
>Applejack: "Why? I thought that note Anon got said we'd be gettin in for sure. Like it was rigged or something"
>She has a point
>Dash: "Or someone wants us to think we're safe so we don't really try"
>Okay, they both have a point
>Applejack: "Don't you think you're being a little bit paranoid?"
>Twilight: "I don't know, I'm with Rainbow Dash on this one"
>The others all nod their heads as if her word was law
>Lastly, and reluctantly, Applejack agrees
 
>The band practices while the fan club (a.k.a. you and Sunset) sits to the side and enjoys the music
>Their whole fan base consists of two people
>Still more than Flight of the Conchords
 
>Practice was very brief, not even lasting all the way to the bell
>They all agreed that it was best that they not wear themselves out before the big moment
 
>When the bell rings, you and the girls exit the music room, only to find the hallway flooded with other participants making their way down there
>Naturally you ran into some familiar faces, some more welcome than others
>Flash: "'Hey Anon, cool seeing you again"
>A VERY unwelcome face
"What do you want this-"
>Flash: "-Oh hey Twilight, didn't think you'd be showing up too"
>Twilight: "Y-Yeah, I'm... well, you know"
>You look to her
>Then back to Flash
>... you recognize spaghetti when you see it
>So THAT's what this is about, he's trying to bone pony girl
>Jesus, were you and Dash this cringingly awkward?
 
>Snips and Snails approach you from behind
>Snips: "I wouldn't be talking to him if I were you"
>Snails: "Yeah, if you ask me he can't be trusted"
>Pinkie: "And like you two can be trusted any better?"
>Snips: "You know what Pinkie, if you think we're still afraid of you then you really-"
>"-OUTTA MY FAKKIN WAY YOU WANKERS, I GOT ME A CONTEST TO WIN"
>The British girl with the violin thingy pushes you all aside with a force that would even give Redheart a run for her money
>Twilight: "The spell got her pretty hard, huh?"
"Nah, she's always like that"
>Snips: "Come on Snails, we're going to be late too"
>They head off
>With no more interruptions, you enter the gymnasium
>There's a large poster board on a stand with an itinerary for the afternoon
>There's more than thirty entrances in the competition, and by the end of the day they're going to narrow it down to sixteen for tomorrow's competition
>The Rainbooms perform second to last, right before the Dazzlings
>Who do you think arranged that?
 
>The audition goes on without a hitch
 
>Snips and Snails do the most cringe-worthy rap performance you've ever seen
>You overhear Celestia whispering that they'll probably go through anyways
 
>Next up: Trixie and the Illusions
>2015, still putting the lead singer's name in the band... seriously
 
>Flash and his band were admittedly better than you thought
 
 >There's one performance you can say for sure won't be making it
>Some edgy metal band, they call themselves 'The Songfag Experience'
 
>Celestia: "Next up: The Rainbooms"
>Dash takes a deep breath, and they all get up
>Applejack: "Come on y'all, it's time"
>Sunset: "We'll be right here when you get back"
"Good luck Dash"
>Dash: "Won't need it"
 
>Dash and the girls begin playing
>...
>Celestia: "Alright, stop. We've heard enough"
>They only got through about half the song
>They aren't the only ones Celestia stopped early, so that's either really good, or really bad
>But the expression on Dash's face is making you worry
"Hey Sunset, wait here. I'm going to go see what's going on"
>Sunset: "Gotcha"
 
>You manage to catch up with them backstage
>Dash is obviously downtrodden
>Dash: "Okay, we weren't that bad, were we?"
"You were one of the best if you ask me"
>Dash: "Yeah, but we were the shortest"
>She's letting it get to her pretty hard
>Dash: "So much for that extra rehearsal..."
>You try to hug her for comfort, but it doesn't seem to work
>Rarity: "Everything okay?"
"Yeah, could you just give us a minute?"
>Rarity: "Yeah, sure. Take your time. We'll be back at our seats"
>At least they seem to be taking it better than Dash
"Dashie, you okay?"
>Dash: "I'll be fine... still though, I can't shake the thought of what'll happen if we don't make it"
>You desperately try to think of something comforting to say, something more than a silent hug
>But as much as you hate to admit it... she may be right
"Look, Dashie, everything going to be okay. I'm sure of it-"
>"-With that performance, I wouldn't be"
>Adagio approaches with her two lackeys following closely behind
 
>Aria seems to have noticed the bruise on your face
>Aria: "What the hell happened to your face?"
"What the hell happened to yours?"
>Sonata: "She looks the same as always"
"I know, it's horrible"
>Is she trying to make it easier for you, or just worse for Aria?
>Aria: "Whatever, we got a contest to win"
>Sonata: "Wish us luck guys"
>Adagio: "Not that we need it"
>They walk out onto the stage
"If that wasn't a confession of fixing the competition I don't know what is"
>Dash silently shifts her gaze to the ground, still shaken about the possibility of losing
"Don't worry Dashie, tomorrow it'll all be over, and we can finally put all this shit behind us"
>Dash: "... yeah, you're right"
>She leans back against the wall and drops down
>Dash: "Damn it..."
>She slams her fist against the wall
>Dash: "Damn it!"
>You cautiously take a seat next to her and put your arm around her
>You can feel her shaking
"Relax, everything's going to be fine-"
>Dash: "-You don't know that. What if this whole thing is actually fixed against us? What if there really is no chance of us ever making it? They may have us beat already, and with their magic and Twilight's counter spell not ready there's nothing we can do about it. Face it, the way things look now, we're screwed"
>You have never seen her so shaken up before
>You take a deep breath and search your mind for something reassuring to say
>...
>Nothing
>Okay, plan B
>Generic pep talk
 
"Look Dashie, I've known you for a while now, and I've never seen you so down like this"
>Dash: "Because I've never been so...so unsure. I always know how to handle things, always. But this is... I'm just not used to putting up with this kind of bullshit"
"Then don't put up with it. Let the old Rainbow Dash out"
>Dash: "Do what?"
"Do you remember what you told me when we first became a couple?"
>Dash: "I said not to make a big deal out of it, but what does that-"
"And that's exactly what I did, I made a big deal out of it. You wouldn't even talk to me after that"
>Dash: "Where exactly are you going with this?"
"Where's that Rainbow Dash, the one who wouldn't talk to me? Where's the Rainbow Dash who made me carry her home and bathe her like a princess? The Rainbow Dash who stumbled on-stage at the dance, half drunk, and basically gave a big 'fuck you' to everyone? The Rainbow Dash who doesn't take bullshit from anyone. That's the one we need right now... the one I love"
>She cracks a small smile
>You get up and reach out for her hand
"Come on, are you as sick of their shit as I am?"
>She wipes her eyes before any tears can even escape
>Dash: "Probably even more"
>She takes your hand and you pull her up
>She throws her arms around you, hugging you tight enough to hinder your breathing
>You'll let her hold you as tightly as she needs...at least as long as you remain conscious
 
>You have no idea how long you were in each other's arms before the music picks up and the Dazzlings begin their performance
"Are they seriously just beginning now?"
>Dash pulls her face from your shoulder
>Dash: "Should we start heading back then?"
>You pull her back in
"Nah we got time. Take as long as you need"
>She hides her face once again in your shoulder
>She tries to say something, but it just comes out as muffled mumbling
"What?"
>Dash: "I said, how much time do you think we got?"
"I don't know, probably a while"
>With these girls taking as long as they did to get started you probably have all-
"Whoa, what are you doing?"
>Dash: "What do you think?"
>She pressed her body against yours and started dry-humping your leg
>Though it's not all that 'dry' if you know what I mean
>Honestly, how did you not see this coming?
"Are you sure-"
>Dash: "-Nonny please... I need this. Just a little bit"
>Well... she needs it
>What kind of guy would you be to deny her that?
>She takes your hand and places it between her legs and under her skirt, wedged right into her crotch
>You can already feel it getting a little damp
>She takes the initiative and starts rotating her hips, rubbing herself against your hand
>Holding her close, you let her do her business uninterrupted
>...
>Here's an idea: Stop making her do all the work
>You decide to give her a hand
>Get it? A HAND?
>... anyways
>You begin sliding your middle finger back and forth down the middle of her crotch
>She lets out a sigh of relief down your neck
>Apparently you kept her waiting longer than you even realized
>Quickly you let a second finger into the equation, then a third
>Before they can get sufficiently soaked as usual, she loses her shorts and underwear, not even pulling them down all the way, just enough until they drop on their own
>She kicks them aside and closes her legs again, trapping your hand in her crotch
>With nowhere else to go, your middle and ring fingers hide away in the her insides
>Her body reacts accordingly, clenching down on your fingers
>She gives your neck a little nibble, probably just trying to stifle her voice
>But as usual, to no avail
>Thank God the music is loud enough to cover up
>You turn your head to the side to kiss her right on her neck
>Her legs begin to tremble with excitement, a little more than usual
>Seeing as how she's loving it though, you continue with gusto, curling your fingers in and out of her hot insides and planting one wet kiss after another at the nape of her neck
>And, once again way earlier than usual, her knees buckle and you find yourself having to hold her up
"... already?"
>Dash: "... m-maybe, shut up"
>She takes a moment to find her strength again
>Dash: "It's just... you know... the stress and stuff. I needed this"
>So that's it
>And here you were thinking you were some kind of sexual tyrannosaur
>Dash: "Thanks again Nonny"
>She beams a big smile
>Not that nervous half smile from before, but her usual ecstatic smile
>It was worth it
>Dash: "Come on, they're probably almost done"
>Dash starts to leave the backstage area and head back to the seats with you following behind-
>...
>Before you forget, you pick up her discarded clothing and toss them to her. She gets redressed before you leave
 
>You sneak out the backdoor because it's a much better idea than walking out the from the stage right in the middle of the performance
 
>You and Dash regroup with the others just as the Dazzlings finish and leave the stage
>Rarity: "Everything alright?"
>Dash, still smiling, silently nods her head
>Pinkie: "Oh God, we all know what the means"
>You're unable to come up with a witty retort before the laughter starts, so you decide, fuck it and laugh along
>Sadly, the moment is ruined far too soon by the no-fun-allowed squad
>Adagio: "I sure hope you're not laughing at our performance"
>Aria: "Come on Adagio, let them have their fun. They won't be laughing much longer"
>So it's a gunfight they want? It's a gunfight they'll-
>Twilight: "Excuse me?"
>Twilight speaks up... oh no
>Twilight: "I'll have you know we have a surprise in store for you that you can't even imagine"
>Please Twilight just stop
>Aria: "The real surprise is that you even had music to perform"
>Twilight: "Are you kidding? We've been practicing for days!"
>Aria: "The crowd sure didn't seem to notice"
>Twilight: "They loved it, they were applauding when we left"
>Aria: "Yeah, out of pity"
>Twilight: "People don't cheer out of pity!"
>Okay this has gone on long enough, she needs your help
"People do all kinds of stuff out of pity, right Aria?"
>Aria: "What?"
>Twilight: "Anon what are you-"
>You put your hand up to shush her
"After all, that's really the only reason anyone still talks to you"
>The look on her face says she did NOT see that coming
>Now that's more like it
"And if they all knew what literal monsters you were, perhaps not even pity would make a difference"
>Sonata: "You wouldn't tell, would you?"
"Good question"
>The three of them exchange glances, then after letting out a long sigh Adagio speaks up
>Adagio: "Come on girls, let's go. I think they're about to announced the winners. Oh, and Anon? You ought to watch that mouth of yours, who knows when it'll get you into trouble"
>On that, they make their departure
>She's kind of right, you're a big mouth
 
>Twilight: "What- But- ... how did you do that?"
"It's called an argument, ever been in one?"
>Twilight: "Duh. I was captain of the debate team at Celesstia's Academy for the Gifted back in Equestria. How did YOU get them to leave when I couldn't? I had facts and logic and experience"
"Human arguments aren't based on logic. It's all about petty insults, baseless made-up facts, and buzzwords. Lots and lots of buzzwords"
>She'll be a wreck when you return her to her own world
 
>The principals take the stage and list off those who will be competing in the finals tomorrow
>Only sixteen bands will qualify
>One by one, names are listed off as the finals roster slowly fills up
>Then, you hear the name you've been waiting for
>The Rainbooms
>You're sure the Dazzlings were called next
>But you couldn't hear it over the sound of the girls cheering
>... who are you kidding, you were just as pumped
 
>On your way out, there were all kinds of reactions
>Some were disgruntled for obvious reasons
>Some were juiced for tomorrow
>Some took their fate with quiet dignity
>And then there's you and the Rainbooms...
>Probably the loudest of the winners, you could hear Pinkie's cheers echoing through the entire school. Hell, even Rarity let her inner Russian slip out
>Pinkie: "I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! WE ACTUALLY MADE IT!"
>Applejack: "I gotta admit even I had my doubts for a-"
>Pinkie: "WOO HOO!"
>Fluttershy: "looks like Pinkie's excited"
"And you're not?"
>Fluttershy: "oh I am, can't you tell? I can be more excited if you want"
>The fact that she actually speaks loud enough for you to understand her says something at least
>Dash: "And we owe this victory all to you, my Nonny!"
>She playfully gives you a smooch on the cheek
"Me? What did I do?"
>Dash: "Despite everything, you're the only one who never gave up hope, who never stopped believing"
>She takes your hands and stands in front of you
>Dash: "As long as you're with us we'll win for sure!"
>She gives you a big, excited, bear hug
>You're not sure your heart can handle this level of sweetness
>Applejack chuckles, but you're not going to let her ruin the moment
"Thanks Dashie, but it's really not me you have to thank. At least not entirely"
>Dash: "Huh?"
>Much to your dismay she lets you go
"I'm sure you would have won anyways, but you gotta give credit to whoever's been fixing it too"
>The girls don't respond
>None of them are looking at you, but rather around you
>...
"Celestia's right behind me isn't she?"
>They nod their heads 'no'
"Thank God-"
>Luna: "Don't speak so soon"
>Luna pats you on the back before walking away
>She doesn't even have to say it, you follow her to her office
>By yourself
>Once again, that big mouth of yours has screwed you over
 
>She takes you back
>She asks you about it
>You tell her what you know
>You show her the note (only the last one about the fixing of the battle, no reason to bring unnecessary drama)
>...
>She isn't sure
>You try to explain yourself
>...
>She makes her decision
 
>The girls waited for you outside, long after the other groups had left
>Pinkie: "What's the word Nonny? You busted?"
>You look around at your group of friends
>Dash in particular seems eager for an answer, the way she's nervously twiddling her thumbs
>Dash: "Go ahead, tell us"
>No more secrets
>No more secrets
>You promised no more secrets
"Everything's fine, I told her everything and she understands"
>Fucker
>... Does it still count if they don't believe you?
>Cause it looks like none of them do
 
"... alright alright, here's the truth"
>Dash: "I thought so"
>Ouch
>You made the right call
"So I tried to tell Luna about the note, I showed it to her and everything"
>Dash: "And?"
"... and she said that she believed me. She assured me that there was no cheating involved and that all decisions regarding the competition were made by her and Celestia without any outside motivation"
>Dash: "So... that's good right? She believed you?"
"For the most part"
>Applejack: "There's something else isn't there?"
>You let out a deep sigh, mentally preparing yourself for this next part
"Despite everything, she still doesn't believe me one hundred percent. And because she sees me as somehow involved in all this, she said it'd be best if I didn't attend the Battle of the Bands tomorrow. This is not a request, it's an order. She made that very clear"
>They're reasonably disappointed, but Dash is just a little bit more hurt... a lot more
>Dash: "What? She can't do that can she?!"
"I don't see why not"
>Hate to play the devil's advocate here but...
>Dash: "But you haven't done anything for this, why is she banning you?"
"Dashie, relax. It'll be fine"
>Dash: "Relax? How can I relax?"
>Applejack: "He's right Dash, we'll be fine. He's technically not in the band anyways"
>Dash: "But still..."
"Look Dashie, I'll still be rooting for you guys, don't get me wrong. I just can't be there in person"
>Dash looks at the ground, contemplating and defeated
>Then, her fists clench and she looks up with a newfound confidence in her eyes
>Dash: "Don't worry, we'll make sure to win"
>She pulls you into a tight hug
"I know you will"
 
>You pull away and turn to the girls
"All of you. Kick some ass for me tomorrow, got it?"
>There's a rising confidence in the group
>Pinkie: "You got it, sir!"
>Pinkie salutes you like a soldier
>Applejack: "For once I got your back Anon"
>Rarity: "We'll kill em just for you"
>Yup, that's her inner Russian
>Fluttershy: "..."
>She silently pumps her fist in the air
>Good enough
"You're all they've got for moral support now Sunset"
>Sunset: "I'll do my best"
>You look over at Twilight
"Good luck with that counter-spell"
>Twilight: "No problem"
>She gives off an awkward smile
>Twilight: "We'll kick some... s-some ass!"
>Well I'll be damned... she's learning well
>You extend your hand out to the center of your circle of friends
>Dash places hers on top of yours
>One by one everyone joins in on the giant hand cluster
>You give off one last cheer and throw your hands in the air
>You've always wanted to do that
>With a burning excitement for tomorrow, you all head home
 
>That night
>You crawl into bed, Dash's bed, first, and she gets herself comfortable next to you
>Dash: "Ready for tomorrow?"
"Shouldn't I be asking you that?"
>Dash: "Yeah, I guess"
"So... are you?"
>Dash: "... yeah, I guess"
>She wiggles closer to you
>Her hand starts caressing your thigh
>Dash: "By the way, I've been meaning to thank you for earlier backstage today"
"Save it"
>Dash: "Huh?"
"Save it for tomorrow, when you come home the champion"
>She giggles
>Dash: "Good idea. Night Nonny"
"Good night"
>Quite frankly, you're just not in the mood right now
>The Battle of the Bands is tomorrow
>If the Dazzlings win, who knows what will happen
>You're not even in the band, and you're just as nervous as them
>Everything these past two weeks has been building up to this one moment... and you probably won't even be there
>And Dash... she acts tough but she's really a nervous wreck
>Speaking of whom... she's already sound asleep
>At least she'll be sleeping tonight
 
>Saturday
>The big day
>You woke up that morning in bed, alone
>Glancing over at the clock, the red numbers blink 7:16 AM
>You consider getting up and looking for her, then you remember that you're supposed to be hidden
>What's the worst that could happen if her grandpa finds you
>Her crazy, angry, war veteran grandpa...
>Nah, you'll stick around in her room waiting
>She comes in moments later, her hair damp and dressed as if ready for school, carrying two plates of food
>Dash: "Well, so much for a surprise"
"You mean how you got up this early?"
>Dash: "Sounds like someone doesn't want breakfast"
>She turns around and heads back to her bedroom door
"Dashie wait, I didn't mean-"
>Dash: "Gotcha"
>She comes back to you and hands you a plate of waffles, keeping the other for herself, then, with a kind of shit-eating grin you usually have, sits next to you
>You feel a sudden urge to punch her in the arm
 
>After breakfast you quickly get yourself dressed
"So what time do you have to leave?"
>She glances over at the clock
>Dash: "Soon, probably. We have to get there early to check in and prepare and everything. But the doors don't open for the audience until a half hour before the competition, so you don't have to show up until-..."
>For obvious reasons, she doesn't finish that thought
>Dash: "... well, you know"
"Yeah"
>Dash: "Sorry, it slipped my mind for a-"
"No worries, let's just get going"
>You give her a quick but heartfelt hug before double-checking that she has everything she needs for the Battle of the Bands
>Then, you slip out her bedroom window with the grace of a flailing monkey
>Dash: "Where are you going?"
"The least I could do is walk you there. Meet you out front"
 
>Slipping out the window, that was the easy part
>Jumping the wooden fence of her backyard, now that was a real trick
>She's waiting for you on the sidewalk in front of her house, and you meet her with minimal injuries
>She seems like she wants to ask what took so long at first, but the scrapes and splinters seems to speak for themselves
>Hey, at least today can't get any worse
 
>The girls are all waiting at the front of the school
>Even on a non-school day, Dash is almost late
>Pinkie: "Nonny? What are you doing here? Are you sneaking in with us?"
"Nope, just making a delivery"
>You give Dash a playful pat on the back, then turn towards Twilight
"So Twilight, you ready?"
>Twilight: "Ready as I'll ever be"
"Ready for what?"
>Twilight: "The Battle of the Bands, duh"
"And?"
>Twilight: "... and?"
"You know I'm not leaving until you say it again"
>Twilight: "... ugh"
>She puts on a fake smile
>Twilight: "Ready to... to kick some ass"
>Hearing Twilight swear gets a smile out of everyone
>It's a good thing she's got such a negative influence like you
>Twilight: "Okay, before Anonymous gets out of control with the obscenities-"
"Ass is hardly obscene"
>Twilight: "-we should head in before we're late"
>Pinkie: "Hate to be a party pooper but she is right. We should get going"
>The girls funnel in through the doors waving goodbye to you
>Sunset: "See ya later Anon, I'll let you know when we win"
"I'll be waiting"
>After everyone's inside, Dash lingers around for a moment
>Dash: "... hey Nonny, think you can do me a favor?"
"Anything"
>Dash: "Wish me luck?"
"Come on, you don't need luck, you got skill"
>Dash: "I know I know, but still. For me?"
>The look in her eyes says she's desperate for this, and not in a good way, and you conclude that the best thing to do is to entertain her request
>You pull her close to you and kiss her on the forehead
>Then, you ruffle her hair like you would to a small child and say "Good luck Dashie"
>She giggles
>Dash: "Thanks Nonny"
>She gives you one more kiss
>When she breaks away from your embrace, she quickly heads inside
>Dash: "Don't worry, I'll keep you posted!"
>The door closes behind her, leaving you on the front steps of the school alone
>You can't exactly go back to her place, seeing as how you can't go in the front door and you're not going to bother with that damn fence again
>Looks like you have no other choice
 
>You stand at the front door of your apartment, cautious about entering
>The big day is today, so if the Dazzlings WERE the ones leaving the notes then you have nothing to worry about
>Just in case, you need some back up
>This isn't exactly a Vlad situation, so she'll be good enough
>You knock on your neighbor's door
>It slowly creaks open, and you're greeted not by the usual purple-haired woman you've come to know as neighbor, but rather, a little girl
>Girl: "Whaddya want?"
"Is, umm... "
>You try to ask, but you really don't know you're neighbor's name
"Is anyone else here with you?"
>"Hey hey hey, what did I tell you about opening the door!"
>From inside, your usual neighbor comes out from the hall and comes to the door, shooing the little one away like a mother to a small child
>You neighbor, a mother... huh
>Neighbor: "So what pray tell do you grace us with your presence for?"
"I need you for a moment"
>She steps out and closes the door behind her
>Neighbor: "Dare I ask what for?"
"Just watch my back for a moment, I need to make sure no one's in my apartment"
>Neighbor: "A bit paranoid aren't we?"
"Look it's just for a minute, alright?"
>Neighbor: "Fine, I got your back"
>You turn back to your door, put the key in the hole, open the door, and after what felt like years of being gone step into your apartment
>It looks exactly like it did before you left
>Still messy
>But an empty mess nonetheless, you clear every room in the apartment twice just to be sure
>Relieved, you plop down on the sofa and she sees herself out
>You turn on the t.v.
 
>After a while of looking for something interesting to watch but to no avail, your phone buzzes
>It's a selfie of Dash and the rest of the band, with a message that they're about to go on
>They all look excited at least
>You resume channel flipping, trying to find some more entertaining than the cooking channel...
>Nothing
>Damn it
>About five or ten minutes later, though quite frankly it felt like hours, you get another message, another image of Dash and the girls, and they look happy
>In the background you see angry cello girl, and judging by the look on her face she must have just lost
>About every ten or so minutes, you get another message or image, keeping you updated on who won and who lost, or just telling you about how much ass the Rainbooms have been kicking
>You let out a loud, winded sigh
>They're out competing in the Battle of the Bands
>Meanwhile, you're just here doing absolutely nothing
>At least they're probably having a better day than you
 
>Twilight: "Hey Dash, we're up"
>You are Rainbow Dash, and you're too distracted to listen to her
>You've been keeping Anon updated on what's going on
>Twilight: "Hello? We're up next, come on"
"Alright, just give me a sec-"
>Applejack: "Now Rainbow, you can talk to your little lover later"
"Alright alright! Jeez, lay off will you?"
>You roll your eyes and send Anon a quick message, making sure there's nothing conveying just how stressed you really are
>Between missing him and Twilight STILL not finished with her counter-spell, you're a bit of a wreck
>The girls don't seem to be as stressed out as you are, and you can take comfort in knowing that Anon is relaxing
>At least he's probably having a better day than you
 
>Once again you are Anon
>You're aimlessly zoned out on the couch when the door opens, and you jump to attention with ninja-like reflexes
>Neighbor: "Just me, checking in on ya. You were so paranoid when I left I have to make sure you're not about to blow the place up or something"
>She comes in, uninvited I might add, and takes a seat next to you, propping her feet up on the coffee table
>Hasn't she heard of manners?
>Rarity would tear her a new one
"Sorry, but since when has my table been a doormat for everyone's filthy shoes?"
>Neighbor: "Like it was clean before"
"You know, you're a horrible role model for that daughter of yours"
>Neighbor: "Daughter? The hell are you talking about?"
"The little one in your apartment"
>Neighbor: "Oh, her? No, she's my little sister. She insisted on coming with me when my parents kicked me out... well, it was more like she refused to NOT come. So they make me babysit her whenever they're out of town"
"Sounds awful"
>Neighbor: "No, my parents were right. I needed to get my life together-"
"No, I mean being forced to babysit your little sister
>Neighbor: "Oh, that. She gets tough to handle sometimes, but in general she's a nice girl"
>... this neighbor of yours is more mature than you thought
>Maybe she's not so bad a person after all
>*BUZZ BUZZ*
>Your phone, probably another Dash message
>You're actually looking forward to these now
>Neighbor: "Who's that, you're gay lover?"
>... take it back, she's the same bitch she's always been
>Regardless, you explain to her the whole situation
>The Battle
>The Dazlings
>The you getting kicked out
 
>Upon finishing the story she silently nods her head
>She believes your story about magic and monsters a lot easier than you'd expect
>Neighbor: "... these Dazzlings girls, what did you say they looked like?"
"One of them has hair like cotton candy, only more orange-ish. Aria has a perpetual bitch face kind of look. And Sonata, she's the not-very-smart one"
>Neighbor: "That's them"
"That's who?"
>Neighbor: "I saw them lingering around here the other day, when that message got stuck on your door. Didn't think anything of it, they were just standing across the street in front of the laundromat, just watching. I left before any of them did anything"
>Well... shit. So it was them. One of them at least
>Dash was right all along
>Neighbor: "So what's your plan anyways?"
"Plan? Plan for what?"
>Neighbor: "Plan for sneaking back into the school for the competition"
"I'm not"
>She seems unpleasantly surprised
"... What? What's with that look?"
>Neighbor: "You're freaking kidding me, right?"
"What are you talking about?"
>Neighbor: "Since when do you listen to what other people tell you, especially from school?"
"This time is different. It's more than just my ass on the line"
>Neighbor: "That never stopped you before"
"Maybe I'm finally thinking straight"
>Neighbor: "Maybe you just lost this one"
"... excuse me?"
>Neighbor: "Like you said, they've been trying to wedge you guys apart from the very beginning. Sounds like a win on their part"
>She's right
>She's definitely right, and you know it
>But damned if you'll admit it
 
"Look, I'm just using my head here. The way I see it, so long as my friends stop their plan, then it's a win for all of us"
>Neighbor: "Here's an idea: Use that head of yours instead to think of a plan to get in there"
"It's too much of a risk. I don't want to be reason they get disqualified if I'm caught"
>Neighbor: "And you think they will? I was there a few years before you, and unless things have drastically changed the staff there is a bunch of idiots"
"Nope, not much has changed"
>Neighbor: "So come on, throw on a cheap disguise and get your ass down there"
>Is this what a pep talk feels like? Is this how the girls feel when you build their excitement like you did yesterday?
>Cause you feel it now
>And there's no stopping you
>Neighbor: "I should be on my way, you look like you'll be fine"
>She gets up and makes her way out
"Before you go... thanks"
>Neighbor: "For?"
"For talking some sense into me"
>More like out of you
 
>You quickly throw on a disguise- a baggy sweater and a pain of sunglasses
>Not much, but it should be enough
>As you make your way out the door you catch your neighbor and her little sister waiting outside their front door, the former having her hands behind her back
>Neighbor: "I knew your disguise would be awful. Take this"
>She pulls out from behind her back a hat, and a fedora at that, and places it on top of your head
>Neighbor: "At least it kind of helps. Definitely makes people not want to look at you"
>You hate to admit it, but she's right, so you thank her
>Girl: "You look like a dummy!"
"You look like a dummy-"
>Neighbor: "-Don't talk to my sister like that!"
>She's right, arguing with a little girl just makes you look like a dummy
>Besides, there's no time
>You've got a band to battle
 
>You arrive at the school with a plan
>An elaborate execution for infiltrating the campus
>It's tough, it's risky...
>And it's serious overkill for a damn high school
>What the hell kind of security do you think they have?
>*RATTLE RATTLE*
>... well, they have locks on the front doors
>It's not much but it's certainly keeping you out
>Time to fall back on "the plan" after all
 
>You make your way around to the side of the school, checking every window for an unlocked entrance point
>None
>But there's at least one you know for sure you can get in
 
>You reach Redheart's office, or rather, the outside of her office
>It's a pretty high window, just barely at your shoulders
>It's going to take some serious ninja maneuvers to get in
>Peeking in the window like a creep, you catch her sitting at her desk with her head down
>She must be asleep
>The window is always unlocked, because she's always smoking in her office
>Maybe you shouldn't try sneaking in, you might wake her up
>And God knows you won't make it out alive if you do
>You take your chances
>She sleeps through the loud creak of the window which could really use some WD-40
>You manage to climb up, getting your left leg through the window
>Take a moment to carefully plan your next move, taking extra care not to have a repeat of Dash's backyard fence
>Straddling on the window frame, you've gotten past the hard part
>Now you've just got to get the rest of you in
>You single out a clear space on her desk where you won't step on any papers or her hair
>You calculate your step
>You envision your step
>Slowly... very slowly...
>You take your step
>"INTRUDER!"
>With the grace of a flailing monkey you fall through the window
>Just to add salt to the literal wound, the window closes on your leg
>Trying to free your leg, you twist it in ways you never knew your leg could even bend
>You free yourself, falling face first onto the desk then the floor
-
>Naturally the commotion causes Redheart to jump to her feet, just now waking up
>She wasn't the one who shouted
>No, the one who shouted was the man now lifting you off the ground by your collar
>A big, brawny, intoxicated Russian man
>Vlad: "IDENTIFY YOURSELF SO I CAN KILL YOU"
"St-Stop, it's me-!"
>Vlad: "NEVER HEARD THAT NAME BEFORE SO YOU MUST BE LYING. YOU CANNOT BE TRUSTED"
>Nurse: "The hell is going on here?!"
>Vlad: "This man- this dead man- tried to invade"
>Redheart rubs her eyes and takes a close look at you, then closer, then closer, before flicking the fedora from your head
>Nurse: "Relax Vlad, it's just Anon"
>Vlad looks at you much like Redheart just did, and then lets out a hearty laugh
>Vlad: "Little man! You crazy bastard!"
>His life-threatening grip on your collar turns into a life-threatening hug
>Vlad: "You managed to deceive even a mastermind like myself!"
>Much to your relief, he puts you down
>Well, more like drops you
>You must have hurt your ankle pretty bad in that fall, it's tough to stand on
>While picking yourself up you slip your hand on a wet spot on the floor
>That's when you notice the puddle of coffee and the two cups on the floor next to it
>Nurse: "So much for my coffee"
"Sorry about that"
>Nurse: "Nah, it's not your fault. Damn principals tell me to drag my ass here on a Saturday because 'someone might get hurt at the Battle of the Bands'. It's a not literally a freaking battle for Christ's sake!"
>She yawns, and judging by her ranting she seems to be mostly awake now
-
>Nurse: "So what's up with the whole, 'secret agent' act you got going on here?"
>She gestures towards you with her hands, probably referring to how you're dressed
"Well, I'm technically not supposed to be here today. I'm banned from attending"
>Nurse: "The hell are you guilty of this time?"
"Nothing. Just having a big mouth"
>She slowly nods
>Nurse: "Yeah, makes sense. And you know, Vlad technically isn't supposed to be here either. So... you know"
>The two of you nod, silently agreeing that if either of you snitches to Luna then you'll drag each other down
>Nurse: "Kudos on the disguise by the way. A hat and sunglasses, very original"
>Vlad: "And good idea of wearing ladies clothes. No one will suspect you"
"Whoa whoa whoa, what do you mean, 'ladies clothes'?"
>Nurse: "That's a girl's hat you had on"
"It's just a regular hat"
>Nurse: "It has a girl's name written on the tag"
>Do you really have time to be arguing about the gender of your clothing?
>This isn't tumblr
>Besides, you have more important stuff to do
"While I'm sure you'd love me to stick around, I did come here for a reason"
>Nurse: "And as much as I'd love to put up with more of your nonsense, we have work to do too"
>Sounds like someone's getting laid
>...
>No
>Get that image out of your head
>Besides, you've got your own booty to claim
>You put your hat back on, put your head down, and make your way out
-
>Your phone buzzes, another message from Dash. They're about to go up
>You hobble through the halls, trying to step as lightly on your bad leg as possible
>You've survived worse. Hell, you've self-inflicted worse to skip gym
>... maybe?
 
>You stand at the doors to the gym as if they're the gates of hell
>Remember: you go in there and you're in the same room as Vice Principal Luna, the one who made it explicitly clear that you can't be here
>But you've got a master disguise
>It may just be a hat and sunglasses, but it worked for the Unabomber and every robber ever
>Deep breath...
>Then you push the doors open and enter
 
>The gym is packed
>The bleachers are full, the folding chairs they put out for extra seating are full, there's even people having to stand
>The girls are still setting up, so you wait back by the doors and enjoy the performance
 
>They're good, but that should come as no surprise to you
>And apparently the crowd seems to share your sentiments
>Looks like they won this round
>Time to go congratulate your lover in person
-
>You manage to catch them just as they're walking off-stage
"Way to go guys, you kicked ass!"
>Dash: "Thanks dude"
>... that's it?
>She doesn't even look to you
>You expected a little more
>Perhaps she didn't really notice you
>Gotta make yourself noticed
>You spontaneously stop her in her tracks and try to hug her
>Dash: "Whoa, what the hell man?"
>She puts her arms up to keep you separated, and then steps aside so she can walk away
>The look on her face is one of confusion and disgust...
>Wait a second
>Once again, you forgot that you're still wearing a disguise
>Quickly, before she gets too far away, you discard the sunglasses and hat
"Dashie, wait up!"
>She turns around so fast you could have sworn her neck was going to snap
>Dash: "Nonny?!"
 
>By the time the other girls even notice it's you, your girlfriend is already dashing towards you
>You put your arms out and brace yourself for high impact
>When your bodies meet, you fall to the floor together, knocked down by the power of love
>And her tackle hug
>And to be fair, your injured leg probably played a part in it too
>But other than that stuff, power of love and what not
"I take it you're-mHmm"
>Before you can get a word in her lips lock with yours
>You were going to ask if she's glad to see you, but it's safe to say your question is answered
>Her immediate response is joy, but once she pulls away from the kiss and takes a moment to consider the situation, she gives you a good punch in the shoulder, just a little harder than her usual loving hits
>Dash: "Are you out of your mind?"
"What?"
>Dash: "You know you're not supposed to be here!"
"But I-"
>Dash: "You could get in serious trouble!"
"I just thought-"
>Dash: "Shut up"
>She kisses you again
>On the one hand, she's not letting you get a single word in edgewise
>On the other hand, she just wanted you to shut up so she can kiss you again
>Hard to tell if she's mad or happy
>Probably both
-
>Applejack: "Okay, just what the hay is this all about?"
>You were too distracted by Dash's assault to notice the others joined you
"Didn't you hear? She and I are dating now"
>Applejack: "I knew that smartass, I meant with her. You've been sour with us all day, and now he's back, and all of a sudden you're in a good mood again?"
>Dash: "No I wasn't!"
"Really? Were you?"
>She starts averting her eyes
>Dash: "Well... maybe just a little but it's not like I-"
"Sounds like a 'no' to me"
>Applejack: "Seriously?"
"She would never"
>In truth, you wouldn't put it past her being rude to the others, but hey- you're just glad to know you're not the only one putting up with bullshit today
>Plus, it's fun messing with her
>Pinkie approaches and kneels down beside your face and starts poking your face with her finger
"... nice seeing you too Pinkie"
>Pinkie: "I don't believe you"
"Believe me?"
>She pinches your cheek, gently stretching your face out as if trying to pull a mask off your face
>Pinkie: "You're not the real Nonny are you?"
"Why wouldn't I be-"
>Pinkie: "-Quick say something only the real Nonny would say!!"
>Dash: "Pinkie, knock it off"
"Yeah, keep it up and I won't invite you to my next sex party"
>She silently stares at you, before finally cracking a smile
>Pinkie: "Alright alright, maybe you're the real Nonny..."
>She grabs your hat and sunglasses from the floor
>After staring at the name tag on the inside of the hat for a moment, she hands them both to you
>Pinkie: "... maybe"
>You glance around the gym at the crowd
>Since they're currently in-between performances, there's nothing else for the crowd to focus on
>You notice more and more eyes drifting in your direction
"Hey Dashie, perhaps we should get up. People are starting to stare"
>You're not concerned about looking like you're banging on the floor here
>You're concerned about being seen without your disguise
-
>Dash gets up and grabs your hand
>She pulls you up to your feet, only for you to end up stumbling over and ultimately leaning onto her shoulder
>Since all the seats are occupied, you and the girls stand off to the side against the wall
>You explain everything to her that happened today since you left home
>Then she recounts the events of the day as if she hasn't been texting you every ten minutes all day telling you what's been going on
>But she loves flaunting her awesomeness, and you're not going to take that away
>You get a stern shush from someone standing near you and your friends
"What's going on?"
>Rarity: "I think the Dazzlings are about to go up. It's them against Flash and his band"
>Dash: "Nonny"
"Yeah, I know"
>You cover your ears
>You probably look like an ass, but if you start vomiting during their performance you'll just make an ass of yourself anyways
>It's a lose/lose situation
 
>If you've ever tried blocking out noise by covering your ears with your hands, then you know that it doesn't work
>But it helps... kind of
>At least you'll be holding down breakfast, but you're glad to hear the end of their performance
>On the downside, you're going to have to deal with the Dazzlings in the finals, but it's nothing you didn't see coming
>On the upside, you got to see Flash get butt-blasted by someone other than yourself
-
>Celestia: "The next band up is the Rainbooms"
>Rarity: "That's our call"
>Dash: "You going to be okay?"
"I'm fine"
>She lets you stand on your own. After a brief wince on pain, you find your balance
>She waits for a moment
"I'm fine, really. Get up there and kick some ass"
>She giggles and pats you on the shoulder
>Dash: "We'll win this one for you"
>She walks towards the stage with the other girls, a confident smile across her face
>A confident, preemptive victory smile
>It's really sweet to see her back to her old self again
>You lean back against the wall for support and decide to wait for them here
>Okay, mental note
>See a doctor about this later
 
>...
>So aside from a few mishaps during their performance, they rocked pretty hard
>And miraculously, they won
>You wave to them as they approach
>They almost didn't recognize you again at first
>It's amazing what a hat and sunglasses can do to a person
"Awesome guys, absolutely awesome"
>Applejack: "Well, we made it at least"
"Hey, a win is a win in my book"
>Applejack: "Can't argue with that logic"
>You give Dash a congratulatory hug, a sly excuse to lean on her for support
>Dash: "Whoa, you okay?"
>Apparently, not sly enough
"Yeah, I'm okay, just-
>Dash: "-Okay, let me rephrase that. What's wrong with you?"
"I may have fallen out a window or two in the process of getting in here, And since then my leg been a  pain in the ass"
>Don't you mean a pain in the leg?
>Pinkie: "Yeah, breaking and entering is a risky business"
>Dash: "Maybe you should see Redheart about that, I think she came in today. Maybe she can at least give you some pain medicine or something"
"Nah, it'll be fine"
>Dash: "I'm not asking, now come on"
>Realizing she could forcefully drag you along if she wanted, you agree to go with her
>Dash: "Meet you all out front in a bit"
-
>You reach her office, Dash being the only thing holding you off the ground, and knock on the door, silently hoping you're not interrupting anything
>Hey, she's in there with Vlad, and it's not like no one's ever gotten frisky in that office
>The door opens, and thankfully she's still fully clothed
>Nurse: "You know the doors are open now, right? You don't have to re-climb out the window"
"It's not that"
>Dash: "Can you take a look at his leg? He's been barely standing since I saw him today"
>Nurse: "Yeah yeah, get on in here"
>She invites the two of you in
>Vlad is still here, sitting on the bed, so you take a seat next to him
>Nurse: "Which leg is it now?"
>You stick out your leg that got clamped in the window
>She fells it up for a moment, in a purely non-sexual way
>In a painful way
>Then, she stops, rolls up the leg of your pants, and continues feeling around
>You wince and grit your teeth, but bear the pain
>You wouldn't be caught dead showing weakness in front of Vlad
>It's a pride thing
>Nurse: "... oh boy..."
"What is it?"
>Nurse: "Tell me exactly what happened here"
"The window slammed on my leg when I fell through and-"
>Nurse: "-Shit"
>Dash: "What's going on?"
>Dash kneels down next to Redheart and feels your leg
"Dashie? Everything okay?"
>Dash: "... huh?"
"I said is it okay?"
>Dash: "O-Oh yeah, you'll be okay"
>That's not quite what you asked
>The looks on her and Redheart's faces weren't very reassuring either
"... guys?"
>Nurse: "Vlad, can you carry him back to the car?"
>Redheart starts gathering her stuff in a hurry, getting ready to leave
"Car?"
>Vlad: "You heard the lady, come on"
>He grabs you under the shoulders and by your waist and picks you up princess style
>Nurse: "And be gentle, we don't want him getting any worse. Dash, a little help?"
>Dash: "Got it"
>She gently grabs your bad leg and holds it stable
"Where the hell are we going?"
>Dash: "The hospital"
"Hospital?"
>Nurse: "Your leg's fucking broken, kid"
 
>They gingerly place you in the backseat of the car
>Dash gets in back with you
>It's just now starting to don on you that your fucking leg is broken
>Despite all the times you've gone and gotten yourself hurt, it's never been this bad before
>Quite frankly you should have known something was wrong
>This one's on you
>It's not that big of a deal though... okay, it's a pretty big deal, but you know it's nothing to worry about
>Dash: "Trust me, you'll be fine"
"I know"
>Dash: "I've been playing sports since I was walking, I've seen my fair share of broken bones before"
"I'm sure you have"
>Dash: "You're in good hands now. You've got nothing to worry about"
"Okay, the more you talk, the more I actually do worry"
>Dash: "... right, I'll stop now"
>Now you're actually worried
>Thanks Dash
 
>The county hospital is only a ten or so minute drive away, but it felt like at least an hour
>She finds an open parking space closest to the entrance
>Redheart gets out of the car and comes around to the back to help you out
>With one arm around Dash's shoulders and the other around Redheart's, you limp towards the building, keeping from stepping with your broken leg
 
>There were only a few other people there, and yet the receptionist looked not even the slightest bit motivated as you enter
>She slowly drifts her gaze towards you, then back to her desk, idly chewing gum with her mouth open
>From beneath she produced a clipboard with a few pieces of paper attached and a pen attached on a ball chain
>"Come here and fill this out and I'll tell the doctor when you're done"
>Dash: "His leg is broken-"
>"-Come here and fill this out"
>Dash: "What for? We already know what the issue is"
>"Just fill out the paperwork"
>Redheart: "Look, I know this kid's medical records like the back of my hand, so just get the damn doctor already"
>You're never taking Redheart for granted as a nurse again
>"And I'm telling you, just fill out the damn paperwork already"
>This is going to take a while
>Dash leads you over to the seating area and helps you sit down, then takes a seat next to you
>Meanwhile, the arguing continues
>Redheart: "If I have to take him back there and handle him myself I will, and I'm qualified so don't give me any shit"
>"Try it and I'll call the cops"
"Just bring me the paperwork already"
>As much as you support Redheart here, now's not the time
>Maybe later, when your leg is fixed and not throbbing in pain
>After coming to a "fuck it" conclusion, Redheart grabs the clipboard
>The two of them exchange a mutual flip of the bird before she brings you the clipboard
 
>You pretty much bullshit your way through the paperwork
>Are you allergic to any medication? - NO
>Are you a regular smoker? - NO
>Are you currently- NO
>NO
>NO
>NO
>NO to everything, cause you're the healthiest mother fucker around
>Probably not the best thing to do, but if you actually thought things through you wouldn't be here with a banged up leg, now would you?
>Redheart takes it as soon as you're done and slams it on the receptionist's counter
>Redheart: "Satisfied?"
>The receptionist snaps her gum
>"Sure, why not"
>She steps into a back room
>Dash pats you on the leg, your good one
>Dash: "We'll get you fixed up real soon"
>She's talking to you like a child who scraped his knee
>Then again, your eyes are starting to tear up despite your best efforts to hold back
>Just like a child with a scraped knee
>Dash: "And don't worry Nonny, I'll be right here"
>You try to speak without choking up... you certainly try
"What about the Battle of the Bands?"
>Dash: "Oh don't worry, the final round isn't until tonight. I'm not leaving your side until I absolutely have to"
>The receptionist comes back with who appears to be a doctor pushing an empty wheelchair
>Doctor: "I take it you're the one with a problem?"
>It sounded a lot more insulting than he probably intended it to be
>He and Redheart help you into the wheelchair, and they wheel you into the examination room, Dash following closely behind
 
>Upon reaching the room, they help you out of the chair and onto the bed
>It's not much larger than the one in the nurse's office at the school
>You tell him everything that happened, leaving out some of the finer details
>Such as how you were technically breaking and entering
>Once that is all cleared up, he begins examining your leg to assess the damage
>To your dismay, he's not quite as gentle as the girls were
>Doctor: "... hmm..."
"Is something wrong?"
>Redheart: "You know, aside from the obvious?"
>Doctor: "..."
>He's not saying anything
>That's totally reassuring
>Doctor: "... alright"
"Alright what?"
>He reaches under the bed and pulls out a hospital gown, nicely folded
>Doctor: "Possibly fractured, but we should take an x-ray to be sure. Put this on and I'll be back in just a minute"
>After handing you the gown he leaves the room
>You get your shirt off and with a little help from Dash you struggle out of your pants
>As usual she struggles with get your pants unbuttoned
>Despite the pain you have time to enjoy her cuteness
>You quickly get the gown on before Redheart can make a comment on the size of your dick in your boxers
>... shut up it's cold in here
>Redheart: "Adorable"
"Looks better on me than it does you"
>No matter how much pain you're in you can't stop your jackass-ery
>You wait in the room for the doctor to come back
>...
>...
>...
 
"How long have we been waiting?
>You glance around the room looking for a clock, but there's not a single one
>Dash: "A long time"
>Redheart: "Welcome to the Canterlot healthcare system, my tax dollars not at work"
>*RIIIIING*
>Dash's phone rings
>Dash: "Hey Pinkie what's up... where am I?"
>She glances at you
>You shake your head
>They got a competition to worry about, they don't need to be worrying about you in the hospital
>Dash: "... just at home, why? ... now? Like, right now right now?"
>She covers up the speaking part of her phone
>Dash: "They want to meet up early before the finals"
"Go ahead"
>Dash: "Sure?"
>You nod
>Not like anything is happening here anytime soon
>She uncovers her phone
>Dash: "Yeah sure, I'll be there in a bit"
>She hangs up
>You immediately start disrobing and get your shirt back on
>Dash: "Whoa, what are you doing?"
"You just said we're meeting up, didn't you?"
>Dash: "YOU'RE not going anywhere. In case you forgot your leg is still broken"
>How could you forget
>Redheart: "I'm with her on this one. As much as I'm entertained by your usual idiocy, you've got to stay"
"Come on, I've been here forever just waiting, they're not doing shit. Hell, you could probably help me more from your garage"
>Don't go putting any ideas in her head now
>Redheart: "Come on Dash, I'll take you wherever you need to go"
>Dash: "Don't worry Nonny, we'll win for you"
"And the sake of humanity, right?"
>Dash: "Yeah, that too"
>She gives you a gentle hug before heading
>Redheart: "Go anywhere, and I'll see to it you end up right back in here"
>She exits with Dash, not once turning her back to you
>As much as you hate to admit it, they're right
>All you can do is hope for them now
 
>You are Redheart
>The whole ride with Dash was silent and awkward
>Eventually, you pull up in a parking lot near big outdoor stage, where you see those other girls she's always hanging out with waiting
>How the hell the school could afford to rent this thing out for the Battle of the Bands you'll never know
>Dash steps out of the car
>Dash: "Hey Redheart, can you do me a favor?"
"Sure, what's up?"
>Dash: "Just... make sure he's alright, alright?"
"No problem"
>Dash: "Thanks"
>She shuts the car door ad hurries to her friends
>You should be hurrying back to the hospital
>But instead, you just sit here and think for a second
>... you've got a plan
>It's a stupid plan
>Like, "Anon" levels of stupid
>But damn it this is for the best
 
>You are Anon
>You have no idea how long it's been since Redheart left, but she's still not back yet
>Are you going to die here?
>Probably
>You're still half dressed in your shirt and boxers, the gown on the bed next to you
>To your relief, a nurse finally comes in wearing a cliché nurse's hat that you rarely ever see anymore and one of those masks worn by doctors and sick Asians
>It's a broken leg, not anthrax
>Nurse: "You're Anonymous, the one with the broken leg, right?"
"Yup"
>Nurse: "Alright, we're ready for you"
"... about friggin time"
>Nurse: "Excuse me?"
"Nothing"
>Didn't mean to say that out loud, did you?
>You know how they say waiters spit in your food if you treat them rudely?
>Well she's probably going to spit in your open wounds or something
>She grabs the clip board with all the paperwork
>Nurse: "This all of it?"
"Yup"
>Nurse: "No one came in and took anything off from here?"
"Not unless they were invisible"
>Nurse: "You're sure?"
"Absolutely positive"
>Nurse: "Alright"
>She takes the papers from the board, folds them up together into a neat little square, and slips them into her pocket
>Pretty sure that's not professional, but hey, nothing about this hospital screams "professional" or "competent"
"Should I get back into the gown?"
>Nurse: "No need, but we do have to hurry"
"Why?"
>Without answering you, she helps you back into the wheelchair, sets your pants on your lap and wheels you out
>Great, going into the lobby with no pants
>She wheels you down a few familiar halls
>As you pass the receptionist's desk, the nurse sets the empty clip board down
>Nurse: "Checking him out"
>...
>Receptionist: "You are?"
>She is?
>Nurse: "Yeah, he's fine. Just a really sore leg is all"
>The receptionist rolls her eyes
>Receptionist: "... whatever"
>The nurse continues to wheel you out the door
"I'm not fine, my damn leg is broken"
>Nurse: "Everything checked out fine"
"You people didn't check a god damn thing"
>Nurse: "You're overreacting"
>You realize these people will get you killed sooner or later, probably sooner
>You struggle your way out of the chair and try to stand
>It doesn't matter if you fuck up your leg as long as you survive
>The nurse grabs the back of your collar and yanks you back down into the chair
>She glances back at the hospital doors, as if making sure no one is watching
>Nurse: "Damn it kid, can't you sit still for five freaking seconds?!"
>...
>That temper sounds way too familiar
>...
"Thanks"
>She drops the mask and tosses the hat on the floor
>"No prob, kid"
>Turns out Redheart is just as much a master of disguise as you are
>Before long, Vlad pulls up in a dirty-looking pickup truck
>She helps you, chair and all, into the back of the flat bed
"Is this safe?"
>Redheart: "Nope"
>Great
>You're starting to rub off on her
>She gets in the car without another word
>You hold on for dear life as the car rides away
 
>They pull up in an empty parking lot for a supermarket down the street from the hospital, parking as far from the actual store as possible
>For some reason, you feel like you'd be safer back at the hospital
>Redheart steps out and comes around to you
>Redheart: "Glad to see you survived"
>You search your brain for a witty retort... nothing
>Redheart: "So here's the deal: I brought to the county hospital because it was closer, and I thought you'd get helped faster. Obviously a mistake. There's another hospital down the street where I know you'll actually get better treatment, but it's really down the street. We could probably get you there but-"
"-Hold on a second"
>Redheart: "What is it?"
>While she was explaining, you took the opportunity to wiggle your way back into your pants
"I'm out of the hospital, might as well milk the opportunity"
>Redheart: "Wherever you're going with this just spit it out"
"Come on, I think the final round of the Battle of the Bands will be starting soon"
>She sighs and rubs her forehead in frustration
>Redheart: "... and somehow I knew you'd say that... idiot"
>She sighs again
>Redheart: "Vlad, plan B!"
>Plan B?
>Vlad steps out the car and tosses Redheart a roll of duct tape
"Where exactly are you going with this-?"
>Redheart: "-Quiet. This is your idea"
>You don't recall getting kidnapped as part of any plan of yours
>He reaches back in the car, this time producing two thick rolled-up newspapers
>Redheart: "By the way, this never happened"
"What?"
>You feel Vlad's burly arms wrap around you from behind, restraining you to the chair
>Redheart: "This will probably hurt, but... you know, relax and stuff"
 
>Kneeling down in front of you, she ties her hair back into a ponytail
>Then, she pulls a long strip from the tape and sticks it to her side, saving it for later
>After making sure the newspapers are rolled tight and firm, she sandwiches your leg between them
>That gentleness she had when first examining you is gone
>The sudden pain would have made you jump from your seat if you weren't so... thoroughly restrained
>Redheart: "Sorry kid, gotta make sure it holds"
>Vlad: "Worry not little man, I've seen weaker men survive worse"
>Great... "you'll survive" is the best assurance you're getting
>She takes the strip of tape from her side and wraps it around the top of the two newspapers
>Another long strip about the same length goes around just beneath it, then a third at the bottom of the two rolls of paper
>If this is some kind of torture interrogation, you'd confess to just about anything right about now
>She gives it a gentle shake, then once she's sure it's tight enough, she stands up and backs away
>Redheart: "This is hardly a solution, so don't even try walking on it yet"
"Thanks for the reminder" you say through gritted teeth, finally getting your sense of sass back
>Redheart: "One last thing"
>She takes the folded up paperwork from her pocket
>Vlad takes it from her and holds it up over a burning zippo lighter, dropping it to the floor before the flame reaches his fingers
"A little paranoid don't you think?"
>Vlad: "You can never be too paranoid little man"
>Redheart: "Alright let's get this over with. Vlad, help him into the backseat, I'm driving"
>She folds up the wheelchair, something you didn't even know it could do, and puts it in the backseat with you
>Redheart: "And don't forget, this never happened"
"Why?"
>She turns around and looks at you like you're an idiot
>Redheart: "If I have to explain, then you probably don't need to know in the first place"
>You asked if Redheart had some kind of pain medication on her
>Vlad handed you a bottle of whiskey from the glove box
>Well... it helps, not ideal but it helps
 
>Eventually you pull into a parking lot near a huge outdoor bandshell
"How the hell did the school afford this?"
>Redheart: "Don't ask me"
>The final round must have already begun
>The Dazzlings are up performing
>No sign of Dash and the girls yet
>It's a good thing you're so level-headed and reasonable, otherwise you'd automatically assume that something's wrong
"...something's wrong"
>Redheart: "What is it now?"
>You scan the crowd as best you can from here, which isn't very good, but you do your best
>You don't see any of them
>... hold on
>Is that them... on top of a hill?
>Redheart: "Yeah yeah, I see them too"
"So are we going or what?"
>Redheart: "Came all this way, went through all this nonsense... hell, why not"
>She pulls out of the parking lot and finds a road that leads up to the hill
>On the way there, another car comes speeding past, seemingly going in the same direction
 
>There's a road that leads TO the hill, but not up it
>Redheart comes to your side of the car and opens the door for you
"You're not going to make me wheel all the way up there, are you?"
> Redheart: "As much fun as that'd be to watch, nah"
>That's cruel, even for her
>Redheart: "Hope you're not afraid of heights"
"Heights?"
>Vlad: "Hold on tight"
>He grabs you, and carefully lifts you out of the car, then up onto his shoulders
>Immediately you almost fall, but he skillfully saves you
>Redheart: "You never listen do you?"
>Vlad: "Relax, I've carried plenty of bodies away before. You're in good hands"
>It's a little uncomfortable being referred to as a "body"
 
>You make it to the top of the hill, holding on for your life as Vlad charged up like a mad viking and Redheart struggles to keep up
>The first thing you see at the top is what looks like a Transformer
>Upon closer inspection, it's that car that zoomed past you on the way here
>Redheart opens up the chair so Vlad can set you down
>Redheart: "Special delivery for Rainbow Dash"
>The girls all turn around, and upon seeing you, express varying degrees of shock
>Dash: "Nonny? What are you doing here?"
"You know, just in the neighborhood. Thought I'd wish you all good luck"
>Your jokes aren't helping, they're still shocked
>Pinkie: "Are you okay? Dash wouldn't tell us what happened to you"
"I'm fine, but you've all got a competition to win"
>Rarity: "Are you sure? No offense darling, but you look absolutely a mess"
"I said I'm fine"
>A little hurt in the feelings from that comment (and you know, physically too)
>Applejack: "Is... is your leg broken?"
"You guys-"
>Fluttershy: "Goodness, you shouldn't be here if you're hurt Anon"
"Seriously, you-
>Dash: "He's always doing this sort of thing"
"Alright guys, yes I broke my leg. And yes I also broke out of a hospital to come cheer you guys on in person. Yes, it was stupid, but damn it, that's just what do, isn't it?"
>A few nods, they seem to agree with you whether they like it or not
"Now don't make everything I went through be for nothing, hurry up and save the damn world already"
-
-
-
-
-
>Their expressions of worry turn into ones of growing excitement
>Pinkie: "Alright everyone, you heard Hot-Wheels, let's get this party started!"
"... What'd you just call me?"
>A few giggles around the group
>Applejack: "Hey Hot-Wheels, a little help here"
>Yeah, that's what you thought you heard
>Applejack: "Plug this in for me will ya"
>She hands you the end of an audio cable
>Somewhere on this giant mess of a machine is a port for this wire, and as soon as you find it you plug it in
>...
>Technically this mean you helped save the world right?
 
>They start playing right in the middle of the Dazzling's performance
>Starting shit from a safe distance?
>Dick move... you like it
 
>...
>The Dazzling's eyes start glowing
>Some giant spirit monster things arise
>The girls start shooting lasers and shit from their instruments
>The siren monsters destroy everything
>Sunset takes the mic
>Your friends start levitating
>There's a bright light
>A giant rainbow beam blasts the Dazzlings and their spirit monsters
>A bright flash
>A loud boom
>... Neat
 
>You can feel the magic surge through the air, tingling through your whole body
"Guys..."
>Twilight: "Did it work?"
>Sunset: "I think so"
"Guys..."
>A little too much magic
>Pinkie: "We did it! You guys we did it! We saved the world... again!"
>Pinkie pulls everyone into a giant group hug, even getting Vlad and Redheart in on the action
>Seeing as how you're not exactly at full capacity, you stay back for your own safety
"Guys..."
>You're feeling dizzy
>She and Dash stick out their arms, making a space for you, and your wheelchair, in the group hug
>Dash: "Come on Nonny, we couldn't have done it without you"
>Pinkie: "Yeah, get your butt in here Hot-Wheels"
"Guys..."
>You're feeling sick
>Dash: "... Nonny? You okay?"
>Sunset: "I think he's feeling the magic again"
>Redheart: "That's good, right?"
>Twilight: "Bad. Very bad"
"G-Guys..."
>Dash hurries over to hold you up in your seat
>Yup, you're losing consciousness
>...
 
>...
>*BEEP*
>There's a loud beeping noise that breaks you out of your sleep
>Your eyes open up to the blinding blur of fluorescent lights overhead
>Whatever this bed is, it's not comfortable
>Whatever you're wearing now, it's not yours
>*BEEP*
>Definitely not home
>Definitely not Dash's house
>Definitely not the hilltop where the finals of the Battle of the Band happened
>*BEEP*
>And that incessant beeping
>As tired as you still are, that'll probably keep you awake
>Once your eyes have adjusted to the light, you scan the room
>Your leg, which is now properly protected in a cast, is being elevated by some kind of suspension
>The beeping is coming from a machine next to your bed, a heart monitor
>You appear to be wearing another hospital gown, much different than the one they made you put on at the county hospital
>... you'd rather not wonder who dressed you
>Next to the bed is a small nightstand with your clothes neatly folded, your phone set on top
>Everything about this room just screams "hospital"
>The curtains on the window are closed and there's no clock in here, so you check your phone for the time
>3a.m.
>A little early for the lights to be on, isn't it?
>The bed has one of those buttons you can push to call in the doctor
>... nah, you'll make your way through it
>Close your eyes and try to-
>*BEEP*
>... try to go back to sleep
 
>...
>Somehow you manage to get some rest for the night
>Waking up this time isn't as hard on the eyes
>"I think he's awake"
>The blinding fluorescents are obscured by a grape cluster of heads, though it still takes a moment for your eyes to adjust and make out who they all are
>Yup, the girls are all here
>Fluttershy is leaning over your cast
>Fluttershy: "sorry, did I wake you?"
"Nah, you're good"
>You look around... almost everyone is here
>Pinkie, AJ, Rarity, Fluttershy, Sunset...
"Where's Dashie?"
>Fluttershy: "she stepped outside for a bit, she'll be back soon"
"Alright. What time is it anyways?"
>Fluttershy: "around noon"
>You were more tired than you realized
>The girls all step back, giving you some space to breathe
"So the gang's all here huh?"
>Applejack: "Well duh. Rainbow Dash never told us what happened to you, and you went and passed out before I could force the answer out of you"
>Rarity: "We just wanted to make sure you were okay"
>Pinkie: "And look, we all signed your cast already!"
>It's warms your heart that they'd all come to visit you, that they all care about you so much
>But let's not say that out loud, shall we?
>It looks like the majority of your cast is covered in doodles of cupcakes, balloons, and smiley faces- guess who THAT was
>Along the bottom edge, Fluttershy wrote something so small you'll need a magnifying glass to read it
>"Anonymous, get well soon. Sincerely, Twilight Sparkle" It's so formally and professionally punctuated, but the handwriting is a mess
>There's more all around, but you can't read it without having to get up
>Along the side someone wrote "You're welcome"
>...
"Who would write 'You're welcome' on someone's cast?"
>"Someone who deserves thanks"
>With perfect timing, Redheart enters the room with Dash by her side
 
>Dash: "Hey Nonny, when'd you wake up?"
"Just now... what do you mean by 'someone who deserves thanks'?"
>Redheart: "I'm the one who fixed up your leg there. Again, you're welcome"
>She takes a seat in the chair where the doctor usually sits, and Dash kneels beside you
"I didn't know you worked here too"
>Redheart: "I used to. The people here at Canterlot Memorial Hospital are just as incompetent as the other place, but at least here they knew not to get in my way when I brought you in"
"I'm pretty sure that violates all kinds of rules"
>Redheart: "Hey, they owed me"
"What for?"
>She glances at the door, then leans in really close to you and drops her voice almost down to a whisper
>Redheart: "Okay, so a few years ago when I still used to work here, a few of the head doctors got into a lot of trouble, and I mean a LOT. They were facing one hell of a lawsuit and in an attempt to save face they threw me under the bus instead"
>Dash: "Whoa..."
"And you let them get away with that?"
>Redheart: "At the time I didn't really have a choice. They promised that the medical board wouldn't revoke my license if I kept quiet. It's how I was still able to get my job at the school"
>Everyone goes silent as the door opens and a doctor enters
>Doctor: "Everything okay in here?"
"Yeah... sure"
>After Redheart's story you already don't like this guy
>Doctor: "That leg of yours was really messed up. Who even put that makeshift splint on you?"
>Redheart sits behind him, but looks directly at you while making a zipping motion across her lips
>With her reputation, if you told the truth it would definitely get medical license revoked... and probably get you killed
"I did it. Thought it'd work"
>Doctor: "Well, next time you should get professional help right away, don't try to handle things at home. I'm sure Miss Redheart advised you against it"
>She shakes her head, pretending to disapprove in case the doctor was watching
 
>Doctor: "And while you're at it, you need to lay off the alcohol. You were passed out drunk when she brought you in"
"I wasn't drunk, it was magic"
>Doctor: "Magic?"
>Redheart: "Yup, the magic knocked him unconscious"
>Pinkie: "It usually has that effect on him"
>Dash: "Sometimes he starts vomiting too, but that's only if there's a lot of magic involved"
>Doctor: "... you're all joking, right?"
"Nope. Magic"
>He looks dumfounded, like he doesn't believe in magic or something
>Doctor: "Right... well, I'm just checking in, making sure everything's alright. I'll see you later.  Miss Redheart, will you please come with me?"
"What's the matter, forget how to put on a band-aid?"
>Redheart bursts into laughter, but the doctor is not amused
>You got payback on her behalf
>Doctor: "... I take it he goes to that school you work at now?"
>Redheart: "Don't blame me, he was like that when I met him"
>She follows the doctor out, giving you a thumbs-up behind her back
>Pinkie: "We're gonna run off too, gonna grab lunch. You guys want anything?"
>Dash: "Sounds good. I'll stick around here with Nonny"
>Come to think of it, you hadn't eaten since yesterday
"Sure, where are you-"
>Before you can even ask where they're going, they've all left
>... oh well, looks like you're getting a surprise
 
>Dash doesn't move from her spot beside the bed
>Dash: "So how's your leg feeling?"
>You start moving your good leg around
"Seems fine to me"
>Dash: "Not that one"
"Oh, you mean my other leg? Yeah, that's still broken"
>She can't help but laugh, but you can tell she's still worried
"Don't worry, it's fine. Hurts a bit but it'll be fine"
>Dash: "... good"
>She gets up and sits on the bed next to you
>Dash: "So... it's all over, isn't it"
"What's over?"
>Dash: "Everything. The Battle, the Dazzlings... we're finally done with it all"
"Yeah... it's finally over"
>She lets out a long sigh, and for the first time in weeks she looks relaxed
>Which means she let her guard down
"Hey Dashie"
>Dash: "Yeah?"
"... Watch out for my leg"
>Dash: "Watch out? Why- h-Hey!"
>You quickly wrap your arms just around her waist and pull her down next to you, snuggling her tightly like a body pillow
>She flails around at first, not sure what you were doing, and in the process nearly smacked you in the face
>Dash: "Jeez, warn me before you do that next time!"
>You heard the lady
>She wants there to be a next time
"I kind of did. You didn't hit my leg right?"
>Your leg was safe, but your shoulder was wide open
>*PUNCH*
"... Point taken"
>Despite all the BS you give her, she still finds it in her to snuggle you
>Thank God you found someone as thick-skinned as yourself
 
>Moments later, there's a knock at the door- not one of those, "asking for permission, I'll wait for a response to come in" knocks. No, it's a "heads up I'm coming in right now" knocks
>The kind that usually result in walking in on something you shouldn't be seeing
>Dash immediately sits up, not wanting to look like you were doing it
 
>Thankfully it's just Redheart, who upon seeing you can't help but snicker
>Redheart: "Oh boy, I should have known"
>Dash: "We weren't doing anything I swear"
>Redheart: "I'm sure you weren't"
>Dash: "Really, I mean it"
>Redheart: "I bet you do"
"You're only making it worse Dash"
>Redheart snickers again
>Redheart: "Whatever you do, just be careful, alright? This isn't my office, you don't want to be getting caught here. Plus, he's still pretty messed up"
"Don't worry, we'll be gentle"
>She walks across the room to grab her coat, draped over the back of the chair she was sitting in earlier
>Redheart: "Anyways, I'm just here to let you know I'm heading out. See you tomorrow at school Dash. And you, Anon..."
>She sternly points at you
>Redheart: "... You're supposed to be here a few more days. I better not see you anywhere else, are we clear?"
"Crystal clear"
>Redheart: "Good. See you both later"
>She heads out, stopping in the doorway
>Redheart: "... you look like you haven't had any alone time in forever. Enjoy it, you both deserve it"
>Deserve? Hell, you need it
>She shuts the door behind her on her way out
 
>The girls don't even bother knocking when they return
>Pinkie: "Are we interrupting something here?"
"Not this time"
>Dash sits up, and you pick yourself up best as you can
>The others come in behind her
>Dash: "So where's lunch?"
>Sunset: "Right here"
>She's holding her jacket by the sleeves like a basket, using it to carry a pile of assorted snacks
>The kind you'd get out of a vending machine
>The hoard of snacks is dumped out on the bed in your lap
>Sunset: "Pinkie told me it's your favorite Anon"
"... can't say she's wrong"
>The most unhealthy meal ever
>Who cares, you're already in the hospital
>Vending machine food
>Infinitely better than hospital food
 
>Hours later
>It was getting pretty late
>Redheart never came back, but then again you didn't expect her to
>She DOES have her own life, you know
>Most everyone had gone home already, save for Rarity and Dash
>And considering Rarity just yawned for the fifth time in the past fifteen minutes, it's probably about her time too
>Rarity: "It's getting late, I should probably get going"
"Mind taking her with you?"
>You direct her attention over towards Dash, who fell asleep sitting in a chair across the room
>Rarity: "Not at all. Come on"
>She grabs Rainbow Dash by the arm, gently but enough to wake her
>Dash: "H-Huh? I'm awake..."
>Rarity: "I'm sure you were darling, but it's time for us to get going"
>Even as Rarity leads her out of the room, her arm around Dash to help her up, Dash never fully opens her eyes
>Dash: "Don't worry Nonny... *yawn* I'll be back first thing tomorrow"
>She goes on mumbling about... you can't quite understand what
>Rarity gently shuts the door behind her as they leave
>It has been a pretty long day, and you're a little tired yourself
>... should have asked them to turn off the light before they left
>Regardless, you close your eyes and try to sleep
 
>You're awoken God knows how long later by the creak of the door
>Since there's still no clock in here you have no idea what the time is, but the light is off now and there' no light coming in through the curtains, so it's safe to assume it's still night/early morning
>It's probably just the doctor coming in to check up on you, so you just ignore it and try to get back to sleep
>The visitor comes in next to you, stopping right beside your bed
>They kneel beside you and say something quietly into your ear
"Hey Anon. Glad to see you're okay... well, mostly anyways"
>... that sure as hell wasn't the doctor speaking. In fact, it almost sounded a bit like...
>"Sonata, hurry it up!"
>"Just another minute"
>"Come on, he's probably not even conscious"
>"Both of you be quiet before someone hears us"
>"Alright alright, jeez!"
>How the hell did they get in here?
>How the hell did they find you?
>And more importantly, what are they doing here?
>All these questions, and you can't ask a single one while pretending to be asleep
>Sonata: "I hope we can still be friends after all this"
>You can hear her light footsteps back away, then the three girls hurrying down the hall
>Once the coast is clear, you peek to make sure they're gone, and then get up completely
>They left the door open, but that's the last thing on your mind
>What's on your mind now is the slip of paper you catch just out of the corner of your eye
>A little envelope left behind on the nightstand with all your other stuff
>And inside the envelope, a note just like the others
>"Thanks again for being so nice to me before. Sorry for all the trouble we caused"
>"-Sonata"
>She signed it this time
>...
>Maybe they're not so bad after all
>Maybe deep down, there's some good in them
>...nah screw that, they tried to take over the world
>Not to mention totally ruined your weekend
>Just forget it and get some sleep
 
>Monday
>The next morning
>You force down that plate of breakfast slop they call "food" here
>Once that's done and done, you sit back in bed
>There's a TV mounted from the ceiling in the corner and a remote next to the bed, so you aimlessly channel flip looking for something interesting while patiently waiting for Dash to show up
>She may have been half asleep, but she did say she'd be here first thing today
>So you wait
>... and wait
>And wait some more
>You're checking your phone about every fifteen minutes or so, wondering where she is
 
>A little bit after noon, and by now you've started to worry, you finally get a text from her
>"Hey Nonny, how you doing?"
"Fine. Where are you?"
>"Just got to the cafeteria"
"Cafeteria?"
>"Yeah. I bet those hospital meals are better than these school lunches lol"
>...
>Oh yeah, school is still a thing for them
>Put on your dunce cap
"At least I'm used to the school food"
>"Tell you what, I'll bring you something when I stop by"
"While you're at it can you stop by my place and grab me a change of clothes?"
>You've been wearing the same clothes since Saturday
>Not including the hospital gown, and you changed out of that as soon as you could
>"Sure, do I need to get the key from you to get in?"
"Just ask my neighbor, she can probably pick the lock"
>"Alright, sure. No prob. The girls say hi too, they're just want to know how you're doing"
"Tell them I'm dying"
>"Ha ha very funny. I told them you're just fine"
>In the midst of writing your reply, you get a message from Pinkie
>"HEY NONNY DID DASH TELL YOU I SAID HI? ?(‘ ?‘ )? IF NOT, HI!!!"
>Pinkie's texting is very... stylized. Yeah, stylized is a good word for it
>Much nicer than weird
 
>Later in the afternoon the doctor comes in and takes your leg down from the suspension that kept it elevated and brings in a new wheelchair for you
>That last one you had on Saturday was technically stolen from the county hospital (just like you)
>Finally you're mobile again, which means no more bedpans and sleeping with the light left on
 
>A little after 3pm, Dash shows up with a plus one- good old interdimensional princess girl
>Twilight: "Hey Anonymous, I heard what happened. The last time I came by you weren't awake, and it only seems right that I come to give my condolences face to face"
"Thanks for signing my cast Twilight. I liked your chicken scratches"
>Twilight: "Ch-Chicken scratches? I really tried my best handwriting this time"
>... kind of makes you feel like an ass now, doesn't it?
>Dash: "By the way, here's your clothes you asked for"
>She hands you a bag with a clean set of clothes. Also inside the bag are all your textbooks from school and a sticky note with all of today's homework assignments on it
>Twilight: "I also took the liberty to bring you your textbooks so you can get some studying done. I felt bad that you ended up having to miss school due to your injury"
"I didn't feel bad about it"
>Thanks a lot Twilight
>Dash: "Looks like you've gotten yourself a new wheelchair"
"Yup, old Hot-Wheels is back"
>Dash: "Need some help dressing?"
"You're just trying to take advantage of me now that I'm crippled aren't you?"
>She giggles
>Dash: "Nice try Nonny, not today"
>... damn
>You take the clothes out of the bag and start undressing
>Twilight: "Oh my gosh!"
>She covers her eyes backs away towards the door
>Twilight: "I'll give you some privacy, just call me in when you're done"
>Pssh, prude
 
>Once you're fully dressed you call Twilight back in
>She's hesitant to enter, even more so to uncover her eyes
>You stuff your dirty clothes into the bag with the books
>Let's face it, you weren't going to do your homework or study anyways
>Twilight: "... hey Anon, what's this here?"
>Across the room, Twilight seems to have found the new note
>Twilight: "Another note? When'd this come?"
"She brought it to me last night"
>Dash: "She?"
>Twilight: "It's signed Sonata. Isn't she one of the Dazzlings?"
"Yeah. She and I were actually sort of friends. You know, before they tried to take over the world and stuff"
>Dash takes the note and looks over it
>Dash: "... and you're sure it was them?"
"Sonata brought it in person. I heard her voice. The others were with her too"
>Dash: "What did she say?"
"She... I know this will sound crazy, but she apologized. She said 'I hope we can still be friends' "
>Twilight: "Were those her exact words?"
"For the most part"
>Twilight gazes at the floor, saying nothing
>Just thinking
>Dash: "What is it Twi?"
>Twilight: "... nothing. Just wondering"
>Under her breath, she mumbles, "maybe there's hope for them..."
 
>Realizing this is probably some magic stuff that you really shouldn't be getting yourself involved in, you change the subject
"So Dashie, did my neighbor manage to get my door open"
>Dash: "Yeah, she got it. How'd you know she could do it?"
"She'd done it a million times before. She's one of those 'paranoid when high' people"
>Dash: "She doesn't sound like a good role model for her daughter"
>Huh, so Dash met her too
"That's actually her younger sister. Kind of a brat, just like her big sis"
>Dash: "I know. She kept calling me a big dumdum"
"Yeah, she does that"
>Dash: "By the way, that reminds me- your neighbor was wondering when she'd get her hat back"
"Her hat..."
>... shit. You must have lost it
>You start wondering where that hat could be, or rather thinking up a good lie as to why it's lost
>Your train of thought is interrupted by the doctor coming in
>Doctor: "Sorry to interrupt, just here for a quick check-up"
"Hey doc, did you ever find a hat lying around since I got here? Like, in the halls or the parking lot or something?"
>Doctor: "Hmm... there was an old looking hat on the floor outside the emergency room the night we brought you in. I didn't think it was yours because there was another name on the inside"
"Do you know what happened to it?"
>Doctor: "I dropped it off in the lost and found that night. Let me check if it's still there"
>He makes his way out of the room in no hurry, though you wish he would
>Your neighbor isn't exactly the scariest person in your life, but she lives next door and has already proven she knows how to get in
>Getting on her bad side is not a good idea
 
>A moment later the doctor comes back with your neighbor's fedora
>It's a little beat-up, but within reason, considering you saved the world in it
>Doctor: "Is this one of yours'?"
>Dash and Twilight shake their heads
"It's my neighbor's"
>After handing it to you, he starts examining your leg and the cast
>Doctor: "I take it you two are close then, since you seem to care so much about her hat"
>Dash glares at you- the cold, brain piercing gaze of a jealous woman
>Damn doctor
"Hardly. I don't even know her name to be honest"
>Doctor: "Well, it's in there if you're curious. And you seem to be fine for now, so I'll leave you be. I'll check in with you later tonight, but it looks like you'll be good to go by tomorrow"
"Go? As in, free to leave?"
>Doctor: "If you're ready"
>You feel like a condemned man just given a presidential pardon
>The doctor takes off, not joining you in your moment of rejoice
>To be honest, you never cared to know your neighbor's name, she's always just been 'your neighbor'
>But damn it, he got your curiosity piqued, so you flip the hat over and read the nametag on the inside
>... Well, at least now you can actually have a normal conversation with her name
>Emily
 
>The three of you spend the rest of the day just hanging out
>Since Dash is Twilight's ride home, they leave before it gets too late
>Twilight: "Before we go, can I ask you something Anonymous?"
"Sure"
>Twilight: "... how close were you and Sonata?"
>Why does everyone want to make Dash jealous today?
>And why are YOU always the target of her death stare
"She and I were just friends, nothing more. The only reason we seemed so close is because she didn't really have many other friends"
>It sounds so cruel to say it out loud, but it's pretty much true
>Twilight: "... Alright. See you tomorrow"
>She waves bye and heads out the door
>Dash gives you a quick kiss before leaving
>Dash: "Hey Nonny, can I ask you something too?"
>You already know where this is going
"I broke my leg for you Dashie. Not Sonata, not Emily, you. You're the only girl for me"
>She smiles, then kisses you again
>Dash: "I better be the only one"
>... Who knew a threat could sound so sweet
>Tuesday morning
>You woke up after the best night's sleep you've had in a long time
>And best of all: today is your last day stuck here
 
>The doctor comes in just as the assistant is leaving with your empty breakfast tray
>Hospital food is one thing you won't miss
>Doctor: "Good morning Anonymous, I take it you're feeling well?"
"Relatively speaking"
>Doctor: "Yeah, I suppose if you're in a hospital you're probably not on top of the world. If it makes you feel any better today should be your last day here."
"How much longer?"
>Doctor: "We could start wrapping tings up now if you'd like. It's just some paperwork, a quick examination, I'll write-"
"-Sounds good let's get started"
>Let's hurry this up
 
>One last examination to ensure that there's nothing you can later sue for
>You get a prescription for some pain medication, as well as a consultation from the pharmacist so that you don't accidentally overdose and try to sue
>You filled out some forms assuring that you were treated well and taken care of
>In other words, you legally agree to not sue
>And finally, you're free to go
 
>One of the hospital assistants wheels you out to the front by the pick-up/drop-off zone of the parking lot
>"We've got a shuttle service that'll drop you off back at your home. But are you sure you'd prefer the wheelchair?"
"Positive"
>"I could fetch you a pair of crutches from the pharmacy, it should only be a moment"
"No, the chair is fine. I've got a friend who started calling me Hot-Wheels ever since I ended up in one"
>"And that's a good thing?"
"Better than showing up at school in crutches and having her call me Peg-Leg"
>"Yeah... I suppose so"
>The assistant doesn't seem to understand
>"Oh look, the shuttle's here"
>She helps you into the back seat, sending you off with the chair
 
>The driver is a big guy, sort of looks like he could work restraining patients at a mental hospital
>"So where you headed off to buddy?"
>Go home, get some sleep, take a bath, get some decent food... or better yet
"You know how to get to Canterlot High from here"
>"Devoted student, huh? No problem, I'll get you there"
>After three days in the hospital, you just can't wait to get to school and get some studying done
>Which is Anon-talk for "bone your girlfriend in an empty classroom"
 
>He pulls up at the front of the school and helps you out
>"You sure you don't want any help getting to class?"
"Nah I'm good"
>You've had a few days in a chair, you know how to maneuver it by yourself
>"Alright. Take care of yourself now"
>He brofists you before getting back in the shuttle and leaving
>Hell, he's a pretty chill guy
>You might break another bone or two later just to say hi
>... okay, don't get carried away now
>Checking your phone for the time, it's almost noon
>Which means third period is almost over, and it's almost time for lunch
>Perfect timing
>Now just to get up there and get inside...
>Crap.
>Stairs.
>Gotta take the wheelchair ramp
 
>Well that took a lot longer than usual
>Something you'll have to get used to for a while
 
>You get inside just in time for the bell to lunch
>Maybe you can catch up with your friends before they leave
>So long as no one bothers you or gets in your way
>Quite frankly you'd rather not make a big deal out of yourself
>You don't want to be the center of any unnecessary attention-
>"Hey guys, look! Anon's in a wheelchair!"
>This damn school...
>The students surround you like you're some kind of celebrity
>You get asked a million times about what happened
>And you tell the story of what happened a million times
"Guys, go away"
>Well, you told them what they need to know
>Unfortunately, the hallway is too narrow to move around people
>And the crowd's too thick, so you can't build up enough speed to mow people down
>Yeah, you're trapped
>Somewhere in the commotion there's a few familiar voices slipping through
>Applejack: "What in tarnation is going on over there?"
>Pinkie: "I dunno, but it looks fun!"
>And there's your key to freedom
"Hey girls! Heeey!"
>You raise your hands as high as you can reach and wave them about to get their attention
>They can't seem to hear you
>Dash: "I don't know about you, but I'm hitting the cafeteria before everyone else gets there"
>Dash please...
>Eh, can't blame her. You'd do the same
>Hold on a sec
>One of them stayed behind
"Hey Pinkie!"
>Pinkie: "... Nonny!? Is that you!? Dash just left!"
"Yeah I know, a little help here!"
>Pinkie: "Don't worry, I'll get you out of there"
>Perfect
>If anyone can distract a whole crowd it's Pinkie and she's leaving
>... wow
>Should have seen that coming
>Before you have enough time to sufficiently complain-
>*RIIIIIIIIIIING*
>The fire alarm goes off
>And just like that the crowd disperses
>Pinkie you are one crazy genius
>Speaking of the devil, she returns just as fast as she left
>Pinkie: "Now how about we go and find Dash."
"Good idea."
 
>Before you can even make it round the corner, you're stopped by the principals
>Celestia has her hands on her hips, a subtle smile on her lips- she looks as gentle as ever. Good to see she's free of the Dazzling's spell
>Luna glares right into your eyes with a stern expression, hands stuffed in her pockets- cold as ice...
>Yup, she's probably back to normal too
>Celestia: "That's the fire alarm, both of you outside now."
>She grabs the back of your chair and pushes you out faster than you could have moved yourself, Pinkie and Luna following with you
>Luna: "We hope this isn't another one of your pranks again, Anonymous"
"MY pranks?"
>Luna: "It's your first day back, you don't want to be causing trouble already"
"Don't worry I won't. I'm fine though by the way, thanks for asking. The chair's nice and comfy"
>Luna: "We didn't ask"
>You didn't expect much sympathy but you're still hurt
>Celestia: "Well it's good to know you're okay regardless. What on Earth happened?"
"Nothing."
>Pinkie: "It was just a mishap during that whole 'Battle of the Bands' disaster."
>Celestia: "... Battle?"
>You give Pinkie a stern elbow to her side- a reminder that you weren't supposed to be there
>Pinkie: "... oh right, what he said. Nothing"
>The principals look at each other, almost confused
>Celestia: "Don't worry, we're almost to the exit"
 
>The crowd that surrounded you in the hall pales in comparison to the gathering outside the school, nearly taking up the whole front lawn
>And these are just the kids who didn't take the opportunity to ditch
>Celestia: "Are you two going to be okay?"
"Yeah, we're good from here. Thanks for the ride"
>Luna: "Just stay out of trouble"
>Jeez, will she ever cut you some slack?
>Pinkie: "Come on Hot-Wheels, let's go find Dash"
>She quickly hops down the stairs, leaving you in the dust, while you maneuver your way to the ramp
>It's definitely quicker going down than up, but by the time you make it down Pinkie is already lost in the crowd
 
>It takes forever for the staff to figure out that there's no actual fire, so everyone has to wait outside for the okay
>While maneuvering through the horde of students waiting, you hear the usual chatter
>"There's not really a fire, is there?"
>"Damn it, we're missing lunch because of this"
>"Screw it, I'm just gonna go home"
>"They let you out of the hospital already?!"
>Huh?
>You turn around just in time to catch Dash throwing her arms around you
>Just in time to get a suffocating face full of her chest
>Not even out of the hospital for an hour and already life is getting better
>Dash: "I heard people talking about some guy in a wheelchair but I didn't think it'd be you!"
"Who'd you think it was?"
>Dash: "I don't know, just not you"
"Who else would it be?"
>Dash: "Okay, are you going to keep talking and ruin the moment, or are you going to shut up and kiss me?"
>She's got a point
>After pondering the situation for a moment you realize a fatal flaw in her plan- you're sitting down
"Mind meeting me half way?"
>She kneels down in front of you, takes a hold of your hand, and slowly leans forward to lock lips with you
>... okay a little too slowly
>You grab her face and quickly pull her in for that smooch she's been waiting for
>An excited, passionate, loving kiss
>... and nothing happens. Not even the slightest twitch or moan
>Well, you tried
>When you try to break the kiss, her arms wrap behind your neck and quickly pull you right back in
>Now THERE's the reaction you were waiting for
>One kiss quickly became another, then another, then another
>And what started as a gentle stroke of her cheek with your fingers ended with your hands getting lost running through her hair, and the two of you getting lost in the moment
>...
>Rarity: "Excuse me lovebirds, I hate to interrupt but we should get going soon"
>Rarity broke you and Dash out of your little trance
 
>Dash: "H-Has everyone been watching this whole time?!"
>Pinkie: "Nah, they left after the first kiss few kisses. They let everyone back in for lunch, by the way"
>It's true- everyone's gone
>Turns out watching the hottest athlete girl in school make out with a cripple isn't as interesting as food
>A little insulting if you think about it
>Dash: "So... no one was watching us, right?"
>Applejack: "Nope, just us"
>Pinkie: "And as much as I'd love to see it escalate to some dry humping, lunch is almost over and I haven't eaten all day"
>Applejack: "Me too, I'm downright starving"
>Dash: "Nonny?"
"... to be fair, I haven't eaten since I left the hospital"
>Sorry Dashie, but lunch is the most important meal of the day
>Dash: "Alright, fair enough. Let's go"
>You and the girls head off back inside
>Dash whispers in your ear, "We'll finish this later when we're alone," even throwing in a little wink at the end
>This girl does not play games
 
>You all manage to get a quick bite to eat before the bell rang
>Up next, unless anything has changed since you left, is history class
>A.K.A Molest Your Girlfriend class
>Everyone was too busy talking about the fire alarm to care about you anymore
>Hot-Wheels is already yesterday's news
 
>In class, you realize something- since you came here straight from the hospital, you don't have anything with you
>All you've got are the clothes on your back and Emily's hat on your head and your phone
>No books, no supplies, no nothing
>... alright, you don't gotta do anything!
 
>You and Dash spend the entire class feeling each other up under the desks, as always
>Up next, English class
>You and Pinkie spend the entire class goofing off and looking up bad words in the dictionary, as always
>And finally, gym
>You spend the entire class doing jack shit, as always
>Yup, life is finally back to normal
 
>After school, Dash agreed to walk you home
>Not so much agreed, it was more of a "I'm doing it whether you like it or not" kind of thing
>You get inside and toss the hat on the table
>You'll give it back to her tomorrow...maybe... eventually... eh, you'll get around to it
>Dash: "Are you sure you're going to be okay here by yourself Nonny?"
"Nah, I'll probably die or something-"
>*punch*
"-I'm joking, I'm joking! I'll be fine, I swear"
>Dash: "You know, maybe I should actually stay here with you, just to keep an eye on you and stuff"
"Is that necessary?"
>Dash: "Just for a few days, to make sure you're alright. I don't want you getting yourself hurt or anything"
"When have I ever gotten myself- ..."
>You stop yourself when you realize how stupid that statement would have been
"Alright yeah, you can crash here for a while"
>Dash: "Alright, I'm going to run home really quick and get some stuff. I'll be right back"
>She hurries out the door, leaving you alone here in your apartment
>You've probably got at least half an hour to yourself, so you flip on the TV and look for something to watch
 
>*KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK*
>She was gone less than ten minutes
>That must be some kind of record
>You wheel over to the door to let her in
"... the hell are you doing here Twilight?"
>Twilight: "Rarity told me I could find you here. May I come in?"
"Yeah, sure. Why not"
-
>You lead her inside towards the living room area
"Can I get you anything?"
>Twilight: "No no, I'm fine. We just have something to discuss"
"Something like what?"
>She takes a seat
>Twilight: "You said back at the hospital that you and Sonata were good friends, right?"
"I said we were sort-of friends, and that all changed when they tried to sort-of take over the world"
>Twilight: "I know, but she still came back to apologize, didn't she? That means there has to be some good in them"
"I suppose"
>Twilight: "I take it you know where I'm going with this"
"Not even in the slightest"
>Twilight: "They're magic is powerful, you've both seen it and felt it in action. It could prove as an invaluable resource here in your world if put to good use. And yet, they still have yet to learn about the most powerful magic of all"
"Fireballs?"
>Twilight: "Friendship"
"I don't know, fireballs are pretty powerful"
>Twilight: "It's not fireballs! And even if it was, you wouldn't be fit to be teaching them that kind of thing anyways"
"What? I'M teaching them?"
>Does she realize what she just asked of you
>Twilight: "Think about it- you already have their trust, and I can't be here 24/7 to watch over them and teach them myself. You are the perfect person to do this"
"Again, what?"
>Twilight: "It's really simple Anon, just show them that being friends has more merit than being evil"
"How exactly would I go about that?"
>Twilight: "You'll find a way, I believe in you"
"But I haven't seen any of them since the battle. Well, aside from that night at the hospital"
>Twilight: "I'm sure your paths will cross again soon, trust me. What do you say Anon, will you do it?"
"Look, Twilight, I appreciate the fact that you see me as a magical friendship wizard and all, but to be honest I was hoping everything could just go back to normal after this"
>Twilight "Please, Anon, you're the best chance at making the Dazzlings see the light of friendship"
-
>She seems desperate
>And to be fair, the Dazzlings seemed to be pretty chill when you first met them
>Weird, for reasons now obvious, but chill nonetheless
"... alright fine. Why not. But on one condition"
>Twilight: "Condition?"
"That's right, I don't work for free"
>Extortion- it does a body good
>Twilight: "What kind of condition did you have in mind?"
"If I do this for you, you owe me one favor"
>Twilight: "And that favor is...?"
"When the time is right, I'll tell you"
>Quite frankly you have no idea what you'll ask her for
>But back in her world she is a princess
>Maybe she can make you pope or a king something
>Eh, you'll figure it out later
>Twilight: "Alright deal. You do this and I'll owe you that favor"
>She extends her arm for a handshake
>Twilight: "I read in a book that this is how people make deals in your world"
"Oh Twilight, you have so much to learn"
>You grab her hand and close it into a fist, then bump yours against hers
>Twilight: "What was that?"
"It's called a brofist. Learn it"
>Training Twilight to be a badass mofo one day at a time
>Maybe you are cut out for this whole "teaching" thing after all
>Twilight: "Now that we've got that worked out, I need to get going back to Equestria. I've been in this world longer than I intended. Remember, I'm counting on you Anon"
>Thanks for laying on the pressure Twilight
>She makes her way out, leaving the door wide open behind her
>How rude
>Was she raised in a barn or something?
 
>Dash should be back any minute now
>You have to enjoy this night together, because it's the last normal night you're going to have for a while