Blade

Mrs. Powell smacked Cheerilee across the face and it was very audible. Cheerilee gasped, but her episode subsided. She snorted one last time, and was silent.

“There is no need for violence, Ma’am.” said the policemare sternly.

“No, no.” Cheerilee reasoned. “I really did get a little too emotional.”

She took a deep breath. “I haven’t lost a student since I was twenty. Six years ago, I had this little colt in my class. His name was Boxcars and he was just so sweet-“

“Nobody gives a goddamn about your life story, Cheerilee.” Mrs. Powell interrupted.

Cheerilee stopped and sunk. “I’m sorry.”

The policemare continued “These children. They’re both students of Miss Punch?”

Mrs. Powell didn’t let Cheerilee answer. “So she’s told me a million times over now.”

“And they were last seen in the schoolyard?” asked the policemare.

“I just sent them to recess. It was recess…” Cheerilee mumbled.

“Which one of them was in your care, Mrs. Powell?”

“The orange one.” Mrs. Powell replied. “She’s always been a troublemaker, that one. I bet she ran right up to a couple of those dogs looking for a fight.”

“Well, Ma’am, as far as the investigation has shown, the shooter in the town square was alone and the attack wasn’t a group effort. I highly doubt either of the children are missing because of hounds.”

“Whatever. It still wouldn’t surprise me. Little punk always threw herself into more conflict and left me to pull her out of it. Now she’s gone and dragged some other filly into her problems.”

Cheerilee looked back up at the policemare.

“Actually…” she started reluctantly. “It had recently come to my attention that the other filly involved bullied Scootaloo quite a lot. Verbally, sometimes physically even. I would punish her, but the bullying would only get crueler.”

“So?” Powell groaned, dragging her cigarette.

“If anything, I might go as far as suggesting that this bullying could possibly be the source of the disappearance.”

“What, the kid ran away or something? If so, why would the other one also go missing?”

Cheerilee grew anxious again. “I-I don’t know! Guilt!?”

        She began to hyperventilate again.

        “I just want them to be safe! I want the little children to be safe!”

        Mrs. Powell struck Cheerilee again, harder. Cheerilee yelped. The policemare pounded her hoof down.

        “I said no violence, Powell! Final warning! She shouted. “Your behavior is unacceptable, and I won’t have it in my office!”

        “Whatever.” Mrs. Powell replied, not even looking up.

        “No, not whatever! ‘Yes, Officer’ is what you’re gonna say or I’ll arrest you for assault!”

        “I came in here to give you the information I had on my own time, so don’t tell me you’re gonna do shit unless you mean it, Officer. We’re both wasting time here.”

        The officer sat down and glared harshly at Mrs. Powell. Everyone was silent.

        After a moment, Mrs. Powell blew smoke from her nostrils and looked up.

        “Last I saw Scootaloo, she was on edge; had a lot of things going through her head.”

        The officer leaned in and raised her brow.

        “I’m thinking…” She inhaled the nicotine and blew it out again into the ceiling lamp’s rays. “What if she got tired of getting shit?”

        The room wasn’t any nicer from last time. The straps on the bed were loose for the time, but a nurse outside of the room was always ready to change that if it was necessary. The lights were off except for the very dim lamp on the plastic end table near the door.

        Rarity stared at the ceiling, faking a very big smile so that she wouldn’t scare her friends away. Mel was having a rough time feeling comfortable while Rarity smiled. It was too wide and toothy. Something about it made Mel’s stomach feel queer. It looked like she was trying to not be afraid of herself. Mel was also depressed by just being in the room. He didn’t want to even think about what it was like to be a patient.

        Lyra sat in the chair next him, holding Rarity’s mane and stroking it gently.

        “That’s… very nice, darling…” Rarity said softly. “Please don’t stop.” She insisted.

        “Of course I won’t, honey. I promise.” Lyra replied motherly.

        Mel only sat silently. He turned his head away from time to time to get a break from having to see his dear friend like she was.

        Rarity noticed.

        As if interrupting herself, she threw out her arm and put it near his hooves.

        “Mel, sweetie? Could you hold my hoof, please?”

        Mel stuttered “Are-a-…are you-“

        “PLEASE.” she moaned.

        Mel grabbed her hoof without thinking. He quickly scooted closer to the bed so Rarity didn’t have to hold her arm out so far anymore. Everything was quiet again.

        Rarity’s eyes fluttered after some time. She began to drift off.

        “I love you both.” She said sleepily.

        “We love you too, Rarity.” Lyra replied.

        Mel was still shaken. “Y-yea…We love ya, R.”

        They both watched Rarity sleep for three hours before the nurse kicked them out. The duo then got their things and made their way through the eerily silent halls to the exit. As the two walked out of the hospital, Lyra looked to Mel.

        “I love you too, Mel.”

        “Yea. Me too…” Mel replied lazily.

       Lyra stopped. Mel looked over his shoulder and saw her serious expression.

       “I mean it.”

        Mel was silent.

        “Bonbon is my soul mate, but you two are the love of my life.”

        Silence still.

        “I’ve known you and her since as long as I can remember. You two are a special kind of love to me.”

        Mel finally spoke. “Do you think it’s ever gonna be the same after this? When she gets out?”

Lyra had stopped now.

“Do you think that when she gets better we’ll just go back to the bar and have a nice tall glass and be all like ‘ah, hey! You guys remember that time R was in the cuckoo nest? Ha ha ha! What a month!’”

“…Mel.”

“I’m scared, Lyra. I don’t want things to change. I really don’t.”

“Please…”

“I just want to go back to the bar and forget this all happened, Lyra! I want her to be happy again! I want her to be our friend again! All she is now is scared and defenseless. When is she gonna come back!?”

“I don’t know. But I promise things will get better.”

“How do you know, Lyra? How do you know things will ever be the same?”

Lyra didn’t reply. Instead, she leaned in and kissed Mel tenderly on his lips.

Mel was entirely silent. For a moment, the only noise in the world was the night’s wind blowing. Lyra stared into his eyes.

        “I never said that. I said things will get better.”

        With that, she left for home.

        Mel stood outside for five minutes or so. And after pulling himself back, he went home without any sound but his hooves trotting along the cobblestone.

        “Ponyville, eh? My uncle lived here for a while.”

        “Shit. This is my hometown.” said Cloudchaser shocked. “You’re sure this is where she is?”

        “How do you know it’ll be a ‘she’? I for one am hoping for a boy for once.” Octavia interjected.

        Plum feigned a cough. “*cough* slut! *cough*”

        “I haven’t met me a good boy in some time, anyway.” Cherry Jubilee mentioned. “At least not one worth spitting on.” She harshly added toward Plum.

       “Quiet! I can’t hear!” Trixie shouted above everyone.

        “Well sheesh, don’t wake everyone in the town.” Lightning Dust muttered.

        “I said quiet!”

        Trixie’s followers were quiet.

        “Yes. She’s here. And if she’s not. She will be.”

        “So this is it, huh?” smiled Cloudchaser, like a long wait was over.

        “Yes. We’ve finally found our Greed.”

        For the first time in a while, Trixie smiled.