Seven Days in Sunny June, Book III

Chapters

June 2: Morning Has Broken
June 3: Every Day I Write the Book
June 8: Welcome Home
June 10: Decollage
June 12: Heartbreaks + Setbacks
June 14: (Forever) Live and Die
June 21: Wataridori
June 27: I Could Be Happy
July 1: Cat's in the Cradle
July 2: Venus and Mars/Rock Show
July 4: Nowhere Girl
July 18: Again and Again
July 20: More Than This
July 27: Nothing Lasts Forever
July 16: One Thing Leads to Another

June 2: Morning Has Broken

Fluttershy stumbled into the kitchen, half-awake. “Morning, Mom,” she said, pausing only to kiss Posey on the cheek before making a beeline to the coffeemaker. “You’re up early,” the busty teen mumbled before managing to get the scintillating elixir of life down her throat.

Seated at the breakfast table, eating a bowl of cereal and reading from her tablet, Posey didn’t look up from the screen as she said, “I have a meeting at eight. Mrs. Mix has taken a turn for the worst after last night, and Dr. Aftercare wants to discuss stability issues with the staff, and how we’re going to break this to the family.”

“That bad?” Fluttershy asked as she winced, more from the bitter aftertaste of the coffee than her mother’s words.

Posey nodded. “We’ve done all we can, but there’s a point where you just can’t do anymore. Mrs. Mix has lived a long, long life and she’s had children and grandchildren, the kind of life that anyone would want. But no one lives forever.”

The chiffon-haired teen sat down across from her mother and tried to give the kindest smile she could. “Don’t blame yourself. You’ve done everything you could.”

Posey gave her lookalike daughter a warm look. “I thought I was supposed to be the encouraging one.”

Fluttershy’s response made her mother proud: “I learned from the best.” The teen would have said something further had it not been for the ringing of the doorbell. “I’ll go get that.” Hopping up from her seat, the teen went to the door to find a FedEx courier standing there, package in hand. Signing for custody of the small box, she then waved goodbye and headed back into the kitchen, the smile on her face suddenly disappearing as she saw the address.

As Posey watched her daughter return to the kitchen table, she saw the ashen look on Fluttershy’s face as the teen looked at the package. I knew this was going to come sooner or later, the woman mused; Goddamn, I’m an idiot for not taking care of this sooner. “Flutters, I—”

The teen shook her head. “No, Mom, this isn’t your fault. But I already know what’s in it, and frankly, I don’t want to go.” A rare look of anger and disgust crossed the usually-placid teen’s face as she said, “I want nothing to do with him.”

“Flutters, he’s your father,” Posey told her daughter. “You should give him a chance.”

“No. I’ll admit, I have great memories of when I was just a kid. But when he left us – and for a stupid, selfish re—”

A severe look crossed Posey’s face, an equally unusual visage for the doctor. “Fluttershy, this is your father you’re talking about. Regardless of how you feel about him, he deserves your respect, understood?”

“No, no I don’t,” Fluttershy replied, “but, fine.” The look on her face agitated, she said, “I think I’m going to have breakfast out, Mom. I’ll be back before you leave.” Before Posey could even react, the teen had raced to the door, grabbed her keys, and by the time Posey had even managed to reach the door, Fluttershy’s butter-yellow Nissan Leaf rushed down the street.

Don’t know where she picked up that speed, Posey thought glumly as she watched her daughter’s car disappear into the distance. Either hanging around Rainbow has improved her athleticism or she gets it from her father – either one’s legit. Posey looked at the package lying on the table, addressed to both Fluttershy and Angel, bearing their father’s address.

I don’t know who screwed this up more, she thought glumly to the package as though she was telepathically communicating to the sender himself, you or me. Probably both of us – it’s why we ended up together after all.

She then heard soft footfalls behind her, their source a young tow-headed boy wearing Gunbunny-festooned pajamas. “Hey, sweetie,” she told her son, kissing him on the crown of his head. “Want some cereal?” She didn’t bother to sign her actions; she’d known about Angel’s lip-reading ability long before Fluttershy realized it.

He nodded, and with that, she went to the kitchen to get his favorite – Trix, the one with the rabbit on it. She hardly approved of it, but Angel had always been a fussy eater and given the difficult day it already looked to be, she might as well start the day on a high – it was going to go downhill for her family probably by noon at the earliest. Or until he calls, wanting to talk to her, Posey thought glumly.

As she set the bowl in front of Angel, he signed a quick thank you followed by, Where’s Fluttershy?

“She stepped out for a moment, sweetie – she had to drop something off at Rarity’s,” Posey lied. “She’ll be back home in a few minutes.”

Okay. He picked up his spoon, ready to dig into the breakfast before him, when he saw the look on his mother’s face: pensive, anxious. Um…am I in trouble?

“No, dear.”

Is Fluttershy?

“No,” she sighed. “Just…it’s going to be a rough day at work.”

Oh. With that, Angel started eating, knowing that his mother wasn’t going to tell him what was wrong. Obviously his mother and older sister had an argument, causing Fluttershy to head somewhere to cool off – a rare moment for the two older females in his life, but something he knew happened on occasion. He just wished that either of them would tell him the truth; just because he was deaf didn’t mean he was stupid.

The sun was a burning ninety-five degrees as Sunset Shimmer stepped onto the grounds of Canterlot High, ready to start her first day of…summer school. All around her, students looked as though they’d just been given the ultimate prison sentences, and a few of the more dramatic types acted almost as though they were trudging along on a Bataan death march.

Not so for Sunset, however. The smile on her face was bright and cheery, and despite the fact that this was the last place in the universe she wanted to be right now, the very fact that she was here, in this place, and time, was enough to make her grin from ear to ear. Seven days – or five minutes, depending on how you looked at it – had been leading up to this very moment. And by this time next week, she’d know if everything had succeeded…and this time she knew it would.

“You are way too cheerful this morning, you know that?” Sunset turned to see Rainbow approaching. “This is summer school! You’re not supposed to be happy to be here!”

“Rainbow, I just lived through one of the roughest weeks of my life – apparently all in five minutes, too – so I think I’m due a little bit of a break.”

“And you’re sure that princess isn’t going to come after you?” The tone in the athlete’s voice indicated concern for her friend.

“No, Celestia and I made up; something I could have – and should have – done years ago,” the former unicorn admitted. “But things are all better now, Twily won’t have nightmares, and I’m back and better than ever.”

“Yeah, sure – oh, forgot to mention: AJ wanted to know if you’re free for lunch today. She needed a favor.”

“I don’t have to work today, so yeah, I’m clear. In fact, lunch is on me. I know this great place down in Newport Beach tha—”

“Where?”

“Newport Beach, down south. I went back in March, remember? Trust me, you’ll love TK’s. They have th—”

Rainbow’s eye twitched. “Newport Beach.”

“Yeah.”

“As in…Los Angeles?” Sunset nodded. “That’s six hundred miles!” Rainbow spat.

“Well….” The grin on Sunset’s face was whimsical. “About 587 miles, give or take,” she replied.

“But how….” Her mind disconnected as two and two feverishly voltroned to make four. “You can teleport there?”

“Don’t be dumb, Rainbow, of course I can’t teleport straight there. Just because I got all my magic back doesn’t make me alicorn strong.”

A relieved look came onto Rainbow’s face. “Oh, good – because for a m—”

Sunset pulled out her phone and brought up Google Maps. “Given the distance, we’d probably have to make quick, five-minute stops in Chico, Yuba City, Sacramento, Stockton, Modesto, Merced, Madera, Fresno, Visalia, Delano, Bakersfield, Lancaster, Downtown LA, and Long Beach just so I can regain my bearings, since it’s a bit of a trip for a chained teleport. If we meet up with AJ at 12:30, we should be at TK’s by about two in the afternoon, tops.”

“You know, I’m glad you’re my friend, or I’d be really worried right about now.”

Sunset cringed at that remark. “Rainbow….”

“Sunny, we’re cool now and all, but you can’t expect me to just forget what you used to be like, or what you briefly became,” Rainbow reminded her.

“But I….”

“I know – I get it – you have awesome mad skills, and you want to show off to your friends. But we’re also supposed to look out for you, right? Last thing you or your family needs is for black helicopters and all that top-secret government agency crap. So, instead of getting frequent flier miles for lunch,” Rainbow suggested, “why don’t we just have lunch at the In-N-Out over on Riverfront Road and you can take us all on a trip to Disneyland later, okay?”

“Yeah,” Sunset admitted dejectedly, feeling both glad that Rainbow was there to talk sense into her – and a sense of weirdness that she was having Rainbow, of all people, talking sense into her. But as they approached the school entrance, they were met by Trixie. “Hey, I didn’t know you had summer school,” the flame-haired girl told the newcomer.

“I don’t – Lyra forgot her backpack, and her mom asked me to drop it off while I was headed to the children’s center,” the teen magician replied. “Oh, and a couple of things: my mom insists that I bring you by for a crystal infusion and a chat with a friend of hers who’s an acupuncturist – probably more of that ‘Sunny needs her chi!’ crap. And…I was wondering if we could arrange a time for you to start showing me that bian lian?”

“Um…sure! You free for lunch? AJ, Rainbow and I were going to In-N-Out after class, and you’re welcome to join us if you want.”

“That sounds like a good idea.” Out of her eye, Trixie saw Lyra approaching and she said, “Okay, just give me a call when you’re ready. See you then!”

As Trixie departed, Rainbow whispered, “See? Now arentcha glad I talked some sense into you?”

“Hey, I already admitted—”

“Good morning, Sunset, Rainbow.” Behind them, Ms. Luna’s voice rang loud and clear. “I would like to see you both in my office right now.”

As she pulled into the parking lot of the Equestria County Alternative High School for At-Risk Students, Celestia grunted as she parked the district-issued 2007 Toyota Corolla into the staff space, thinking about how much she hated driving this thing and how it handled, well, like the clunky piece of crap it was. Admittedly, she would have much preferred to drive her baby, but parking a pristinely-kept 2007 Hyundai Tiburon GK FL2 in the middle of Sunnytown was tantamount to painting “HEY BREAK IN AND STEAL THIS CAR!” on the sides. Besides, as the assistant superintendent for the summer school program, she had to look professional, and though she tended to be a bit more impish than most of her peers, even she had her limits.

As she parked, a well-dressed gentleman with dark skin, a trim haircut, and soul patch came out of the featureless, blandly-gray building. Like her, he had a reputation for being unconventional, all the more so for his job as the principal of “The Blanks”, which unlike all the other schools, ran year-round. At the moment, he was wearing a black suit, gray shirt and a black tie that changed to a red gradient towards the end. “Ah, Superintendent Celestia, what a pleasure to see you!” he said in a growly, bassy voice that didn’t seem to fit his lithe frame.

“Dr. Sombra,” she said, flashing a smile. “You didn’t need to come out here to see me.”

“It would be rude of me to let a lady – or an old colleague and friend of mine – to walk around unescorted in such a place,” he said, with a grin to match hers. “So, I hope you didn’t run into too much trouble on the way here.”

“No, other than three cops cuffing someone down on the corner of Piedmont and Gladiola and making a show of it,” she replied. “I would hope it’s not one of your students – he looked pretty young.”

Sombra dropped the smile as his features took a more serious appearance. “Tia, you’re an old friend, so do me a favor: Just because I run the county’s quote, ‘problem child school’, unquote, doesn’t mean that my students are problems to be shoved off until they can be incarcerated. Yes, they are here – no one can deny that – but each of them is worthy of a second chance. Certainly I’m sure you can see that, can’t you?”

“Especially since I’ve seen the biggest turnaround of my life in the past year,” she admitted, “from a student of mine that I fully expected to end up here one day.”

“Oh?” he asked, his interest piqued. After Celestia gave him a brief explanation of Sunset Shimmer’s year, he nodded in approval. “And all she needed was someone to love and understand her. You don’t know how many of my students end up here just because of broken or non-existent families…especially the increase of said type of student this year as a result of the incident back in January.”

“Well, someone like Sunset, of course; but some of them, like Gilda Griffin – a former student of mine and now one of yours – I have serious doubts about.”

“And yet Ms. Griffin’s record indicates that she had a history of being abused as a child by her father,” Sombra noted. “Copies of the relevant police reports were in her file.”

“But I’ve met her mother and stepfather,” Celestia countered. “She's been living with them ever since her father was imprisoned. They’re some of the most diligent and caring parents I’ve ever met; furthermore, she hasn’t had contact with her father since she was nine. Sombra, I honestly don’t like saying this about some of my students, but sometimes a rotten egg is a rotten egg.”

“Funny; my old teachers said the same thing about me when I got sent here,” he told her, an even look on his face.

“Your tea….” Realization dawned on her. “You were a student here?”

“One of the worst,” he admitted, a sad look on his face. “I cared nothing for school, and what little I did was involved in – if you’ll excuse the term – ‘bitches and bucks’. What got me sent here from Pine Grove High was that I got caught having sex in the bathroom with my girlfriend at the time.”

“That doesn’t seem—”

“It was the principal’s daughter. Oh, and I was fifteen at the time – she was twelve.” When Celestia blanched, he nodded. “Once I arrived here, however, I got straightened out the hard way by one particular teacher who told me that ‘You can have as many second chances as you want – but only the first one counts.’ So after that, I turned my life around; didn’t graduate with honors, but got decent enough grades to get into the Marine Corps, where I really got my ass kicked – needed that reinforcement just as much. After that, studied to get my education degree while in the Corps, left as a staff sergeant, and then got a teaching job here – specifically here, because the students here needed an example that yes, there is more to life than just gangbanging.”

Celestia, needless to say, was impressed. “Wow, I did not know that about you.”

He grinned. “That’s because I don’t publicize it. Least thing I need is for someone like Higher Standards over at Sunnytown High to bitch how The Blanks’ principal is ‘no better than those he’s teaching.’ Besides, Waddle knows.”

“He does?”

Sombra laughed. “Who do you think was the father of my then-girlfriend? Besides, once I straightened out and we were older, I rekindled my relationship with his daughter. Chrys still carried a torch for me, and....” He chuckled, savoring the memory: “Plus, when we told him he was going to be a grandfather, well…at least that finally made him accept our relationship.” Pointing to a glassed area down the hall, he stated, “So, with that, let’s head over to the Crystal Empire and my office, shall we?”

As they walked down the hall, Celestia asked, “Crystal…Empire?”

He laughed louder this time. “About ten years ago, the principal of the time was this paranoid lunatic who thought that every student here was out to get him. He had the glass in the administrative office replaced with bullet-proof polycarbonate,” he said, rapping his knuckles against the clear surface. “Well, he blew the school’s budget that year almost entirely on the bullet-proof glass as well as a reinforced titanium door. His secretary thought it was the most stupid thing ever, and commented to us teachers that ‘Principal Glassheart’s acting like an emperor in a crystal palace!’ Well, word got out, one of the students at the time coined the phrase ‘Crystal Empire’ to refer to the admin office, and since then, it’s stuck. As for Glassheart, the following year he took an assistant superintendent job in Seattle, and probably’s doing the same stupid shit there.”

As they walked in, Sombra ushered Celestia to a table in his office, then gave her a manila folder. “Here’s the thing: With the addition of the students who were expelled from their schools and sent here, we’re currently running at 138% capacity. I can’t support any more students and with this school’s reputation, it’s always been difficult to hire extra faculty. So with that, I have no alternative but to return not only the students who met the threshold for academic reinstatement into the standard school network, but the borderline ones as well. In the case of Canterlot High, that’s fifteen students, including Roneo, Three Leaf and Gilda Griffin.”

Opening the folder, Celestia looked over the list of students that he’d handed her. Sure enough, there were fifteen students on the return list, many of them ones that she’d regretted sending here but had no choice, given the district rules. The last three on the list, however, were her biggest concerns: Roneo was a violent teen who liked solving any issue with fights; he’d ended up here because he’d attempted to hit Cheerilee after she gave him detention for smoking in the hall – and he would have hit her had not Macintosh Apple not stepped in and blocked the blow. Three Leaf, in all honesty, was mostly harmless…except that she’d been caught making heroin using the school’s chemistry rooms; she was a gifted girl otherwise and wasn’t a drug user, but her passion for chemistry got her into serious trouble. And as for Gilda…Celestia had to admit that she felt a certain level of protectiveness now for Sunset Shimmer, but knew that the alien teen could protect herself if necessary.

“Who barely missed the cutoff?” she asked.

Sombra stated, “Both Starlet and Ruby. In Starlet’s case, she would have made the cut-off outright, if she’d gotten a C in her Social Studies class.” He then sighed and added, “In Ruby’s case, while she technically did make the cut-off, Canterlot High isn’t listed as having a substance abuse counselor, so….”

Celestia recalled the two students. Starlet was a talented girl…if she ever applied herself. Unfortunately, she was another student who had been sent here on a technicality, mainly painting graffiti tags all over the school, including one – objectively and aesthetically beautiful, Celestia privately admitted – “BITCH” mural all over Mrs. Harshwinny’s brand-new Mercedes Benz. As for Ruby, she shouldn’t have been one of her students: The girl’s house was in the boundaries for Riverfront High, but her mother used their grandparents’ address so she and her twin sister Mitta could attend Canterlot High. Ruby was an average student, made worse by repeated drug use – some of which had been supplied by Three Leaf. Mitta, on the other hand, was one of her best students, but the teen constantly fretted over Ruby’s status.

Plus, if I have to be honest, I’ve let Sunset slide by all this time, when the factory she lived in is technically in the Riverfront zone. I can’t afford to play favorites, but I’m not about to send Sunset away. She smiled inwardly; the answer was obvious.

She set the list down. “Give me both of them. I’d like to think Starlet’s learned her lesson. And as for Ruby, one of my counselors, Iron Will, is taking a substance abuse counseling training course this summer, so we’ll have some help for her if she really wants to get off the drugs. In turn, you keep Roneo – I don’t care how.”

Sombra nodded. “I was hoping you’d say that – on the last day of regular classes, Roneo took a swing at his Geometry teacher just because Plank Owner gave him detention for smoking in the bathroom. Unfortunately for Roneo, Plank Owner is a former Navy SEAL.”

Celestia looked at him, astonished. “How many of your staff is ex-military?”

“Most, to be honest.” A sober look came over his face as he confided, “You won’t believe how often it comes in handy.”

Fluttershy came back thirty minutes later, as promised. “Mom, look, I’m sorry,” she said, a contrite look on her face.

“Fluttershy, I’m already late as is,” Posey said, grabbing her car keys. “We’ll talk about this tonight at dinner, okay? I just want you to remember something: As hard as it is for you and Angel to deal with the situation, he is still your father, and that’s not ever going to change.”

“Okay,” the teen said in a repentant voice.

Posey kissed her daughter on the cheek. “I know you’ll get through this, sweetie. Angel’s already eaten and he’s upstairs playing videogames right now. And no, he can’t play those violent ones again.”

“Got it, Mom.” Waving her mother off, Fluttershy sighed for all of a second before she felt a punch on her leg, one that stung but wasn’t hard enough to really do damage. Wincing at the pain, she looked down to see Angel standing there, scowling. “Oh, good morning, Angel,” she said, knowing that he was already in his element.

What did you do to Mom? the child furiously signed, his fingers flickering with the speed of motion, a sign he was really not happy with his older sister.

“Angel, I don’t really want to talk about it right now,” Fluttershy said in a morose tone. “Mom and I had a…disagreement…and we’ll solve it. It’s what adults do.”

Don’t bullshit me, he responded.

Fluttershy shook her head. “You know you’re not supposed to use language like that.”

Yeah, and I’m not supposed to play my favorite videogames, either, the boy replied. So, here’s the deal: I don’t bother you about what you and Mom fought about, and you leave me alone while I’m playing Firefall. Promised some of my friends I’d be thumping in Broken Shores this afternoon, since I’m so close to getting Gaea Enforcer.

“I have no idea what you mean, but it can’t be good,” Fluttershy groaned. In response, Angel merely crossed his arms and scowled at his sister. “Don’t even think that I’m….” she started, but her younger brother merely stood his ground. She sighed in response and said, “Fine. But only for a little while, okay?”

Yeah, yeah, whatever. When the pizza gets here for lunch, just bring me up a couple of slices, okay? Without waiting for an answer, he walked back towards his bedroom.

Fluttershy rolled her eyes; she knew she spoiled her little brother rotten, but he was generally a good kid, so he deserved it, right?

It was a second later that Fluttershy then realized something: “Wait – I’m supposed to meet Rarity for lunch today!”

As Rainbow and Sunset sat down, Luna looked at them both across the expanse of her desk. “To begin, I want to make this clear that this has nothing to do with academics. This is entirely focused on Sunset’s ‘problems’, if you understand my meaning,” the woman clarified.

The two teens gave each other relieved looks before Sunset began. “I know we didn’t have much time to talk once I got back yesterday, Ms. Luna, but….”

“Celestia and I just want to make sure that you’re safe now,” Luna replied. “You do realize the concerns that we do have, do you not?”

“I promise that’s not an issue any longer,” Sunset insisted.

“Um, Ms. Luna?” Rainbow began. “Did you ever watch that movie where that one guy wishes he had the power to do anything and then one day he magically did?”

“I’m not sure what film you’re referring to,” the educator stated, “but I gather that you’re a lot more powerful now, Sunset?” There was a brief flash in the woman’s eyes, something that would normally have been ignored. But Sunset had seen that look on Rainbow’s face not too long ago, and it filled her with dread.

“Do you trust me, Ms. Luna?” Sunset asked in a worried tone. In response, Luna only nodded. “Then give me your hand. You too, Rainbow.”

Both Rainbow and Luna did so, with the principal suddenly saying, “I don’t see what this has to d—”

“—o with trus…ting…you?” Luna’s statement suddenly veered into a question as she realized she was no longer in her office – or the school building. A second later, she realized she wasn’t even in Equestria County, much less Canterlot.

“Is this…Horseshoe Bay?” she asked, astonished. She could feel the spray of the Pacific even from the cliff side where they were, looking down at the seaside city below, nearly 150 miles west of where they were just a breath ago.

“Holy shit – you weren’t kidding!” Rainbow shouted, completely caught off-guard. “This. Is. AWESOME!”

While Luna privately agreed, she instead looked at the flame-haired girl with concern. “Sunset, you…?” Seeing the hurt look in Sunset’s cyan eyes, Luna bit off what she was going to say, and instead asked, “How difficult is this for you?”

“Still need to let my magic recharge, but that’s more out of being out of practice than actually being winded,” Sunset replied. “But the teal deer version is that I’m no longer bound to the moon for my magic. This is the full power I was born with, the power I was always meant to have. The Princess unsealed it just before I left, because she couldn’t comprehend ‘how hard it was for me to live without magic for so long’, quote unquote.”

“And it was sealed because…?”

“Training wheels, of a sort,” Sunset replied, but her tone lowered as she admitted, “and truthfully, up until now I didn’t deserve to have my full abilities restored.”

“Still, all that power in human hands can be quite a temptation,” Luna replied, hoping she didn’t sound too scolding.

“Don’t worry, Ms. Luna, I promise I’m only going to use my powers for good – and only if I need to. Besides, I’d rather be just a normal girl than a relatively all-powerful unicorn,” Sunset told her as she raised her hand and a flash of aqua-hued power flared from it.

A blink later, and the trio were back in the comfort of Luna’s office. As she returned to her seat, the principal sighed in relief. “You don’t realize how much that means to me,” she told Sunset. “Not because I feared that you would misuse your powers, but because it shows that you truly love those who have taken you in.”

“I had the option to remain back in Equestria,” Sunset admitted. “After I made amends with Princess Cel…I mean, the Princess, she wanted me to return to my studies as her apprentice, but my family was more important to me. Instead, she gave me a new assignment.” Figuring that both Rainbow and Luna would want the whole story, Sunset then explained everything that happened that past week; she figured she’d be retelling it quite a few times in the next few days in any case.

“And maybe it’s too early to tell, but I just wish that someone would call and let me know Twily’s okay,” Sunset said in a worried voice as she completed her tale. “I mean, I know the spell’s done with – that and the component aura that blindsided everyone else – but I just want concrete evidence that she’s okay.” Seeing the distraught look on her friend’s face, Rainbow merely reached over and patted Sunset on the shoulder.

“Well, I’m sure they’re all rather busy at the moment, but Armonia sent Celestia a quick text yesterday to let her know they all arrived safely at Pisa, so everything should be fine,” Luna told Sunset, and was rewarded as a look of guarded relief came onto the younger woman’s face. “So don’t worry, things will come around at the right time.”

“I just hope it’s soon.”

“I’m sure it will be, Sunset. Now go ahead and get going to class, you two – you don’t want to be late on the first day.”

“Thanks, girls,” Fluttershy said nervously. While she adored Rarity, Applejack and Rainbow’s younger sisters, the three tended to be a little overzealous for their Girl Scout badges, if overzealous could be best described as “religiously fervent on the level of the Inquisition”. In fact, seeing Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo standing there, huge grins on their faces, Fluttershy was sure this was probably not a good idea at all.

“Um…how much do I owe you?” Fluttershy asked.

“Oh, it’s nothing at all,” Sweetie Belle replied. “We’re doing this for our babysitting badge. Consider it gratis.”

Scootaloo narrowed her eyes. “‘Gratis?’ What are you, Dictionary.com?”

“Hey, I overheard my mother using it in a call with her editor,” Sweetie Belle explained.

“Girls, could we not do this right now?” Apple Bloom groaned, nearly facepalming. “Besides, we promised we wouldn’t fight in front of Angel, and Ah don’t know about you, but Ah intend to keep mah promise.”

Fluttershy blinked. “Excuse me, Apple Bloom?”

“Yeah?”

“I know this sounds silly, but…I noticed your accent isn’t anywhere near as strong as your sister’s.”

“Yeah, mah English teacher, who had AJ and Mac before, said the same thing. She thinks it’s because Ah grew up here in Canterlot during mah formative years, while mah siblings had their childhoods back in Oklahoma. Sure, Ah’ve got a bit of an accent, but that’s just because Ah’m around mah family enough to pick some of it up.”

Scootaloo groaned again. “First it’s ‘gratis’, now it’s ‘formative years’. Does everybody I know secretly have a Wiktionary fetish?”

“Can we not start this again?” Sweetie Belle retorted. “Not all of us want to be a birdbrain like you!”

“Hey, look, just because I already have my career mapped out doesn’t mean that I need to be smart about it! I mean, hell, I’m going to be a fighter pilot! Those guys rock!”

“Um, Scootaloo?” Fluttershy pointed out, “I don’t know if you know this, but fighter pilots are highly educated. They have to do math all the time while they’re in the air.”

The sudden crestfallen look on Scootaloo’s face was so schadenfreude-worthy, both her friends had to clamp their mouths to prevent laughing out loud. “You’re joking, right?”

Fluttershy shook her head. “No, I’m afraid not. I remember that in Sixth Grade, one of my classmates brought her uncle to show and tell, and he was an Air Force fighter pilot. He said that they use math all the time, doing the numbers in their heads.”

“In their heads,” Scootaloo said numbly. She almost sounded as though she was watching her career take off on wings she couldn’t follow with.

“Hey, cheer up,” Apple Bloom said, patting her friend on the shoulder, “at least there’s always…um, what do you do that’s decent?”

“Well, that’s my cue to get Fluttershy out of here,” Rarity replied as she stepped out of the bathroom. “Fluttershy, dear, we still have to meet up with Pinkie. I figured we could go to the In-N-Out on Riverfront, then hit the spa – we have an appointment at 1:45.”

“That would be great,” the chiffon-haired teen replied. “But won’t that drive Pinkie up the wall?”

“Yes, but you know Lotus and Aloe – they love a challenge,” the fashionista said with a grin. “After all, if they can tame our dear Sunset, they should be able to handle anybody, n’est-ce pas?”

Sunset suddenly sneezed.

“You coming down with a cold?” Trixie asked.

“If’n y’ are, Sunny, lemme know so’s Ah c’n stay clear,” Applejack said, only half-joking. “Fer some reason, Ah’m always catchin’ colds durin’ th’ summer, an’ least thing Ah need is one.”

“No, I think it was an involuntary motion,” Sunset replied.

“Or maybe it’s like anime, where you sneeze if someone’s talking about you!” Rainbow suggested. In turn, the prism-haired athlete suddenly had three other girls stare at her. “Or…maybe not?”

Sunset rolled her eyes. “You watch waaaaaaay too much anime, Rainbow.”

“Well, it was a thought!”

“Yeah, and you do know that it’s a bodily response to more than just being sick, right? People sneeze for a variety of reasons, Rainbow. For sta—”

“You know, I think I liked you better when you weren’t such an egghead. You’re starting to turn into your sister.”

“Speaking of which,” Trixie asked, “how’s that coming along?”

Sunset kept her face even as she spun yet another lie. She was starting to get sick of them, but she also found how paradoxical it was that in order to be the girl she wanted to be, she had to even more of the dishonest, untrustworthy person she used to be. And with Trixie’s self-esteem issues, if she finds out I’m lying to her, she’s going to pull a Fluttershy because she thinks I can’t trust her with my biggest secret.

“I don’t know,” the flame-haired girl replied. “They just left for Italy yesterday, so it’s too early to tell. They’ll be back in a week, though, and I’m hoping that with a change of scenery, that should do some good.”

“Yeah, it’ll be a great way to soak up some of the energies from the local ley lines!” No sooner than Trixie had said that than she buried her face in her hands. “Oh, I can’t believe I just said that!”

“What’s wrong, sugarcube?” Applejack asked.

“I’m starting to sound like my mother – only she would go on vacation for ‘mystic vibration recharges!’”

Sunset was suddenly about to respond when she felt a pair of arms wrap around her, saying, “And you didn’t tell us you were coming here? My feelings are hu…okay, not really.”

“Heya, Pinkie, Flutters, Rarity,” Applejack said from her spot. “Whut’s up?”

“Oh, nothing at all,” Rarity said as they sat down to join their friends. “Unfortunately, there was a gas leak in the building where I work, so they had to close down for the day. Since Fluttershy and I already had plans for lunch, and we just happened to run into Pinkie while we were on the way here, we thought it would be wonderful if we had lunch together. But I see that you are all here as well, so that makes it absolutely delightful.” She then turned to Trixie. “And another friend here! Absolutely marvelous!”

“Thanks,” Trixie said, blushing.

“So, what brings you all here?” Pinkie asked as she detached herself from Sunset and plopped in the seat next to Trixie.

“Well, just finished school for the day and figured we had some time to kill, so thought we’d get lunch,” Rainbow replied. “Then after that, I gotta head to practice for my summer soccer league.”

“I was thinkin’ ‘bout doing some sparrin’ with someone fer mah TKD,” Applejack said, “but unfort’nately, Mac’s gone on a graduation trip with Scoops.”

“Oh, yes, Jamaica – I think that’s soooooo romantic,” Rarity cooed. Seeing Applejack’s nod, the teen fashionista said, “Now if you were to ask me, I’ll wager that Mac and Scoops will likely tie the knot even before they finish college.”

“Well, prob’ly,” Applejack admitted. “Bro’s goin’ t’ Canterlot State in th’ fall, an’ while Scoops s’posedly got a scholarship t’ USC, she turned it down ‘cause she wanted t’ stay with Mac.” The former farmgirl sighed. “Ah hope Ah c’n find someone like that fer me someday.”

“Well, there’s always that Trenderhoof guy, right?” Pinkie suggested, and at that, both Applejack and Rarity groaned. Trenderhoof was a teen who moved from Philadelphia to Canterlot during his senior year, and the then-freshman Rarity immediately found herself infatuated with him. Unfortunately, he had seen Applejack one day and started pursuing her. The two friends stopped speaking to each other over the issue – it was a rare moment that Sunset had not exploited, she admitted, mainly because she didn’t know about it – and in the end it became a moot issue when a senior girl, Sweet Orchid, asked him out. As far as either Applejack or Rarity knew, the two lovers were still together and attending Shasta University, the private university in town – and neither teen wanted anything to do with him, given how it had been part of what splintered their friendship.

“Well, I, um, have to be out of town for the next few days,” Fluttershy said softly.

“Later this week?” Rarity asked.

Fluttershy did a facepalm; it was both cute and odd coming from her. “No, sorry, had my dates confused; I’m not leaving until 4th of July weekend. I’m…uh…well…I’m flying to San Francisco to, um, mtmyfthr.” The last part came out quiet and mumbled, a clear sign that she didn’t want to mention it.

“What was that, Flutters?” Sunset asked, noticing her friend was trying to hide behind her hair.

“I, uh, I have to go to San Francisco to meet with my father.” The group suddenly fell silent, and Trixie took that as a sign, valid or otherwise, that she didn’t need to be around for this.

“Um…I have to step out for a moment,” the teen magician said. “Say, Applejack, I know Bon-Bon’s practicing this afternoon at the Asian Cultural Center, and I’m sure she’d be happy to spar with you.” Trixie then turned to Sunset and said, “Besides, I guarantee Lyra will likely be there and she might be interested in the bian lian as well.”

“Sounds like a plan, then,” Sunset said, quickly following it up with a silently mouthed thank you. Trixie nodded, pulled out her phone and started dialing as she walked off towards the outside.

Sunset immediately wasted no time in turning to face Fluttershy. “Flutters, if you need me to, I can go with you.”

“How?” the chiffon-haired teen asked. “I’ll be there for the majority of the week and besides, don’t you have school?”

“Doppelganger spell, plus I can teleport back and forth in a fifteen-minute period,” the flame-haired girl replied. “Plus if I tell Ms. Luna, I….” Sunset paused as she suddenly saw the looks on her friends’ faces; only Rainbow didn’t look shell-shocked.

Before anyone could speak, Rainbow added, “This is probably the part where I should tell you that she took me and Ms. Luna all the way out to Horseshoe Bay and back in a ten-minute span.” Seeing the looks on the others’ faces, she then added, “Maybe I shouldn’t have said that.”

“Girls….” Sunset said, suddenly feeling afraid that she was about to lose the friends she had. After everything she’d been through in the majority of a year, then the weirdest-week-in-five-minutes where she had to essentially prove herself to the pony versions of her friends and now seeing the looks of fear in their faces….

Will I ever escape my sins? she wondered.

Rarity reached over and grabbed Sunset’s hands. “Sunset, darling? What happened over there?”

“I thought we were going to talk about Flutters’ issue,” Sunset replied.

“Your situation’s more important, Sunny,” Fluttershy responded, brushing her hair out of her eyes. “We can talk about mine later.”

“Well, I knew I was going to be telling this story over and over for the next couple of days,” Sunset replied.

When her explanation finished a few minutes later, she saw something she’d never thought she’d see in her friends’ eyes again: fear. Do you really not trust me? she wanted to say to them. After everything we’ve been through, all the changes I’ve undergone and you still don’t trust me?

The five girls looked at each other, trying to figure who would be the first to speak. Finally, Rarity, knowing she was likely the closest to Sunset, cleared her throat. “Sunset, I….”

“No, don’t say it.” Sunset rose from her chair, and for a second her friends thought she was going to lose her temper, as she had often done in the past. But they looked into her eyes and saw the sadness within them, knowing that they’d unintentionally hurt her far worse than she’d ever done to any of them individually. “I…I lost my appetite.” Grabbing her bag, she said in a flat tone, “I’ll see you all later.” She then stepped out the door, pausing briefly to talk to Trixie, before heading off to the subway stop.

As they watched their friend walk into the distance, Applejack was the one to voice it: “We done screwed that pooch hard, ladies.”

A second later, Trixie came back in. “Wow, Sunny took that harder than I expected.” When they all looked at her in confusion, she said, “Mom needs me to help Lyra cover in the store since she has an appointment with her herbal therapist – why she can’t go see a doctor like any other member of the human race is beyond me, but that’s beside the point. Anyway, I told Sunny I’d have to postpone until tomorrow, and she seemed as though the world was ending. What’s with that?”

Rainbow watched the part of the sidewalk where their friend had been a second ago before she walked down into the subway station a block away. “Sometimes, it does,” Rainbow said cryptically. “Othertimes, you do it without intending to.”

“Oh, and Applejack, Bonnie says just give her a call and she’ll be happy to spar with you anytime – her style’s some Vietnamese one, but I don’t recall the name. Anyway, I can bump her number to you if you have your phone with you.”

“Yeah,” Applejack said as she handed Trixie her phone. It helped to get her mind off the fact that she just hurt one of her closest friends.

“…and that should be that,” Sombra said as he stood up from the table. “Thanks for coming, Tia – I hadn’t intended this to take so long.”

“No, no, that’s fine,” Celestia replied. “Besides, like you said, it was an eye-opener for me. While there’s not much I can do for your regular year-to-year funding, I can at least ensure that your summer school session is better funded than it should be.”

He nodded in appreciation. “Thanks. These kids need someone to give them a second chance, and by getting me those funds, I can make sure they have it.” He paused. “Oh, and we’re still on for dinner Thursday, right? I’m sure Chrys would be happy to have you over.”

“Absolutely. Well, I’ve already taken up far too much of your time,” the summer school superintendent said to the principal. “Let me let you get back to your work and I’ll talk to you later, okay?” As he waved farewell, she in turn walked out of the building, back towards her car.

She didn’t get very far before two students approached her. Both had wiry, gangbanger looks on their faces. “Hey, sweet thang,” the taller one, a dark-haired boy with an oddly-pallid complexion, sidled up to her. “All sweet as honey and got that MILFy look I like. Gonna give me a little sugar?”

“Excuse me?” Celestia asked, already not liking this, and a second later, her concerns were confirmed as she felt a hand pat her rear. Turning to move out of the way, the second boy, a dark-complexioned, burly kid with a fiery-orange hair and soul patch grinned. “Oh, she got the moves, too. Bet she knows all kinds of acrobatics.”

“Bet she can keep us going a long time,” the first one replied.

“Boys, I think we’re more than done here,” Celestia said with a confident tone she never felt. Yes, she was a lot more cocksure and snarky when she was younger, but that was just that – when she was younger. Back then, though she and Velvet were the divas of the school at the time, they were also just young women who fantasized about magic and other things that were the wont of teenage dreams at the time. But now – now she was a woman in her mid-fifties (even though she could still pass for her early thirties!) – and she wasn’t the same girl she was back then.

“Oh, no, teach,” the dark-haired boy replied with a sneer on his face. “I think class is in session. After all, I failed biology, and I could use a refresher…maybe the birds and the bees?”

“Wonder how comfy that back seat is, Grey,” the second boy said, pushing Celestia against the car.

“Wonder how comfy she is, Stoney,” the first said, moving forward like lightning to clamp down over Celestia’s mouth just as she was about to scream. Suddenly she felt very, very afraid – fighting as a teenager against her younger sister was one thing; fighting against her best friend was another. But fighting two boys, both a third her age and clearly more than capable of outmuscling her, was something much horrifyingly differ—

“Ahem.” The new voice was bassy and deep, rising from above. A look of fear in her eyes, Celestia looked up at a mountain of a man, easily over six feet, built like a bodybuilder in his prime and with eyes that seemed to pierce the soul. Said man was behind her two assailants, and in an instant clamped a pair of huge hands on their shoulders, getting their attention immediately. “You have less than a second to let go of her,” he said in a growling, lupine snarl. “If a full second goes by, you’ve just pushed your luck, because a second after that, I break you.”

The two boys froze instantly. “Hey, we’re just jo—”

“Get. The hell. Out of here,” the man roared in a soft-spoken voice that seemed to roar. The two boys immediately complied, running like the wind.

The danger past, Celestia’s adrenaline wore off and she slumped to the ground, her heart pounding against her chest. She was so freaked out by what just happened, she barely heard the voice say, “Hey, are you okay?” She looked up and the man seemed to be looking at her with concern, his golden eyes expressive as could be. She also noticed his pine-green and black hair and his tanned complexion, all within a tailored suit that barely seemed to fit his muscular frame.

“I’m…I’m fine,” she said, knowing she wasn’t. He offered her a hand, and she took it gratefully.

“I’m sorry,” he told her. “Grayhoof and Gladstone are two of our worst students here, and they know how to operate around the system – hell, I think they’ve even got their POs fooled.”

“POs?”

“Parole officers. Those two have criminal records already and they’re only here because some bleeding-heart judge thinks they can be reformed. Personally, I have my doubts. Anyway, I hope you’re okay, ah, Ms….?”

“Celestia,” she said.

“Oh! The superintendent!” The sudden look on his face as it went from concerned to comical, was priceless. “Shit. Dr. Sombra’s going to have my ass, and I just started this job, too!”

“You did?”

“Yeah. Started last month after I got out of the Army,” he told her. “75th Rangers, all the way.” The way he said it, followed up by the wolfish grin on his face, clearly indicated that he could have done something about the two boys if they’d gotten out of hand. “Anyway, I should introduce myself. Sable Loam – I’m the new Civics and Earth Sciences teacher here.”

“Two degrees? That’s a bit…unexpected,” Celestia replied, meaning it. Even some of the overachievers on her own staff didn’t have two different degrees.

“Yeah – I was always in overkill mode, even for Army Special Forces,” he laughed. “But…don’t let it get around. Might ruin my ‘tough guy’ image around here,” he said with a wink.

“Well, don’t worry,” she told him. “Your secret’s safe with me. And I can’t thank you enough for saving me.”

“Hey, all in a day’s work,” he told her. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m on the clock and the lunch break’s short.”

A thought came over Celestia’s mind. “Well…heroics do deserve a reward. Let me buy you lunch, okay?”

“I couldn’t.”

“No,” she said, “I insist. I owe you, Mr. Loam. Who knows what those boys would have done to me if you hadn’t been here.”

“I do,” he said softly. “It’s why they have parole officers.”

“You know, I hate doing this,” Octavia told Sunset as they rifled through Twilight’s room. “Why are we doing this again?”

“Because the parentals asked me to?” Sunset replied, sounding equally dour about it. While she knew it was a completely pointless gesture – mainly because she knew the real reason for Twilight’s problems and it was certainly not anything Octavia would ever find – the flame-haired girl still had to go through the motions. At least with Octavia around the share the headache with, it wouldn’t be as mind-numbingly dull; also, it would it would give the girls a chance to start slowly moving Octavia’s belongings into the house. Lastly, given that it was her day off work and Trixie had to suddenly reschedule for the next day, Sunset didn’t really have much else to do anyway.

Besides, I don’t think being around the rest of my friends is a good idea right now, she sadly ruminated. After seeing the looks in their eyes, it hurt Sunset far worse than she’d ever imagined. It had been bad enough that their counterparts hadn’t really trusted her for most of her trip back in Equestria, but those were Princess Twilight’s friends. These were her friends, and to see them look at her as though she was now some hair-trigger weapon, as if after all this time they still thought she could still revert to her old, tyrannical self…it hurt. Granted, she knew they likely didn’t mean it and it was probably some instinctive human reaction that she’d never really understand because she wasn’t born as a human, and things would probably be back to normal in a few days. But until then, Sunset would just have to nurse those wounds.

Now if only I can do so without Tavi wondering what the hell’s wrong, the flame-haired girl mentally added. We’re all friends and sooner or later, we’ll all be back together before the week’s up.

It was Octavia’s words that brought Sunset out of her reverie: “This is Twily we’re talking about, Sunny!” the raven-haired teen gasped, unaware of Sunset’s inner turmoil. “To her, Advil is a heavy drug!”

“I know, okay!” Sunset replied as she removed the sheets from the bed. “I know Twily would never do anything like thi—”

“Then why did you even agree to this?” Octavia snapped.

“Don’t you think I know that, Tavi? Do you think I like doing this? You didn’t have to deal with all of this – I did!” Octavia flinched in surprise, and seeing that, Sunset pulled back immediately. Yeah, scare the hell out of your cousin the day after you get back from the adventure of your life, Shimmer. Great job.

To no surprise, Octavia turned away. “I’m sorry.”

Sunset sighed. “No, I should be the one to apologize – for taking it out on you,” she replied. “You’ve got your own stress right now; it’s only natural that you didn’t want to deal with it. Any apology should be mine to make.”

“No, Sunny, it’s me. I’m just…I’m afraid, okay? What if she really is doing something that you or I could have put a stop to – but I didn’t because I was so absorbed in my problems? And what about what Aunt Velvet said? You nearly killed yourself saving her from getting hit by a truck – if I had been there, it might not have happened!”

“Tavi,” Sunset insisted as she patted her cousin comfortingly on the shoulder, “it’s been rough for everyone. And yes, while you made some mistakes, so did I. We all did. But dwelling on it doesn’t make anything better.” Especially if you’ve been so terrified of your past that when you finally return to your homeworld, you fear the one pony who had been like a mother to you is going to kill you. “You just have to roll with the punches and keep moving.”

“You sure?”

Sunset rolled her eyes, more out of needing to keep up appearances than anything else. “Would you stop worrying about it? I’ll bet right now she’s relaxing on a beach somewhere, working on her tan a—”

“Sunny, it’s 6:30.”

“Yeah, and?”

Octavia shook her head. “Duh, time zone difference? It’s gotta be, what, three in the morning or something over there?”

“Whatevs,” Sunset said as she heard a knock on the door. “That must be the pizza. You keep looking and I’ll go get it, okay?”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, stick me with the tough job,” Octavia mock-grumbled and continued to look through Twilight’s plushie collection.

Sunset smiled as she departed the room. At least one of my family’s back to normal, she said to herself as she went downstairs, pausing only to grab her billfold out of her purse. Finally, reaching the door, she opened it and—

—there, holding three pizzas, was Applejack; behind her were the other girls. “Ah’m guessin’ y’ weren’t plannin’ t’ eat th’ whole pizza alone, were ya?” the blonde asked.

“I…uh….” Sunset blinked briefly before coming back down to Earth. “Uh, no, Tavi’s here and she and I are…well, I told you about that already, so….”

“Then we’ll make this quick,” Rarity piped up. “We’re sorry. Yes, you having these new…abilities…are rather surprising, but we’ve known you long enough to know that you wouldn’t do anything untoward with them.”

“And yeah, I know I said that none of us’ll forget the person you used to be,” Rainbow chimed in, “when I, uh, probably should’ve added that we know you’re not that person anymore, not now and never again.”

In the back, Fluttershy and Pinkie said nothing, merely giving encouraging smiles. Seeing that, Applejack then added, “Well, Ah’m hopin’ y’ c’n forgive us fer that.”

“Nothing to forgive,” Sunset said, giving her friends a smile as sunny as her name; inwardly, she felt relieved to know that after everything, they still believed in her, even if she’d told herself as much not a few minutes earlier. “Just…c’mon in and I’ll get Tavi.”

As Celestia sat down at the table, she spoke aloud, “Remind me why we’re having dinner together?”

Stepping away from the chair after assisting her like a gentleman, Sable headed towards his own seat. “Well, unfortunately those two miscreants got in trouble again within earshot, forcing me to have to forgo our lunch plans, but seeing as how you insisted that I should have been rewarded for saving you, you decided that dinner was an acceptable alternative?”

“Works for me,” she said, flashing a smile as the waiter passed her a menu. “So, tell me about yourself, or should I just make up the details?”

“Well, making up the details is always fun,” the man said with a grin, “but usually kinda sorta wrong. As for me, I’m originally from Rock Springs, Wyoming, and like just about everyone else my age, I joined the military after 9/11. Went through boot, then RASP, saw the world – including a few places I never want to see again – got my degree, then decided I could do more outside than in. Signed up for the DOD’s Troops to Teachers program, they had an opening here, and so I took it.”

The look on Celestia’s face was one of intrigue. “Sounds interesting.”

“Well,” he said with a grin, “at least with my students, I know where the attacks are coming from.”

Over the course of the dinner, the two colleagues chatted back and forth about various things. Sable had never been to Canterlot prior to moving here; he chose it mainly because he liked the images from the tourist bureau, something Celestia laughed at. He was surprised to find that she was originally from San Diego and Italy prior to that; she explained that she’d gone to college here and just never went back and instead her family followed her up north. They talked about various other things, trivialities and pointless comments, and did a lot of smiling at one another.

Finally, as dessert came around, Sable nodded and said, “Well, that settles it.”

“Settles what?”

He leaned on the table in a roguish manner. “Settles on whether or not I should ask you out on a date this weekend.”

The look on Celestia’s face was one of surprise. “You do realize I’m older than you, right?”

He shrugged. “What, a couple of years? That doesn’t bother me – my mother’s older than my father by a few.”

“How old are you?” she asked him.

“Thirty-one, why?”

She smirked. “You’re slightly older than half my age. I'm fifty-six.” As his jaw dropped from surprise, she smiled. “Youthful looks have always run in my family; I’m guessing it’s due to my Italian blood. That, or I’m just lucky.”

“I…I coulda sworn you were early thirties, tops!” he admitted.

“You should see my mother – she’s in her late eighties, but looks like she’s barely hit sixty.”

“I see. Well, that’s not about to make me change my mind, Celestia. Age difference isn’t an issue in the slightest.”

A thoughtful look came over the woman’s face, quickly punctuated by a sip from her wine glass. She then set it down and said, “So, eight at my place on Saturday?”

“So what’s the surprise? What is it? Tell your favorite Pinkie!” Pinkie chirped.

“Ssssssh!” Sunset whispered harshly. “You’ll wake Tavi up!”

“Heh, sor~ry!”

After an intensive search with the girls helping, they declared the house clean, after which they all decided on an impromptu sleepover. Thankfully, between Twilight’s bed and some spare sleeping bags they had around the house, Sunset was able to squeeze all the girls in. Evening and Ballad happily agreed to it, as it would give them a night alone, and with that, the girls enjoyed a nice overnighter at Sunset’s.

But the real reason for it all, Sunset told them, had to wait until Octavia was asleep. Once the raven-haired teen was out for the evening, Sunset took the girls downstairs into the kitchen, where she placed a glittering purplish-green candle on the kitchen table.

“Okay, so…it’s a candle. Big whoop,” Rainbow said, looking unimpressed. That is, until Sunset reached out and tapped the wick with her finger. There was a sound like a muted dragon’s roar, followed by an explosion of green flame, and a second later the candle was alight with verdant fire, the room filling with the scents of cinnamon and vanilla.

“This is a dragonfire candle,” Sunset explained. “It’s based on a method we use back in Equestria to send quick messages back and forth. Think of it as magical email and you get the idea.”

“That’s nice,” Fluttershy said, “but why show us this, Sunny? Unless….” A soft smile suddenly appeared on the chiffon-haired teen’s face when she realized what Sunset implied was now possible.

With a snap of Sunset’s fingers, paper and pencils appeared in front of all of them. “Basically what you do is write a letter, and then once you’re done, place it over the flame and think about who you want it to go to. The flame will ‘burn’ it, then reconstitute the paper over at the other side.”

Finally the other girls got it. “So we can send…?”

“Well, technically you can send anything – gifts, furniture, et cetera – but I thought you might want to start simple, first,” Sunset said with a smile. “Just something short and sweet to send to Princess Twilight so you can say hi. Later, once I don’t have to worry about anyone waking up at an inopportune time, then we can send other stuff.”

The girls didn’t need to be told twice. As a one they immediately started working on their missives, the silence only broken by Pinkie’s asking if it was possible to send increasingly larger things until Sunset said that yes, they could in theory send a blue whale, and no, that wasn’t going to happen. And while the other five wrote letters to their absent friend on the other side of the dimensional veil, Sunset began to write her first report:

With that, Sunset folded the sheet of paper, and, setting it on top of the flame, watched as it disappeared in a puff of green fire, smoke and motes of magic.

“See? Easy,” she told her friends. One by one, they all did the same, watching their letters vanish into jade-hued flame.

“And you’re sure she’s going to get it?” Rainbow asked.

“Trust me,” Sunset replied.

“Y’ know we do,” Applejack replied.

In a house in the 16th Arrondissement of Paris, a phone rang. A gentleman pushed a dozing girl off of him so he could answer the gently chiming receiver. «Bonjour.»

«Est Monsieur Suisse à la maison? C’est Mademoiselle Russie,» the speaker on the other end of the receiver said in a clearly computer-disguised voice.

«Je crains que Monsieur Suisse est en vacances en Italie.»

«Une telle tragédie. Il devra passer à côté de l’entreprise d’une belle dame. Trois, en fait.»

The banter would have been seen as flirting to a bystander – like the one in the bed – but in truth, this was a pre-arranged set of passphrases. “This is Delta,” the man said, switching to French-inflected English. “Go ahead.”

“Our contacts have spoken to Alfa, and he states he will not stand in the way of your plans save for one condition.”

“Do tell.”

“He wants a certain plot of land currently under...partial ownership…and if he takes ownership, he will be content with that.”

“I expected that; tell him I have discussed this with the Spanish and the Vatican, but neither are budging. I suspect it will take time, but if Alfa will support me, I will see this through.”

“Understood, sir. I will send my courier immediately. And as for the designated?”

“Dispatch 01 – don’t kill him, but incapacitate him to the point that it removes him from the line; obviously I don’t need to specify that it should look like an accident. Leave 02 and 02A, and 03 and 03A alone, but continue to monitor them. I do not want them to find out what’s happening. Furthermore, do you have plans for that contingency in case they move left?”

“Understood, sir. As for the ‘leftward move’, Eta has some contacts in the area which may be of use. We can use them to keep track of the targets should they move into that zone…but it will cost, sir. Unfortunately, we likely won’t be dealing with professionals.”

“Money is no object. Keep tabs on everyone.” With that, he hung up the phone, not wasting time on pleasantries and knowing the person on the other end wouldn’t bother, either. It was part of the reason why he hired them, after all.

He turned and looked at the girl in his bed. Perfect, so much like her in every possible way. Right now she was strung out on that German drug his connections had supplied him with; to call her his puppet would be an understatement – a puppet at least had the option to fall. She didn’t even have that much.

He grinned, a rictus that held no warmth or jocularity within. He had power – power over her, power over his minions and soon, would have power over so much more.

It was, after all, his divine right.

June 3: Every Day I Write the Book

“I don’t want to go,” a young girl declared. She was sitting dejectedly at the breakfast table, repeatedly toying with her omelet. She had short two-tone cyan-and-celeste hair, with a floral barrette she wore to the side. Currently dressed in a french-navy-style t-shirt and a jean skirt, she looked like she was on the verge of pouting, but thought better of it.

Across the table from her, a young man just a few years older than her sighed. He had blue tousled hair and round-rim eyeglasses and was currently wear a lavender-soap-colored shirt and stone-hued slacks. Bluish-hued stubble littered his top lip, the look of a teen on the cusp of adulthood debating if he should grow facial hair or not. In any case, he looked at her and said, “Coco…you have to go. We may never see Nana again. Trust me: if you don’t go, you’ll regret it for the rest of your life.”

“But hospitals scare me, Fancy!” Coco Pommel said in a soft voice. While she adored Fancy Pants, her older brother sometimes acted too much like an adult for his own good. Now was one of those times, she felt. “I’ve….” She fell silent for a second, then finished her words: “I just…I just don’t like them.”

Fancy reached over and mussed his little sister’s hair. Coco tended to be afraid to grow up; she was a shrinking violet of a personality, and while normally he was fine with that, he was going away to college in a couple of months and he wasn’t going to be there for her on a regular basis anymore. Sooner or later, she couldn’t hide behind him. “Coco, just…this is important. It’s important to our parents, and more so for Nana. You should go see her.”

Coco thought about it for a second, then looked in her brother’s strong eyes. She wished she had his courage. “Okay, I’ll go…but on one condition.”

“What’s that?”

She pointed at his lip. “Shave. Dad might look good with a beard, but I think you look better clean-shaven.”

His face contorted in a semi-scowl. “But I like not shaving. It makes me look…distinguished, don’t you think?”

“Fleur says she doesn’t like it,” Coco confided. “She told me it feels scratchy when you two kiss.”

Fancy rolled his eyes. “And since when have you been discussing my love life with my girlfriend?”

She gave a warm smile. “I’m just saying, big brother – you do want to make her happy, right? And me?”

The youth chuckled. “Okay, since you insist. Besides, I was just curious – don’t really ever think I’ll grow one out, since I’d probably look horrible with a mustache.”

“And make sure form CDSS-304 is completely filled out, accompanied by CDSS-228, which is the Certificate of Health; and CDSS-1146, which is the background investigations document,” the clerk said to Ballad.

“Well, this should be all they’ll need to get started,” Ballad replied. “Thank you for your time, Ms. Brief.”

The young woman looked up from her desk, on which a nameplate sat, reading AMICUS BRIEF, LEGAL SERVICES CLERK. “Oh, no, it’s no problem at all!” the woman replied with a smile. “In fact, had I known it was for Cadance’s future in-laws, I would have gotten the paperwork prepared sooner. Wish I could get married in Italy…but I guess I’d need a boyfriend first. Anyway, have a nice day and have Cadance call me when she gets back, okay?”

“Will do!” Octavia grinned as she and her mother departed the building. As they walked towards the car, the teen musician held the stack of documents in her hands as though it was one of the most precious treasures known to man. “Do we have a briefcase for these?” Octavia asked Ballad. “Preferably one with a lock?”

“Sweetie, you’re treating them like classified government documents,” Ballad replied, trying to stifle a giggle.

“Mom, these are important to me!”

“I daresay they’re more important to your aunt and uncle.”

“Point.” As Octavia got into the car, she voiced, “I wonder how much my life is going to change in the next few. You’ll be gone at the end of the month, I’ll be living with Uncle Night and Aunt Velvet, and now this….” The last part hadn’t been expected; originally the plan had been for Evening and Ballad to depart the week prior to Octavia’s first week of school, but then the orchestra they were joining had just received a request for a Command Performance for the Sultan of Brunei. As that was an extremely prestigious opportunity, Evening and Ballad chose to join their group as soon as possible in order to take advantage of the once-in-a-lifetime event.

Ballad reached over and took her daughter’s face in her own hand. “Tavi, life is all about change. Look at Sunny – when she first came into our lives, she was lonely and guarded, with only had her friends to rely on, and if what Velvet’s friend says is true, she didn’t even really trust them. And now look at her: She has a family, a life, people who love and support her and that all came about because of change.”

“Sorry. It’s just…well, I’ve never really thought of myself as a kid growing up, but with you and Dad leaving and me staying here, it feels like I’m losing a part of my childhood.”

“Tavi, dear, considering that we won’t see you again until Shining’s wedding next year, how do you think your father and I feel?”

“Yeah, I guess.”

Smiling, Ballad reached over to kiss her daughter on the forehead. “Besides, you aren’t rid of your father and I just yet, and as Sunny is still at school, you and I have time to maybe get a quick treat at Sugarcube Corner before your cousin needs a lift.”

It was in the middle of one of Sunset’s classes that her phone went off. She didn’t recognize the number, but she didn’t need to – only one person would call her at this time of day. “Ms. Cheerilee? I really need to take this call,” Sunset stated.

“Sunset, this is the middle of cla—”

“It’s my sister – she’s calling from Italy, and I’m really worried about her.” The look on Sunset’s eyes was determined; if worst came to, she’d just walk out of the class and take the call regardless and pray that an explanation to Ms. Luna would smooth things over. She hoped that wouldn’t happen, as she didn’t want to put her mother’s friend on the spot. Besides, she liked Ms. Cheerilee – she was one of the first teachers to acknowledge Sunset’s change, which made her feel good inside.

“I see.” Cheerilee looked at the clock, then sighed. “Okay, but see me after the school day so we can go over what you missed. We have a lot of ground to cover, and very little time to cover it in.”

Sunset nodded, grabbed her purse and her books, then rushed out the door. She made it as far as the door before she answered. “Twily?”

“No, Sunny, it’s just me.” Shining’s voice sounded over the line, though it was scratchy and had a slight reverb to it. “Sorry if the call’s not the greatest; the connection is absolutely horrible. Took me three times to get you.”

“How’s things going?” While she was disappointed that it wasn’t Twilight, she was glad that it was a member of her family, namely her older brother. She knew that technically she was the oldest, but no one in her family knew the truth about her, and besides, it felt good having an “older” sibling to look out for her.

“Busy as hell. I’m probably going to have to take a crash course in Italian just so I can say my vows and the like; fortunately, Armonia says that since I know some Spanish, it shouldn’t be all that hard, since all Romance languages are the same anyway.” Sunset immediately made a mental note to look up “romance language”; she got the feeling that Shining was using romance differently than what it usually meant. “Other than that, the place is beautiful and I think Cady and I are going to enjoy running around Europe for our honeymoon.”

“Sure, rub it in, why don’t you?” Sunset teased, though in truth she was too happy to really hear from him – or anyone, really; she could have even dealt with Spike’s brattiness on the phone.

“Hey, you’ll get there someday, Sunny. Anyway, the other reason I called is to let you know about Twily.”

At the sound of Twilight’s name, Sunset suddenly froze up, her breath suspended in mid-exhalation. “Is…is she okay?” Sunset asked in a concerned voice. She knew logically, in her mind, that between Raspberry and Princess Twilight firing counterspells into both the Sombra and Platinum mirrors, as well as her application of spells on her end, the combined result should’v …no, would get to Twilight soon. But even still, she worried. Twilight was her younger sister and Sunset had done everything she could to protect her – she knew her heart would break if something caused the cure to go wrong.

“She’s fine,” Shining told her, “but everyone’s afraid she’s going to miss the trip, because she’s been spending most of it so far sleeping. But otherwise, she looks like she’s fine. I know you’ve been worried about her; Mom and Dad admit that maybe in retrospect they could’ve been a little more vigilant about the whole thing, but…long story short, she’s doing well. She should be back to normal by the time we’re ready to fly hom…Sunny, is something wrong?”

Sunset wiped a tear from her eyes. “Just…it’s a little foggy over here. Smoke in the eyes. You know, that sort of stuff.”

“Riiiiiiiight.” For a few more minutes, the two talked about various things. They both laughed at Spike’s reaction to the fact that Italian cooking meant more than just pizza and pasta, or that Night’s attempts to speak Italian were horrid, given that most of his exposure had come from a Rosetta Stone course. And then there was the subtle rivalry between Armonia and Velvet for control of the wedding, with Cadance occasionally reminding the two women that it was her wedding.

“Wow, sounds like I’m missing all the fun,” Sunset replied.

“Oh, don’t worry; you’ll be here next year for the actual panic mode. Anyway, I need to get going; Armonia is talking to the florist and I really need to be there before she, Cady and Mom blow things out of proportion. Again. But I just wanted you to know that we’re all thinking of you, little sister.”

Sunset was barely able to say goodbye as a sudden realization ran through her head: he’d never called her that before. Not that she thought he didn’t care; quite the contrary, as the fact that it had been him to call showed exactly how much he’d been thinking about her, and he’d been the one that started her connection to the family in the first place. But it had always been a term he’d reserved for Twilight, or, on rare occasions, Octavia. Never her, until now.

Not until I started actually meaning that to him, she thought with a smile.

“You look happy,” Luna said as she approached. “Happy enough to tell me why you’re out of class?” Sunset quickly explained and a second later the educator nodded. “I suspected as much; I just wanted to make sure. So I presume the excess sleeping is a side effect of the counterspells?”

“That, or weeks of near-insomnia are finally crashing down on her. Either way, both she and my parents – who were affected by a subsidiary string of the spell – should be fine soon.” A thought then came to Sunset, and she added, “Or…as well as they can without Cady turning into a bridezilla.”

“Cadance would never do that,” Luna replied, a soft smile on her lips. “She’s too sincere and honest.” Sunset, who’d briefly read about Princess Cadance’s disastrous wedding, opted to keep quiet lest she spoil the moment.

“Thanks for coming with me, Octavia, dear,” Rarity commented. “It just seems…odd…that everyone is busy, and besides, I did promise to repay you for the help that you gave me the other day.”

“Oh, believe me, I think I’ve earned this one,” Octavia grinned, looking at the menu. “Besides, with the way your sister and her friends suddenly hijacked me into being their ‘mentor’ so they could watch all those kids while at the museum….” She shrugged. “Y’know, I wasn’t in the scouts long, but I don’t recall anything about needing a mentor for everything.”

Rarity blushed slightly. “Well, as you are aware, Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo can be…quite, ahem, fervent…in their pursuit of every single girl scout badge possible. From what I understand, it’s driven Mrs. Firefly, the troop’s den mother, completely up the wall at times. That’s why all of us have tried to – well, I wouldn’t say ‘contain’; maybe ‘handle’ is the better word – the girls at some point or other. I suspect because of Sunset’s change in living arrangements and both yours and Twilight’s inclusion into the group, they probably thought you were fair game, as it were.”

“Well…I don’t mind, particularly, but would someone please give me a warning, next time? I can only imagine if they’d grabbed Twily instead of me or Sunny or one of you gals. You know how my cousin can be.”

“Speaking of which,” Rarity idly asked while she chose to focus on her own menu, “how’s that coming along?”

“Cady called me about half an hour ago. Sounds like Twily’s recovering, and that she’s been mostly sleeping. I don’t know the full details, but apparently whatever it was, Sunny was just a little too worried about it.” Octavia’s lips tightened slightly, almost involuntarily as if it were subconscious action, and had it been anyone else, they would have misunderstood the gesture. Rarity, however, tended to be an expert at watching such motions.

Rarity looked up from her menu, her eyes merely turning up towards Octavia instead of her head pulling away from its position. “Octavia, dear – I want you to be honest.”

“But I—”

Rarity looked at her. “Do you really think so little of me?”

Octavia adjusted uncomfortably in her seat. “Well, you are Sunny’s friend.”

“I’m yours as well – we are a group, or did you forget that?”

“No,” Octavia sighed. “It’s just….” She sighed. “You’ll think I’m being petty.”

“Darling, we’re teenagers. This the time in our lives when we excel at being petty – it’s in our DNA,” Rarity said with a hint of a smile. “Now, will you tell me exactly why you’re still jealous of Sunset, or do I have to guess further?”

In response, Octavia turned away from her; conveniently, the waiter chose that exact moment to show up. Both girls placed their orders and once the waiter departed, the pair sat for an uncomfortable number of minutes. Finally, Octavia stopped counting the holes in the lacy tablecloth and looked at Rarity. “Is it that obvious?”

“Not to most people, no,” Rarity replied, “and I would certainly never tell another soul – and it’s certainly not noticeable to Sunset. But if you don’t talk to someone about it, sooner or later it will become so, and I would think you’d rather resolve this than to let it fester.”

Surprisingly, Octavia laughed bitterly at that. “I’m just a jealous bitch, let’s face it. For years, I was Twily’s best friend and sister figure. I was her life – and I liked that. Sure, I’m relatively more open than she is, but that’s just it – relatively. For all our life it was just me and her.” The musician paused to take a drink from her water, and then continued. “And it’s all been obliterated in the course of a year. Don’t get me wrong, having you and the other girls in my life is great, and I absolutely love Sunny – legal or not, she’s family and I consider her my cousin and an older sister figure.” But then Octavia looked out the window at the garden outside and said in a muted tone, “And that’s just where the problem starts.”

Before Rarity could ask, Octavia turned to look back at her, continuing. “It was just this past October when Sunny came into our lives. She didn’t trust anyone and, though Twily never admitted it, I think she was afraid of Sunny at first. But then something happened that I’ve never seen Twily do: She went out of her way to reach out to Sunny. There have been others that tried to reach out to Twily, but she never cared, just hid behind me or found some reason to just not care. But with Sunny…. Twily idolizes her, and now that she’s almost fully a member of my family – and only ‘almost’ because she’s fostered – well, I love Sunny dearly, but Twily…Twily thinks the world of her.” And in a softer voice, “And she used to think that way about me.”

At that moment, Rarity wished that she’d invited Fluttershy; while Rarity could handle a morose conversationalist, Fluttershy had her mother’s bedside manner and a knack for empathy. But the chiffon-haired girl had issues of her own at the moment and was working through them. I hope. “I don’t see why you think that way. I know Twilight adores you – you two have been together your whole lives, just as you said.” As she knew Octavia was about to say something, she raised her hand to forestall the comment while the waiter brought back their food.

The next few minutes were in silence as the pair ate before Octavia, looking a little more at ease, started again. “When we were younger, attending school at Wintergreen Private Elementary, there was a girl named Sapphire Stars that constantly picked on Twily and I had to finally step in to stop it. For years, I’ve done that – years! And now, when she was attacked? It wasn’t me that saved her, it was Sunny! And when Twily was going through her nightmares – when she almost killed herself! – who was the one that saved her? It wasn’t me. It was Sunny. And here I am, left out in the dark, alone and by myself.”

Rarity took a sip of her coffee. “I must say, Octavia…this isn’t a side of you that I expected to see. Granted, we never like showing our kith and kin our…‘rough edges’, as they were, but I never expected this from you.”

“What, that I’m jealous? That I feel supplanted in my life by the girl who just came into it a handful of months ago? That someone that I should actually care about as much as my other cousins I feel utterly jealous of? For someone who saved me from…from whatever that bitch Vinyl was going to do to me? I know I shouldn’t be feeling like this about Sunny, I know that.” Octavia shook her head sadly and said, “It’s irrational, makes no sense, I know – but I can’t help how I feel.”

“Have you talked to her about this?”

“I tried once, back in March when we went down to LA. I thought I’d gotten through it, I really did. But then when she called me to ask for help with Twily…I turned her down. No…I was a bitch, an outright bitch to her. And I…I know it’s an ugly side of myself and I know she doesn’t deserve it. And most of the time I can deal with it. But…it’s like there’s a darkness within me that I can’t let go of, like it’s slowly eating me alive.”

Rarity rolled her eyes. “Octavia, dear, believe me when I say you could do without the melodrama. And believe me, I know melodrama.”

Within the darkness of her room, Fluttershy lay on the bed, having not moved since she took a shower and returned to her bedroom to change. She didn’t have to worry about taking care of Angel today; her mother had been working to the bone so much as of late that her boss insisted she take the day off. Angel had taken advantage of that, most likely: it gave him the chance to go back into those violent games of his and play with relative impunity.

Which was perfectly fine for the chiffon-haired teen. She didn’t want to be bothered right now, grateful that she hadn’t scheduled anything with her friends, nor did she have to work today at the animal shelter. Instead, she just lay on the bed, staring at the glow-in-the-dark stars that had been on her ceiling since she was eight. The stars, she remembered, were a gift, so that she would know she was always watched, always loved.

She knew that was a lie. Not the fact that she was loved, nor the fact that she was cared for – her mother worked with infinite energy and care, doing more as a single parent than any person had a right to be. She was a doctor and a single mother – either of those were incredibly hard duties, but paired together was a recipe for disaster. And yet Fluttershy knew without a doubt that her mother had done everything within her power to make sure she and Angel were growing up right, whatever that meant.

But…. She turned her head slightly, looking at the unopened package on her desk. Why does this have to be so hard? She turned back to the ceiling, remembering how things used to be – and how they weren’t anymore. Back when she knew her father loved her, before he left like a coward.

The silence of the room was too much for her. Reaching over to her nightstand, she grabbed her phone and her headphones; the latter had been Sunset’s Christmas gift to her, something to make up for a pair of much cheaper headphones the flame-haired girl had broken back when they were at odds. The fact that Sunset had apologized for that back in October was more than enough for Fluttershy, but the headphones – expensive ones at that – were something that Fluttershy had treasured just as much as she valued her friendship with Sunset.

Plus, Fluttershy didn’t have the heart to tell her friend that Beats headphones were overpriced crap and that for real sound, she had a pair of Grado GS1000Es that were worth every penny of their four-figure cost. But it was the meaning of the gift in the end that was important; money, she’d learned both the good and the bad way, meant nothing in the end.

Slipping on her headphones, she brought up iTunes and punched in her favorite song, “Gobbledigook” by Sigur Rós. The band was a favorite of her father’s, and somehow along the years, despite everything, had become one of hers as well. She both loved and hated that. It reminded her of the man that read her and Angel bedtime stories and made homemade macaroni and cheese (because nobody ever did that nowadays)…and not the man who walked out on them because of his own pusillanimity.

I am everything you ever made me, Daddy, she thought to herself, and I hate you for it.

Two girls threw fists at each other at a speed that was nothing less than impressive. The blonde, wearing a white dobok, blocked her opponent’s punch and then bent down and spun at the same time, going for a leg sweep. The girl with fuchsia and cobalt curls, wearing a blue vo-phuc, hopped out of the way and the moment she lit back on the ground charged in for a punch. Her fist was quick, but she hadn’t expected her opponent to get back up and coincidentally use the same move. The two fists connected at a high speed like a pair of bullet trains in a head-on collision.

Both women screamed at once.

“Ooooooowww!” Bon-Bon said, shaking her reddened hand, knowing it was going to bruise. “You really can hit! I thought you TKD types only could kick.”

“Naah, mah sa-bu-nim teaches us a whole passel o’ moves,” Applejack replied, wincing at the pain in her hand. “B’sides, Ah have no idea whut yer style is. Ain’t never seen nuthin’ like it.” A split second later, Applejack looked at her bruised appendage and muttered under her breath, “Ah hope it ain’t broken.”

“It’s Vovinam, a Vietnamese marital art. Long story, but I learned it from my grandfather. Although,” she said, looking at her hand as it started to turn purple, “maybe I think we should call it a day. Good sparring, though! Painful, but good.”

“Yeah, Ah’ll say,” Applejack winced. “Now if’n y’d just point me to th’ hospital, maybe they c’n put mah hand back t’gether.”

Watching the pair from a distance, Trixie whistled in appreciation. “That had to hurt. Think we should go check it out?”

From her chair by where Sunset and Trixie were, Lyra stood up. “Let me go do that. Be right back.” The look on the celeste-haired girl’s face radiated both awe from the blows the two combatants threw and worry about her girlfriend. Before anyone could say anything further, Lyra went over to make sure the other two were okay.

“Maybe we should….” Sunset replied, looking at Applejack, who was shaking her head. “Or maybe not. Lyra can handle it, I’m sure. Should we get back to what we’re doing?”

“Sure, though I’m still having a hard time with the wrist flick,” Trixie replied. In response, she moved her hand at a fast pace, but the small wad of paper in her hand didn’t unfold the way she wanted it to. “Maybe I’m doing it wrong?”

“Or maybe you just need to practice,” Sunset replied. “I didn’t learn it overnight; you shouldn’t expect to do so either. A good trick isn’t learned overnight – it takes hours of work.” As if to underscore her point, Sunset snapped her finger, and a second later, a massive butterfly kite appeared practically out of nowhere. Sunset was particularly proud of the motion, as it hadn’t been done through her magic, but through the actual technique she mentioned. Of course, she’d learned how to do something that took decades of practice in roughly an hour due to her magic, but she wasn’t about to admit that much to her friend and fellow “magician”.

Trixie’s response was a wide-eyed stare. “I still don’t know how the heck you do that,” she admitted. “I swear, if I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were using real magic and not just stagecraft or whatever New Age bullshit my mother comes up with.”

“No, it’s just a lot of practice,” Sunset told Trixie with an honest smile. As Applejack, Bon-Bon and Lyra approached, Sunset said in a teasing tone, “After all, if AJ and Bonnie can learn to beat each other up just using one hand, you can use both to work wonders.”

“Y’know, Sunny, Ah’d hurt ya right now if’n mah hand wasn’t hurtin’ like hell.”

“Lucky me then,” Sunset replied with a grin. “But tell you what: just to make up for it, coffee’s on me.”

“Eyup, an’ jest fer that, Ah’m buyin’ th’ largest one they got, too,” Applejack replied with an equally large grin.

“Well, I’d love to join you guys, but I think I’m going to take a shower first,” Bon-Bon replied.

“Need some help?” Lyra told her girlfriend with a leer.

“C’mon, you perv,” Trixie said, grabbing her friend’s arm and dragging her. “We’ll grab seats for everyone at the coffee shop. You guys catch up, okay?”

“Yeah, I’ll help clean up,” Sunset replied. “You guys go on, and I’ll wait here for the others before we head over.”

“Perfect. Now let me get Romeo out of here,” Trixie groaned, dragging Lyra out despite the girl’s protestations that she was just kidding and she’d seen Bon-Bon naked plenty of times before, all of which made Trixie blush and just start pulling harder.

As Applejack and Sunset were left alone in the room, Sunset was adamant. “AJ, give me your hand.”

With some effort, Applejack lifted her hand, which was swelling and purple. “Ah think Ah broke somethin’.”

Taking it in her own hands, Sunset looked at it. “You did: One of your metacarpals is cracked and two of your proximals are on the verge of simple fractures.”

“Say whut?” Applejack grunted as she tried to bite off a scream while Sunset gingerly felt around her hand.

“Twitter version? Multiple fractures.”

“An’ how d’ ya….” She stopped as Sunset gave her a look. “Right – magic.”

“No, actually, it’s an educated guess based on a book I read about three months ago. I do read, you know.” She looked at the hand again. “Fortunately, I should be able to take care of this, but it’s going to be sore for a few days – I can’t take away everything or else it’ll be suspicious.” Looking around briefly to make sure no one was watching them, Sunset’s hands started to glow, and with that, the swelling and discoloration in Applejack’s hand started to go away. “You know, this reminds me of a time when I was about sixteen.”

“Aintcha…? Oh, y’mean in pony years, Ah’m guessin’,” Applejack replied.

“Yeah. I decided to go hiking around Mt. Canterlot on my own to look for certain plants I needed for an alchemical spell. I stepped where I shouldn’t have – wasn’t paying attention obviously – and landed hard, breaking my right hindhoof. Maybe I could’ve survived with just a bruise if I’d been an earth pony, but we unicorns are physically the weakest of the three tribes.”

“Not even gonna ask what an ‘earth pony’ is, much less about tribes,” Applejack groaned, her hand feeling as though it was on fire. She figured it was due to the magic spell, but oh hell did it hurt!

“I was out there for hours until Celestia came for me – she’d cancelled a few diplomatic meetings and sent the guards out looking for me, but it was she that found me. I was a mess, crying, frightened, and heavily injured. It took me weeks to heal – she could have healed me instantly, but I’d damaged one of my ley nerves and that required time to heal. I never went back to that spot ever again. Maybe the next time I visit Equestria, I might…but I’m not counting on it.” After a second more, she said, “There – should be serviceable, even if it’s sore as hell.”

“Thanks,” Applejack replied. Sure enough, while she could flex the hand, it felt as though she’d been punching a practice dummy for hours. “But whut ‘bout Bonnie?” In response, Sunset snapped her fingers, and a flicker of cyan light flashed briefly. “That easy?”

“Not entirely. I had to check your hand to guess at the amount of damage. Since I can’t just wander into the shower and check hers, I’m just going to send a blanket analgesic spell. She’ll be fine for now, but the palliative portion of the spell will wear off in an hour, so she’ll have to go to the hospital. I wish I could do more, but…well, you know.”

“Yeah, that Ah do. Well, let me go take a shower and Ah c’n drop some hints fer her t’ get it checked out. Be back soon,” Applejack replied, walking towards the women’s locker room.

No sooner did Applejack walk away than Sunset’s phone went off. Noticing who it was, she answered immediately. “Oh, heya, Flutters, what’s up?”

“Um…hi, Sunny. I was wonder if Twily would like a welcome back party. I was thinking about, maybe barbecuing in my backyard, um, if that’s okay with you, an—”

“Flutters, let me stop you right there and tell you how very much she’ll appreciate it,” Sunset replied. “I know she’ll be coming back from her trip and probably would like to spend time with all of us and just tell us about the trip.” Assuming she remembers any of it at this rate. “Besides, if nothing else, I’m glad that you’re thinking about her. So thanks.”

“It’s no problem. Would Monday afternoon be okay?”

“That’d be fine. I’ll get a hold of the others and we can start planning, okay?”

“Perfect.”

“Thanks again for everything, Flutters,” Sunset said as she hung up. As she did, she looked out the window, where the sun was heading towards the afternoon sky. She was going to have to work this evening – the café was getting new equipment, so they had to move stuff around – and that meant another day marching towards reunion with her family. The idea brought a smile to her face.

If you asked me back when I was a unicorn on a daily basis that I’d have a family, I’d have told them that all I needed was Celestia. But now I know I was wrong…and that’s been the greatest joy of my life. She turned as her friends came out of the locker room, with Bon-Bon’s hand not as bad as it had been earlier, but clearly signaling that she’d have to spend the afternoon at the hospital. Sunset genuinely winced at that; with her power as it was now as well as the extra spells from the additional grimoires she’d brought from Equestria, she could have easily healed both Applejack and Bon-Bon’s injuries, but for the moment….she had to be merely human.

“And you’re not joking about this?” Celestia asked Luna while the two sat down for lunch together.

“I wish I was,” the younger educator told her sister. “But I’m not: Sunset’s magic is far more powerful than before. To venture with an analogy, the level is as different between the artificial lake in Three Heroes Park and the Pacific Ocean.” As Celestia’s jaw dropped in shock as a result of that, Luna nodded in understanding. “And now you know how I felt when I got suddenly teleported to Horseshoe Bay.”

The pastel-haired woman leaned back in her chair. “Still, this is…somewhat concerning. And you spoke to her about this?”

“She swore she was going to use the power sparingly; she’d only been granted it because her mentor back on her homeworld feared for her magicless life here.” A small smile came over the younger sister’s face. “You’d think that we were barely eking out a life as nomadic hunter-gatherers, from the way Sunset made her mentor’s reaction sound.”

“Given that we don’t know how advanced they might or might not be, our society might be exactly that, in their eyes,” Celestia pointed out. “It goes without saying that we know absolutely nothing about their civilization and how magic plays into it. For all we know, Sunset needs it to live just as she needs food or water and she may have been ‘starving’, quote unquote.”

“Somehow, I doubt that,” Luna replied. “In any case, I think she identifies with us more nowadays than with her own species. She told me that she was also tasked with being the ambassador for her kind once they decide to introduce themselves to humanity, but she sounded as though she was reluctant to take on said duty.”

“Do you think it has to do with her past, or with Vel and her family?”

“Vel, of course. They’ve given her a family and Sunset’s reciprocated, and whatever it was that her mentor didn’t give her, Vel, Night and their family have.” Luna took a bite of her pita and a sudden thought came to her: “It just occurred to me that Sunset’s never mentioned her mentor’s name.”

“Perhaps it’s a taboo in their culture,” Celestia commented, setting down her double cheeseburger. She knew Luna hated that the older sister could eat whatever she wanted and never seemed to gain weight, but it was just luck on Celestia’s part. “Or maybe you’re just missing the obvious: that her name might be unpronounceable to humans – Sunset’s race is extradimensional, after all.”

“Funny, I don’t recall having a difficult time pronouncing either Sunset’s name or that of Twilight Sparkle’s,” Luna replied.

“That’s because the alien princess took on the form of Twilight when she came here,” Celestia reminded her. “Plus, if you’ll recall, Sunset’s using the identity of a person who vanished long ago – we have no idea if ‘Sunset Shimmer’ is her real name or if said real name can even be pronounced by humans.”

The darker-haired sister rolled her eyes. “Okay, that’s it, sis – no more Syfy for you.”

Celestia pouted. “Oh, but I haven’t seen Sharknado yet!” At that, both sisters laughed. After a few seconds of laughter, though, the pastel-haired educator continued. “Seriously, though, if Sunset’s happy and wants to remain with humanity, I’m not going to force the issue. As far as I’m concerned, she belongs with Vel and her family.”

As both ladies finished their meals, Luna asked the waiter for a dessert menu. While he went to fetch it, she asked, “But given the near-miss between Princess Twilight and the Twilight we know, what will happen if the real Sunset Shimmer ever shows up?”

“I don’t know, Lulu,” Celestia replied. “I’ll do everything I can to help Vel and her family, and that includes Sunset, but…I don’t know if I can answer that.”

“Well, as far as I’m concerned, I’ll do any and everything it takes. I wouldn’t want Vel, Night or their family to be heartbroken by losing Sunset.” Taking the dessert menu, she scanned the list up and down, but found nothing of interest. “Here, your turn – think I’ll just have a coffee.”

Celestia shrugged while looking longingly at the dessert menu; considering that she had a date with Sable coming up this weekend – and that she was also joining Sombra and his wife for dinner in a couple of days – she reluctantly pushed away the list. “Think I’ll pass as well,” Celestia replied. “Gotta watch my weight sooner or later.”

Luna blinked. “Okay, who the hell are you and what did you do with Tia?”

Celestia gave her sister a bemused smile. “Stranger things can happen,” was her reply.

“Coco, get back here!” Fancy shouted at his sister as she ran from the hospital room. He would have chased after her at that point, but he felt an old, tired hand upon his. He turned to see his bed-ridden grandmother, Wintry Mix, look at him with clear, understanding eyes.

“Let her go, dear,” Wintry spoke in a voice that seemed both frail and iron-strong at the same time. “She’s young and sensitive, a fragile soul. She has the same tender heart both your grandfather and uncle had. You, however, inherited my strengths, Fancy, just as your father did.” With some effort, she turned to look out the window. “Sometimes it is hard for the oak to understand the willow – after all, the oak braves the wind while all the willow does is just bend.”

A look of understanding came over the youth’s face as he finished his grandmother’s wise words: “But in truth, the oak just bulls through the wind, while the willow smartly uses it to its advantage.”

A smile lit in Wintry’s eyes. “Exactly. She will come around in due time. But right now she needs your strength – your father is handling…well, he’s had a lot on his plate lately, and with your mother taking over my duties at the company, they don’t have much time for Coco. But you are her older brother, Fancy, and older siblings exist so that the younger ones have someone to look up to, knowing they will have help.”

He nodded. “I understand.”

Coco made it as far as the waiting room before her head began swimming. She’d never liked hospitals; that would never change – it was almost like a mantra she repeated to others and as far as she was concerned for her own self, it was mantra, coded and stratified. And why should she change? Every time she came to a hospital, it almost always ended in death: both her grandfather and uncle had never returned alive from the hospital during their time here, and when her mother did a stint here, she’d never regained the use of her legs. So to Coco, hospitals were far less about life and far more about the end of it.

Coco plopped into the first available seat, pulling out her phone and headphones, trying to shut it all out, but as usual she couldn’t. Wiping tears from her eyes, she wondered how she could move beyond this. It was selfish, stingy of her, she knew that. It was embarrassing and humiliating – she wasn’t a little girl anymore. But she couldn’t help how she felt; it was just the way things were for her.

She leaned back in the chair, staring at the ceiling. It was hard, being the only daughter in a family of sons – and with cousins around who were also male. She had one female cousin who she had met a long time ago, but hadn’t seen her in ages. It was a miracle, her mother said, that she didn’t turn out to be a tomboy, but maybe that had something to do with her education more tha—

Her cellphone rang, a mellifluous chime that caught Coco off-guard. Reaching into her purse, she answered it. “Hello?”

“Coco!” The chirpy voice came over the line, and the girl smiled; only one person could make her grin like that. Her best friend.

“Heya, Crackle!” Coco said, feeling much better now. Of all the people Coco had known in her young life, Crackle had been the best. Both had attended the Hassenfeld School since they were kids, and were almost always inseparable. And it didn’t matter to Coco that Crackle was from what people called “the wrong side of town” – she couldn’t be blamed for not having the fortunes in life that other people had. Besides, Crackle said that as long as she had a roof over her head, people that loved her, and a carefree heart, that was all she wanted out of life. Besides, Crackle was smarter than people tended to think she was – for a girl whose red eyes seemed to make people think that she was an empty-headed girl, they didn’t know how wicked smart she was, either.

“Heard your grandma’s in the hospital,” Crackle said over the line. Coco imagined her friend, just lying on her bed, her violet hair tied into those Sailor Moon-style cone “odango” buns and wearing daisy dukes and that well-worn green sweatshirt with the plastic rhinestones. “Sorry to hear about that.”

“It’s okay,” Coco replied. “It was gonna happen sooner or later.”

“Yeah, I guess – I’ve never met my grandparents, as they still live in China, and my other ones, well….” Coco winced at that. In addition to all the other issues in her life, Crackle was born… “out of wedlock”, as the saying went. Crackle lived with her mother in Riverbend, a suburb of Canterlot just north of the city; Crackle’s mother Boilermaker owned a restaurant in Riverbend, and both Crackle and Boilermaker lived in a small house not too far from it. Crackle’s father was Bench Warrant, the District Judge for Canterlot on the Eastern California US Federal Court Circuit; through Warrant, Crackle had an older half-sister, Suri Polomare, who lived in San Palomino with her parents. “But that’s not why I called. Remember that we’re supposed to start school at Zacherle in a couple of months, right?”

“Yeah?” Coco asked cautiously, wondering what Crackle was up to. If there was one thing her friend tended to do, it was to come up with some sort of plan that usually blew up in her face; more than once, Coco had to cover for Crackle. Even still, Crackle never did anything that would hurt Coco at all.

“Well, you know that our school has that Big Sister thing going on, right? Well, since Suri can’t do it for me – apparently there’s a ‘no siblings’ rule – I asked her if she’d take you under her wing. She wants to meet you to get to know you better; plus, she figured that if you two got a head start on things, it would be easier for you to transition. We made reservations at La Fantaisie tomorrow at 12:30. Can you make it?”

“I guess; I’ll have to ask either Fancy or the chauffeur if they can take me, but yeah, I think it’s doable.”

“Great! See you then!”

As Coco put her phone back in her purse, she grinned. At last, things were looking up! And if Suri was anything like Crackle, she was probably the nicest girl in the world.

Right now, Sunset thought to herself, I feel like the biggest idiot in the world. At the moment, she was looking over an itinerary of her family’s trip, wishing not that she was with them, but that they would come home to her, especially Twilight. But right now, she mentally amended as she saw that so-close-yet-so-far date of Sunday for their return, I’d rather feel like an idiot than anything else.

She then turned to look at a picture of she, Octavia and Twilight – the three of them were at some formal reception that the whole family was attending – except for Spike, and how he got out of it she never learned – but it was a special occasion. The three of them had been wearing matched dresses and had the attention of a lot of guys, this had been the week just before the whole “Club” incident, so back then there had been nothing to be suspicious about. But it was something her foster mother had said, a slight slip of the tongue that had made Sunset’s entire night: When introducing the family to everyone, Velvet had referred to Sunset as her “older daughter”. Not as the foster child, not as someone the family had taken in as a charity case.

As a part of their family.

A loving smile came onto Sunset’s face. She had a family. It didn’t matter if she wasn’t officially adopted. She would have a family for the rest of her life, she knew it. She had parents, brothers, a sister – people who she loved and loved her back. And that was why she felt like an idiot: Because she knew she was still lying to them, and would always lie to the people that she loved most. Both her friends, as well as her mother’s friends – Celestia and Luna – knew who she was, and that didn’t bother them. But her family didn’t, and that bothered her.

Gently, she reached out and touched Twilight in the image. Twily, if you found out I was a big liar, would I still be your sister? Sunset wondered, tears coming to her eyes.

Trudging up the stairs, Octavia felt wiped, but in a good way. She’d spent an hour practicing her contrabass, and then another hour playing the piano – being a good musician meant keeping up on several instruments; though her main one was the contrabass, she could also play the piano, harpsichord, sitar – hey, it was something fun to learn! – and, though she hated to admit it, the bass guitar. But now, all she wanted to do was to take a shower, then maybe drag Sunset into watching a movie with her on….

She paused at the guest room where Sunset was. The flame-haired girl was obviously crying and looked like she wanted to be left alone. Octavia knew that was bad; she couldn’t leave Sunset alone because that wasn’t how families worked, as far as she was raised. But as Octavia approached Sunset to ask, she noticed what had emotionally disturbed her pseudo-cousin: Sunset had been looking over a picture of her family, including Twilight.

Indignant anger welled up within Octavia, and she wasn’t sure why. She hadn’t expected it, and she didn’t want it – but there it was, all the same. She felt guilty about that, but….

Twily’s my cousin, something said in the back of her mind. Why the hell should that newcomer take what is mine? The voice felt foreign and odd; there was no way that Octavia would ever refer to Sunset as “that newcomer”. She loved Sunset just as much as she did the other members of her family.

Except you don’t, the voice said back. Face it, that brat’s just out to muscle you out of your spot with Twily…and you’ll be all alone.

Wondering where those thoughts came from, Octavia silently left the room and decided to watch TV alone. For some reason, her mind was playing tricks on her, and she had no idea how that came about. I really hope I’m not having flashbacks like Twily did. Heading for the living room, she hoped that Sunset would finish up her homework and come join her – Octavia had a bad feeling that the least thing she wanted to do right now was to be left alone.

Author's Note

Next: Twily returns! And will anyone find out what's behind Flutters' hatred of her father?

Tune in next week!

Actually...

Don't - because there won't be a next week for 7DSJ Book III! You'll have to wait until January 7th!

Why?

Because of this year's Christmas story: Seven Days in Sunny June: Feather, starting December 17 and ending New Year's Day! Trust me, it's worth it - for starters, you'll be getting two chapters a week! Plus, it's a part of the Berylverse's 7DSJ scenario that you'd never thought you'd see!

Even moreso, it's a Christmas dedication to a certain someone recovering in a hospital during the holidays.

And a hint?

BA55!

So stay tuned for 7DSJ: Feather, premiering December 16!

June 8: Welcome Home

If there was one thing that could describe Sunset right now, “jittery” would be that word. Right now the girl was practically vibrating enough to set off the San Andreas Fault, and more importantly was acting like a long-lost twin of Pinkie Pie.

“Sunny!” Octavia snarled in a mock-angry tone. “Calm down, would you?”

“I can’t help it,” the flame-haired girl replied. “I’m just…I dunno, nervous.”

“You act as though you’ve never had to wait for someone to come back before.”

Sunset rolled her eyes. “That’s because I’ve never had to wait for someone to come back before, remember?” Embarrassed by her comment, Octavia turned away.

Evening, however, stepped in. Patting Sunset on the shoulder, he said, “Yeah, it never gets any easier than this, believe me. I remember a few times when my brothers and I used to wait for Dad to come back from various business trips he went on. And between the first time and the hundredth time, it sticks with you. Even when you’re perpetually at an airport like Ballad and I are, there’s still something about waiting for your loved ones that never gets easier. But you know what?” he asked, turning her around to look into her eyes and give her a comforting smile, “It’s not any easier being on that plane waiting to come back to you.”

“Really?” A light of hope flashed in Sunset’s cyan eyes.

“Sunny! Tavi!”

What happened next was the kind of thing usually only seen with romantic comedies in mind. A teenager, her long, plum-hued hair trailing past her as she ran with gleeful abandon, tackled two other girls, who had just realized something had changed. As the trio clattered to the ground, both Sunset and Octavia felt themselves squeezed tighter to the jubilant music of Twilight’s hyper-excited squeals.

“I missed you two sooooo much!” Twilight cooed, various passersby in the airport looking at the trio and wondering what was going on, even as Twilight unabashedly continued to embrace both Sunset and Octavia while the three remained splayed on the terminal’s floor.

Sunset didn’t know how to describe any of it, but everything she’d been through up until now made this moment perfect: seeing Twilight’s clear, bright eyes once more, the smile on her face genuine and her personality back to normal. It made all of her fears, troubles and willingness to sacrifice everything for the girl she considered her sister to be worth every bit. Giving Twilight a wide, smile, Sunset embraced Twilight back and said in a genuinely joyful tone, “Welcome home, sis.”

“Twily, would you mind letting them get up?” a voice, caught in the middle of a laugh, said. Sunset looked up and saw Velvet standing there, mirth in her eyes. “I’d give you a hello hug, Sunny,” the matriarch said warmly, “but you’re a bit tied up.”

At that note, Twilight let go of Sunset and the latter responded immediately, hugging the remainder of her returning family, Spike included – though, of course, he complained about it. “Oh, you have no idea how much I missed you guys!” she said as she hugged Velvet and Night in turn.

“Sunny, you’re acting like you haven’t seen us in forever,” Night said, embracing his foster daughter. “We’ve only been gone a week.”

“Trust me, it really feels more like two,” Sunset replied. “But it’s good to have you all home…? Say, where’s Shiny and Cady?”

“They’re staying an extra week so he can meet the rest of extended family,” Velvet explained. “Besides, that way Armonia can probably spend the week talking Cady into nixing some of my suggestions,” the matriarch grumbled.

“There, there, dear – I don’t think Cady would do that,” he told her, patting her lovingly on the shoulder. “Well, I don’t want to stay here forever, so let’s go get our bags and go home then we can go to a restaurant somewhere and eat.”

Evening looked at his brother, impishness in his eyes. “So, what, Bucca? Maggiano’s?”

It was Spike that answered. “Anywhere but Italian – I’m totally pizza’d out!”

Hours later, they were at the Chinese Room in downtown Canterlot, with the conversation in full swing. Sunset excitedly listened to her family and their adventures in Italy and was already feeling somewhat down that she hadn’t gone. But that paled in comparison to seeing her family sitting right at the table from her, something she cherished more than anything. And right now, Velvet was regaling everyone with a tale of woe:

“And so there Shiny was, trying to remember what little Italian Cady had taught him, and neither she nor Armonia were around at the moment. So he decides at that point to start speaking in Spanish, never mind the fact that the museum tour guide spoke English!” Everyone at the table started laughing, and to Sunset, it was the sweetest sound she’d ever heard. “And the moment our tour guide spoke English, you should’ve seen the look on his face, especially since that was the moment that Cady came back!”

Sunset’s phone suddenly chirped as a text came in, and without even looking, she knew who it was. Yes, she’s back, Sunset texted back to Pinkie.

Less than a second later, the response came in: Can I say hi? She’s not answering my texts.

She didn’t take her phone, Sunset replied back, and she probably left it back at home to charge.

Then pass her your phone so I can say hi!

Pinkie, later, okay? Sunset typed, her fingers moving a little faster due to her irritation. Pinkie was one of her closest friends, but seriously, was it so wrong that she wanted to spend time with just her family?

Oh, okay, the response came back a second later. I’ll be right there, then! Sunset wondered for a split-second what Pinkie meant until she heard a voice behind her. “Hi guys!” Sunset turned around to see Pinkie standing right there, a huge smile on her face.

Sunset tried hard not to facepalm. “You did not just—”

“Uh-huh!” she said, waving her aunt and uncle over. “Pound and Pumpkin are at a friend’s place, so we thought we’d go out for dinner tonight!” Pinkie then whispered off-handedly to Sunny, “Sssh! Secretly, Minnie’s babysitting, but the twins don’t need to know that!” She then returned to her normal chirpy voice and proceeded to bear hug Twilight from behind. “Hi! Miss me?”

“I can’t if I’m not breathing!” Twilight, caught off-guard from having been surprised from behind, gasped.

“Oh, sorry! Hi, Tavi!” Another quick hug followed. “Hi, Mr. Light, hi Mrs. Velvet, hi Mr. Sonnet, hi Mrs. Ballad and, oh, yeah, Spike, too!”

“Hello, Pinkie,” Night responded, then looked at Cup and Carrot. “Hello, Cup, Carrot. Care to join us? We just got here ourselves.”

“We wouldn’t want to be a both—” Cup began but immediately stopped as Evening signaled for a waiter to connect another table for the new arrivals. As the waiters scrambled to meet the need, Cup smiled. “In that case, thank you all; we’d love to. I understand you just came back from Italy?”

Velvet nodded. “In fact, we were just discussing that. I think you would love the place if you ever got the chance to go there. I think in particular you would’ve loved some of the recipes we came across, Cup.”

“Really?”

While the adults focused on their part of the conversation, Twilight scooted over a bit so Pinkie could sit next to her. “So, how was Italy?” she asked.

“I….” Twilight suddenly quieted down, and the three teens around her leaned in. “I…uh….”

“Look, Twily, you don’t have to talk about this if you don’t want to,” Octavia said, placing a gentle hand on her cousin’s own.

“I’m fine,” she replied. “It’s just….”

“Just?” Pinkie asked.

“Just…well, it was….” Twilight looked as though she struggled with words to describe it. “It was…nice.”

“Nice? That’s all you’re going to say?” Octavia cried.

“Tavi, please, just let her finish,” Sunset replied. She then turned to Twilight and said, “Take all the time you need, Twily. We’re listening.”

A soft smile came over the plum-haired girl’s face as she said, “Thanks, Sunny.” She closed her eyes, focused, and then began. “I spent most of it asleep, to be honest. Cady and I did some shopping, and we got to see some of the sites and museums. Also got to see Shiny fail at trying to speak to the locals and the food was great, though I am a little Italianed out right now.”

“Well, I think you’re at the right place to have that problem solved,” the waitress said as she started passing out the menus.

Hours later and great dinner and conversation afterwards, they’d returned home. Everyone went to bed early, since they had to get adjusted to the massive shift in time zones, and after hugging each of them goodnight – Spike included – Sunset stayed up just long enough to do her homework, and then clambered into bed herself. It felt great to be back in her own room, though she’d have to go over her aunt and uncle’s tomorrow to get her stuff from the spare bedroom.

But now, twenty minutes after she’d gone to bed, she felt the loneliness creep in.

I’m by myself for twenty minutes and I already feel alone, all because I haven’t seen my family in one – or two, maybe – weeks. I went through hell for them…and I’d do it all again. She raised her hand into the air, looking at it from a distance of an arm’s length. I’m comfortable now. I’m comfortable both as a pony and as a human, though I’ll probably spend the rest of my days as the latter.

But now that they were back and Twilight was okay…she had to tell them the truth. She loved them and they were her family, so they would understand, right? Yeah, understand that even now, I’m still lying to them and that I’m not even human. Hell, that if some cartoons like Family Guy are correct, I’m probably the family pet.

I have to tell them, she decided. Even if they hate me and never want to see me again, I have to tell them. I love them and I owe them that much. Although…if I never see them again…. Her eyes began to sting with the precursor of tears at that thought.

It was interrupted, however, by a knock on the door. Instantly, Sunset’s heart soared. She didn’t have to ask who it was. She didn’t even have to tell Twilight to open it.

Sure enough, Twilight stood there at the door. “Thought you could use some company,” she said with a smile. In response, Sunset just scooted over, then patted the empty spot on the bed. Twilight immediately crawled in, snuggling next to Sunset. “You know, I thought about you a lot while we were gone,” Twilight said to the flame-haired girl.

“Really? Thought you were asleep?”

Twilight turned and looked at the ceiling. “Most of it, yeah. And I was so afraid of that…thing coming to get me in my dreams. But then the first night, I closed my eyes and was about to be attacked again…and then you showed up in my dreams.”

“I did?”

Twilight’s smile was wide as she nodded. “And then you shouted at the thing, ‘You’re not going to touch my sister ever again!’ and then you pulled out an orange lightsaber—”

“An orange lightsaber? I thought there were only red, green and blue ones?”

“Hey, dream, remember? Anyway, you fought the thing to a standstill in my dream, and then you went over to me, hugged me and promised me that you would always protect me.” Twilight closed her eyes in peace as she added, “And then every time I went to sleep after that, I had the same dream, and it would always end the same, until the last night.”

“The last night?” Sunset asked, curious. That had been when she laid the final spell pattern, and instead of taking an hour, Nimble Nebula’s Nonpareil Nightmare Nullifier had only taken a split-second to cast…and without even needing charge gems, either.

“Yeah. The last night, instead of pulling out your lightsaber, you just pointed your hands at the thing and…I know this is going to sound funny, but you threw a hadōken and lit the thing on fire until it burned away into nothing. And then you….” Twilight suddenly blushed.

“I what?”

“You…kissed me on the forehead and said that it was the duty of older sisters to look out for the younger, and that I needed to sleep it off. And then I woke up, and I felt, well…refreshed. Does that make sense?”

Sunset gave Twilight a long, understanding smile before saying, “Twily, you never make any sense.”

“Gee, thanks.”

“Yeah.” A second later, Sunset spoke again. “Uh, Twily?”

“Yes?”

“I….” You’ll lose her if you tell her the truth, Sunset’s conscience spoke. Sunset was absolutely sure that wasn’t going to be the case, right? She and Twilight were sisters, a pair, part of this family, right?

Until she finds out you’re no different in shape than the unicorn plushie you gave her.

“Er…nevermind,” Sunset replied. Instead, the flame-haired girl bent over and gave Twilight a kiss on the forehead. “Now go do what I said and get some sleep, okay?”

“Hey, I’m fine. And besides, that was just the dream you, not the real you.”

“Well, the real me’s saying it now, okay?”

Twilight smiled. “Okay, if you insist.” She yawned, and then yawned a barely-audible “Night,” before cuddling up closer to Sunset and falling asleep.

Sunset reached over and pulled Twilight closer to her. Twilight, who was sixteen years old and still acted like she was eight, with sleepovers and doing innocent things that seemed borderline incestuous to anyone else. Twilight, who was honest and sincere with how she felt and acted, treating Sunset with nothing less than love and friendship since the first day. Twilight, who acknowledged Sunset as a sister before Sunset herself had come to the realization.

Twilight, who Sunset had gone back to her birthworld to defend, and would do so again, even if Celestia had genuinely wanted to kill her; thankfully, that had not been the case. But even if it meant that Sunset would have to face the full wrath of an enraged goddess, there would be no hesitation, even if it meant sacrificing herself. After all, that had been the situation as she had known it when she dared enter Cavalcanti’s mirror back to her world of origin. And she wouldn’t pause at doing it again if needed.

Sunset reached over and pulled Twilight closer, and whispered, “I love you, sis.” Then, comfortable, both sisters fell asleep.

The following day, Sunset and Rainbow were at summer school, and chatting as they waited for their next class to start. “So, how’s Twily?” Rainbow asked.

“She’s doing okay,” Sunset chirped with a beaming smile. “She’s back to normal. She’ll be at the barbeque we’re having over at Flutters’. She brought us all a bunch of stuff from Italy – wouldn’t even let me have mine until then, because she wanted it to be a surprise.”

“Really?” A curious look came over Rainbow’s face. “Now I have to wonder what she got us. Maybe she got us jerseys from ACF Fiorentina? They’re the main soccer team there.”

Sunset rolled her eyes. “You have soccer on the brain, Rainbow.”

“Hey, can you blame me? I am the best soccer player that ever lived, you know.”

“I thought that was Pele.”

“He was okay, but I’m sure he didn’t have my style.”

“Rainbow, I’m from another world where nobody knows what soccer is. Given that I know about him, maybe that’s an indicator that you might be a little out of your league on this?”

“Naaah, I got this,” Rainbow said, coolly. Sunset couldn’t help but laugh at that. Ego uber alles, that was Rainbow, for sure. Funny that her otherworldly equivalent was just as bad, but then again, Sunset knew that her Rainbow would probably not have a single clue about what cloudball was.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. So what’s your next class?”

Rainbow groaned. “World History with Mr. Kibbitz. You?”

“Uh…Algebra 2 with his kid.” Though there was no family resemblance, everyone knew that Ms. Raven, the algebra and calculus teacher, was the daughter of Mr. Kibbitz. Ms. Raven had decided to teach in Equestria County once she got her degree in education, and had the luck of the draw working at the same school where her father was still a teacher and where she’d once been a student herself.

“Sunny! Oh thank God I found you!” Lyra shouted as she rushed up, running like crazy. “I totally forgot my homework! Can I copy yours?”

Sunset blinked. “Uh, Lyra, for one, class starts in ten minutes. Second, ‘forgot your homework’? You never forget your homework!”

“Yeah! You might get all the questions wrong, but you never forget your homework!” Rainbow laughed while withstanding a glare from the teenage musician.

“Seriously, Lyra, Rainbow’s right,” Sunset replied. “So what really happened?”

Lyra blushed. “Would it be wrong to say that Bonnie spent the weekend with me because my parents were out of town?” Both girls looked at the celeste-and-ivory haired girl wide-eyed, and she grinned. “She might’ve been mad at first, Sunny, but now we can’t thank you enough for all that Sweetie Drop business.”

“Uh, Lyra you—”

“Moaned like the Haunted Mansion down in Disneyland,” Lyra said softly, her blush coming to the fore again.

“I…I didn’t need to hear that,” Rainbow said. “I’m…uh…I gotta go to class.”

Lyra looked at Sunset. “Please?”

“Wait…didn’t Bonnie break her hand?”

“I’m…not going to get into that.”

Sunset rolled her eyes. “I don’t want to know,” she said, reaching for her homework. “You’ve got five minutes.”

Two women with chiffon-hued hair sat at the breakfast table, idly chatting and almost looking like a literal portrayal of somebody talking to themselves. The third member of their family had decided he was sleeping in this morning and so his bowl of Trix sat untouched, awaiting the young child’s eventual predation.

“So your barbeque is tonight?” Posey asked.

Fluttershy nodded. “Rainbow said she’ll be over right after summer school to help me get ready for it…though….”

Posey recognized the pause in her daughter’s words. “Though?” she echoed.

“Do…do you think that the grill will hurt the birds and the squirrels?” the teen asked, nervously looking out the kitchen window to the backyard of the house; a copse of dawn redwood saplings sat by the perimeter fence; beyond that were a variety of other trees, all of which were host to the native fauna. “Won’t smoke get in—”

A smile came onto Posey’s face. “Dear, we have a gas grill.”

“So?”

“Gas grills don’t smoke as much as charcoal ones do. I mean, they still do, don’t get me wrong, but they’re not as, er, smoky.”

“Oh. I didn’t know that about gas grills.”

“Yes, it was something I picked up from your father.” As the words tumbled out of her mouth, Posey’s mind filled with nostalgia; she’d been scarcely older when she’d met the man she’d fallen in love with and given her two wonderful children to cherish. And even though it was years since he’d played a regular role in their lives, the bittersweet memories at least ranged far more on the sweet side than the bitter.

Meanwhile, Fluttershy went over her list. “Let’s see: I still need to make another run to the store to get enough stuff…I wonder if I should wait until Rainbow arrives, or….” She looked back at her mother. “Did you want me to make that pasta salad you like?”

“As much as I would love it, I’m probably going to have to work late that night due to complications with Mrs. Mix’s case. Just save me something and I’ll eat as soon as I get home. Also, did you want me to call Mrs. Spice and see if Angel can stay over there?”

Fluttershy smiled. “We have it covered, Mom: Twily and Sunny are bringing their younger brother with them. I’m sure Angel and Spike will get along…and if not, then we’ll just put them in front of a videogame system and that should keep them busy.”

“That’s good, dear, though I hope that you’ll keep them away from the violent content. I’d hate to make a bad impression on your friends.”

“It’s okay Mom, everything will be fine,” Fluttershy insisted. “It’s mostly just going to be me and the girls welcoming Twily back from her vacation in Italy. Besides, Sunny says she could use the comfort after everything that’s happened to her.”

“I recall that. Is she okay?” Posey asked.

“I don’t know – she only got back yesterday. I think Pinkie’s talked to her since but it sounds like Twily’s not being very talkative about it.”

“Yes, sounds like another young woman I know,” the matron said archly. When Fluttershy looked at Posey, the latter sighed and added, “You know what I’m talking about, sweetie.”

The look on the teen’s face went from confused to reluctant. “This is something I need to figure out for myself, Mother,” she insisted.

“Dear, it wasn’t all that long ago that you were telling me regularly about the bully who harassed you and your friends, and that all she really needed in the end was someone to care about her. And now Sunset’s one of your closest friends, right?” Fluttershy nodded, and Posey continued. “That’s what friends are for: to always help you when you needed it. The others were there when you were being bullied by Sunset, you were all there during this past year for Sunset, and I guarantee all your friends will be there for you if you talk to them about your issues with your father.”

The look on Fluttershy’s face was one of hesitation. “Mom, I—”

“Trust me on this – older, wiser, you know? And it’s not like I haven’t been through your issue before. Did I ever tell you about how my friends were when I met your father?”

“No, I don’t think so.” In fact, that was true; while Posey had pretty much covered just about every detail regarding her premarital years with Fluttershy’s father, how Posey’s friends reacted was a new wrinkle in the tapestry.

“Well, you know how your grandparents reacted – your grandfather wanted to kill him, while your grandmother was afraid I was going to go off and ditch medical school. Thankfully, cooler heads in the form of my friends intervened. Redheart was always there for me, while Majesty and Brightstar insisted that if he was what I really wanted – what my heart cried out for – then it was my responsibility to choose it and make it work. And all of that led to you and Angel, and I wouldn’t change a thing in the world,” she said as she embraced Fluttershy. “You two are my life, and I love you both.”

“Thanks, Mom.” A thoughtful look crossed Fluttershy’s features. “So you think I should tell my friends?”

“Without a doubt,” Posey replied, nodding. “You have wonderful friends and far better ties to them than I did to mine when I was your age. Truthfully, I’m a little envious of your little tight-knit group.”

“They’ll hate me for it.”

“No they won’t…and if some reason they do, they don’t deserve to be your friends.”

Fluttershy closed her eyes as if in thought, as if considering all the ramifications. “Okay,” she finally said. “I…really don’t feel comfortable about it, but if you think it’s for the best….”

“Trust me, sweetie: your friends will help you through this. It’s just like your father once said, ‘Friends are who you sail with, hail with and end up in jail wit—’”

Fluttershy looked choleric. “I did not need that image!” And as Posey just giggled in response, Fluttershy gave her mother an annoyed stare until she just sighed and picked up the dishes from the breakfast table.

“Are you sure about this?” Fleur asked as she looked at Coco. To say she was concerned was an understatement: Coco, even though now a teenager, was still somewhat of a naïve young girl, and Fleur always felt it was her business to look out for her boyfriend’s sister. As she and Fancy had been an item since junior high, she’d very much watched Coco grow up, and in many ways felt that Coco was the younger sister she never had, seeing as Fleur was an only child.

“I’m fine. But thanks for worrying about me, Fleur!” Coco replied, a huge smile on her face.

“It’s the least I can do, Coco! I was just…well, I’m meeting some friends here for brunch myself, and since you needed a ride, I….”

“Yes, and I heard Fancy beg you to take me,” the younger girl replied with a tease.

Fleur gave an askance look at Coco. “You are just way too precocious for your age, you know that?”

As the pair approached the maître d’, Crackle waved to Coco for come over; she was with a slightly older girl with her lavender hair done up in a stylish manner. Both had smiles on their face and based on that, Coco figured that the other girl was Crackle’s older half-sister, Suri Polomare. “Well, that’s my table over there,” Coco said to both the host and Fleur, “so that should be fine.”

“Okay, if you’re sure….” The tone in Fleur’s voice was one of uncertainty, but Coco merely thought it to be the older girl’s pseudo-big sis instincts kicking in again.

“I’ll be fine. Crackle’s my best friend and I’m sure she wouldn’t steer me wrong. Besides, it’s not like she’s going to hurt me.” With that, Coco waved farewell to Fleur, walking towards the table with the other two girls.

That’s what I’m afraid of, Coco, Fleur thought to herself as the maître d’ led the teen to her own table. Now was not the time to face down Suri, even though Fleur had verbally tussled with her over various issues prior; instead, now was the time to make her own stand and hope that she was doing the right thing for her legacy at Zacherle. She would face Suri much later.

After a few seconds, the host led Fleur to a small table by the window, where Champagne sat. She was sipping from a glass of sparkling water and admiring the outdoor garden the view afforded. As Fleur sat, Champagne looked at her and smile. “Well, running a little late, Fleur?”

Fleur groaned; seemingly an out-of-character reaction for the refined girl, but Champagne was her best friend and one of the few people she had no problem letting her hair down around. “Suri Polomare’s up to something, Chammie, and she has Coco involved somehow.”

“Coco? Why on Earth would she even bother with someone the likes of Suri? Seriously, I have never met a bitch any crazier than Suri Polomare. The girl’s all ‘I’m fucking a senator’s son, so that’s the next step before world domination!’” Like Fleur, Champagne was more than happy to be less guarded around her best friend, and a casual onlooker would have been surprised to see the two uncouth ladies that just happened to look like the recently-graduated chaste and proper divas of Zacherle Academy.

“Well, if what your plan is, I think we’ll have someone to put her and her clique in their place,” Fleur said, grinning as she picked up the menu. “But are you sure we can do it?”

“I don’t see why not. After all, the position of school diva is hardly conventional. It’s not a part of the student council, and yet at the same time, it holds just as much authority. Basically, it was a way of neutralizing the concept of the school queen bee and harnessing it for good. Half the things that we got away with as divas we couldn’t do at other schools, because the equivalent concept is a radically different beast.”

Fleur let out an appreciative whistle. “Well, you were always the smart one of us.”

Champagne rolled her eyes. “Says the girl who had just as high grades as me. Anyway, I did some researching and found that it doesn’t always have to go to a senior; the position can go to whomever the outgoing divas find to be qualified replacements, so long as the school agrees.”

“If we choose anyone other than seniors, they’re going to think we’re holding a grudge,” Fleur pointed out.

“Nope, history is on our side. Back in 1965, in order to show support for school desegregation, the two divas at the time, Summer Sunshine and Placid Night, made two incoming black girls the school divas. They had it hard, according to reports, but in the end, Honey Lemonade and Blazing Comet became some of the most beloved and respected divas in the history of the sch—”

“Wait – Mrs. Lemonade was a diva?” Fleur looked at her friend with surprise; the school principal was chubby, squat and reminded the teen model more of her grandmother than a diva.

“Yes. And in fact, I happened to run into her yesterday at the mall and floated my plan to her. She likes the idea.”

“Well, honestly, I can’t think of anybody better to fill the job. I certainly wouldn’t want someone like Suri Polomare or Vain Looks to be a diva.”

“Then it’s settled,” Champagne said with a grin. “Now all we have to do is just talk to Twilight and Octavia and see if they’ll accept.”

“Thanks for joining us!” Suri said cheerfully to Coco as she walked up to the table. “Crackle was just telling me about her wonderful friend and I felt extremely bad for not meeting you before, so please, accept my apologies.”

“Oh, no, thank you for inviting me!” Coco replied as she sat down. “Crackle has told me time and time again about her big sister and I feel bad myself that we’ve never met. Anyway, I’m Coco Pommel!”

“And I’m Suri Polomare! Pleasure to meet you!” Suri’s voice was cloyingly sweet, charming and clearly refined. Coco smiled; if she was anything like Crackle, she would be a wonderful friend and a person to rely on. “So, sis says that you don’t have anyone chosen as a Senior Sister for Freshman Week yet?”

Coco shook her head. “No. Nobody’s approached me, and that means either I’ll be left in the general pool, or nobody will want me at all.” For Coco, having had both Fleur and her own mother attend Zacherle, she’d heard the stories about Freshman Week, and she wasn’t sure what was worse: being selected from the general pool, or being outright forgotten. In the former case, it meant that any old senior could pick you and generally all the nastiest pranks done to freshmen were as a result of that; in the latter case, being left out entirely was practically a social death sentence, which according to her mother meant that you were pretty much a pariah for the rest of your freshman year and had to do something pretty outstanding in order to “redeem” yourself in your sophomore year.

“Well, we wouldn’t want that, would we, sis?” Crackle asked Suri, giving her sister the bambi-eyes. That was Crackle, somehow in complete admiration of her sister and looking out for Coco at the same time.

“No, I have to admit, that would be unfair to both of you. After all, I’m hoping to be announced as one of the school divas the first day of class, and I have high hopes that you two will become divas once you reach your senior year. But that can’t happen if Coco’s left down in the pits, shall we say.” A thoughtful look crossed the older girl’s face. “So, here’s what I’m going to do: I’m going to take you under my wing for senior week…but….”

“But?” Coco asked, curious.

“But…you will have to start working for me, starting tomorrow. The reason for that is because…well, let’s be honest: The sooner we establish you’re with me, the sooner no other seniors will pick on you and will definitely ensure that you won’t end up in the general pool or ignored. And while I might have to have you do some arduous things,” Suri pointed out, “I can assure you that I won’t ask you to do anything that I wouldn’t ask Crackle.”

“What about me?” Crackle asked.

“I’ll have to contact one of my friends and ask them to do the same for you,” Suri replied, “but I’ll make sure you’re taken care of, little sister. Wouldn’t want you to end up in the wrong hands, right?” Suri punctuated the last with a wink and Crackle practically swooned from her older sister’s attentions.

“So we’re good?” Coco asked.

“No, we’re definitely not good,” Suri replied. “It’s much better than that.”

“Hi, thanks for coming!” Fluttershy said to Sunset, Twilight, Octavia and Spike as they stood at the door. Twilight carried something in her hands that looked like a potato salad, while Sunset carried a much larger bag.

“Thanks for having us, Flutters!” Sunset said to her friend.

“No, the pleasure is all mine,” the chiffon-haired girl replied. “And you didn’t have to bring anything, Twily – this is your party, after all.”

“I didn’t – it was actually Sunny who made it,” the plum-haired teen replied. “She insisted tha—”

Sunset, for her part, blushed. “I just didn’t want you to get stuck with all the cooking, Fluttershy.”

“I appreciate the sentiment, but Rainbow’s in charge of the grilling right now, and Pinkie and AJ came over to help me make the side dishes,” Fluttershy replied. “Rarity should be here in a couple of minutes with all the drinks.”

“Well, in the meanwhile, Sunny and I can help all you need; we just need to deposit Spike somewhere and ensure Twily keeps out of the kitchen before something blows up,” Octavia said with a grin.

“TAVI!” Twilight snarled, followed by quick laughter from Octavia and Sunset. Fluttershy, for her part, giggled briefly while giving Twilight a sympathetic look, then turned to Spike.

“Um, Spike, if you’ll follow me, I’ll lead you to the den, where Angel’s got the games set up. Just please remember, he’s hearing impaired, so make sure you write anything down if you want to talk to him, okay?” She reached into her pocket and handed the boy a small pad and pen.

“Be on your best behavior, squirt,” Sunset warned. “If we find out you and Angel were fighting….”

“Hey, I’ll just kick his a….” He paused when he realized who was standing in front of him. “Uh, I’m sure we’ll work it out.”

“He’ll be alright, I’m sure,” Fluttershy said in Spike’s defense. “Kitchen is right over there, and I’ll be right back.” With that, she beckoned Spike to follow, while the three other girls walked over towards the kitchen.

As they walked in, they found Applejack and Pinkie, hard at work. “Heya!” Pinkie cried out the moment she saw her friends. “I’m making a rainbow velvet cake for tonight. It’s like a red velvet cake, but has all the colors of the rainbow in it. Something that Uncle Carrot came up with and I’m giving it a shot!”

“Sounds good,” Octavia replied. “Heya, AJ.”

“Heya, yerself. As fer me, Ah’m makin’ th’ special Apple family cornbread recipe. Y’all gonna love it!” Sunset tried not to laugh at that; the night she and the pony version of Applejack were tossing back mugs of cider back at the Apple family farm, she’d tried to foist cornbread off on her that time as well, giving pretty much the same answer – that it had been a treasured Apple family recipe dating back to her great-great-grandfather Cortland Apple or something like that.

“Lemme guess,” Sunset said, “old family recipe?”

“Yeah, mah great-great-grandpa Cortland Apple made it when he set up Sweet Apple Acres back in Heavener,” Applejack said with a tone of seriousness. “Ah know Pa misses that place terrible – maybe not Ma so much, as’n she’s from here, originally – but at least Uncle Stayman was able t’ take it over, instead.” She shook her head and smiled. “Y’know, maybe Ah oughta have mah cousin Braeburn come over one day. Ah hear he’s single, an’ one o’ ya gals might just catch his eye.”

“Thanks, but no,” Octavia replied. “After what happened earlier this year, I’m definitely staying clear of dating for the time being.” Though she said nothing, Twilight nodded furiously. Sunset’s face remained expressionless.

Pinkie tsked at Applejack and said, “Hey, I understand that! Anyway, Twily, you’re the star attraction here! Go ahead and go on out and sit and we’ll join you later, okay?”

“You sure you don’t need a hand with anything?” Octavia asked.

“Well…I’m fine, but I’m sure Fluttershy could use a hand with something, right?” the cheerleader said to the musician as Fluttershy entered the kitchen.

“Actually, um, if you don’t mind, Tavi, I probably could use the assist,” Fluttershy asked. “I still have to make the baked beans and some other stuff, but if you don’t mind….”

“No, I’m not the best in the kitchen, but I don’t mind at all,” Octavia said, going over to the counter to wash her hands.

Meanwhile, both Twilight and Sunset walked outside, where Rainbow was fiddling around with a spatula. “Hookin’ shit up!” she said with a grin, briefly waving at both newcomers. “Burnin’ some flesh, planning to make it nice and juicy!”

“Hate to break it to you, Chef Chargrilled,” Sunset replied with a snicker, “but I don’t see anything on the grill there.”

“That’s because I’m smoking the wood,” Rainbow said in a faux-authoritative tone. “Anyone who’s anyone knows that a good smoke is vital to any successful grilling operation!”

Twilight giggled. “Been watching the Food Network, Rainbow?”

The rainbow-haired teen shrugged. “Hey, there was nothing good on Cartoon Network or ESPN, the Hub was showing that Care Bears crap and who in their right mind watches MTV?”

“Well, I’ll have you know that I think there are much better things to be done with one’s time than television,” a voice said. The three turned back to the door and saw Rarity standing there, grocery bags in hand. Setting down the bags on the picnic table, she went over and hugged Twilight. “It’s good to see you back, dear. You know we all missed you.”

“Thanks,” Twilight blushed.

“When you have a chance, I’d love to hear about how Italy was. I’m positively envious of your travel,” Rarity told her. “The only place I’ve ever been is to my grandparents’ place in Rhode Island. I’d love to travel someday.”

“I think you’d like Florence,” Twilight replied. “Well, maybe that or Milan – both are big fashion meccas, I’m told.”

“Sounds nice,” Rarity said. “And I’m glad at least one of my friends is interested in the finer cultures, unlike some ruffians I know,” she added teasingly to Rainbow.

“What was that, Rares? You wanted the extra-raw?”

“At least that way I’d know it was spared from that mess you refer to as cooking!”

“Girls, now don’t fight,” Fluttershy said as she carried the chicken and burgers out; she looked as though she felt uncomfortable doing so. “I know you’re just joking around, but this night is for Twily and we should enjoy each other’s company, ne?”

Rainbow blinked once. “Oh, you did just not—”

Fluttershy smiled sweetly. 「レインボーをどうするか？」

Rainbow blinked once. Twice. Then groaned. “I hate it when you do that.”

“So, are you free for dinner tonight?” Sable’s voice sounded over the speaker of the cellphone.

“Well, I was planning to stay home and just do paperwork….” Celestia replied…which was, admittedly, the extent of her itinerary for the evening. “Why, did you have something in mind?”

“Well, I just happened to have to grade some homework myself,” Sable replied, “and I just happened to have found the best pizza in the universe just off the corner of Redding Drive and Shasta View Avenue.”

Celestia smiled; she knew a bribe when she heard it. Fortunately, said bribe also came with a cute enough tush. “Best pizza in the world? You do remember I’m originally from Italy, right?”

“So sue me. It beats the Pizza Hut on Fort Benning.” She could practically hear the laughter in his voice. “So, anyway, we on, or what? What kind do you like?”

Celestia thought about the lunch she’d had with him and then the dinner she’d had with him over at Sombra’s place a few days back. Sable was definitely nice to be around, and he genuinely didn’t care about her age, not that she really showed it. And for some reason, she felt there could be something more to this. Granted, when she was about his age she didn’t care for the kind of cocky machismo he displayed; they probably would’ve ended up at loggerheads at that point. But age had given her enough of a maturity to deal with that kind of attitude, expertise to ameliorate it…

…and enough years to realize she wasn’t getting any younger and he had a really cute butt.

“Sure. Whatever kind of pizza’s fine,” she said. “I’ve got beer and wine at my place, so unless you want anything else, I think we’re covered for drinks. Eight sound good?”

“Sure. See you tonight, then!”

“Bye!” Clicking off the phone, Celestia made a mental note to leave work early that night. She had a ton of things to do at home to make sure she had company that wasn’t family or friends, and maybe if it worked out for the best, maybe there would be something more.

“Oh, man, I don’t think I could eat another bite!” Sunset said, hours and pounds of food later. The eight girls sat around the picnic table in the backyard, halfway in a food coma; at a smaller side table, both Angel and Spike were asleep, both victims of postprandial somnolence. “I’ll say this much, Rainbow: you really know how to work your way around a grill.”

From the position of her face buried in her arms on the table, the athlete gingerly raised a thumb into the air, then with some effort, manage to sit up, leaning back in the chair. “Ugh, I swear I’m gonna hafta run a marathon or two to burn all this off.”

“Hey, maybe you can work out the calories just like I do!” As was expected, Pinkie had already burnt off her calories with the insane metabolism she had.

“Sorry, Pinks, but cheerleading ain’t a real sport.”

“Oh sure it is!”

“No, it’s not.”

“Yes it is!”

“No, Pinkie, it’s not!”

“Yes it is!”

“Pinkie!”

“Yes it is yes it is yes it is!” she chirped gloriously before whispering an aside to Applejack, “This is fun! We should argue more often!” The hyper cotton-candy-haired teen did not see her friend facepalm at the moment. However, she did say, “Okay, now that we got the food out of the way, why don’t we eat dessert?”

“Good idea,” Fluttershy agreed, standing up. “I’ll go get more plates and cutlery.”

“I have a better idea,” Twilight said as she got up from her chair. “While Pinkie goes and gets the cake and plates, why don’t I get the gifts that I got for all of you?”

“Hey, I’ll help with the plates,” Octavia said, as she rose from her own chair. “Okay with you, Pinkie?”

“Okie davi Tavi!” was Pinkie’s reply, and the three teens went into the house.

As the trio departed, Rarity was the one to speak. “Sunset, please…don’t minimize this: how is she doing and what can we do to help? I know that neither Octavia or I no longer need the counseling for the incident back then, but given Twilight’s, ahem, ‘sensitivity’, I would imagine that….”

Sunset raised her hand to gently silence Rarity. “The parentals and I talked this morning. Twily’s going to go through counselling for the rest of the summer, just to make sure everything will be okay. But as for the spells, they seem to be holding, and I need to send a note to Princess Twilight as soon as I can, if only to know what else to look for.” Sunset gave her friends a sober look. “I failed her once…I’m never going to do that again.”

“Dear, you didn’t fai—” Rarity’s words were suddenly drowned out by Octavia’s shout of “No fucking way!”

“What’s going on?” Rainbow asked.

“Dunno, but Ah think we should check,” Applejack replied, though that was solved a second later by Octavia walking out with a FedEx envelope, a grin on her face.

“Hey, girls, check this shit out!” Octavia said, while Fluttershy frantically tried to grab the letter out of the musician’s face. “Looks like Fluttershy got a letter from her dad.”

“Um, can I have that back, please?” Fluttershy said, looking really anxious. She kept grabbing, only to have Octavia pull it away from her. “Tavi, please!” The look in Fluttershy’s face was getting angry.

Rainbow looked annoyed. “Hey, not cool, Tavi! Give her the thing okay?”

“Not until you hear the secret that Flutters has been keeping from us!”

Rarity’s eyes brightened. “Secret? Fluttershy, darling, have you been holding out on me?” The fashionista batted her eyes and pouted, hoping for a reaction.

“Um, Rarity, it’s that…well, it’s that, um….” Sunset immediately noticed that Fluttershy was both acting like her pony counterpart…but yet there was an undercurrent of anger, one that she’d never seen in her friend before.

“Tavi, give her the letter, okay?” Sunset insisted.

“No, you gotta hear this!” At this point, Octavia held Fluttershy at arms’ length and read the letter:

The area suddenly went quiet as Octavia handed the letter back to Fluttershy. The silence was punctuated a second later as Fluttershy slapped Octavia.

“Flutters, what the hell?” Octavia cried, shocked.

“How…how could you?” Tears began to stream from Fluttershy’s blue eyes. “I thought…I thought you were my friend, Tavi!”

“I am, but…what the fuck?”

At this point, Twilight came out with the gifts, seeing everyone stunned, Octavia rubbing her cheek and Fluttershy looking completely heartbroken. “Uh, did I miss something?”

“Yeah, only Tavi fuckin’ up royally,” Applejack replied. “Whut on Earth were ya thinkin’, Tav?”

Octavia looked as though she was suddenly confused. “I…I wasn’t—”

Rainbow snarled, “No fucking shit you weren’t!”

Rarity then spoke up. “Fluttershy, dear, I understand you’ve never had a good relationship with your father, but…if he’s trying to make amends, wouldn’t it be best if you tried?”

Tears openly streaming down her face, Fluttershy shook her head. “You don’t understand! What he did to me! What he did to Angel? How the hell can I forgive that?”

“What did he do?”

“He abandoned us! He wanted the Goddamn rockstar life more than he wanted us! He wanted to be all-fucking-mighty Discord before anything else!” The shouting was enough to wake up both Angel and Spike.

A pause. Two. Then suddenly, Rainbow’s voice broke the silence: “Wait…did you just say your dad is Discord? As in the fucking most awesome rocker there is?”

“NO!” Fluttershy shouted. “I SAID HE WAS DISCORD, A COWARDLY, PATHETIC EXCUSE FOR A FATHER WHO RAN OUT ON HIS FAMILY BECAUSE FAME WAS MORE IMPORTANT THAN US!” Fluttershy’s feet collapsed under her and she fell to the patio deck, crying. Immediately, Angel ran to her side to comfort his big sister, staring angrily at them all.

“Hey, that’s funny!” Pinkie said, as if expecting this to be a joke. When a few seconds more went by and it suddenly became obvious that it wasn’t humor, Pinkie’s mood – and hair – seemed to deflate almost instantly. She moved over to Fluttershy to administer a hug, but Angel, not really knowing what was going on, swatted the teen away angrily.

“I think I’d best stay to straighten things out,” Rarity said.

“I think I’d better straighten out Tavi’s face,” Rainbow said angrily as she launched herself out of the chair, the plastic piece of furniture clattering on the deck. “You have some explaining to do,” she accused, punctuating her statement by punching a fist in her other hand.

“Hey, Rainbow, that ain’t gonna help,” Applejack retorted, but then turned to Sunset and said, “Ah think y'all best get goin’, a’fer this gets worse. We’ll straighten this out an’ Ah’ll call ya later tonight, Sunny.” She then turned her anger on Octavia and said, “An' Ah think ya best think of a way t’ apologize to Fluttershy fer all this.”

“But I didn’t… I didn’t….” Octavia seemed completely at a loss for words, as if she still had no idea of what was going on.

“Yeah,” Sunset agreed with Applejack in a toneless voice. “I’m sorry for what happened.”

“Not yer fault, sugarcube,” the blonde said in sober tones. “But we’ll straighten this out. Ah hope.”

Author's Note

So, we're back. If you're good (and if I have the time), we'll keep to a weekly schedule. if not...mwahahahhahha!

June 10: Decollage

“Well, that’s that,” Twilight said to Sunset. “She doesn’t want to speak to any one right now. I think she’s completely humiliated by her actions.”

The trio had returned to the home at Golden Oaks, and the moment they did, Octavia immediately went into the unfinished room that was being built for her, locking the door. While Twilight went to try to talk some sense into her cousin, Sunset had the unenviable task of calling Applejack for a status update, which had gone on for several uncomfortable minutes. By the time she’d ended the call, Twilight had joined Sunset in the latter’s room.

Sunset flopped on her bed, tossing her phone onto the nightstand. “Well, you may as well know: Rarity said that Fluttershy cried herself to sleep, and it took Rainbow talking patiently to Angel to get him to calm down. They’re both staying overnight at Flutters’ place so they can explain the situation to Dr. Posey. Plus, I think Rainbow wants an explanation on…well, you know.”

“Yeah, I can imagine so,” Twilight said. “How are you taking it?”

“I’m not even thinking about that right now, to be honest,” Sunset replied as she shrugged. “And as for the other aspect of it? I’m an orphan, Twily. If my biological parents suddenly showed up, I wouldn’t know how to react.” Especially since I have no idea if either is still alive, not to mention that they have no idea where I went since my initial split with Princess Celestia, she thought to herself. “Besides, whoever they are, they may have conceived me…but they’re not my parents.”

“Right, and besides, we’re not letting you go, anyway,” Twilight replied with a brief smile, though it soon disappeared. “Well, I’m going to wait up by the door; she can’t stay in there forever, and she’s going to need someone to keep her company when she comes out.”

Sunset yawned. “Unfortunately, that can’t be me. I need to get to bed so I can get ready for school in the morning.”

“Okay, good night, sis,” Twilight said, as she left the room, with Sunset seemingly getting ready for bed. Instead, however, she went over to the dresser, focusing on a pine-green candle with a set of matches by it. If anyone were to light the candle, it would give off a pleasant pine scent and nothing more. But as Sunset’s left index finger flickered with cyan spellfire, she gently tapped the wick, and it came alive with a huge splash of green flame. Two sparks leapt from the fire, coalescing into solid objects adjacent to the candle. A second later, a scroll appeared next to them, scented with a familiar perfume. Sunset couldn’t help but smile; the scent was distinctive to Princess Celestia’s personal stationery, which meant she got a letter from the princess. Eager to see what it said, Sunset wasted no time in opening the document.

Sunset looked at the box for a quarter second before opening the package, giving a delighted squee. OhmiCelestia…Haybales! She sent Haybales! Memories swarmed the flamehaired teen’s mind, of wolfing down the spongy sweetgrass-and-marshmallow treats, much to Celestia’s amusement. Oh, and…. Her jaw dropped. Is that? It is! Grassdots! Holy shit, I didn’t think they even made them anymore! A bluegrass-flavored jellybean-like candy, it was Celestia’s favorite candy and, thus by extension, Sunset’s. Unfortunately, though, the kindly old pegasus that had made them in Baltimare passed away without handing on the recipe, and so it had been lost. I wonder if someone managed to reverse engineer them?

She was about to ingest a few of each, before a sad reminder hit her: Wait…I’m human right now. I can’t eat these! Part of her was tempted to see if she could try to change back to her pony form in order to give in to temptation, but she didn’t know if she had that kind of power on hand even with her full magic now; plus, there was that little problem of having to explain everything if anyone picked the wrong time to come into her room.

Sunset went to bed with mixed feelings that night, grateful for Celestia’s ministrations…but depressed at her inability to enjoy her foalhood favorites. And on top of that was the ornate wood and brass jewel box she pulled from the bottom. It had the image of her cutie mark on it, and it was clear that the box itself was an additional gift; however, the glowing encryption spell – double-warded, in fact – had the former unicorn very concerned.

How dangerous was the thing within?

I need some sleep; I’ll look at it later, Sunset decided. Chances are, I’ll have a clearer head in the morning.

“You do realize that AJ and I are pissed as hell at Tavi, right?” Rainbow snarled at Sunset the following morning.

“Yes, Rainbow…but you’re not pissed at me, I hope, so please tone it down a bit?”

The athlete had the good grace to look flustered. “Uh, yeah, sorry. Look, it’s just…you know how delicate Flutters can be. Plus, that was a seriously dicked move for Tavi to pull.”

“Yeah, I know – Twily plans to read her the riot act over breakfast this morning; wish I could’ve stayed for that, but the maternal unit had to go in early, so I caught a lift with her. In any case, my parents and hers have already talked and so Tavi’s grounded for a week.”

“She deserves it. Hell, she deserves far more, and you know it!”

“Rainbow…whatever happened last night? I don’t know why my cousin did what she did, and I’m not even going to try to pretend to understand. But, for what it’s worth…I know she’s sorry. And frankly, she’s a little scared right now that she’s lost her closest friends.”

“She should be,” Rainbow grunted.

“Not helping,” Sunset admonished.

“Fine. Look, I’ll call Rarity and see if Fluttershy’s willing to talk to her again – she’s staying there still, if only because she’s the only one who can understand how Flutters feels.”

“You mean that her melodrama can actually match what Fluttershy’s going through,” Sunset snarked. “On the other hand, Discord? I really can’t believe it.”

“Yeah, know what you mean.” The look on Rainbow’s face was one of shame. “All these years of me thinking that Discord was the most fucking awesome rock god there was, and all the times I said that repeatedly in front of her. I was stomping on her heart and I didn’t even know it! Worse, the guy I thought was the coolest rock star out there? He’s not only her father, but he’s an asshole, too! I mean…I’m at a real loss for words here.”

“I know what you mean: When I was seventeen – well, in pony years – I had the biggest crush on Jetstream, then the leader of the Wonderbolts, as well as their best flier, hooves down.”

“The what?”

“Pegasi who serve as military stunt fliers; they’re roughly the equivalent of the Blue Angels. Anyway, for my seventeenth birthday, Princess Celestia arranged for me to have a private meeting with him. I was hoping to meet one of my heroes. He…well, he thought I was just another groupie that wanted to lift her tail for him, and he had no idea who I was or that the meeting had been arranged by the princess.”

“Sounds serious. What happened?”

“Well, she came in, just as I was cowering in a corner and he was…well, let’s just say that it was one of the few times in my life that I’d ever seen her so angry, and it probably had an influence on why I thought she was going to kill me when I returned. As for Jetstream? He was arrested, got a court-martial, then kicked off the team and out of the Guard. If I recall correctly, he ended up having to eke a life for himself as a weatherpony in a small town in the Badlands – kinda like being exiled to the worst part of Arizona.”

“Sorry to hear that.”

“It’s in the past, and Celestia got there before anything happened to me. In any case, my point, ironically, is summed up in the human phrase, ‘you should never meet your heroes.’”

Rainbow rolled her eyes at that. “Well, duh, I think I knew that already. Your point is?”

“The point is that all this time, all we’ve ever seen him as is a rock god and all that comes with celebrity life. But Flutters once saw him as an even bigger hero than that: her father. And…well, I have no idea of what to do in this case, other than trying to help her in any way I can.”

Rainbow grinned as they reached their classrooms. “Hey, Sunny, trust me: that’s more than enough.”

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Octavia said sullenly as she stared across the table at Twilight. In the kitchen, Night kept a general ear out, as he didn’t have to work today and so was putzing around the house. Even still, he surmised his daughter and his niece could figure it out, but better to have an adult nearby just in case.

“So, one burrito or two, girls?”

“One, Uncle Night,” Octavia said, trying to dodge the subject.

“Just one, Dad, thanks,” Twilight replied, and then turned back to her cousin. “And you are not getting out of this – frankly, I’m a little disappointed in you.”

“Gee, sorry, Mom,” Octavia drawled, her sarcasm dripping. Twilight just stared in response, and it made the raven-haired musician nervous; for some reason she couldn’t define, Twilight’s less than happy glare seemed to cut through her soul, something she’d never felt before. It was like if the whole of her life had just changed in that one look, and the older cousin, the one who had been more in control of her life and feelings than the younger, had just swapped places on the emotional pinwheel.

Nothing else was said as Night gave the two their breakfast burritos, the soft sounds of mastication being more than enough to grate on Octavia’s nerves. Finally, Twilight finished up, put her plate in the sink and gave her father a kiss on the cheek. “I volunteered to read to some kids at the library, so I’m going to be gone for a while. Then, I’ll probably go over Fluttershy’s and see how she’s doing.” She gave a nasty stare at Octavia and said, “Someone in this family shouldn’t leave Sunny to do all this alone.” And not waiting for an answer, she left the room.

Octavia looked at her half-eaten burrito. It was spicy, just the way her uncle made them and how she liked it, but today it somehow had lost its taste. And she couldn’t take her eyes off the incompleteness of the whole thing, as if it were the only thing that mattered.

“Made a mistake that you feel you can’t recover from?” she heard her uncle say. Octavia looked up and wordlessly nodded, not sure of how to answer it. He grabbed his plate then sat down across from her. “Well, from what it sounds like, you made a mistake, Tavi. Just talking to Evening…neither of your parents is really happy with you right now.”

“I know.” She looked at her uncle, genuine shame running through her. “I just…I just don’t know what happened. It felt like the right thing to do, even though in hindsight, I know it was stupid. And I admit that I should’ve been more sensitive to Fluttershy’s feelings, since she’s so fragile at times – far more than Twily. So what made me do it? I really can’t answer that.”

“I do,” Night replied.

“You do?”

The man nodded. “Tavi, I’ve helped raise you since you were in diapers, and I love you just as much as I do my own children. So I think I can fairly say that it’s…well, it’s a cry for help.” She looked at him oddly, but he continued. “Sunny’s become a major facet of our lives. Your parents are going away, and by the time they move back to the country – assuming they ever do – you’ll be an adult, and likely living on your own. Plus, a lot of your life, living part here and part with your parents, resembles a lot of what divorced children go through. And though your parents, as well as Velvet and I, have tried to give you structure, we’re human and sometimes we fail. So it’s natural that you’re confused deep inside and aren’t taking it well to some degree.

“From what little I know – and yes, I spoke to Dr. Posey about an hour ago via conference line with your parents and Velvet – you saw Fluttershy going through the same thing, and something went wrong. Something that you wanted to subconsciously rail against in your own way, you did through Fluttershy as a proxy. But because you weren’t entirely explaining yourself, you took away any agency she had to do so, and caused the error.”

“And I thought that Aunt Velvet was the psychologist in the family.”

He grinned. “I picked up a few things over the years. Besides, I’m not saying anything that she wouldn’t.”

“So then, aside from the obvious – and I do owe Flutters an apology regardless of whether it was wrong of me or not – what now?”

“Well, note that you’re grounded here and not at your parents’ place, mainly because they know that you need to work this out for yourself…with our guidance, of course. But you’re almost an adult, Tavi, and sooner or later you’re going to have to move beyond your pain and your issues and just realize that warts and all, this is life. And I know you will – we all do.” He got up, then went and hugged her, kissing her on the forehead. “Besides, you’re my favorite niece – can’t let you wander into the mess that’s adulthood if there’s something I can do to help.”

She grinned softly. “Aren’t I your only niece?”

“Not anymore; Velvet’s sister Glitter had a daughter a few months back. Little Cinnamon Star is just the cutest thing.”

Octavia then pouted, flashed bambi eyes and said in a soft voice, “What, not me?”

It was all Night could do to not laugh…and a second later he did, Octavia joining him as she felt things lighten for the moment.

The thoughts continued to echo through Sunset’s mind as she went through the remainder of her classes, and then as she went off to work. And as the hours ticked off at the café, Sunset still couldn’t get her mind off the current dilemma. It was bad enough that she had her own “family” issues, but now hers had directly bled into Fluttershy’s own, and that was one thing that she didn’t want. She had no idea why Tavi had screwed with Fluttershy like that, but that was in the past, and the only way to fix it was…well, to fix it.

“Sunny?” Sunset woke up out of her reverie to see Blossomforth, sitting down on one of the chairs in the café.

“Sorry, Blossom, spaced out for a sec,” she apologized. “What’s up?”

“Sorry, can you carry my tray to table three? The baby started kicking and I feel kinda queasy.”

“Kicking? Really?” Sunset asked cheerfully. When the teen mother-to-be nodded, Sunset went over and grabbed her tray. “Sure. Table three, right?”

“Yeah, thanks.”

“No problem!” Sunset replied while Blossomforth made her way towards the counter, where Pinkie was manning the cash register.

As Blossom approached the counter, Pinkie said, “Tag team?”

“That obvious?”

“Uh huh! But don’t worry, once the little girl’s born, I’ll start teaching her all my secrets! Parties, baking, cheerleading….” Pinkie’s eyes took on a sudden wild cast as she said in faux-German tones, “I vil mold her into ze finest party gurl in all ov Kanterlot!” The silly accent was bad enough, but for a moment, Blossomforth did a mental doubletake, thinking that Pinkie’s voice had mysteriously reverbed on its own.

“But…what if it’s a boy?” the pregnant teen asked, as she waddled over to the cash register.

Pinkie thought for a moment, getting off the chair so Blossomforth could sit down. “Well…guys can be party planners, bakers and cheerleaders, too, right?”

The flamehaired girl, meanwhile, stopped off at table three, saying, “And I believe you had the tuna melt on ry—Doctor Posey?”

Posey looked up from her magazine and smiled. “Oh, hello, Sunset.”

“What are you doing here?”

“I needed lunch and Cup insisted that I had to come in to try their newest menu, so I thought today was as good as any.” The woman then added, “But I wasn’t aware that you worked here.”

“Been for about half a year now,” Sunset replied. “Ever since…well, I’m sure Fluttershy’s told you about that.”

“My daughter’s shared a lot of things with me,” the doctor told her. “Like, for example, what occurred last night.”

The flamehaired girl became a bit pallid at hearing that. “I, uh, have to apologize for….”

But Posey shook her head, lifting up a single hand. “No, Sunset, you have nothing to apologize for. Rarity told me that you actually tried to help defuse the situation, which I very much appreciate. If anything, I owe you an apology; when Fluttershy looked completely heartbroken and your name was brought up, I immediately assumed the worst, given your past history. It was only when Rarity explained that I got the full picture.”

“Understandable,” Sunset replied, though she didn’t trust herself to continue down that line of reasoning, so she changed the subject. “How’s she doing, by the way?”

“She’s at home, as far as I know. You should go see her – I think she’d appreciate it.” Posey took a drink of her water then looked at the teen again. “I guess the news about Fluttershy’s father is public by now.”

“No, it’s not; Rainbow and I talked about it at school this morning and we both agreed that we should all keep it under wraps unless Fluttershy makes it public herself. But I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that I’m, well, shocked. I never would have thought that her father is…you know.”

A wry smile came onto Posey’s face, and for some reason, it reminded Sunset of her friend’s more impish moments. Well, if nothing else, moments like that should prove her parentage, Sunset said to herself.

Unaware of her thoughts, Posey replied, “Trust me, I very well know. I was there. Twice, in fact.” A slightly wicked smile came onto the woman’s face as she added, “Well, more than twice, honestly; it just only twice that I ended up with child.”

“I…didn’t need to hear that.”

“I thought you were one of the ones that had already dated?” teased the doctor. “But seriously, I spoke to your parents a couple of hours ago and wanted to find out for myself what was going on…I haven’t told them everything, nor should I tell you, either. I feel that is my daughter’s place, as your friend, to tell all of you.”

“She didn’t want to before.”

“Because she was afraid of how some of you would react. Aren’t you and Rainbow are huge fans of his?”

“I am. Or maybe that should be was,” Sunset said, her voice lilting in a questioning tone. She had to admit, Discord’s music had been a balm for her during her first weeks here on Earth, probably one of the worst periods of her life at the time. She’d found a thrown away off-brand MP3 player that had most of the musician’s Explosive Chocolate, Vol. 1 album on it; though a good portion of the tracks had been corrupted, the lonely, haunting voice that sang soft songs to her during those days she adjusted to being human had called to her in a way that no other music had. Later on, she’d been able to get a phone and a subscription to eMusic; she’d found that Discord’s Explosive Chocolate series was an experiment and that the ballads within them paled in comparison to his giddy, goofy, sarcastic and sometimes caustic songwriting. In many ways, Discord’s music had been the soundtrack of her life here on Earth, and she practically always heard “Thrown Out the Door” as the background music the day she remembered stepping out of the portal, freezing, naked and afraid. Part of her even felt she owed Discord her loyalty, in a sense, because his music meant so much to her. And maybe before her change of heart, she would have blindly chosen him over other options in an instant, if only for that reason.

But now that music and the image of the reed-thin, often bare-chested crooner with the platinum hair and goatee contrasted with the chiffon-haired, cyan-eyed girl Sunset called one of her closest friends. And where there had been zero connection prior now lay a line thick as a tree and red as blood…for it was exactly that, a bloodline, stretching from the man to the girl. And as she realized that metaphorical line, Sunset could hear the anger and rage in Fluttershy’s voice from the night before, a level of fury that she’d never thought the oft-placid girl capable of.

Who did she owe her loyalty to? The distant rocker, whose music had been Sunset’s personal panacea through all the years she’d been here on Earth? Or to Fluttershy, one of the first to truly embrace and forgive her and take her in bonds of friendship? Where did the line draw? Where did the path end?

“The line draws to Footloose,” Posey replied, matter-of-factly. When Sunset looked at the woman, she smiled and added, “You just had that look on your face, Sunset; I figured that answer was as good as any other.” She then took a drink of her water, before continuing. “Personally, I thought he was great in Quicksilver, and still a hunk, if you ask me…but that’s not what we were discussing.” She then took a bite of the tuna melt, chewing happily before saying to herself, “Yeah, Cup’s right, this is good.”

Meanwhile, Sunset was trying to process everything; it was rare when her brain failed her so spectacularly like that, but this was clearly one of those times. “I’m not…sure we were having any sort of conversation, Doctor.”

“You’re right, we weren’t; well, not a conversation, per se. What we were doing was…well, I was asking you to talk to Fluttershy.” The woman took a sip of the accompanying soup and hummed a soft line of approval; the tune sounded like it came from one of Discord’s earlier songs. “Sunset, I won’t pretend that I don’t know about your past: You don’t know how many times when Fluttershy came home crying that I wanted to go find your parents and just give them a piece of my mind. Truth be told, if I ever could, I still would…but more now because of their abandonment of you and turning you briefly into something that no little girl should be. And while I don’t know what put you back on the right path, I can honestly say that your foster parents have done a marvelous job giving you the family that you should have had and the love that you needed.”

“I couldn’t have done it without Fluttershy,” Sunset admitted softly. “She was afraid of me for what I’d been in the past, but she moved past it to offer me her friendship.”

“I’m proud that she did, because right now, my little girl needs that, just as you did back then. She’s trying to be brave for Angel, she always has when it comes to him, but this is really wounding her.” Posey couldn’t quite seem to face Sunset as she recalled, “I remember how she worshipped the ground her father walked on as a girl, but…now my little girl’s in anguish, and there’s not a damn thing I can do to help, because I was part of the problem – I was part of what put her in this position.” The look in the composed woman’s eyes flickered for a second much like Fluttershy’s, and Sunset couldn’t help but wonder if Posey was just like her daughter when she was that age.

“Doctor, I can’t promise that I can help her the way you want me to. I’m still adjusting to having a family myself, barely having any grasp of what it’s like to have parents, a sister, a cousin that’s like a sister, and brothers. I can’t really help Fluttershy in that regard at all….” She closed her eyes, breathed slowly, and made a fist as if to ward off something.

“Sunset, I—”

“But I’ll sure as hell try,” Sunset suddenly interrupted in a tone that brooked no argument. “Because I know what it’s like not only to be a sister, but to be a big sister as well. If nothing else, that much I understand now. When Twily was going through her problems…I would have sacrificed my own life to save her. And I know that’s what Fluttershy would do for Angel. Because that’s what big sisters do.”

Posey looked genuinely surprised – and touched. “I’m an only child, Sunset – I don’t have that frame of reference.”

“Thankfully, I have a family that loves me enough to give me that. And that’s what Fluttershy’s trying to do for Angel; I never understood that earlier, but this past year has made me understand that so deep within me it’s like it’s in my marrow. So yes, I’ll do what I can. That was never in doubt, I promise.”

Posey looked at Sunset, and for a moment, there was something about the teen that the older woman couldn’t quite comprehend. That for a moment, there was a mature, noble quality about the teen that made her seem far older than she was; if Posey could put a definition to it, the way Sunset Shimmer seemed in that moment was almost as though she was not only a peer to Posey in terms of age, but also in terms of bearing, as though a person once thought to be the school bully turned out to be born for military command and took that seriously.

That was the sole thought that Posey stuck too as she looked at the young woman before her. I can see why Flutters was so worried about her when they finally buried the hatchet. There’s something about this girl that seems so unworldly and yet so commanding at the same time. What kind of life did she lead before she ran away that caused her to be like that? Posey then realized it was a good thing Sunset’s foster mother was a child psychologist; Velvet likely had her hands full at times trying to understand the girl.

In an art gallery in Brussels, a man sipped from a glass of wine. At his side, a young woman stood, looking at a clipboard. “Sir, I have a message from Beta. She would like to speak to you at your earliest convenience.”

“Not now,” he said, waving her way. “Tell her I’ll contact her later.”

“You’ll talk to me now,” a young woman replied. She looked right at Delta, a soft smile on her face. It was easily countered by the look in her eyes, a steely look that Delta imagined that he wouldn’t see on anyone else but the most battle-hardy of soldiers…or the cruelest of killers. She was drinking from a champagne flute, and if she was trying to imitate a bored socialite, she pulled it off very well.

“I’m impressed. What else do you do?”

Beta leaned forward and whispered, “Think far enough ahead to make sure I took an antidote for the vibrasnopam you had slipped into all the drinks here. So, tell me, which girl are you planning to take home? Would it be her?” The woman pointed at a dark-skinned beauty with vibrant sea-green hair; she looked like the kind of woman any guy would kill to go home with. “Or would it be her?” She then pointed at a beautiful blonde who appeared to be of Asian ancestry. “Or her?” A stunning beauty who appeared to be Irish, if the blazing-red and shamrock-green hair were any indication. “Or, perhaps, her?” The woman then pointed to the last person’s daughter, who looked to be about twelve.

“Watch your tongue,” Delta hissed.

“Just a reminder that you are our employer, not our liegelord,” the young woman hissed back. “And frankly, you should be glad that I’m here to admonish you for your stupidity. Gamma wanted to outright kill you for the suggestion.”

“You bluff is unimpressive, Beta.”

“And your short-sightedness is equally so,” Beta replied, a smile on her lips that held no joy. “Did you think you were the first one who thought that we gave out ‘bonuses’? You wouldn’t be the first one who thought that, sadly…and you wouldn’t be the first one we killed for thinking so, either. Keep that in mind.”

“So noted,” he replied. “Anyways, I grow tired of this, and my date,” he said, pointing to a cobalt-blue haired beauty that seemed to be of Mediterranean ancestry, “has come. So make this quick.”

“Fine. Target 01 has been neutralized; in an hour you’ll hear that he made a mistake of wandering into the middle of a mugging. It will be quick, dirty and Gamma intends to remove the assailant after it’s done. All other targets are still being monitored.”

“And of the leftward situation?”

“Eta arrived yesterday to prepare for the meeting. She will set up a surveillance outfit that will report to our local contact, and will then return so that we can continue local operations. But I caution you, as I did before, it will not be cheap.”

“Money is of no object. I brokered a deal with Alfa for several million euros for our cause.”

“That’s odd,” Beta said lightly. “We took him out yesterday; I take it you haven’t read the news today, have you?” Delta looked at her with wide eyes. “You do know he planned to doublecross you, did you not? That was his goal all along: set up the scheme, take you out and then frame you while he got all the spoils. Fortunately for you, we’re somewhat loyal to our contracts. Somewhat.”

“I…see. You have my thanks.”

“I don’t need them. You know where to deposit the next round of operating funds, as well as our fees. And now, I leave you to your date.” As Delta’s date arrived, Beta suddenly turned into a different person, sounding flighty, vapid and with a British accent. And then she passed the drink – one Delta knew was spiked with vibrasnopam – to his date while she wandered off, feigning interest in a particular piece of sculpture in one of the other rooms.

As he watched Beta depart, he knew that the moment the contract ended, he had to have them – all of them – killed immediately. Trustworthy or not, they were too dangerous to his plans. Plans he could not afford to have derailed.

They were, after all, his divine right.

The Sock Hop was a new diner that had opened in town two months ago. Reminiscent of 1950s-style diners, they played a lot of Motown and songs of that era. While Sunset had never been a fan of that genre of music – similar songs had been all the rage just prior to her initial departure from Equestria and she found them trite back then – she had to admit, in a place like this it fit perfectly.

It also helped that Twilight was half-singing, half-humming along with the song, while Octavia seemed to be listening to it from an analytical sense as the music played on:

“‘Cause I’m cryin’, honey baby
‘Cause I’m lonely for you,
And I miss your tender arms
And a love so true

But you’re never comin’ back
And my smiles all turned to tears
And nothing my friends all say
Won’t push away the fears

Oh, babe, I want you back
(Want you back!)
Oh, babe, I want you back
(Want you back!)
Oh, babe, I want you back
‘Cause I’m so in love with you~!”

“Twily, stop singing!” Octavia scolded. “I’m trying to listen, because I want to play this for Grandma on her next birthday!” Seeing Sunset’s curious look, the raven-haired teen explained: “Oh, that’s right, you haven’t met our grandparents yet.”

“Something I should know?” Sunset asked.

“No, not really, other than Grandma’s a huge fan of 60s music, Motown especially – and this song’s her favorite: ‘I Want You Back’, by the Dazzlings. They were big back in the 60s.”

“Think I read about them; didn’t they just get a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame earlier in the year?”

“Sorta,” Twilight interjected. “If I remember the news article on CNN correctly, the star’s only for Adagio Dazzle, who got one for both her career with the Dazzlings and then her solo career.” Twilight pulled out her phone then looked at the Wikipedia entry: “The three of them broke up some time around the end of the 60s, after Adagio felt her bandmates were holding her back. As for the others, Sonata Dusk started her own solo career and now goes by the stage name Grandma Funk, while Aria Blaze left the stage and now owns and runs Persephone Records. Apparently Adagio’s record label was hoping for a reunion between the three since they’re all in their seventies now, but they couldn’t get an agreement in time for the ceremony.” She shrugged. “I still like the music, though.”

“That’s because Grandma used to sing it to us all the time,” Octavia teased. “It’s not so much that you like it, so much that it’s embedded in our brains by now.”

Sunset’s phone went off and she looked briefly at it. “Look, the others are going to be here in a couple of minutes. You ready for this, Tavi?”

Octavia sheepishly nodded. “I feel like an ass for what I did. Uncle Night was right, I guess – I don’t want to think about it anymore, except to apologize.”

Two arms unexpectedly slipped around her and she froze in shock until she heard a soft voice say, “That’s okay, I forgive you.”

Octavia immediately got up and hugged Fluttershy back. “Flutters, I’m so, so sorry,” she said in a sad tone. “I’ll understand if you do—”

“No, none of that, Octavia, dear,” Rarity explained. “We’ve already been through the guilt gauntlet once with Sunset, so I think it’s fair to say that we’d never do that. You are our friend, and even though we were angry, Fluttershy’s forgiven you, so I cannot see why we cannot either.”

Twilight looked around. “Hey, where’re the others?”

“Applejack and Rainbow took both their sisters and mine out to see a movie,” Rarity explained. “Pinkie’s babysitting her cousins, and that covers anyone who would possibly know about this until or even if Fluttershy wants to make it public.”

A nervous look came over Fluttershy’s face. “I…I didn’t want anyone to know, not even you guys, though you’re my best friends. I…still don’t want anyone to know, but it’s too late for that.”

“Fluttershy, why didn’t you want us to know?” Sunset asked. She would have said more, but at that point, the waitress showed up and started taking their orders; true to life, the girl was dressed like she was going to a sock hop from the 50s, and everyone noted with mild amusement that Twilight was paying attention to the waitress’ poodle skirt.

“Twilight, dear, if you’d like, I can make you a few,” Rarity offered as the plum-haired teen watched the waitress head off to input their orders. “But in the meanwhile, shall we focus on Fluttershy?”

“Sorry.” Twilight looked sheepish at that point, her cheeks flaring red from embarrassment.

“That’s okay,” Fluttershy replied. “It let me think about it.” She took a breath, and said, “Okay, girls, I trust you, so I’ll say it. Yes, Binary Explosive is my father.”

“But I thought that —”

“I’m using my grandfather’s name – my paternal grandfather’s name – instead, so nobody hears what I’m saying,” she whispered. When they all nodded in understanding, she continued. “Yes, he’s my father. And I once loved him very much. Back then, he was the greatest father there could be. I practically worshipped the ground he walked on. But I was just a little girl with a little girl’s understanding of the world, and not how things really work. Because if I did, I would have known that he cared more about being ‘Binary’ than being mine and Angel’s father.

“Are you sure about that?” Octavia asked. “My parents are on the road all the time, and I have a great relationship with them.”

“But you also have your aunt and uncle and cousins,” Fluttershy reminded her. “And it’s both your parents – your mother is just as involved as your father. But for us, it was different. He left Mom to raise us all alone. He’s never once contributed to anything since he left. As much as Mom’s away from home, she at least comes home! She spends time with us! Dad never did. Did you know that letter you showed everyone is the first time in over a year I’ve heard from him? He doesn’t care, and I don’t believe a single word in that letter.

“We were inconveniences to his lifestyle. He wanted the girls, the gold and the mansion in Malibu. He didn’t worry even once that my Mom was able to cobble together a life for us once he left – I’m glad she’s a doctor and making enough money to support us, because I don’t know how my life would’ve been, otherwise!

“And if you think I’m hurting, what about my little brother? Angel can’t speak and he can’t hear. There are operations for that sort of thing, and a certain someone could afford to pay for it, all so Angel – his son – can hear! But not once. Never! I saw my mother break down in tears because of it. She would do anything for us, and if it wasn’t for the fact that the operation is even out of our price range, she wouldn’t think twice. But Dad – who apparently spends weekends in beaches in Brazil snorting cocaine and screwing prostitutes in Rio – can’t shell out the money for his own flesh and blood!”

Screwball’s words from months ago echoed in Sunset’s mind: “He doesn’t want it to be public info, because he’s trying to keep his family shielded from all this. And…truthfully, his attorney’s suing that rag. The guy’s a lookalike, and I know it, because when they claimed that drugfest in Brazil happened? Discord was working on lyrics while on vacation with his wife in the English countryside.”

The thought made her wonder. Does she even know? “Fluttershy, odd question, but…has your Mom ever been to England?”

The chiffon-haired girl nodded. “Last summer, she attended a workshop for her specialty that was held in Bournemouth. I remember, because Angel and I stayed with my maternal grandparents that week. Why do you ask?”

Does she really not know? “Well, I should tell you know: I—”

Octavia immediately interjected. “No, that’s my business to tell her, not yours, Sunny. Flutters, you may as well know: One of my cousins on my mom’s side of the family is Screwball, and we ran into her at the Brentwood back in March.”

Fluttershy looked confused. “Who’s Screwball?”

“She’s lead guitarist for Discord’s band,” Twilight said. “I don’t listen to hard rock and even I know that.”

“Oh. Well, you know that I’m not a fan of his music. Never really was, though I will admit that I like a lot of the stuff he introduced me to when I was a little girl.”

“Anyway,” Sunset interjected, “Screwball told me that the incident down in Brazil was fake – as in, that was a body double. Your father wasn’t even there.” Sunset paused, wondering if she should say what she knew. Then she realized that this was Fluttershy – she had to, if only for her friend’s best interests. Fluttershy would do the same for me, even if I didn’t want to hear it, Sunset knew. “Flutters…your parents are still seeing each other.”

The shy girl suddenly paled. “They’re what?”

“The Brazilian incident happened around the same time Screwball said Discord was vacationing in the English countryside, writing lyrics…and spending time with his wife.”

The girls suddenly became silent as they made the mental connection.

That didn’t last as Fluttershy calmly stood up, grabbed her bag, and ran out of the restaurant.

“What th…?” Rarity asked.

Sunset didn’t answer. She’d already gotten up and rushed out after her friend. After Rarity hurriedly told the waitress to cancel their orders, the rest of them raced out as well, hoping to catch the duo.

A pair of beautiful young women stepped off the plane and walked down the jetway, smiles on their faces. The eldest one looked to be just out of college age, while her counterpart looked to be of high school age. With a precision born of someone who often traveled, they retrieved their bags before heading towards the customs and immigration desk.

As they arrived, a customs agent met them. “Passports please,” the rather bored agent said.

“Of course, luv,” the eldest said in what sounded to be an Australian accent as she handed over her passport. “Lovely day you Yanks are havin’.”

The agent smiled. “Yeah, Canterlot’s a beautiful place. Got reassigned here from New Jersey and let me tell you – no comparison. I ain’t going back,” he told her. “Here for business or pleasure?”

“I’m attendin’ UC Horseshoe Bay, so settlin’ in now,” the eldest told him. “As for m’ sister here, just her first visit t’ the States, so….” On cue, the younger handed her passport over.

“Ah.” He gave cursory looks at the second one, then handed both back. “Well, let me be the first to welcome you to the United States, Ms. Sweet Macadamia and Ms. Southern Orchid,” he said to both.

Macadamia gave the guy a wink. “Thanks! C’mon, Orchid, let’s get t’ the car hire.”

The pair walked a decent distance before Orchid said, “Aussie? Really? You couldn’t fool someone from Adelaide, Ontario much less the actual city in Australia!”

“How could you tell?” the girl identified as Macadamia replied in an accent that was definitely not Australian.

“You were doing a New Zealand one – slightly different. Plus, your slang and colloquialisms need work,” the younger one corrected.

“That was intentional, to see if you were paying attention,” “Macadamia” said in the correct accent and inflections. Switching back to her native accent, she added, “I see you’ve been studying. By chance, did you read the intel brief?” When the other girl shook her head, the older girl tsked. “You know if Cantata were here, she would not be happy about that.”

“Orchid” nodded. “Yeah, sorry about that, Maddie. I know I should’ve read up on the briefing, but…hey, I’m nervous about this.”

“Maddie” looked at the other girl. “Look, I’m not going to lie: this is your final test before you’re fully approved for solo operations; and your counterparts are with their trainers undergoing the same. Cantata and Toccata were hesitant about this, but, Mezzo, Vesper and I told them we couldn’t coddle you three forever, not if we’re going to go for the ultimate goal after this job's done.”

The younger girl perked up. “Really?” she asked.

“That’s the plan. I believe in you – the three of us believe in all three of you – and we’re going to need you all field-ready if we’re going to pull it off, got that?”

The younger girl slid into a military attention stance, whispering, “Yes, ma’am,” before relaxing.

She’s probably not even aware she did that, the eldest thought, hiding her smile. I remember when I was young and raw like that. I remember those days well, and I wish that we could have them back. But they never would, she knew. They were at war, and even though they had to make unsavory deals to raise funds, like this current assignment, there was always still the goal in mind, always the plan. And the Sisterhood would always be cognizant of their goal, from the oldest, to its three youngest members and the last before everything went to hell.

Her phone suddenly rang, and she answered it. “Madrigal Storm,” she said simply.

“Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaiiiiiii~, Maddie!” a goofy voice on the other side said.

Madrigal knew who it was in a heartbeat. “It’s Violin Elegy,” she voiced to the younger before returning her attention to the call. The team quartermaster always acted like an idiot, but that was intentional, if only so people would underestimate her, half the Sisterhood included. But Madrigal knew better; last year’s events in Bogota had proved that. “What’s up, Ellie?”

“We have a report from Rappi. Team Six was taken out by Les Scars – we lost the whole team. I know you have one of the kids with you, so please, be careful.”

“I will. Thanks.” She hung up the line to prevent it from being traced, then looked at “Orchid”. “Let’s…find a place to eat. Got some news for you.”

“Kuala Lumpur went south, didn’t it?”

“Yeah, it did.” She saw the sudden downturn on the other girl’s face and said, “Look – now’s not the time to get emotional. I know your group was close to Clarinet and the others, but we have a job to do. We can grieve when we get to the hotel. But let’s get the car and some food first.”

“Roger that,” the younger one replied, before a thought crossed her face. “Hey, Maddie, can we get Mexican food for lunch?”

Madrigal nodded; the kid was going to need the cheering up. “Yeah, sure.”

“Poe, do me a favor and go home and get some sleep,” Redheart told her friend and colleague. “You look like shit and this stuff with the Mix case is getting to you.”

The look in Posey’s eyes was irritable. “Red, aren’t you worried?”

Redheart rolled her eyes. “You’re still the same stubborn ‘will beat back death’ girl that I knew in medical school.”

Posey grinned. “Yeah, and you’re still the same ballbuster I knew back in med school, too!”

“Dontcha know it.” Redheart walked over to the counter and poured herself and Posey a couple of cups of coffee, then brought it over to her friend. “Now, drink this, then let the night shift see to Mrs. Mix and let’s get out of here. Tell you what: dinner’s on me tonight. How does Souplantation sound?”

“Sounds great – I could use something healthy for a change,” Posey laughed before she heard some shouting in the outer hall. The two doctors had barely enough time to turn around before Fluttershy burst into the room, harried and angry, with a worried Sunset Shimmer right behind her.

“Mom?” Fluttershy spoke.

“Yes?” Posey asked, knowing this was probably not going to be good in the slightest.

“Why…why….” She paused for breath. “Why did you lie to me?”

June 12: Heartbreaks + Setbacks

“Mom.” Fluttershy suddenly looked angry, angrier than Sunset had ever seen her before…and given that Sunset had turned into a literal demon nearly a year ago, she dreaded what Fluttershy was going to do.

Pointing an angry finger at her mother, Fluttershy shouted, “YOU’RE GOING TO TELL ME THE TRUTH!”

A suddenly indignant look came onto Posey’s face. “Fluttershy, I am your mother. Don’t you dare raise your voice to me.”

“YOU’RE GOING TO TELL ME THE TRUTH!” Fluttershy screamed again, tears streaking down her cheeks. “YOU LIED TO ME! WHY? WHY DID YOU LIE ABOUT MY FATHER?”

“BECAUSE YOU WOULDN’T UNDERSTAND!” Posey, having finally lost her composure after a bad day, railed at her daughter. “I HAVE TRIED TO RAISE YOU RIGHT, BUT YOU WANTED TO BE SO BLIND ABOUT YOUR FATHER THA—” Suddenly and without warning, Posey collapsed to the ground.

“MOM!” Fluttershy shouted in a sudden panic before she, too, passed out.

Redheart and Sunset looked at each other, just as footsteps sounded, heralding the arrival of hospital security guards, and behind them, Rarity, Octavia and Twilight.

“Don’t worry, boys, I got this one,” Redheart told the guards, holding up a hypodermic spray. “A little dose of Diprivan always comes in handy, and frankly, maybe now I can get the chief to force Poe to take some days off,” she told the others as the guards left. “But I’m curious as to how you managed to knock Fluttershy out.”

Sunset grinned awkwardly. “Uh, martial arts pinch?”

“Doesn’t exist – trust me, I read up on this stuff.” Redheart looked at the teen. “Try again.”

The others looked awkwardly at Sunset, and so the flamehaired girl decided to punt. “Okay, if you must know, it was a sedative spell using Sweet Slumber’s Special Superlative Sleepiness, a little doctrine that I read about during my time at the School for Gifted Unicorns. I then masked the aura outside of the visible light spectrum, because a cyan-colored burst of magic might make people wonder.” Sunset folded her arms. “So you were saying?”

Rarity, Twilight and Octavia then shifted their looks from Sunset back to the doctor.

Redheart facepalmed. “Kid, if you know acupressure points, you could have just said so; I could do without all that Spellbound crap.” Motioning to Rarity to help her pick up Posey, she said, “C’mon, let’s get these two to the room next door. It’s vacant, and they can talk when they both wake up.”

It was a close to an hour later by the time they both stirred. Both mother and daughter were placed in beds adjacent to each other, with Posey stirring first. “That was a low blow, Red,” she commented woozily.

“Yeah, well, consider it payback for the time you got me stupid-drunk the time we went partying in Seattle when we were still in med school and we’ll call it even.” She leaned forward, checking Posey’s vitals. “By the way, the chief says you’re taking the rest of the week off, no arguments. And frankly, I wholeheartedly agree.” She sat down in the chair next to her friend. “Poe, you have something that I’ve always wanted: two loving children who need you. Wintry Mix…she’s lead a full life, the kind of life that you should, and nothing’s going to change that, whether or not she ever leaves this hospital. But you have a son and daughter who need you. I don’t have that chance.”

“Red, I—”

She shook her head. “Tests came back negative. Sure, Sturdy Post and I can adopt, but….” She sighed. “You were there from the very beginning, Poe. And your children need to know the truth. I’ve known you from the very start of all this, Poe, but…your children need to know, not just me – Fluttershy needs to know. She’s hurting, and only you can fix that.”

Posey hung her head in shame. “You’re right.”

Meanwhile, on the other side of the room, the girls sat with Fluttershy as she came to. “How are you feeling, Fluttershy, dear?” Rarity asked.

She looked at her four friends and said, “I’ve been better, though thankfully I’m okay. What happened?”

“You, uh, fainted,” Sunset said uncomfortably, though her eyes told a different story. Fortunately, the chiffon-haired teen was more than able to pick up on what Sunset didn’t say.

“I see,” Fluttershy replied uncomfortably. “Girls, I’m…sorry. I’ve been acting horrible lately because of all the news and I’ve ruined the party we had for you, Twily. Can you ever forgive me?”

“Only if you can forgive me for my own dumb stunt, Flutters,” Octavia replied. “I didn’t mean to hurt you…I don’t know what I was thinking.”

“I already forgave you, Tavi, and besides, I could never be mad at a friend. Truthfully, I think we’ve all done a lot of things lately that we really can’t explain to others,” Fluttershy replied, “but if we really trust our friends, we know it’s going to turn out right in the end.” For the merest flicker of a second, Fluttershy and Sunset made eye contact, and more than enough was said in that glance.

Seeing that, Sunset smiled inwardly; once upon a time, she figured that Fluttershy didn’t give herself enough credit, and that the animal-loving teen had a sneakier and more mature heart than others had suspected. But now Sunset knew the reason why and admittedly, it made a lot more sense this way.

Now, it was just a matter of getting her to acknowledge where that part of her came from.

“Fluttershy?” The teens looked up to see Posey approaching, the look on her face sad. “We need to talk.”

The teen nodded. “Yes, we do. And…if it’s okay, I’d like to have my friends there. I think…I think they need to hear as well.”

“Sure, sweetie,” Posey said, kissing her daughter on the forehead. “Let’s get so—”

“No.” Redheart crossed her arms and glared at Posey. “Boss said leave, so leave. Don’t come back until next week. Or do I need to go get him to tell you in person?”

Posey gave a wan smile. “I get the hint, Red. As for me, I think I could use something to eat.”

“Uh, that would be…all of us,” Fluttershy said with some embarrassment. “I, um, kinda ran out of the restaurant in anger after I…well…” The teen flushed again, too mortified to continue.

“My compliments to the chef,” Suri said as she finished her last bit of lobster Thermador. She took a quick swig of her wine – a delightful little cabernet sauvignon – and looked alluringly at the individual she addressed.

Seated on the other side of the table, Blueblood smiled. “Why thank you. I do take pride on my hobbies.” A subtle pause. “Well, the ones people would consider mundane, that is.” He glanced towards the kitchen in their bungalow and said, “Wait until you try the tiramisu. It’s my mother’s recipe.” His countenance darkened as he added, “My real mother, that is, not that trophy my father’s married to.”

“I never had any doubt, dearest,” Suri said with a serpentine smile. In the months since the whole debacle with the drug, while she made it clear who had the reins in the relationship, she allowed Blueblood a little more freedom. She did, after all, genuinely love him and not just his money and connections; those were icing on an already pleasant cake. “Oh and before I forget: I have a little present for you.”

Blueblood set down his wine and looked at her curiously. “No doubt with strings attached.”

“No, my dearest, no strings attached at the least. You see, there is this girl of…uncertain class that befriended my sister, and while Crackle doesn’t live the same type of lifestyle we do, I do love my little sister. This girl, however, I’ve no knowledge about, but I’m sure that it can’t be good. Friendships and relationships should be about power after all – love and affection can come later, of course.”

“So I’ve noticed.”

Suri giggled. “Oh, Blue, you know I love you…even if I don’t entirely trust you. But that’s beside the point. Do you still have any of that vile drug you used on me?”

“I happen to have a cache hidden in the family lodge on Mt. Shasta. It was for…future plans, shall we say. Why?”

“Oh, I thought you’d like it if I gave you a little gift wrapped in satin lingerie,” Suri said off-handedly. “Coco Pommel is just the kind of young thing you like, and I assume not broken in, either.”

“And the price is?”

“She stays away from Crackle – permanently. I have plans for my sister, plans I don’t want ruined because I want her to move beyond the life of just being the child of my father’s mistress. Is it so wrong that a sister cares about her own kin?”

“What was that you said about relationships should be power, first, hmmm?” Blueblood replied as he lifted the wineglass to his lips.

“Yes, call me a hypocrite, but I love my little sister and want what’s best for her, even if she doesn’t know herself.”

“And you want me to use the remainder of the vibrasnopam on this girl?”

“Not just that – I want you to break her. Make sure she can never show her face anywhere ever again. Do that and I’ll reward you handsomely.”

“You do that already,” he replied, drinking the remainder of his wine. In turn, she stood up, slipped out of her dress, and approached him, kissing him deeply.

“Come claim me,” she said in a breathy voice as Blueblood led her to their bed.

Deep Dish’s Pizza Parlor was across the street from the hospital and at the moment, the largest booth was taken up by an extra large supreme, a pitcher of Coke, five teenage girls and one woman. As each of them grabbed a slice, Posey took a drink from her beer and asked, “Where do you want me to start, sweetie?”

“The truth, Mom,” Fluttershy said simply. “And start from the beginning.”

“Okay, you know that Redheart and I have been friends since medical school, right?” Fluttershy nodded. “Well, your father and I met when Red and I went to a concert at the Irvine Meadows Amphitheater. We won backstage passes that night and went. Honestly, I didn’t know what to expect – was I going to be treated like some groupie, ending up stoned, drunk and with my pants off in his bed? Or was I going to be given the kid gloves treatment? The truth was? Neither.”

“Neither?” Sunset asked.

Posey shook her head. “The concert itself? It was great. Watching him and the band on-stage – this was the classic line-up, with him, Tirek, Screw Loose and Steel Strings. They rocked hard, and even before everything, I was a fan. So it was just a shock to see the wild, deliriously silly and happy Discord walk off stage…and turn into probably the saddest man I’ve ever met. Don’t get me wrong: he was polite, shook our hands, signed some autographs and then walked to his dressing room. Screw Loose was there with her fiancé, so I didn’t get to meet her then; and this was just before Steel Strings was kicked out of the band for excessive drug use, so he was already high as a kite.

“But it was Tirek who had the most impact.”

“Wait – aren’t Discord and Tirek rivals ever since he quit to form ECI?” Sunset asked.

Posey laughed. “Nothing but record company posturing. They wanted to give Tirek an edge, so that’s why. In truth, he and Discord have been best friends since they first met. In any case, Tirek pulled us aside and took us to the staff cafeteria, where we sat down for some coffee. He told us that happy, crazy Discord, a man who even then was considered one of the new gods of rock, was completely and utterly dialing it in. That he was tired and lonely and though he loved performing, he was still, after all these years, nursing a broken heart after one that got away.”

“Celestia,” Twilight spoke as if on cue.

“PRINCIPAL CELESTIA?” Fluttershy, Sunset, and Rarity said at the same time.

“Yeah. She talked about it once with my mom at our place, and I accidentally overheard. Apparently Mom had something to do with it, though I didn’t hear what that was.”

“I…guess that explains the awkward meeting she and I had your freshman year, sweetie,” Posey told Fluttershy. “I just thought that it was just one of those natural dislike issues people have from time to time, but I guess she must’ve found out and put two and two together. I suppose that also explains why she’s tended to keep tabs on you more than the average student, unless she’s that involved in all her students’ lives like that. But again, I’m digressing.

“Anyway, Tirek apologized for Discord, but pointed out that it had been the anniversary of the day he’d broken up with her – well, now I know it’s Celestia – and that he forced himself to go onstage. He offered to give us tickets for the next venue along with others to make up for it, and Red took him up on that. But I couldn’t.

“So, ignoring what probably was my better judgment, I rushed upstairs and stormed into Discord’s dressing room, where he was playing with a silver pistol and tears streaming down his cheeks. Fearing the worst – this was the month after Flaming Burrito committed suicide with a gun in his hotel room in Vegas – I knocked it out of his hand and hugged him as hard as I could, saying that he wasn’t alone, that it wasn’t the way to end it, that I wouldn’t let him end himself like that.

“I could feel his tears soaking my shirt. That night, he let everything go – all his pain, all his heartbreak, all his loss – for a crazy medical student who knocked a pistol-shaped lighter out of his hands.”

“A lighter?” Fluttershy asked.

“Yes, a lighter. When he realized how it looked, he couldn’t apologize enough,” Posey answered. “That night, I slept with him – and no, don’t get any wrong ideas; we had a late dinner that night, then went to his hotel room and talked into the wee hours – he apparently really needed to talk. By the time he was done airing everything out, we both crashed on the emperor-sized bed in his penthouse suite. The following morning, we had breakfast in bed, and I skipped classes talking to him all day. We then snuck out of the hotel – it was his last day in town before he was scheduled to play in Phoenix – and went to the movies. After that, he had the limo drop me off at the apartment me and Red lived at and saw me off.

“For the rest of that year, we kept in touch via email or he would call me – you’d laugh if you thought how many others thought I was dating a guy named Disco Red. By the time he came back, I’d already started my internship at UC Irvine Medical. He strode on in, making a big show in the emergency room then parked right in front of the desk with the biggest bouquet I’d ever seen. And, because Discord was being Discord, the bouquet was nothing but dandelions…common flowers that are often considered nothing more than weeds.” The smile on her face was wide as she added, “A bouquet about the diameter of a telephone pole, made up of nothing but florist-grade dandelions. To this day I have no idea how he pulled it off. But as I came in, he formally asked me for a date and of course I said yes – the year of constant talking to each other had tied us together enough to set a spark, but it was then that it became a fire.”

Rarity sighed. “That’s very romantic, Doctor.”

“The next few years, were great. We lived in his mansion in Corona Del Mar, and I commuted to and fro while he recorded more music. Eventually Six String was bounced out of the band, and was replaced by Smooth Strummer. Eventually on the European leg of another tour, I joined him in Monaco, where he proposed to me. We then married a year later, and…that’s when everything went wrong.”

“Went wrong?”

Posey nodded. “You were everything he always wanted, Fluttershy,” her mother told her. “He loved you from the moment he found out I was pregnant and never let go. He didn’t want to. To him, you, and later Angel, were his life. You remember those moments, don’t you?”

Fluttershy said nothing, but instead recalled everything: the father who would, out of the blue, decide to make a cake for his precious daughter at four in the morning, the dad who used to take her for long walks in the fields, pointing out the various kinds of butterflies, the parent that would, despite his wife’s profession, insist on taking care of Fluttershy’s cuts and scrapes, kissing them to make them feel better. Everything that Fluttershy remembered about her father in the past was nothing but pleasant memories. But that was the problem: it was in the past.

“Forgive me for asking,” Twilight spoke, “but…what happened?”

Posey was about to continue, when Fluttershy rose from her chair. “Everyone…I…I don’t want to talk about this anymore,” the teen said, a distraught look on her face.

“Sweetheart, you can’t keep hiding from your father,” Posey told her daughter. “You may want to deny it, but he still loves you. He still loves all of us.”

“And you never told me that you’re still married to him,” Fluttershy accused. “You never told me anything!”

“It was to protect your father,” Posey answered, looking down at the table. “You don’t remember, do you? Your father had neglected his career, and the record company was about to drop him. Furthermore, we were being hounded by paparazzi who wanted to prove that your father had turned his back on his fans – they weren’t doing it just for the money, they were actually out to hurt him and us!” Posey looked away. “So, he and I made an agreement.”

“An agreement?” Twilight asked.

Posey nodded. “We would live separately. We moved from Orange County up here to Canterlot, where I was from, and he bought the house we live in. At the same time, he sold the place we were all living in and bought a higher-profile one in Malibu so that he could throw meaningless parties and keep up his image, just to keep the press hounds off us.”

“Mom, what do you mean ‘move up here’? I was born here! Lived my whole life here!” Fluttershy countered.

But the doctor shook her head. “Sweetheart, have you actually looked at your birth certificate? You were born at the UCI Medical Center in Irvine, sweetie. We lived in Corona Del Mar until you were nine.”

“But I attended Mrs. Cuddlebunny’s kindergarten class! And we’ve lived in the same house practically since I first learned to walk!”

“Fluttershy, you attended Mrs. Fluffykitten’s kindergarten class at the private school we sent you to – and the fact that those two teachers were identical twins was one of the weirdest things that I found about since we’ve lived here! Hell, your father and I made sure that our current house looked a lot like the old one. We even kept the recliner that you used to sit in with your father – you used to fall asleep in his lap all the time,” she said, tears of joy starting to well in her eyes.

“Fluttershy, I love your father – he has been the only man in my life. And despite what you’ve read in the news, he only loves me. But it’s hurt him to be away from you two. He wants you back in his life, Fluttershy! He wants us to be a family again, and he doesn’t care if it costs him!”

The chiffon-haired teen folded her arms. “I wish I could believe that. And he’s had years to do so…but he never did.” She then looked at Rarity, a look of pleading in her eyes. “Do you mind if I stay over your place tonight? I…I need some time to think.”

“Not at all; of course you’re welcome over, Fluttershy, dear,” Rarity replied, though she sounded nervous. She felt that she was stepping into a situation that she shouldn’t be involved in, but she couldn’t turn down a friend in need.

“Fine; let’s go.” Without waiting for anything else, or even saying goodbye to her mother, she picked up her purse and walked out of the pizza place.

Posey took the hint immediately. “Rarity, please take care of her. This…this isn’t ea….” Posey broke down into tears and Octavia moved to her side immediately.

“We’ll take care of this,” the raven-haired girl told her friend. “You deal with Flutters.”

“I’ll go with her,” Twilight offered. “You two take care of Dr. Posey and we’ll see to Fluttershy.” With that both purple-haired girls departed the pizza place, chasing after their frustrated friend.

Meanwhile, Octavia looked at Posey and asked, “What can we do, Doctor? I know I’m to blame for all of this coming out, and I want to make amends, both to Flutters and you. She told me it wasn’t necessary, but….”

Posey looked up at the two girls with tear-stained eyes. “Just…please…help my daughter. She doesn’t understand what’s going on. And while she has the right to her feelings – neither my husband or I have handled this well, in hindsight – we just want what’s the best for our children. Fluttershy will be an adult soon, and on her own, and I want her and her father to make up before she heads off to college. If not, they may never do so.” She took Octavia’s hands in hers and pled, “Please. For my family’s sake, I need your help. Fluttershy needs your help.”

“We’ll do everything we can, Doctor, I promised you and I mean to keep that vow,” Sunset said from behind Octavia. “Fluttershy’s our friend; we won’t leave her hanging. Will you be okay?”

The doctor nodded. “I’m a big girl, Sunset. I’ve been through much worse. But I appreciate the concern. Go ahead and get going; I’ll take care of everything here.”

“Will do.” Sunset looked to Octavia. “Let’s get going, Tavi. We gotta get home. I only have enough hours in the night left to look up what I need to look up and I’m going to need your help.”

“Look up? What’re you going to look up?”

“Playing a hunch,” Sunset thought. She turned back to Posey and asked, “Do you know anyone by the name Chain, Doctor?”

Posey smiled, realizing what Sunset was thinking about. “That’s me, you know.”

Sunset grinned. “I thought so. I just need to do some extra digging. Don’t worry, Doc, we got this.”

“We do?” Octavia asked as the two departed the pizza shop.

“Always on the run,” was Sunset’s reply.

“Always on the Run” turned out to be Always on the Run, a lyrics website that Octavia had never heard of before. That surprised her, as she thought she followed just about all of them out there…or at least all the significant ones.

“Cloud Kicker told me about this place the last time I talked to her,” Sunset explained. “By the way, both she and Vinyl are doing great, though they’ve had a rocky time settling in over in Detroit.”

“I couldn’t care less; frankly, I’m still somewhat hurt that you’re friends with them,” Octavia huffed as she looked through the website.

“Tavi, it’s not meant to hurt you,” Sunset said by way of apology. “Vinyl made a mistake, and she’s paid for it. But Kicks didn’t, and she’s trying to help Vinyl recover.”

“Let’s…just forget about that right now. What are we looking for, anyway?”

Sunset pointed to the screen. “Look at the lyrics for ‘Chain Says’. It’s a song by Discord that he says was always about a girl that says stuff she wanted to do but never did. I always wondered about that, but then it hit me when I found out he’s Fluttershy’s father.”

“And?”

“‘Chain Says’ is about Posey – specifically her, Fluttershy and Angel. Read the lyrics and see for yourself. Since the songs are categorized by album, it’s the ninth track on the album Scaramouche’s Funniest Joke.”

Flipping over to the Discord lyrics, Octavia found the lyrics in question and began reading. Even though she didn’t like rock too much, she felt somewhat obliged to pull her earbuds out of her purse and plug them in, starting up the song. To her surprise, it was a ballad – well, a ballad by Discord’s standards, she guessed – and a somewhat restrained song:

CHAIN SAYS
From the album Scaramouche’s Funniest Joke
Writers: Discord/Screw Loose/Peripheral
Copyright: Q Continuum Music/Barking Mad Publishing/I’ll Hit You Back Music

“Chain says, ‘I’m done with them you know -
They treat us like a sideshow’
Shouting at th’ television
Says we don’t owe them nothin’
But if they come back again
Tell them they can just pack sand
Or go play on the freeway

“I’m hopin’ for tomorrow,
Hopin’ for a to-mor-row…

“Chain says, ‘Have you seen the rats around?
I feel empty without them’
She knows she don’t want them to know
But that’s okay, hey, they’re part of us anyway
Chain says, ‘Let’s go away to Spain
Or get real far away
Let’s get gone on the morrow’

“I’m hopin’ for tomorrow,
Hopin’ for a to-mor-row…

“They get mad and they make her cry,
But she’s strong, man – takes a hit!
But they mean us harm
And they’ll make her go
(Just go, just go!)
As far as she’ll get from it

“Chain goes up towards Sodagate
Headin’ up th’ Northbound,
She waits, grows the flowers there
She grows them, keeps ‘em in her pocket
Chain warns, ‘Don’t ever fall for lies,
Don’t let it keep you down’
She only knows what keeps her reined in

“I know what keeps her reined in
I know what keeps me reined in~

“They get mad and they make her cry,
But she’s strong, man – takes a hit!
But they mean us harm
And they’ll make her go
(Just go, just go!)
As far as she’ll get from it

“Chain says…
Chain says….”

Octavia looked away from the lyrics. “I’m at a loss. How are these lyrics about Dr. Posey, Flutters and Angel, much less a love letter to them?”

Sunset grinned. “Think about it, Tavi: ‘Chain’, in this case, is short for ‘ball and chain’, a term for your spouse – plus Posey confirmed it! And once you figure that out, you know the rest!” She pointed towards each line. “The first stanza is about them being hounded by the press. The second one? Rats – that’s a reference to ‘rug rats’, or a term for kids.”

Octavia was starting to see the lines drawn. Focusing back on the screen, she said, “So, ‘She knows she don’t want them to know’, I’m guessing, is a reference to not wanting Fluttershy or Angel to be hounded by the press either?” When Sunset nodded, the raven-haired musician added, “And I suppose the rest is about Chain, AKA Dr. Posey, wanting to get away for the kids’ sake.” Sunset nodded and Octavia continued. “So then the third stanza is about how proud he must be that she was able to endure all of that?”

“Yeah, but it’s the last one that’s the gut punch. She heads up to Sodagate…not sure what that means.”

“Easy – there’s a soda company in town named Shasta Soda; their offices moved down south to the San Francisco area, but they still make the soda in Sunnytown. From what I remember, the name of the street the manufacturing plant is on is called Sodagate Road.” Octavia looked at the rest of the lyrics and deciphered. “Heading up the Northbound probably refers to the 5, and the flowers are Fluttershy and Angel. But I’m at a loss for the rest.”

“‘Don’t fall for the lies’ probably means to not forget their wedding vows. He’s been tempted by everyone from models to centerfolds, given his reputation,” Sunset clarified. “Look – we have enough for this song, but we need to look deeper. I’m willing to bet that there’s more than one song that’s about them.”

“Wait, the name of the album is Scaramouche’s Funniest Joke, right? You know about Scaramouche, don’t you?”

“Weren’t there a lot of them?” Sunset asked. Truth was, just like here on Earth, there were various stories of Scaramouche in Equestria, the main difference being while the human one was a stock trickster character, the pony one had been one of Celestia’s grand mages a few centuries back, known for his sense of humor and a preference to solving issues through guile instead of magic. He had become as successful a grand mage as Star Swirl, Celestia had told Sunset back when she was the princess’ student, but Scaramouche had been done in while imprisoning a monstrous horror that was still to this day locked up in the depths of Tartarus.

“Well, the one I’m thinking of is from the French opera La Grande Escroquerie. It’s the story about a brave young soldier named Valentament, forced to send his family away while he spies on the country that invaded his homeland. To do so, he pretended to be the great clown Scaramouche and kept tabs on the enemy for years, and eventually the nation’s military drove away the occupying army due to his intelligence gathering. But the price he paid was that when he finally returned to his wife and children, they’d thought him dead, so his wife remarried and his children were raised by the other man…and they wanted nothing to do with him. Valentament in the end died a broken man.”

Sunset thought about that for a moment. “Yeah, that would sound like a personal fear someone would have if he’d lost the family he loved so much.”

“So what are we going to do about it?” Octavia asked. “This is a mess I made, and I want to make it right.”

“This isn’t a mess you made. This is a mess that Discord made, and Fluttershy exacerbated, though apparently Dr. Posey didn’t help matters.” Sunset pointed a thumb at herself. “Trust me on this: coming from someone who hasn’t had a family until now, I certainly understand how the emptiness feels.” She brought up her email to text client on her laptop and started typing. “We’re going to have to pass this to Twily. She’s over there and she can handle this.”

“I don’t know if Twily’s the best person to do so. Rarity’s got a better head on her shoulders when it comes to that.”

Sunset looked away from her computer and at her cousin. “Twily’s the better person, trust me. Yeah, Rares has known Fluttershy longer, sure. But if there’s someone who has flawless debating skills, that’s Twily. Besides…I don’t think there’s a single person who knows me better than her.”

“Awfully big statement to make given that we’ve known you less than a year and the others have known you longer,” Octavia said in a smirking tone.

“Family knows each other,” Sunset replied, a warm smile coming onto her face. She then asked, “Tavi? What am I to you?”

“Well…I….” Octavia looked at the girl she considered her cousin, and a person who was a dear friend. She ignored the voice in the back of her head that was telling her to punch Sunset’s lights out. There were also other voices, saying things that were weird and bizarre, but all would have the same result: it would hurt Sunset and hurt her hard. Octavia cared too much about her to let that happen. As she saw a flicker of concern in Sunset’s eyes, it made her push back everything in her mind, though she made a mental note to see if she needed counseling; maybe her uncle’s comment about everything getting away from her was stressing her out enough to imagine things in her mind.

“You’re my cousin,” Octavia told Sunset with a smile. “I don’t care if you’re officially part of the family or not; you’re family to me. And Twily wouldn’t be the person she is without you – you brought her out of her shell in a way I never could. Plus, you’ve given us friends, and my aunt, uncle and other cousins love you just as much as Twily and I do. You are family, Sunny. No matter what, we love you and we’ll always be there for you.”

Sunset smiled, and Octavia thought she saw something in the other girl’s eyes, as if lifting a weight from the chest, removing something that seemed to be dragging her down. She must’ve taken the trip harder than I thought, Octavia mused. I should’ve done more to comfort her.

“Thanks, Tavi,” Sunset said.

“What brought that up?”

“Just…something I’ve been going through lately,” Sunset replied in a way that made Octavia wonder if her pseudo-cousin – no, cousin, and only that – was dodging an issue. “It’s nothing bad, mind, else I would talk to others about it. But it’s something that I feel I need to work through for myself, and I wanted….” She sighed. “I just wanted to know if I’m walking solo on this tree branch or not.”

“After what we’re doing for Fluttershy? After what you did for Twily? For Rarity? For Blossom? For me? And who knows how many others?” Octavia went and hugged Sunset. “I don’t know about anyone else, but we’re not going to let you go on this alone. I don’t know what you’re talking about, and you don’t have to tell me or anyone else until you’re ready to, but I’m always going to be here for you, and so will Twily and the rest of our family.”

“Thanks for having me over at such short notice,” Fluttershy told Rarity.

“Thanks for putting up with me as well. I hope I won’t be much of a bother either,” Twilight added, a blush of embarrassment coming onto her face.

“Nonsense, girls; you two are my friends! I hardly see that as a bother,” Rarity, replied to her friends, though she looked more at Twilight. The fashionista reflected on the alien princess that had appeared nearly a year ago and had apparently taken the name of Sunset’s eventual foster sister and how markedly different this Twilight was to that one. Granted, she considered both her friends, but the truth of it was that in the half-year that she’d come to know this one, she found the contrasts striking, to say the least. The alien princess was outgoing, brave and charismatically charming, with a hint that she’d been a battle-hardy warrior as well as diplomat. On the other hand, the girl in front of her was shy, bookishly quiet and as socially inept as Fluttershy tended to be at times. Still, both Twilights were undeniably sweet, and where the princess had an understandable coltish awkwardness about her, there was something about the human’s sweet innocence that made Rarity smile.

Different Twilights for different needs, I guess, and no disrespect to my friend here, but I have a funny feeling that we could use that warrior princess right now. Still, one must do with the Twilight one has instead of what one wishes for, to turn a phrase, I suppose.

Then again, Rarity suddenly remembered, this was the Twilight that Sunset loved and was willing to challenge practically her entire home dimension to save her. The Flame of the Moon only managed to launch a thousand Laconian ships to wage war against Troy. Twilight managed to unintentionally raise a single, incredibly powerful unicorn grand mage to wage war against the ultimate powers of her homeworld.

And we thought our friendship would be enough for her. Though she cherishes that, you gave her far more than that, Twilight. And for that alone, you’ve earned every iota of her love.

“Rarity?” She heard Fluttershy call out to her.

“Oh, sorry, darling, I was in a bit of a reverie there. What can I help you with?”

Fluttershy plopped down on the floor and said, “I was wondering if you and Twily think I’m being as stupid as my mother says I am. I mean…I love Mom. She’s been there for me every moment, and I love her for that – but it hurts, knowing that she’s lied to me all this time. All I’ve ever wanted for her was to be happy and find someone of her own…but it turns out she already has someone…and that someone is my father, the man I thought who’d left us years ago.” She looked up at Rarity with the look of someone who had been pushed to the limit, and then dangled over. “I…I don’t know what to believe in anymore.”

Twilight went over to sit down next to her. “You know, I had a similar problem, too, in a sense. When I was being affected by that drug, I didn’t know who to turn to or who to trust. My parents didn’t seem like they cared, and Tavi seemed like didn’t want me around.” A distant look then came onto her face as she added, “You guys are two of my closest friends and I didn’t even think I could turn to you. In the end, it was Sunny that saved me. It was Sunny that loved me enough to care when no one else did.”

“Twilight, dear,” Rarity began, but she was stopped when the plum-haired girl raised her hand.

“I know, Rarity. I know you and Fluttershy were both worried about me, as were the others. But everyone else had various things going on in their lives, or really couldn’t help me. I’m not blaming anyone for that. If anything, it shows me how lucky I was to have a sister that loves me enough to look out for me.

“But as to what I’m saying, Flutters, is that your mom did it all for you and your brother. Sure, it wasn’t the smartest way to handle it. And yes, she should’ve been upfront about your father all this time. But she thought she was doing it to protect you. And sometimes, when people we love are protecting us, we can’t second-guess their actions. I can’t yell at Sunny for risking her life to throw herself in front of the truck, because she did it to save me. And by that same token, you really can’t question your mother’s motives, even if her actions were questionable.

“At least, that’s how I feel. I’m sorry if you disagree, but that’s how I feel. But no matter what, Fluttershy, I’m your friend and I want to help you however I can. You can count on that.”

Rarity didn’t know what to say after that. In many ways, it seemed almost exactly like something the princess would have said had she been here herself. But at the same time, it was laced with something that a human would say. If anything, it felt like a hybrid of the two concepts, or if the princess had been around on Earth as long as Sunset had been. And that was something else to consider, Rarity thought. “Twilight, dear, you’ve expressed what I had to say as well; far more eloquently than I would have,” the fashionista replied. That last part had been a teensy bit of a little white lie, but the crux of it was central – Twilight’s statement had been awkwardly phrased, but very forward, given her nature.

“Thanks, Rarity,” Twilight replied, blushing once more. “I…I feel as though it would have been something that Sunny would’ve said had she been here.”

“Like sisters, I suppose,” Rarity added with a smile, to which Twilight agreed, nodding.

Watching the pair, Fluttershy sighed. In the half-year that she’d known Twilight, the girl had made far more strides in coming out of her shell than Fluttershy did. Maybe that was because she had more exposure to a sister that would do anything for her sibling; Fluttershy knew that well, as she would always do so for Angel when he’d needed it. In a sense, she felt somewhat envious for her friend, given that Twilight was starting to go places that a year ago she hadn’t even imagined, but with Sunset’s help had not only run up against the barricades of her issues but was breaking through them to the path beyond.

Too bad none of this is helping me to get past my current problems; all I’m doing is just pushing them aside for the moment, she sadly realized. And she knew that was a barrier that she wasn’t going to be able to bypass easily. No matter what her relationship was with her father, her relationship with her mother had been much better. And even if somehow that hadn’t been the case, she had a younger brother to protect – Angel was only eight and not completely prepared for the mess that would come about once he was involved in all of this. No matter what, she had to protect him. Plus, she didn’t want to risk what closeness she and her mother had.

“I think that…in the morning, I’m going to go home and talk to Mom. I think we need to have a serious talk about all this,” she announced.

“That’s good, dear,” Rarity agreed. “But what made you decide to do it?”

“Angel,” Fluttershy said definitively. “If nothing else, someone has to protect my little brother.”

“I dunno, Angel seems like he’s more than capable of looking out for himself,” Twilight replied in a joking manner. “But seriously, though, I know how that is. Despite the fact that Spike and I bicker, I try to look out for him, and I bet if you were to ask Tavi or Sunny, they’d probably say the same thing.”

“All the moreso for myself, given that Sweetie’s thirteen,” Rarity added. “Besides, I agree with Twilight: Your parents are trying to do what’s best for you, even if they don’t do so in the best manner. My father and my mother try as well, but they are human after all; they make mistakes just like we do, and I do believe you’re seeing that now. But you’re also seeing a side of both your parents that you haven’t really considered, Fluttershy, dear.”

“And what’s that?”

“That they went to these ridiculous lengths for you and your brother. Think about it: your parents supposedly separated and you moved here to Canterlot in order to have a normal life. Then your father goes out of the way to cultivate a ‘wild man’ image so no one would possibly consider that he was happily married, while his wife raised their children without the glare of the spotlight. All along, while the woman has crippling student debt – as I understand it, medical school is quite expensive, and your grandparents are hardly wealthy, yet as long as I’ve known you, you’ve never wanted for a thing in your life.”

Fluttershy realized what her friend was saying, though she’d never considered that before. She had a pair of the world’s most expensive headphones that there was no way that her mother could have realistically afforded while she had college loans that large. And they lived in a fairly expensive house; not as pricey as the one Twilight and Sunset’s family lived in, but still in one of the more tony neighborhoods in town. And she had a car – a new one, to boot – and all those things that she should realistically not have if her mother was running solo.

Not even alimony and child support could cover all that, she realized with a chilling reality. And if Mom had to go to court to fight for any of it…she would’ve told us. There could be no other answer: her father, Discord, the “Chaos Master of Rock”, as Spin magazine had once labeled him, had been a faithful – and suffering – father all this time. He had reached out to his wife and children so many times, and Posey had been there when she could, and Angel was really too young to remember their father…

…but Fluttershy had metaphorically slapped her father away each time he’d tried to reach out to her. All of her hurt and pain were real, yes, but she wasn’t the only one who felt them – the knife had cut both ways.

Tears came and she felt two pairs of arms encircle her. She could hear the well-wishes of her friends, telling her it would be better in the morning, that she could talk to her mother then and all would be well. But she didn’t know if it would.

She didn’t know what to believe anymore.

Though it was normally quiet this early in the morning in the Piazza San Marco, today was a different story. The basilica was lit up, and a dozen Cabinieri police cars roared through the square, only to be passed by three women wearing darkened clothing, carrying bags, rushing in three different directions on motorcycles. The first made it to the bridge spanning the Rio de Palazzo de Canonica, hopping into a speedboat and taking off, with the Italian police officers immediately opening fire. That response was met a second later by the explosives on the bike detonating, taking out a good portion of the Riva della Schiavoni overpass.

The second one rushed down the Merceria Orologio, hoping that the winding, claustrophobic streets of Venice would protect her until she could make her getaway, or die fighting for the cause. Quickly making a hairpin right onto the Calle Fiubera, she climbed onto the handlebars, the leapt up as high as she could, grabbing onto a fire escape and pulling herself up. As the cops went by, she snuck into the darkened flat, sighing in relief. Two hours later, she would find herself having an entirely different adventure due to the cute and single guy whose flat it was, but that would be a different story.

But it was the third rider, weighted down by the actual loot taken from the basilica, who was the focus of the chase. At the moment, she was rushing down the square on a custom-built Kawasaki ZX-14R that had been brought to Venice specifically for this operation, with two Caribinieri Fiat patrol cars, the bullhorns squawking with demands from the officers that she immediately surrender before further measures were taken. The rider instead groaned inwardly; originally the plan had been to do the heist while during Venice’s infamous Acqua Alta season, where half the city was flooded and thus making it hard for cop cars to operate, but an unseasonably arid year prior had somehow prevented the watery phenomenon. Regardless, there was still a mission to be performed and so thus they went.

With a slight huff of breath in her helmet, the runner keyed her headset. “Theta, this is Omicron. Headed westbound towards the Bacino Oresolo. Will need assistance, over.”

“Omicron, Theta. Scratch the Bacino; cops are inspecting your jet ski. We can keep them busy there, but you won’t be able to escape that way. Swing south and head towards Salita San Moise.”

“Are you crazy? They’re going to catch me long before I get there, Theta!”

“Koppa’s in position. She’ll cover you.”

Omicron laughed. “Yeah, right. I may as well give up now; there’s no way the kid can make the shot.”

“You’re just going to have to trust us, Omicron. Theta, out.”

With that, the die was cast and the move made. Gunning the engine, Omicron tore out of the square, making such a hard left onto the Calle Larga Acensione that she almost lost control of her bike, followed by another hard right to get onto the Salita. But even as she rushed on, she could hear the blare of sirens, as well as the roar of motorcycles coming into play. Furthermore, there were Caribinieri cars ahead, boxing her in.

“New girl better do her job right, or I’m toast,” Omicron grumbled to herself.

Over one hundred meters away, perched atop the Campanile di San Marco, a young girl lay, a sniper rifle in her hands. She looked ready to fire it, merely waiting for the signal. Behind her, Theta, who was acting as spotter, gave the order: “She’s in position – fire when ready.”

“Roger that,” the girl said, placing a violet-colored eye towards the sniper rifle’s scope. “Taking the shot.” Calmly, she pulled the trigger and a blast of fire spewed out both sides and the barrel of the muzzle, sending the bullet on its flight.

On the road below, Omicron was treated to the sudden sight of the leftmost of the police cars skidding out of control and crashing into a Prada shot. Kid can shoot, the woman thought to herself, a hint of a smile coming onto her lips. Will wonders ever cease?

“Firing again,” the girl said, sounding like she was getting into this. “Scratch a second cop car.” The trigger was pulled once more, and the second cop car crashed into the Cartier shop just as Omicron was passing.

“She’s still got a tail,” Theta told Koppa. “You going to do something about it?”

A cocky grin on her face, the younger girl looked up from her scope. “It’s done,” she said, and without even looking in the scope, pulled the trigger. The bullet rocketed away from the rifle, hitting a wire strung from one building to another as Omicron passed by. The wire fell, and though it wasn’t particularly heavy, it was just enough so with the added force of gravity to smack one of the motorcycle cops. Dazed, he lost control and crashed into the other, downing them, with Omicron pulling a pistol out and taking care of the cop that had just started to take aim by the ruins of the Prada store.

A second later, a new voice came over the line. “This is Lambda. We’ve got Omicron, and we’re getting out of here. Good job; everyone meet at the safehouse in Vicenza in two days. Lambda, out.” In the distance, there was an explosion as the plastique on Omicron’s bike went off, while beneath the bridge another speedboat rocketed away, carrying both Omicron, her rescuers and their prize.

Meanwhile, Theta looked at Koppa. “Explosives rigged?”

Koppa nodded. “Going to be a shame seeing this place explode.”

“Going to be a bigger shame if we get caught,” the elder reminded the younger. A second later, a whistle sounded, and lights were being flashed on their location. “See? Now let’s get out of here ourselves.”

It was hours later, during the stark noontime summer sun, when television crews from around the world were on-scene at the “terrorist attack” on San Marco Square in beautiful historic Venice. The crime scene had been obvious: the century-old, one hundred meter-tall San Marco Campanile had been reduced to ruins. Granted, while it was a replica of the original that had collapsed in 1902, it was still considered an icon of the city and its destruction was considered nothing less than a complete shock. Furthermore, the damage had been done to cover up the theft of something important from the basilica’s archives. While the church was not reporting what was stolen, it had matched up with a similar break-in the month before at the nearby Chiesa di San Basso. What was stolen there was also not disclosed, but it was clear that given the two burglaries, the perpetrators had planned this well in advance.

Meanwhile, from across the street, two women watched from their lunch table at the Ristorante Quadri. The older one was in her thirties, while the younger one was clearly a teenager.

“My apologies, ladies,” the waiter said in thickly-accented but clear English, “but as you can see, the city is besieged by terrorists. We almost hadn’t opened today had the mayor insisted that we do so.”

“Is that so?” the younger girl said.

“Forgive my sister,” the elder one replied. “She’s somewhat brusque and doesn’t realize the damage that’s been done.”

The waiter looked sharply at the teen. “Young lady, the destruction of the tower is as great as the destruction of your towers in New York back then. We Venetians will not recover anytime soon, I can tell you that.”

She looked at the table. “My apologies, sir. I hadn’t meant to offend.”

The man smiled. “It is forgotten. This is still Italy after all, and we have your orders to attend to; to show Italian hospitality is to show the world that Venice is not afraid, if you ask me. Now, what would you like?”

After their orders had been placed and the waiter wandered off, the younger one looked at the older. “Okay, I did my act just to make you look good,” she snarled.

The older one rolled her eyes, then took a drag from a cigarette she lit. “Look, you did good, kid. We got what we needed as a result of the op, and I don’t look like a Philipine—”

“Philistine is the word you’re looking for,” the younger one sighed. “Look, Vesper, I get that classical stuff isn’t your thing, but it helps to be prepared for anything. Honestly, I didn’t know what the hell to expect either, so I researched as much as I could about Venice before we got here.”

At that point, the drinks arrived, and both became silent, save for thank yous to their waiter. Once he was gone, Vesper Midnight then looked at her apprentice, took a drink of her beer, then said, “Then you’d best start studying for our next mission, which will be your final test before we fully clear you for operations.”

The younger girl blinked. “You’re kidding. They really think that we’re ready?”

“Not really; you know how Cantata is. But me, Maddie and Mezzo think you are, and that’s what counts. As it is, Maddie and your study buddy already got there, and once Mezzo’s team is done with their mission, we’re headed to the test location.”

“Which is?”

Vesper reached into her purse, pulling out a tablet, then handing it over to the girl. “Canterlot, California. I want you to memorize what’s on there before we arrive Stateside, because I want to make sure that you’re safe. No going south like Clarinet’s group did.” At that, both sighed. To Vesper, Clarinet was an older sister, and one she loved. But to the younger ones, there were members of the now-dead Team Six that they’d idolized.

Meanwhile, the younger one’s face turned into a sneer. “I swear, if I ever find the SCARS that did it, I’m going to fucking slash their throats myself.”

“Save the energy for the next mission, girl – and watch your tongue; we don’t need people to think that we had anything to do with the whole thing, after all. In any case, we don’t have to report to Vicenza until Friday. Tell you what: tomorrow, let’s take a car and go sightseeing. I hear Milan’s a great place to shop.”

“Yeah, I guess. I could stand to take my mind off the crap. And here comes our waiter,” she said, watching as the man walked towards them.

As the waiter arrived, he asked, “Your food should be here in a few minutes, ladies. Is there anything more I could get you?”

Vesper looked at her nearly empty beer glass. “Another one of these would be nice,” she told him. She then looked to her younger sister. “What about you?”

The girl brushed purple and aquamarine hair out of her eyes. “Another Coke, if you don’t mind,” she told him with a smile.

Author's Note

Always on the Run does exist. Not as extensive as in the story, but I've been following it for at least a decade now.

The song itself is a pastiche of "Jane Says" by Jane's Addiction. Lyrics here.

Next week: You'll finally get to find out part of how the major subplot fits. :trollestia:

June 14: (Forever) Live and Die

Colton was a small town to the south of Canterlot. It was a sleepy little burb, little more than a bedroom community for those who wanted to live far from the city, and given that it bordered farmland, Colton was as close as you got. Due to the fact that the town was centered in the middle of both farmland and the eastern and western arms of the Everfree Forest, it gave the town an exurban feel, even though it was within an easy thirty-minute drive to downtown Canterlot. All in all, it was just a little out of the way place that people drove through on Interstate 5 while on the way to the city.

But one thing that Colton did have for it was a little secret known as the Birch Glider-Colton Equestria County Municipal Airfield. The facility was so small that it didn’t even have an IATA airport code, instead assigned a lesser-known FAA location code, in this case H4G0; and an ICAO identifier, KCCM; but more often than not it was simply known as “Birch Field”. Named after its founder, Birch Glider, a local pioneer in aviation who had made a name for himself during World War I, the majority of the planes at the field were crop dusters and personal aircraft owned by the well-to-do who lived in southern Equestria County. All in all, it was a quiet, out of the way concrete strip in the middle of farmland.

But as people in town noticed the swanky Gulfstream 100 coming in for a landing at Birch Field, they knew something was up. Most of the time, jets flew directly into Canterlot, or to the close-by North Canterlot Municipal Airfield in the far north of town by the city limits. Those that flew into Birch Field usually didn’t want folks to know they were landing there, and while that wasn’t necessarily bad, it made for a sight to see for those in Colton that weren’t accustomed to the big city life of Canterlot.

A few minutes later, as a man stepped off the plane, he looked around. He looked muscled, with ruddy skin, and from a very superficial glance, could easily remind someone of one of the Hindi warriors of old. But the long, white hair that cascaded down his back and the deep gray suit with black bolo tie showed a man who was far more in tune with the modern age.

“Your car, sir,” a soft-spoken woman with glasses and short fuchsia hair said, gesturing to the Mercedes Benz behind her. “Actually, I’m quite surprised that you didn’t ask for something more your style, like a stretch limo—”

“Yes, yes, so I can party hardy all day and do the babes all night,” he said in a dull monotone, waving it off. “Trust me, I wrote those lyrics a decade ago and if I could take them back, I would.” He then looked at her. “Did you make the arrangements?”

“Well, let’s see: given that shortly after midnight you insisted on a charter flight here and to arrange for a rental car and it’s only seven in the morning?” She crossed her arms impatiently. “Did you really think that we were going to be able to pull this off?”

The man scratched the back of his head. “Yeah, you have a point. I guess it’s been a while since I knew what normal people lived like. Well, shall we go get breakfast?”

“I can make a reservation for L’ Chevalier Epicurien, if you’d like. I understand it’s one of the finest restaurants in Canterlot.”

“I see.” He thought about it a second, then asked, “There an IHOP around here? Probably should get some real food. Have you eaten yet?”

She shook her head, then held up two fingers, dropping each on in time: “One, you know the rules about messing with the staff. And two, no not really, but you should know that already.”

He brought a hand to his chin in thought. “Hrm. So, who’s your assistant?”

“That would be Tasker. He’s pretty on the ball, and he’s more than ready to go.”

“You think so?”

She got close to him, looking up at him, despite the near-full foot in height difference between the two. “Yeah, I do.”

He grinned. “Okay, you’re fired.”

She laughed. “You always say that and yet you never do.”

“I suppose your husband would be disconsolate if you lost your job,” he replied, chuckling. “So, IHOP?”

She sighed. “So much for trying to keep your image.”

He shook his head. “If I cared about my image? I wouldn’t be here.”

The phone rang, dragging Posey out of a decent night’s sleep. “Yeah,” she slurred.

“Mom?”

Posey banished the remainder of the sleep from her head as she grabbed the phone with both hands. “Fluttershy?”

“Look, Mom…I’m sorry about last night. I’m going to have breakfast over here, then I’m going to come home and talk, okay?”

“Sweetheart, just come home and I’ll make breakfast for us. I want to make this right.”

“I know. Is Angel there?”

“No, he’s staying at a friend’s place. Just…just come home as soon as you can, sweetie. We need to talk.”

“I’ll be home in an hour, Mom, I promise. I’ll see you then. Love you, Mom.”

“Okay. Love you too, sweetheart.” Fluttershy hung up the line and Posey sat, looking at the phone cradled in her palms. Her hands shook, and she could barely see the phone as tears started welling in her eyes. It wasn’t supposed to go this way, sweetheart, she thought. Your father and I wanted a family and we wanted to b—

The phone rang again; Posey let it ring a couple of times before answering it. “Hello?”

“Pose? That you?” the voice on the other line asked.

Her jaw dropped. “What th…?”

“You know how it is? Getting a favor called in, et cetera, et cetera, et ecetera. So, you have breakfast yet? I know this great little IHOP on the corner of Sycamore and Whitefield. At least that’s what Yelp says, anyway, I dunno. So, y’up for that?”

Despite how she felt, Posey laughed. “You’re such a cad, you know that?”

“Yeah, my wife keeps telling me that for some reason.”

“Well, since I just woke up, do you mind if I get dressed and such? I’m off this week from work, so let me get ready and my time is yours.”

“Sure; it’s going to take me that long to get there. See you in a few.”

She leaned back on the bed, realizing how much things had changed even from just days ago. She was walking on a highwire, and once again her children were in the mix. Somehow, paparazzi would be much more preferable at the moment, she felt, but she had to do what she had to do protect herself, her husband and her children. Just like she knew Discord had, she took her wedding vows seriously.

“Thanks for having me over, Rarity,” Twilight said as Rarity drove her home. At the moment, she was looking at the emails and the other things that Sunset and Octavia had sent over the night before. I should’ve looked at my phone last night; I could’ve used these to convince Fluttershy.

“Think nothing of it, darling,” Rarity replied. “I’m glad that you were able to help me with Fluttershy’s needs, as I’m not really sure what I would’ve been able to do alone. As it is, I’m not quite sure that we were even able to accomplish that much. To be honest…this is all rather overwhelming.”

“Maybe…this is something that we all need to get together to help Fluttershy with. You all once helped Sunny with her problems after she changed, right? Isn’t that the point of our friendship?”

“That might be the best idea,” Rarity thought. “Perhaps we can discuss this tonight via Skype or something? Perhaps if she didn’t listen to one of us, then if we all work together, she’ll listen to all.” As they pulled up in front of Twilight’s house, the fashionista added, “It’s something to think about.”

“Sounds good. Let me ask Sunny and Tavi and then we’ll get a hold of the others. Maybe we can do it tonight?”

“Unfortunately, dear, I have to work tonight, but I can make a call after ten in the evening; I should be home by then. Well, here’s your stop.”

Twilight opened the door. “Thanks, Rarity, for everything.”

“No, thank you, Twilight, dear.” As Twilight stepped out of the car, Rarity did a three-point turn and then headed home. It was early enough that she could make breakfast for her family – a treat, since she rarely had the chance to cook – before she had to go to work. She promised to put in some overtime today in order to give her employer a chance to attend some business out of town, and besides, it would be a wonderful opportunity for Rarity to practice handling a store by herself – and someday that could very well be the case.

No sooner than Twilight had opened the door did she find both Sunset and Octavia sitting on the couch, waiting for her. “Hey, sis,” Sunset called out. “How’d it go?”

Twilight sighed. “It would’ve been better if I’d bothered to check my phone last night – the stuff you sent could’ve really come in handy,” she admitted. “Still, we managed to calm Fluttershy down, though she still doesn’t really know what to do.”

“That’s understandable,” Sunset said in a tone that indicated she sympathized with her friend’s situation. “I mean…to find out that your parents have lied to you for your entire life. I can’t even imagine that.” Especially since I was the one trying to deceive Celestia, the former unicorn thought. Granted, that was all in the past now, but it still gnawed on Sunset’s conscience now and then. I think Dad called it “Catholic guilt” once. No idea what that means, but if it means excessive guilt, yeah, that’s probably me.

“Yeah. I mean, my parents told me little white lies now and then, but that was just for my own good when I was Spike’s age,” Octavia added. “But Flutters has been hearing them her whole life. I don’t know what it would be like to not trust the one that raised you.”

“I do,” Sunset said, harsher than she intended. “Trust me, I know exactly what it’s like not to trust.” Of course, that was entirely in my own mind, and when Celestia couldn’t trust me, I brought that entirely upon myself. Part of Sunset wanted to change the past, but if that course of that river had been changed, she wouldn’t have had the love she had now. She wouldn’t know her sister, her brothers, her parents, family and friends. Better to trade the wounds for the balm I have, than to not know the stings of experience and regret.

Twilight looked at her sister. “Do you…want to talk about it, Sunny?” Sunset’s eyes followed the trace to Twilight’s violet ones, then over to the same colors, in Octavia’s eyes.

“Not now,” she sighed. “Someday, I promise. Just…I’m not ready just yet.” She looked directly into Twilight’s eyes, then into Octavia’s. “I just hope that when I am ready to tell everything, that you’ll still be here.”

Twilight embraced Sunset. “You’re my sister. You know I always will, Sunny.”

From the other side, Octavia embraced her as well. “Just like she said, Sunny: you’re family and we’ll always be here for you.”

“You’re lazy, you know that?” Celestia said to Luna as she practically hovered over the latter’s bed.

“And this is why I didn’t want to give you a key,” the younger woman groaned. “God, I’ve got one fuck of a hangover right now. Do me a favor, Tia, and find out where Moonshadow wandered off to, please.”

“He’s passed out drunk on your balcony,” the older woman sighed. “Look, Lulu, I don’t want to get into your personal life—”

“So don’t,” Luna grumbled sharply. “Now pass me a shirt, or I can just get out of bed naked. Mind telling me why you’re here so Goddamn early?”

“Because we’d planned for months to have sunrise breakfast with Mama today since she loves that? Especially at that wonderful little restaurant she so adores?”

“Mannaggia….” Luna grumbled, looked at her sister. “How late are we?”

“I just got back from it,” Celestia said, sitting down next to her sister. “I told Mama you were sick. Armonia, of course, thinks I’m lying through my teeth and is going to kick your ass and mine next time she sees us.”

“Yeah, I can believe that – why the hell are all the violent people in our family the ladies?”

“Cadance isn’t.”

“She takes after her father in that respect,” Luna grumbled, throwing her hands in the air. “Fuck my life. I knew I forgot something today….”

Celestia clucked her tongue. “Luna, you’re a fifty-two year old woman.”

“Really? Because I swear to God, sometimes I don’t feel like I’ve even hit thirty yet. Hell, Shadow thought I was younger than him, and he freaked when he found out that I’m older than his mother.”

“And yet he’s still here.” Celestia grinned and added, “He does have a cute butt.”

“Yeah, and that’s my property, you lech,” Luna grunted, woozily getting off the bed. Sure enough, she was naked as a jaybird, having moved before Celestia had moved to her sister’s dresser. Crossing her arms, the younger woman asked, “So, aside from guilt tripping me, why are you here?”

Celestia averted her eyes. “Do you mind getting dressed?”

Luna rolled her eyes then walked over to her dresser for a t-shirt and shorts. As she slipped them on, she said, “You know, this isn’t anything you haven’t seen before. We used to take baths together all the time when we were kids.” Celestia blanched, and Luna laughed, cackling as she bent over, “Gotcha!” She continued to laugh until the hangover kicked in again, sending a screaming pain to her head. “Fuuuuck….”

Celestia smirked. “You know, you should really drink some water.”

“Tiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiia, this hurts!” Luna whined. “Get me some water?”

Three minutes, a half-liter bottle of Evian and some aspirin later, Luna collapsed back on the bed, though less naked than before. She was wearing a red babydoll t-shirt that was emblazoned with a Street Fighter character – Celestia didn’t know exactly who, but she’d seen the character before – and the words BEAT ME underneath. She was also wearing a pair of shorts that had a not-too-clever downward arrow graphic on the front accompanied with the words SLIDE TO UNLOCK. “Thanks. That’s why you’re my favorite older sister.”

“I thought that was Armonia.”

“No, she’s my favorite oldest sister. Slight difference, and I don’t want to play favorites,” Luna half-said, half-yawned. “Anyway, so what’s up?”

“I came to see if I could borrow some clothing. That sheer black off-the-shoulder top of yours, and the white pants with the embroidered stars down the legs.”

“Oh, those? Last I recall, you called them stripperific,” Luna accused.

“Because you’re supposed to dress professionally at work!” Celestia retorted.

“It was a teacher workday, not a class day,” Luna reminded her. “Besides, I only wore it because I had a bet going with Raven and Cheerilee to see who could get Tofu’s attention.” She grinned. “In fairness, we did apologize for making him feel very uncomfortable.”

“I really don’t want to know,” the older sister sighed. “Anyway, do you mind if I borrow them? Oh, and those shoes that match, too.”

“Yeah, they’re in the closet; it’s a good thing that we wear the same size even though you’re a few inches taller. Anyway, whydja want to borrow them?”

“I have a date tonight,” Celestia said simply.

“Oh? Did Velvet decide that you need to be let out of your cage and is sending Night over? Please don’t tell me you’re goi—”

“That was just a joke!” Celestia cried, blushing madly; it had been a very uncomfortable episode in her life. “Yes, Night was a gentleman about the whole thing and Vel had laughed her ass off about the whole thing for weeks! Look, in retrospect I wish I’d never done it, but that’s over and done with. Look, seriously, sis, I’m just going dancing with a date; dinner and a night out, nothing serious.”

“Nothing serious, you say? So, how long has this been going on and when does the family get to meet him?”

“You make it sound like it’s a thing.”

“Because you’re going out, that makes it a thing, sis. Ever since we ‘grew up’,” Luna said, making air quotes as she spoke, “you’ve always wanted to play the great diplomat and grownup. Yes, Vel got married and had kids, but she still had time to have fun. So did I. But for some reason, you never did. So yes, hearing you going out for a night that does not involve visiting me, the family, Vel, or doesn’t involve work means it is a thing.”

Celestia sighed. “Lulu….”

Luna hugged her sister. “Even if you won’t admit it, I hope this one lasts. You’ve suffered enough since you broke up with Discord so long ago. You’re not a nun, you know.”

“Never said I was, Lulu, never said I was.”

The sound of a key going into a lock rang out, followed a second later by Fluttershy coming into the house, calling out, “Mom? I’m home.”

Seated on the love seat closest to the door, Posey turned her head to see her daughter. “Hello, sweetheart,” the doctor said, rising to her feet to embrace her daughter. “Have you eaten yet?”

“No, I thought we could go out to breakfast and talk. Is Angel here?”

“No, as I mentioned he’s at a friend’s place. And speaking of which, we have guests here.” Fluttershy turned to look at who was seated there, and the moment she did, her purse slid off her arm, falling to the ground even as a look of shock came to her face.

Seated on the couch by the far wall, the man and woman very familiar to Fluttershy sat there, both looking at her with both surprise and a sort of weird awe. “You’re right, she does look a lot like you, Pose,” the woman added.

As for the man, he stood up, and approached her. “You have grown up,” he said, a strangely proud grin on his face. “You look absolutely beautiful, sunshine,” he added, embracing her.

“Uncle Tirek? Auntie Skies?” Fluttershy was overwhelmed. She hadn’t seen her godparents in ages, though her mother continued to correspond with them and they often inquired about her and Angel. They were one of the few ties to her father’s past that she still kept tabs on, and since both of her parents were only children, it helped extend her family just a little.

“You look so grown up, kiddo!” he told her, looking at her with his acid-yellow eyes, a hue that was rare even amongst the spectrum of human eye colors. “What’re you now, fifteen? Sixteen?”

“Actually,” she said, blushing, “I turn eighteen in October.”

Afternoon Skies got up from her seat, going over to hug Fluttershy next. “Just the spitting image of your mother, I swear. Shy, I hope I look even as half as good as you when I’m your age!”

“Auntie Skies, aren’t yo—”

“A woman never talks about her age,” Skies grumbled, a false pout coming onto her face briefly.

“So, what brings you two here?” she asked excitedly before realization struck a second later. “Oh.”

“Aww, c’mon, Shy!” Tirek said. “Let’s go get some breakfast. It’ll make everyone feel better, I’m sure. Pose, where’s the nearest IHOP?”

“IHOP?” Posey asked.

Skies rolled her eyes. “Tirek insists he just wants to be a normal guy.”

He grinned. “Nobody would ever think I’m me, since I’m wearing a suit and looking all normal-like.”

“Uh, Uncle Tirek?” Fluttershy interjected. “It’s…Saturday morning. Nobody’s likely wearing a suit anyway.”

He facepalmed. “Nuts.”

Sable Loam jogged around the perimeter of Three Heroes Park, trying to get a decent workout. Granted, he was no longer in the Army and thus could afford to goof off if he wanted, but old habits died hard, he had to admit. It was going to be a rare day when he didn’t put in at least two workouts and there was never going to be a period where he just decided to let it all go to pot.

Besides, I got a girl now, he thought with a smile, and given who she is, I’ve got no excuse for not keeping up with her. As he jogged on, he noticed a couple of women, one slightly younger than him while the other was clearly a teenager, sparing in a martial arts style he hadn’t seen before. The two, though they were clearly sparring, were going at it with no protection, blow for blow, and the skill of the older one clearly shown through, though the younger one was no slouch either. Somewhat entranced by the whole thing, he jogged towards them, curious.

As he approached, however, the older of the two stopped and looked at him. “Is something wrong, sir?” she asked, looking somewhat flustered.

“Oh, no, was just curious as to what martial arts style that was; it doesn’t look familiar. Also, is it safe to be going full contact around here?”

The younger one spoke. “It’s Chun Kuk Do, sir. And I trust my sister to keep me safe. She learned it that way from….” The younger one stalled, as if in thought.

“I learned it from our uncle, who learned it when he was stationed in Korea back in the 80s,” the older explained. “And I think that’s enough training for today, if you can’t remember that.”

Sable, who had briefly been assigned to Korea for stuff that was still classified, struggled to recall any martial art by that name; he’d trained more than once with guys from the Korean Special Forces Brigades and though the name sounded Korean, it still seemed unusual. He did a mental shrug; maybe it was a family discipline passed down, and the younger girl did look Asian, though the older one looked as Caucasian as they came.

“Well, just be careful,” Sable cautioned. “Clearly you two know what you’re doing, but all it takes is some cop to give you a citation for not having safety gear and all that….”

The older one nodded. “Understood, sir. Thanks for the warning.”

“No problem; you two ladies have a nice day.” Nothing else to add, he waved and went back to his jog.

Madrigal waited for a few minutes before she walked up to her younger sister. “You okay? Let me look.” The younger girl’s violet eyes looked slightly dilated; seeing that, the older girl hrmed. “Okay, I must’ve hit you harder than I thought. Okay, we’re going to stop for the day and just jog back to the hotel. Think you can do that?”

“It’s just six miles, right?” the younger one said woozily. “Should be a piece of cake….” She took another step and then stumbled, falling against Madrigal. “Maybe not,” she said apologetically.

Madrigal gently sat her down, and then sighed. “Look, I hit you with practically a love tap, kiddo. How are you going to survive full-duty status in the Sisterhood if you can’t stand up to a simple beatdown?”

The girl grabbed her head, shrugging off a headache. “I can do this! I can do this!” she said to no one in particular.

Madrigal sighed. “No. You’re really not cut out for this kind of life, and part of me hopes you’ll fail. But…we all agreed to this whole revenge thing…well, the older ones like me did. There’s no rule saying you younger ones can’t back out.”

“No…he was our uncle, too,” the younger one interjected. “He was more than an uncle – he was a father to us…to all of us. What they did to him…it wasn’t right. So…I don’t care if I’m not suited for this. I’ll do it or die trying.”

“Okay,” Madrigal said, pulling the girl back to her feet and embracing her. “Tell you what: let’s just walk back. It’s still a workout and hopefully it’ll clear your head.”

“Okay.”

As the two of them left the park, Madrigal looked at the younger girl, who was still gripping her head and gnashing her teeth to ward off the pain, while at the same time trying to look very casual about it…and not succeeding.

We call ourselves sisters, but you three actually are, biologically, Madrigal thought as she looked at the other girl out of the corner of her eye. And Uncle Poutine wouldn’t have wanted you to have this life. He wouldn’t have wanted any of us to. But those bastards at Les Scars took that away from him…and we’re going to make them pay. Turning her attention to the sky, she then mentally added, And with a little luck, you three can have real lives. This isn’t a world you three belong in.

Madrigal’s hand unconsciously brushed up against the snub 9mm revolver she carried for concealed purposes. It was a weapon…just like she was. Just like the three youngest girls were becoming.

This isn’t a world any of us should belong to.

If there was a thing that Tirek missed now that he was famous, it was just to blend into the background, just enjoying the world as it went by. He remembered the days when he and Discord were just run-of-the-mill kids from San Diego, laughing it up without a care in the world. They never struggled or lived the hard life, as the backgrounds stated by their record labels claimed, and they certainly didn’t claw their way to the top like rappers supposedly did – though he knew more than a few “gangsta” rappers whose “hoods” were such dangerous places as Beverly Hills, the Hamptons and other wealthy locations in the US. His was just a typical all-American life.

So, sitting here in the local International House of Pancakes, looking at his wife, the wife of his best friend and said best friend’s daughter – his own goddaughter – made things feel almost normal. Almost in the sense of the various people around who recognized him and wanted to ask for an autograph but at the same time wanted to let him eat in peace.

Looking around nervously, Posey said, “You know, I’d almost forgotten what this feels like. Almost. And no, I still don’t like it.”

Skies nodded in understanding. “I know. Took years for me to get adjusted to it, and I’m not the one with kids.”

Fluttershy set down her fork, looking at the remains of her spinach and mushroom omelet. She wasn’t a vegetarian, though if asked she’d easily admit that out of all her friends she probably ate the least of it, especially given the burgers that Rainbow, Applejack, Twilight, and Sunset tended to chow down on. But today, even eating this felt like a torment. Maybe it was the uneven, dizzying feeling of seeing extended family while at the same time knowing why they were here.

“Shy?” Tirek asked. “You’re awfully quiet.”

“I…I don’t know what to say,” Fluttershy admitted. “I mean, I know Mom has lied to me all this time, but at the same time, I know that she did it for her own reasons.” She could see Posey’s reaction out of the corner of her eye and quickly added, “Mom, I know you did what you felt you had to, and a friend recently told me that I don’t have the right to judge that decision. But I feel I do. I wish you would’ve told me about this, before I built up a complete and utter hatred for my father. And that’s not something I can just get over…especially since he’s done nothing to help breach the divide, either.”

The man looked at the teen critically. “Done nothing?”

“Dear, she probably doesn’t know,” Skies reminded him. “I’d be surprised if Posey knows.”

“Knows what?” both mother and daughter said at the same time.

“I think…we’d best discuss this at your place,” Tirek advised Posey. “I think there’s something that you should see. Both of you.”

“Do I really want to know?” Posey asked, folding her arms and giving her old friend a very odd look.

“Hey, what’s that saying about not shooting the messenger?” Tirek asked, wilting from his friend’s glare.

At this time the waitress came around, to find the mighty Tirek – she was a fan, though she hadn’t said anything yet – and two individuals, looking very much like a mother and daughter, glaring at him. She then looked at the fourth individual, who had an apologetic expression on her face.

“Uh, more coffee?” the waitress asked.

“Thanks. Oh, and check please?” Skies blurted.

Shining Armor walked into the precinct, the first day since the end of his vacation that he was back. Granted, it was the weekend, but his “weekends” generally tended not to be the same as everyone else’s was. He groaned; Cadance didn’t have to go in until Monday and rubbed it in with every fiber of her being.

Yes, my girl messes with me, he thought, a lazy smile starting up on his face. I’m probably the luckiest guy in the world to have the most beautiful woman in the world mess with me. As he walked into the squad room, he saw Melati Jasmine and Cuff ‘Em seated there, waving him over.

“Hey, Romeo, welcome back,” Melati told him.

“Yeah, how was Italy?” Cuff inquired.

“Thanks; glad to be back,” he replied. “So, what’d I miss?”

“Eh, the usual,” Cuff shrugged. “Stupid shit with perps, crime, drug dealing, shoplifting – you know, normal shit.”

“Looks like the results of the detective first grade results come out next week; hope I pass,” Melati wistfully commented.

“Mel, you’re a shoo-in,” Shining replied. “You’re one of the cooler heads on the squad and you said you aced the test, right?”

“Yeah, but some guys might not be too comfortable with A, a woman who’s superior to them; and B, a Muslim. Nevermind the fact that I don’t wear a burka, hijab or any of that shit, I love me some barbecued pork, and I chose my own husband, who comes from Kentucky and not some third-world hellhole.”

“Fuck ‘em,” Shining said, narrowing his eyes. “They got a problem with you? They’re gonna have to speak to me.”

Melati grinned. “And see? That’s why I like you, Shining. You actually care about people. Plus, you’ve got ‘natural born leader’ written all over you. I’m going to bet we’re going to see you at the top of the food chain someday, wearing Chief’s stars.”

“Well, might want to hold on to those visions of grandeur, you two,” Cuff interjected. “Sarge just came in.”

“Alright you guys,” Sgt. Rosethorn called out, bringing the morning briefing to attention, “We got some really interesting shit going on here. And by interesting shit, I mean ‘laugh at the FBI’ type of shit.”

“So what else is new?” someone called out, and the room briefly broke into laughter at that.

“No, seriously. We have a report, passed down from the Bureau courtesy of the Dee Oh Jay,” Rosethorn said, taking care to pronounce every letter out of snarkiness, “that the Canadians have fucked up but good.”

“Canadians? Hey, I’m not to blame there,” a man named Sundown cracked. He was born in Montreal, but to American parents and thus technically had dual citizenship.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, all you Canuckians are the same, whatever,” the sergeant said, waving his hand to quiet the room once more. “Anyway, DOJ report indicates that a group of Canadian military forces went rogue. Now, I know all you military vets in the room are about to crack jokes, but seriously, the report says that these were special ops types. The Feds ain’t telling us more than that for the moment.” Copies of the report were then passed around the room. “FBI is working with the RCMP to see what they’ll make public, but the long and the short is that we have to keep an eye out for any military-grade hardware with the gangs, as well as advanced training.”

“Any word if they went into business for themselves, or are they for rent?” a female officer asked.

“No word on that,” Rosethorn replied. “Next?”

“How much is this going to impact us?” Cuff asked. “Should we prioritize this over normal operations?”

“Are you kidding? Crims would have a field day if we did. No, until we hear more, just consider this backwater shit. It’s not like this town’s going to turn into a warzone or anything.”

“Anything else we should be aware of? Insignia, weapons preferences, or anything of the sort?” Shining asked.

“Yeah. There’s a supposed copy of the unit’s insignia on the report,” Rosethorn noted. “We had some investigators look into it while we were putting this together for you, but so far there’s nothing that we know about it. No name, nothi—”

Shining looked at it as his analytic mind immediately kicked into gear: “Yellow and blue, with fouled rope and an anchor, so that means a naval unit,” he mused aloud. “Two cutlasses, pointed down, which traditionally means no quarter to be given. The placement of the eye of the anchor is such that it implies a spear tip, and since it’s in the center, it implies the heart – another sign of no quarter.”

“Armor, how the fuck do you know that?”

Shining smiled awkwardly. “Both my aunt and uncle were in the Navy. Aunt Seaspray used to tell me stories all the time. Plus, I have a friend who was also in the Navy, and the sea stories I hear from her are even wilder.”

The look on Rosethorn’s face was shrewd. “Okay, Armor, you and your little coffee klatch there sit tight. For the rest of you, get out there – crime doesn’t rest and neither do we. Dismissed.”

As the room began to empty, Melati and Cuff looked at Shining. “You got all that from second-hand stories?” Melati asked, wheedling her friend.

“Okay, okay, I also picked up a lot from Oceans Away,” he admitted. “It’s a pirate MMO that Cadance and I goof off on, and we’re hoo—”

“Yeah, I play that too,” Rosethorn replied, with a grin, “but I can’t ever seem to get past the Dutch Armada, though. Anyway, nevermind that. Armor, since you opened up your big yap, you’re our lucky contestant. In fact, all three of you are.”

“For what?” Cuff asked, and in reply, the three of them were handed a card.

“Joint Task Force, boys and girls,” was the sergeant’s response. “Personally? FBI not saying a damn thing but insisting on building a local task force comprised of local law enforcement agencies? Means it’s going to be some nasty shit – really dirty work.” He gave a look at the three and the gaze in his leaf-green eyes was bleak. “I remember being in the Gulf War back in ’91. Our squad ran into a group of Iraqi special forces; they tore most of us up, because we didn’t have backup until airstrikes began. To this day, it’s still not well known. But let me tell you three something: the look in those commando’s eyes was something I don’t want to see ever again – I still get nightmares about that shit. And if this shit is anything like that?”

The trio waited for Rosethorn to complete his statement. “Anything like what?” Melati finally asked, providing the prompt.

“It’s going to make the gang wars down south in LA look like a fuckin’ Teddybear Picnic, that’s what,” Rosethorn finished. “Now, you three are exempt from patrol for now. Take the weekend off and report first thing Monday morning to the federal building. You’ll be working with Special Agent Hardline from the FBI.

“And stay safe. I normally don’t say that…but this time, I think I have to.”

After a good hour or so of Tirek happily signing autographs and taking selfies with people, the four of them returned to Posey and Fluttershy’s home, whereas the muscular gentleman indicated that he had something to show them. “We got this via courier yesterday, with a request to show this to you two.” He held up a flash key, showing it to Posey. On the key was the emblem of TVT Records. “If you would, please, Posey.”

“I hope this isn’t—” Fluttershy began, but was cut off by Skies.

“Shy, trust us. It’s not what you think, but it will interest you, I promise.” She then looked at Posey. “Pose, you and I have been friends for years. If there’s one thing that you’re going to trust us on, please let it be this.”

“I trust you, Skies, and you too, Tirek. But….” The doctor then looked at her daughter. “This has to be your decision, Fluttershy. I’ve made my decision, but you’re almost an adult, and I think you’re old enough to decide what to do. However, if you really want the answers you’ve been looking for…then this has to be your decision.” Posey took her daughter’s hands in her own, passing her the flash key.

Fluttershy took the flash drive in her hands, looking at the USB device as though it were a living, venomous thing. For some primal reason, she feared it. She didn’t know what it held within its digital grasp, her godparents insisting that it would be safe regardless, but they couldn’t know what would hurt her and what would not, would they? She was already in emotional pain, that they knew, but…what was on the drive?

Tirek approached her. “Fluttershy…I promise you that there’s nothing bad on it. You know I wouldn’t let anything bad happen to you, princess. Hell, I’d tear the world apart, person by person, if I had to, just to protect you. And I certainly wouldn’t give you that.” He gave her a smile and caressed her head. “Reminds me of a time when me and my kid brother were first learning music. Scorpan was insistent that he had to learn the drums, because it was the cool thing, but I told him that he needed to work on his arm strength to do so, and he was always a weak kid. Well, while we were in our first band, he lost the stick and it almost hit our bassist in the head, which let me tell you, is not exactly good for a ten-year-old kid. Anyway, I stuck my hand out to catch the stick and it hit hard, cutting my hand open and preventing me from playing for a good month or so.

“Scorps looked at me and asked why I blocked the blow. I told him because he’s my kid brother and I promised to look out for him…and if that stick had hit Wahwah Pedal, he would’ve easily kicked Scorps’ butt. Anyway, my kid bro learned his lesson that day and that’s why he’s the muscle-bound drummer that he is now.

“But the point I’m making is that I took a bullet, in a manner of speaking, for him. And for you, Shy, I’d take a whole lot more. If there was anything even remotely bad that Discord put on that, he knows I wouldn’t have done this. He and I are best friends…but there’s best friends, and then there’s protecting the innocent.” He gave her another smile. “So trust this ol’ headbanger once, okay?”

Fluttershy looked at him, then to the flash drive and finally gave him a nod of understanding. Silently, she walked over to the television, plugging the drive into the USB port on the side of its bezel, then, using the control, queued it over to the feed.

On screen, there was nothing but darkness, soon illuminated a second later, revealing Discord and his band. Discord himself characteristically pranced and paraded around the stage while the opening bars of the song came up, mostly through power chords laid down by a string-bikini-and-chaps-wearing Screwball. Behind them, Freebase wore a serf’s shirt and leather jeans; and from her place behind the drums, Screw Loose wore a NUCK THIS FOISE! t-shirt. All in all, as the song began in full, the four members of Discord’s band romped and played on, displaying their trademark style of snarkiness and extended juvenile attitude.

“What’s this?” Posey asked.

Tirek smiled. “It’s their new song, ‘When Was the Last Time (You Did Anything)?’ They actually recorded it for a charity album, and I’ve got to spend some time in the studio next week recording my own contribution.”

Fluttershy watched the video intently, seeing her father and his bandmates bounce around and play power rock, something that, truth be told, hurt her ears slightly. She tried to keep a neutral expression on her face, but watching her father’s smug, smirking face as he belted out lyrics, nearly rubbing up against the nearly-naked guitarist probably close to half his age, it wasn’t easy by any means. Part of her wanted to scream obscenities at the screen, while the other half wanted to just turn away, turn off the TV and then burn the USB key and never want to do anything with him again. But out of the corner of her eye, she could see the laconic, warm smile of her godfather. If nothing else, she believed in him.

“I don’t understand,” she said to no one in particular. “What am I supposed to see?”

In response, Tirek went up to her and put his huge hands on her smaller shoulders, as if lending her strength. “Pause the screen and look at his clothing.” Fluttershy watched as her father danced around bare-chested, save for a hot-pink blazer, likely faux-alligator skin pants, and boots. There were some details on the blazer that she couldn’t make out as he moved around and that was likely why Tirek recommended she pause. Her finger travelling to the appropriate button, she then looked at the screen’s still image…

…and felt her jaw drop.

There, embroidered onto his blazer, on both the left and right panels, as well as both sleeves, were three emblems: a pink tulip, a pink butterfly, and white abstract rabbit head. The pink tulip was easy: it was Posey’s favorite flower, and something her mother always cherished. But the pink butterfly and the rabbit head were the shockers: the insect was the Corona del Mar Dawnwing, a magenta-hued relative of the Palos Verde butterfly, though pink vice blue and significantly more numerous than its endangered cousin; when Fluttershy was three her father had taken her to a park completely filled with them to the point that they’d formed great carpets of pink in the sky. She’d found the image so striking that she’d never forgotten it, and if anything the butterfly could have been considered a sort of spirit animal to her, if she believed in that sort of thing. As for the rabbit, that was simple: Angel always had a fondness for rabbits. She wasn’t sure why, and he was probably too young to really communicate the reason, but it was clear that her little brother had always had a thing for the cotton-tailed animals.

To anyone else, those would be nothing more than designs on a custom-made blazer from some throwaway fashion designer in New York. But to Fluttershy…they were a statement. A statement that after all these years, her father still thought about her – cared about her, as well as Angel and their mother. And compared with the realization that her parents were still married to each other….

Fluttershy felt her feet fall out from underneath her, but a split-second later was caught by strong hands. She turned to see Tirek looking at her. “Shy, now you know the truth. Your father – Discord – he’s missed you ever since your parents had to separate. And it hasn’t been easy for him – he’s not a person who takes loneliness very well, at least not since I’ve known him.”

Skies rose from the seat and went over to Fluttershy. “Kiddo, do you know what happened two years ago after your dad won the Grammy for Record of the Year for ‘Get Bent’? He went on stage and said in a serious voice that he thanked the stars in the seats and the stars in the sky…but the biggest stars he wanted to thank were the ones that would never see this.” She gave Fluttershy a kiss on the forehead and said, “Discord was talking about you, your mother and your brother – his family, the ones he loves most.”

Her eyes stinging, Fluttershy looked to her mother, who merely nodded to her. The teen then turned around, embracing her mother and started to cry, letting the tears stream down her face. Everything she knew was a lie. Everything.

“Fluttershy….” Posey began, not sure of what to say.

“I’ll…I’ll see him,” the girl said haltingly. “I’ll go. But I want my friends to come. I need them to come with me.”

Posey kissed her daughter on the cheek. “We’ll go – as a family.” She reached over and grabbed Fluttershy’s hand, squeezing it. “And your friends can come too.” She then looked at Tirek. “Can y—”

“Just gotta talk to the producer,” Tirek answered, knowing what the question was. “Fortunately, as I understand it, Spruce Branch is a pretty upstanding guy, one of the best at our label.”

The window on the 211th floor of the Burj Khalifa exploded outwards with a blast of fire and broken shards of glass, sending the debris in all directions onto the city of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. A second later, a person dressed in a black catsuit and wearing both a backpack and a knapsack, sailed out the window headed towards the ground at a high speed.. That dive was broken as second later a parachute unfurled from the backpack, changing the individual’s descent to a softer trip towards the streets, 2600 feet below.

Above from the shattered maw that used to be a window, several people appeared at the window, and one of them shouted in Arabic to shoot at the person. Several security guards complied, pulling out a variety of guns and firing, raining bullets down onto the escapee. The person took the hits, unable to escape; the body jerked and spasmed from the shots. Finally, the movement stopped, and a corpse sailed on the breeze, headed towards a landing on the highway in the distance.

The head guard smiled, relieved at stopping a thief…until the wind turned the body, showing that it had been one of his own guards.

But before he could say anything, a person jumped from the rafters, kicking him and two others out of the window towards their deaths. The figure then dropped to the ground to kick the feet out from the other two before they could draw a bead, then finally drew a gun from an under-arm holster and shot the two, the spent cartridges falling to the ground.

“Digamma!” a voice roared over the earpiece the figure wore. “What the fuck are you doing? Your orders were not to engage!”

The girl known as Digamma reached into her backpack for something, pulling a tarp-like object from the pouch. “Yeah, well, you see how you like a bunch of thugs shooting at your ass, Chi! One of those assholes threatened to use my body like it was a gift!”

“When did you learn to speak Arabic?”

“I don’t – he said it in English. In any case, I have the object. But I can’t promise any more casualties, only that I’ll follow the rules.”

“Rounds can be traced, you know.”

“Only when it’s one of their guns – and I boosted it from one of the guards I knocked out an hour ago.” Digamma unfurled the tarp and started slipping it on, then fastening the closures via a series of tungsten-metal hooks to the back of her boots and the thick steel bracelets she wore on her wrists. Finally, she put on a pair of goggles, making sure they were tightly-secured. Looking at the gun again, she said to no one in particular, “Looks like a Chinese Type 54 Black Star. Can I keep it?”

“Just get out of there before reinforcements come, you idiot!”

Digamma holstered the pistol and said, “Want one? They left a – ooh! 9mm Makarov! Score! Keeping this one too!”

“At this rate, you’re either going to get caught from the delay, or you’re going to plummet to your death from too much weight!”

“Okay, I get it – no more shopping. Plus, I haven’t eaten anything since breakfast, so I should be fine weightwise.” She slipped the Makarov into the backpack, then doublechecked the connections on her contraption. “Okay, going silent and doing the Batgirl.”

“Roger that; I’ll be waiting at the dropzone.”

Hearing screams and footfalls down the hall, Digamma did the only thing that she could: she paused to put a wad of white plastic and a device on the floor. And with that done, she effortlessly back-flipped out the window, spreading her arms and legs open to let the parts of her hastily-slipped-on glidesuit carry her from the upper breezes. A second later, the plastique went off, leaving a bigger explosion than the original already did, distracting the police helicopters that were already approaching.

Down Digamma went, slipping into the steel canyons that made up downtown Dubai, and the frigid cold night, despite it being summertime. Most people never understood why deserts were cold at night, but Digamma read up on it: there was really nothing to keep the heat in, and deserts in general were a study of near-polar opposites, of blistering days and freezing nights. It had been information that would keep her alive, and alive was something she very much wanted to stay right now.

Finally, as she approached the lower buildings, she aimed her right arm, hoping that the device still worked; she’d banged her arm against a wall earlier while trying to fight her way out and with a little luck, it still worked. Sure enough, the small harpoon shot out, with the small steel cable still attached, finding purchase on a medium-sized building. She clicked her wrist in the opposite direction and the small winch inside the gauntlet did its thing, pulling her in and causing her to make a controlled crash on a rooftop, rolling until she came to a stop against the wall. Stripping off the outfit, she wasted no time in pulling her pistol out and heading for the door—

—only to see a little girl no older than five standing there on the roof, looking like she’d been beat up; her clothing looked like it had been torn apart, and the implications weren’t good. The look in her eyes was terrified, not for Digamma’s appearance, but of something else. A drunken, slurred voice shouted in Arabic, and the girl winced.

Digamma silently waved the girl over, and without delay, the little girl moved behind her for safety.

“!افسانه، أين أنت؟ الوقت لإرضاء والدك” the voice replied, then looked up in shock as Digamma pointed the gun at him. The response was a scream of rage, cut off two seconds later by the tinny sounds of two shots fired.

As the body of the man fell to the ground, Digamma holstered the gun again, picked up the girl, kissed her on the cheek and hugged her, then, making sure she was safe, carried her in her arms. “Chi, Digamma. We have a problem.”

“Problem? What the fuck do you mean a probl—”

“Chi, shut the fuck up. I just picked up a little girl, no older than five, who looks like her father used her for entertainment. Well…let’s just say she qualifies for the Sisterhood now.”

“Digamma, I thought you knew the rules: no ci—”

“No, the rules say no innocents!” Digamma shouted, enough so that the girl in her arms winced. “That man was not innocent!”

“Fine, but you had better consider this a failing grade, Digamma. We have Rho enroute to come get you. You have seconds to join her or you and she are both caught, understand?”

“Roger that.” With that, Digamma ran down the stairs of the building – now revealed as a mostly-empty apartment complex – heading towards the stairs. As she reached the outside, a beat-up Toyota van opened up, and a girl screamed, “In, now!” With no argument, Digamma dived in, head first, making sure to protect her precious cargo.

As the door to the van slammed shut, the girl that screamed to her said, “What the fuck’s going on, Digamma? You had better have gotten the object!”

“Yeah, I got it,” was the response.

“And I see you picked up someone? Fuck, could you have made this sit-u-fuckin’-ation any worse?”

Digamma ripped off her goggles and mask, revealing a girl with short, orange hair and almond-shaped, wine-colored eyes. “Don’t get me started, Rho. If you saw what I had, you’d have done worse. Now get the kid some candy and let’s get the fuck out of here. Last place I want to be is in one of these third-world jail cells.”

Hours later, a private – and likely stolen – passenger jet knifed its way across the Atlantic. In the cabin, a discussion was being had.

“At attention,” a woman barked to Digamma, who was currently sleeping in one of the chairs.

“Yeah, yeah, I gotcha, Mezzo,” Digamma replied, standing up.

“You’re still on duty, recruit,” came the response, quiet but firm. “Report for debriefing!”

“Aye!” Immediately, Digamma got the message and stood at ramrod attention. “Sorry, Lt. Intermezzo Blue, ma’am!” Digamma replied.

Intermezzo got right into the girl’s face. “You caused a lot more damage than your allowance. Far more. So much more that our intermediary has to shell out some extra bribes – with her bank account and her body,” Intermezzo growled. “Ever know what it’s like to be on support duty and not having any interest in seducing your target whatsoever, even from the biological standpoint? It’s painful – especially when the person isn’t of your particular persuasion.”

“Not my problem,” Digamma said, looking straight.

“Yeah,” Intermezzo said. “It’s mine. Harpsichord, right now, has to do something – or rather, someone – that she wouldn’t do by her own choice, and that’s your fault. So she asked me to give you a little message.”

And with that, Intermezzo punched Digamma right in the stomach. The younger girl crumpled to the floor, gasping for breath, only to be kicked in the side of the head by the woman. “And that’s for nearly costing the mission! Do you know how long Maddie, Vesper and I have been working to convince Cantata that you three are ready? And you almost cost us that!”

Gasping for air and wincing in pain, Digamma gasped, “Sorry, ma’am.”

“I know you are.” Intermezzo suddenly softened, and where a roughshod officer once stood a second later was a caring young woman. “You’re off duty now.” The older girl then hugged the younger one. “And you did a damn good thing, enough so to overturn your grade to pass. Belcanto talked to the girl, and you were right – her mother died in childbirth, and her father decided it was the girl’s job to take her mother’s place.”

“Thanks, Mezzo,” Digamma said, accepting the hug. “And I’m sorry.”

“I worry about you more than the others, you know? You’re a risk taker, just like me, and that’s going to get you killed.” Mezzo brushed Digamma’s hair out of her eyes, and said, “Fortunately, your final mission is just a simple espionage gig in California; I’ll get you the briefing documents later. You pass this, and you and your group are full members of the Sisterhood.”

“That’s great!” Digamma cheered, wincing as she stood up, only to be helped to a chair by Intermezzo. “You punch like an ox, you know that?”

“Surprised you didn’t block. You’re the better martial artist.”

“Never back down from punishment, Mezzo. That’s what you always taught me. And speaking of which….”

Mezzo shook her head. “She’s not even on the plane. Belcanto is responsible for smuggling her out of the country and getting them to America, where she’ll be given a new name and identity. She’s Belcanto’s petite sœur now.”

“Oh,” the younger girl said softly.

Intermezzo reached into her pocket, pulling a piece of paper out. “But she left this for you; Belcanto helped her write it. And as you can see, it has her new name.”

Digamma took the note, seeing that it was written more by Belcanto than by the girl. But when she came to the girl’s new name, she smiled. “Really?”

Intermezzo smiled. “Yup. But I’m sure little Adagio Sirocco will be more than happy to know you’re thinking about her, and someday you’ll see her in the field, I’m sure.”

“Good,” the girl said with a smile. “She deserves happiness, and the Sisterhood can give her that.”

“Glad to hear it. So, ready for your final challenge, Dagi?”

Seated in her chair, Adagio Dazzle smiled. “I’m always ready, lieutenant,” she said with a wolfish grin.

Author's Note

Bet you weren't expecting that, were you?

For discussion, we created a thread at the Berylverse group to discuss it. No spoilers here, please.

June 21: Wataridori

Sitting in a nondescript conference room on the third floor of the Canterlot Federal Building, Shining Armor tugged at his collar. Like everyone else in the room, he was required to dress in a suit and tie, typical wear for the FBI, which he was now temporarily tied to. It was a Saturday afternoon, and while he was no stranger to working on weekends, he didn’t think that the Feds tended to do that; they always seemed to be a 9-to-5 operation. The week had sure given him cause to think of it, given the sheer amount of paperwork and questions he had to fill out. It likely was due to the Feds’ traditional distrust of local law enforcement, he guessed, but he hoped that the field officers he’d be working with would at least be a little more professional than the desk jockeys he’d been dealing with the past seven days.

As he looked around at some of the other people in the room, he noticed several from other police departments in the county, as well as a few deputies from the ECSD. One of the former he knew personally: Jackrabbit, a foulmouthed idiot from the Mountainside City PD who thought he was God’s gift to women, as least as much as he’d told anyone when the two were both in the same class at the Police Academy. The latter, however, brought him a smile as Sandalwood walked into the door, saw him and headed his way.

Good thing that she’s been dragged into this; I could use some sanity, he thought as he waved to her, shortly thereafter feeling Melati tapping him on the shoulder.

“Wow, flirting with people already, Shining,” the woman teased. “Wonder what Cadance’s going to say.”

“Hey, if you’re breaking up with her, can I have her digits?” Cuff ‘Em added.

“Hey, Sandy and I are just friends,” Shining grumbled as Sandalwood approached. “Tell them, wouldja?”

Unfortunately for him, the woman was fast on the jokes. Sitting down in an empty seat next to him, she gave him a doe-eyed look and said, “Now, honey, you promised that I wouldn’t be the other woman, right?” She then kissed him on the cheek, near the lips and as his eyes widened, she laughed. Turning to the others, she said, “Seriously, Cady and I are best friends, so I mess with Shiny all the time.” She offered her hand. “Deputy Sandalwood, ECSD.”

She, Melati and Cuff briefly shook hands before a voice called into the room, “Okay, have a seat, we’re going to get started!” A woman walked into the room, deep blue hair and turquoise eyes, and Shining noted she bore a passing resemblance to Cadance’s aunt and his mother’s friend Luna. “Okay, thanks for coming and thanks for putting up with all the paperwork this week. That being said, we’re getting the briefing started, and everything you hear from this point forward is now classified Special Compartmented Information – the highest classification we have at our disposal. For those of you keeping score, that’s above Top Secret.”

“Hey,” one of the police spoke up, “I don’t know about the others, but I don’t have a military clearance.”

The woman grinned. “Yes you all do; that’s what you were filling out this week – SSBI paperwork for the nice drones at OPM…and if any of you didn’t pass, you wouldn’t be here. I’m Assistant Special Agent-in-Charge Hardline, and I’m the person you’ll be reporting to on a day to day basis. My boss, who you’ll also get to meet, will be here shortly. Anyway, welcome to a huge pile of shit that you can blame the government next door about, metaphorically speaking, and now it’s become our fucking mess as well.” She started to pass out folders for everyone in the room.

“How bad are we talking, Agent Hardline?” another person spoke up.

“Ever heard of SEAL Team Six or Delta Force?” a new voice spoke as a man walked in, his whiskey-soaked voice sounding much like the actor Lightfoot. Shining Armor’s eyes immediately started to take in the measure of the man as he moved next to Agent Hardline. With the easy stride of someone who’d seen many a decade in law enforcement, his hard silvery eyes, graying blond hair and thick mustache complimented his duster and Stetson. Had it not been for the fact that he was in an FBI office, Shining full expected the man to be wearing a US Marshals or Texas Rangers badge instead. “We’re talking just as dangerous, with an added streak: they specialize in causing huge amounts of collateral damage wherever they go, on purpose, to draw attention from their activities – hard to look for stolen data when the whole building is falling down around your ears.”

Hardline looked at the man. “Uh, boss, you may want to introduce yourself.”

He grinned. “Ah, yes. I’m Shining Badge, Special Agent-in-Charge of this little coffee klatch. I’ve had forty years in law enforcement, and quite frankly, I’ve never seen a bag of cats like this before.”

Sandalwood raised her hand. “Agent Badge, I’m former Navy – I know some SEALs. And you’re saying the Canadians have something on par with DEVGRU or 1st SOF-D?” she asked, using both groups’ formal designations to prove her point. “Yeah, I know the Canucks have IRTF and Arrowhead, but seriously?”

In response, Badge nodded to Hardline and she reached in her pocket, pulling out a small remote and hitting a button on it. On cue, the lights dimmed, a screen lowered, and a projector at the back of the room activated, throwing images on to the screen. “This information comes directly to us from the CIA, NSA and the RCMP, the latter of which was very reluctant to give it to us,” Hardline began. The screen showed the same emblem that Shining had seen at his morning CPD briefing last week. “They’re officially called the Strategic Intervention, Reconnaissance and Execution Network, or, more colorfully, the SIRENs. The group is composed entirely of females, and if the RCMP’s info is correct, they’re very much like the historical Spartans – or the mythical Amazons, for a better analogy – meaning that these women have been quite literally trained since childhood to be nothing but weapons of war.”

A hand at the back was raised. “Okay, excuse me while I raise the bullshit flag, but Canadians? Really? Excuse the term, but this sounds like some kind of cliché bullshit from some weird technothriller.”

In turn, Badge stared at the man and in a soft voice replied, “Yeah, tell that to the people in Dubai and Venice – I’m sure you all watch the news at some point or another, right? Let’s add the Basilique Saint-Tugdual de Tréguier from three months ago and several other places that have been blamed on ISIS or other extremist organizations, shall we?” Badge walked right up to the man and leaned forward; the jovial smile on his face seemed all the more menacing for it. “But, you know, let’s just chalk it up to stereotypes and the belief that the Canadians would never do anything like this, never mind the fact that they’re just as human as we are, they’re a nation just like us, and nations tend to do things that they’re not often proud of.” He glared at the man and said in a soft voice, “But hey, just keep on thinking the way you do. I’ll tell your next of kin that when you die from a sniper bullet or something that the SIRENs might unload on you. Maybe even at point-blank range.”

As the man blanched, Badge pulled back and addressed the whole room. “Let’s get this clear: the Mounties want us to arrest them, because otherwise we’ll have Les SCARS in town, and then we’ll have a war on our hands. Since that tends to break things and hurt people, I’d rather avoid that, wouldn’t you?”

“Les SCARS?” another officer asked.

“The Canadian Security Intelligence Service, the CIA’s counterpart,” Hardline answered. “Their nickname comes from the French version of the name, the Service Canadien du Renseignement de Sécurité, or SCRS. They have a wetworks group that’s been specifically ordered to hunt down the SIRENs, and they’ve been augmented by other CANSOF forces. There have been a few firefights between the two groups in several parts of the world. The SIRENs have held their own so far, but Les SCARS have more people and…well, the SIRENs are getting desperate, which is why we think they’re looking to bolthole in a familiar location without attracting attention.”

“Familiar location?”

“Hey, what’s the difference between the US and Canada, besides a border and a different secondary language – Spanish vice French, in case you weren’t paying attention,” Badge answered. “On a more serious, note, though, we have fifty-seven known locations, from the Marianas to Maine, where someone fitting the description of a known SIREN operative has been spotted. The Bureau is stretched to the limit, which is why we’ve asked for assistance from local law enforcement agencies. But let’s make something clear: due to the urgency of this situation, you are all now considered deputized Federal agents. You’ll get your usual salary, plus a little something we’re throwing in for danger pay. But until you are detached back to your parent agencies, you are not to deal with anyone from said organizations. As of now, you are all Bureau, and this case is your only priority.” He looked at the clock and said, “Now, I’ve got a briefing with the regional director on this situation, and as soon as that’s done, I’ll come back with updates. In the meanwhile, Hardy here will brief you all on the background of the group and why they slipped their chain.” With that, Agent Badge stepped out of the room.

“Okay,” Hardline said, changing to the next slide, “let’s get started. The SIRENs are currently commanded by this woman: Cantata Blast, Age 41, formerly a captain in the Royal Canadian Navy. The group’s second in command is this woman, Rhapsody Blue, Age 39, a former RCN commander. The rest of the SIRENs’ operation chain goes as follows: third in command and operations officer, Violin Elegy, Age 39, former RCN lieutenant commander; logistics officer….”

In a recently-rented building in Sunnytown, three women stood looking at one another. “I have some misgivings about this,” Madrigal said to her fellow SIRENs. “I…I hope they don’t succeed. I hope they give up.”

“Maddie, I have to agree,” Vesper pointed out. “I raised Aria as my petite sœur, and I love her just as much as if she was my real flesh-and-blood sister, just like Mezzo. If I had my way, I would beg her to run away and never come back to the Sisterhood.”

Sitting next to them, Intermezzo agreed. “I know how you both feel. But it was just as difficult when our grandes sœurs raised us. Hell, sometimes it felt like Harpsichord was my mother and not just my grande sœur. But that’s the way the Sisterhood rolls, girls: we’re active until we’re fifty, then we move to the support group.” Intermezzo pointed at the three girls talking amongst themselves on the other side of the room. “Someday, they’ll become grandes sœurs and take trainees of their own, and by then we’ll become too old and retire to the support group. But the Sisterhood has to survive, if only to avenge our uncle’s death.”

“Until the death,” Vesper agreed, clenching a fist.

“Until the death,” Madrigal agreed, nodding her head.

Away from the three older women, Adagio Dazzle hugged her biological sisters. “I’ve missed you two!” she said, embracing Aria Blaze and Sonata Dusk. “I brought you guys back some presents from Dubai!” The eldest of the triplets reached in her bag, pulling out the Black Star pistol. “Ari, I know you’ve wanted this one for your collection….”

Aria grinned as she took the gift. “You’re the best sister ever, Dagi!” she commented, hugging her sis.

“Oh, and Soni, here’s a vintage PHP I snagged from one of them. There’s a little blood gunking up the works, so you’ll have to clean it.”

“That’s okay,” Sonata said with a smile, taking the pistol and inspecting it. “It’s the thought that counts, sis. So how was Dubai?”

The three girls chatted amicably amongst each other for several minutes, until Intermezzo bellowed, “Okay, let’s get this show on the road! Front and center you three, doubletime!” Like lightning, the younger trio immediately moved to stand in front of the three women, immediately coming to attention. “Okay, you’re on the clock now, understood?”

“YES, MA’AM!” the three shouted as one.

“Parade rest!” Intermezzo barked, and the girls shifted automatically. With a proud smile on her face, the woman continued. “This is your final assignment. Once you pass, you will be promoted past Ordinary Seaman and promoted to Able Seaman. Seaman Dazzle, as the fireteam leader, you will be promoted to Leading Seaman, is that understood?”

“YES, MA’AM!” the teenage trio shouted again.

“At ease,” Vesper spoke, handing each a packet as each girl moved into a more comfortable stance. “These are your order assignments. You are to memorize your duties and carry them out to the best of your abilities. You will be given no guidance, you will not carry weapons at any time unless directed, and you are to make yourselves look as un-regulation as possible, like Seaman Dusk here.” It was at this time that both Adagio and Aria looked at their youngest sister, noticing that Sonata’s hair was longer than allowed, and in a very unregulation ponytail.

“Any questions?” Vesper asked as each girl looked into the packets given them.

“Yes, Lieutenant,” Adagio began. “What’s with the civilian look?” Before she could ask anything else, she then heard a gasp to her right, turning to see a wide-eyed look on Aria’s face.

“This is….” Forgetting her military bearing for a second, she asked, “This looks like a million bucks! What the fuck, Vesper?” A second later, she caught herself and said, “Sorry, Lt. Blue, ma’am.”

It was Madrigal that answered. “Okay, off the record. That’s ten thousand in American dollars, girls, and each of you have them, not just you, Ari. The ten thousand is for you all to buy civilian clothes to your liking, and whatever you need to pretend to be an average American girl.”

It was Sonata that asked the question. “Why?”

Intermezzo spoke. “We’ve raised you three as our petite sœurs, and we love you three very much, not just as your trainers, but as sisters. But sooner or later you have to grow up, and oftentimes that means that you might just find out that you’re not cut out for the life of the Sisterhood. In our case, there were four of us biological sisters: me; my twin, Vesper; and our older twin sisters Rhapsody and Opera. Rhapi succeeded at her mission and worked her way up to XO. But Oppie…it was during an operation in New Zealand that she decided the life wasn’t for her. She left the Sisterhood; she’s now a teacher in Auckland, where she’s happy. We go visit her whenever we can, because she’s family, and she’s always willing to help out the Sisterhood whenever she can, but…she’s an outsider, and we only go to her when there’s no other choice. And now that Oppie’s got a husband and children of her own? We see her even less, both because we can’t risk ourselves and we can’t risk them.”

Madrigal nodded. “I have an older biological sister as well, Frottola, and on her final training mission, she fell in love with a guy in New York, married him and left the Sisterhood. We…don’t speak anymore. She never forgave me for staying with the Sisterhood, and while I miss her, I have a mission to fulfill.”

Vesper then interjected, “Look, we’re not trying to convince you to quit, though because we love you three, we’d honestly be happy if you did – no grande sœur ever wants to see her petite sœur die. This mission, just like we had, and just like your own petite sœurs will have one day, is your choice to stay or leave. If you choose to leave at any time…we’ll cut you loose and give you a new identity and a couple of million to settle yourself anywhere you want. But if you stay…you’ll help us avenge Uncle Poutine and what Les Scars did to him.”

The three sisters looked at each other, with both Aria and Sonata nodding at their older sister. Flashing them a smile, Adagio turned to the three grande sœurs, she said as her eyes glistened with wetness, “We loved him too, you know. I remember when he took time from his duties to read us bedtime stories. He told us that we could move on beyond what we were found as, and he helped us to do so.”

Aria wiped a tear from her eye. “He gave us our names, from those old Motown singers that he loved.”

Sonata’s tears flowed freely. “He gave us everything – and the government took his life, because he wanted us free.” Her eyes then narrowed with rage as she said, “And I want revenge for that.” Aria nodded, putting her hand on Sonata’s shoulder.

Adagio gave her cocky grin, and said, “So, not only are we in…but I’ll put the bullets right where they need to go, in cold blood if need be.”

Intermezzo nodded. “You three can leave at any time during the operation. All you have to do is come here. As it is, we’ll report here once a week for updates. I’ll be operating out of Horseshoe Bay, where our contact will be giving us resupplies; Vesper will be working at a nearby medical clinic in case we need medical treatment. You three will be living in a house with Maddie, and you will report to her for day-to-day business, got that?”

“How long’s the op?” Adagio asked.

“Until the job’s done, Dagi. Until the job’s done.”

Feeling distinctly uncomfortable, Celestia stepped onto the treadmill, trying to discern the machine for the first time in her life. The last time she’d ever worked out was PE class back in high school and now, here she was, the owner of a shiny new monthly membership at BodyFit Fantastique: Canterlot’s #1 Place for Fit Folks!...or so said the TV ads. But right now, as she looked at the complex machine in front of her, two things became very clear: one, that she should’ve brought a pair of headphones; and two, maybe she should’ve sprung for the extra fee that would’ve landed her a few sessions with a fitness trai—

“Tia?” The confused woman turned her head to see a friend walking up, dark skin and blue-green eyes nearly buried in teal-and-violet tresses nearly as long as Celestia’s own. “Heya, didn’t know you worked out here.”

Celestia smiled. “Actually, first time. And is that a new hairdo I see, Chrys?”

The newcomer smiled, nodding. “Yeah. Sombra always thought I should add a little touch of color to my hair, so I had it done by the salon the other day. You like?”

“Looks good,” Celestia said with approval. “So…since you’re an expert at this, wanna help out a first timer?”

Celestia’s counterpart grinned. “Luckily for you I do treadmill and cardio on weekends instead of swimming. Sure, I’ll get you set up – but, you’ll have to get a swimsuit to join me on weekdays; it’s the best way to get an all-in workout.”

“You got it,” the pastel-haired woman said as her friend started to explain how the treadmill worked. A few minutes more, and both women were jogging and between breaths chatting along about various things that encompassed their friendship.

Nearby, two women walked upstairs from the basement swimming pool, both still damp from their workout. “God, I swear I’m getting old,” Velvet mourned. “What I wouldn’t do to have your genes, Lu.”

“Maybe,” Luna replied. “But you have something I’ve always wanted: a husband, a family, a normal life. Look at me, Vel! I’m fifty-two, I don’t even look like I’m thirty and in a few years, my niece is going to look older than me! My boyfriend’s less than half my age, and his mother freaks that she’s younger than me.” She groaned. “Sometimes, I think my family’s cursed – yes, we age very gracefully, probably unnaturally so, but it means little when you’re missing out on life.”

“Yeah,” Velvet agreed with a wistful smile. “No offense, but I wouldn’t give up my husband and my family for the world.”

“Even Sunset?”

The matron nodded. “Even Sunny. I love that girl, and I know she loves me. I’m her mother now, and I’m happy to have her as my ch—” Velvet’s words immediately cut off, to be replaced by her pointing towards the treadmills. “Wait – is that Tia?”

Luna blinked. “Wait…no, that can’t be my sister. She believes she’s above such petty things as working out to keep fit. But that’s….” Luna looked at her friend. “C’mon, think we need some answers – and if it’s her, I get to fuck with my sister again.”

“You never stop, do you?”

“I don’t recall you ever giving your sister Glitter an easy time,” Luna reminded her.

Velvet groaned. “Point.”

As the two approached, they could hear the other woman say, “Yeah. Especially since Orion’s Belt is supposed to be pretty clear tonight. I think it’d be perfect to….” The woman was then treated to the painful yet funny look of two women approaching, waving at Celestia, who then gasped, lost her footing, tripped forward, slammed her head against the treadmill panel, and then slid off into a crumpled heap at the end of the roller.

Velvet looked at Luna. “This is your fault.”

The early morning snow fell down the streets of Sydney, Australia, as two women walked through the Kings Cross district. While there were few people out at this time of day, those who walked past the pair heard nothing but a pair of sheilas breezily chatting about having a bite at a new recommended restaurant. The duo continued to move down Victoria Street, until the finally came across a non-descript building, the restaurant at its bottom floor bustling with the movement of a winter morning.

“This is the place,” the first woman said, dumping her Australian accent and pulling back her hood, revealing a fair face, orange, yellow and red hair and red eyes.

The second one also removed her hood, her alice-blue hair and green eyes showing disgust as she watched a couple of people walk across the street, shivering from the cold. “Ugh. Remember when we had cold-weather training when we were twelve, Canta?”

“Rhapi, I already know what you’re thinking…and no, not everyone has to spend a week in the nude fighting against the elements for survival above the Arctic Circle. They’re probably civvies, or at most RAN, since the local base is nearby. But they’re not like us – and they never will be.”

As they walked into the restaurant, a woman in her forties walked forward, a smile on her face. “Welcome to the Musket and Seal! What can I get you lovely ladies?”

“A table in the back, if you don’t mind,” the first one said. “Tired of seeing all this bloody snow.”

The second one piped up, “Do you have French toast?”

“Aye, that we do, luv,” the woman said, grabbing two menus. “Follow me, if ya would.” With that, the two women followed the first to the back of the restaurant…and then back through the backside, where the staff was cooking; all were female. They all looked up at the two women briefly then turned away just as quickly, as if in deference. Finally, the maître d’ looked at the two, pointing to a small staircase upstairs. “Go ahead – the bastard’s right up there, Cantata.”

Cantata Blast, the leader of the SIRENs, looked at the maître d’. “Oh, so he hasn’t been behaving himself?”

The woman rolled her eyes. “A member of my detachment has had to…entertain him for the past two days he’s waiting. That’s tough enough, but the damn jack told me he turned me down because ‘I’m plump’ he says!” She picked up a butcher knife. “And this guy’s our ticket?”

“I believe so,” Cantata replied.

At her side, Rhapsody Blue, the SIRENs XO, grinned. “Well…he’s not wrong, Symphonica. You are putting on a few.”

Symphonica shrugged. “You birds try runnin’ a restaurant sometime and see how thin ya stay,” she said with a chuckle. “Anyway, he should be up there, and if Piano’s with him, tell her to put on some strip and get down here. Lunch rush starts in three hours and time waits for no man. You ladies eat yet?”

Cantata shook her head. “Surprise us,” she said, as she and Rhapsody went up.

As the pair ascended the stairs, Rhapsody looked at Cantata. “She looks happy.”

“She’s not – you weren’t paying enough attention. She didn’t want to give up the CO slot, but her injuries forced her into early retirement.” Cantata sighed. “She was good – really good, and I enjoyed being OPS underneath her. But she got careless, that guy in Colombia shot her in the chest, and now that bullet’s too close to operate on. She knows she’s on borrowed time, and when it goes, so does she, and then one of the girls here will have to take command of this detachment, or we’ll have to have someone retire early.”

“You are a bitch, you know that, Canta?” Rhapsody snarled. “She’s a SIREN just like us, and she’s supportive of the mission – but you’re dismissing her like she’s unimportant!”

Cantata turned and stared at her second in command coldly. “There are 120 of us active personnel left, and maybe 350 reservists who we can call up. Those reservists run the roughly fifty spots we can run to safely in case everything goes to hell. We are at war, Commander, and I will expend everyone, myself included, to win this war, put down Les SCARS, and make sure they pay for what they did to us, got that? That means everyone’s expendable, and if I had to personally put a bullet between your eyes in order to win this war, I would – and don’t deny you wouldn’t do the same to me!”

The two scowled at each other before Rhapsody sighed. “My two sisters – my biological sisters – are on a final mission training our last three trainees for a while. If I could, I would insist they, the trainees, and Madrigal Storm, who’s with them, never come back. Maybe that makes me a shit XO, but I care about lives more than justice, Canta!”

“No, it doesn’t make you a shit XO,” Cantata replied. “It makes you human – something I can’t afford the luxury of being anymore.” The two arrived at the top of the steps, and with that, opened the door.

The upstairs apartment was everything the art deco-inspired restaurant downstairs wasn’t: spartan, minimalist, and, with the exception of the stereotypical I LOVE ME wall every military veteran had, bare of adornment.

Seated on a loveseat, his shirt open like he was some sort of trashy romance novel hero come alive, was their contact. He was being fed grapes by a dark-skinned girl with silvery hair and gray eyes wearing nothing at all and flirting with him as though the fate of reality depended on it.

“Master Seaman Piano Bliss, attention!” Cantata barked. As if flipping a switch, the girl leapt from her position to attention; the fact that she was completely undressed was of no matter. Looking at the girl, Cantata snarled, “Get dressed and report back to station.”

Piano saluted, saying, “Yes, ma’am,” and Rhapsody noted that it would’ve looked much more professional had the girl been clothed. She paused briefly to give a kiss to the man, then walked out of the room as if nothing was going on.

The man scowled at Cantata. “You shouldn’t have sent her away; I like her. She’ll make a fine concubine for me.”

“Shut up, Right,” Cantata snarled.

“That’s ‘Your Imperial Majesty, Crown Prince Divine Right’ to you,” the man snarled, brushing purple hair out of yellow eyes.

“No, that’s ‘shut up, you idiot,” Cantata told Right. “You might be a prince, but you’re still a moron. A moron who pays a lot and is worth working for, but still an idiot.”

Rhapsody blinked. Looking at her friend and commander, she asked, “He’s a prince?”

Cantata sighed. In a weary, blasé voice, she droned, “Commander Rhapsody Blue, formerly of the Royal Canadian Navy, may I have the honor of introducing you to Prince Divine Bourbon Canino Corsique Droit Divin Right, Prince of the House of Bonaparte and fifth in line to the Imperial Throne of France.” And then with a malicious smile, she added, “In pretense, of course.”

Right barely bristled at the veiled insult, then gave her the smile a snake would his lunch and added, “Fourth in line now, thanks to your timely assassinations.”

“Whatever.” She reached in her coat, producing a wrapped object. “Here, recovered from the Venetian Basilica: the Dagger of Dreams. As for the sheets containing the Song of Summoning, they are en route from Dubai. Given how fragile they are, we’re taking our time getting them here, as well as transcribing them in the event the original sheets are lo—”

Right banged a fist on the table. “The sheets will arrive intact, or else,” he snarled. “The song is nothing, means nothing, can do nothing! It is all about the sheets – the song must be read from the sheets! The damn song could be ‘Happy Birthday’ and it wouldn’t matter as long as the words are sung from those sheets!” He looked at them both and added, “The sheets, like the dagger, the lance, and my book, are not of this world. Long ago, the wizard Merlin—”

Rhapsody laughed. “Merlin? Really? You’ve go—”

She was immediately cut off by Cantata. “Let him finish, Commander,” she said in a tone that brooked no argument.

“Thank you,” Right replied. “Anyway, long ago, Merlin, the master wizard of Britain was said to have met his counterpart from another realm. Together, they defeated a demon that had somehow tunneled from this other realm. Unfortunately for them, the method that the demon used was cast to the four winds, and in time had been forgotten by the world…until I had the opportunity to obtain a grimoire from my ancestor.”

“I wasn’t aware Napoleon was into the occult,” Cantata inquired. “I studied some of his tactics and profiles.”

Right laughed. “I’m not talking about that fool; while his reach for power was admirable, he was a strutting peacock who was too blinded by his own majesty to see his own impending demise. No, I’m talking about my true ancestor of note: Baldassare di Cavalcanti, the infamous alchemist. But he was more than that, and his loss will be my gain.” A second later, he said with a grin, “And yours as well, if you continue to play your cards correctly.”

“We’re all ears,” was Cantata’s reply.

Divine Right reached into one of the pockets of his pants, pulling out a flash drive. “These are the three sites that I’ve recently purchased. I have construction crews preparing all three locations and your job will be to oversee them. Of course, once they’re done….” He gave a grim smile. “I don’t think I need to tell you what to do next.”

“No.” Rhapsody’s statement was firm. “I don’t know or care who you think you are, but that’s a line the SIRENs do not cross. We are not the bad guys, and we won’t become them just to please you on your say so, got that?”

Cantata, however, to Rhapsody’s shock, took the drive and said, “Painless or no go.”

“The consecration requires the blood of the innocen—”

“And we can solve that by raiding a couple of blood banks,” the officer said smoothly. “That’s what you want, not people suddenly wondering where their loved ones disappeared all of a sudden.”

“You’re correct,” Right replied, sighing as Piano returned, carrying two plates. “Oh, and I want her,” he said, pointing to Piano. “She…amuses me.”

Without skipping a beat, she asked, “Seaman Bliss, how old are you?”

“Seventeen, ma’am.”

Cantata thought about it for a second. “Okay, you’re now assigned as his charge d’ affairs. Your duty is to keep him out of trouble, understood?”

Piano saluted. “Aye aye, ma’am!”

Right put his arm around the girl. “Well, we’ll be off, Captain Blast. Enjoy your breakfast here; it’s quite good and if it wasn’t for the fact that your little group owns it, I would consider purchasing it myself.”

“Enjoy,” she said as Piano and Right walked down the stairs like two lovebirds.

As the SIREN commander dug into her food, her second-in-command stood there, aghast. “Canta, what the fuck is going on? Wizards? Demons? Handing over one of our junior troops – one who isn’t even legal yet – to a man over twice her age?”

A smile coming to her face, Cantata said, “You know, he’s right – this food is damn good. Maybe if we had it back at base, we wouldn’t have rebelled.”

“Canta….”

“Okay, okay, relax. No, I don’t believe for a damn moment this guy is legit. He’s talking demons, magic, shit that doesn’t exist – I looked up this ‘Baldassare di Cavalcanti’, and aside from being a man who murdered his wife and was thrown out of his bishopric, and claimed he got magic powers from talking to a black unicorn in a mirror, he was someone the Church got lazy about handling for a few decades too long. So, no, the man was nuts and Divine Right is no better. But what he has is a fuckton of money, and we pretty much have open access to that bank account. We need weapons, upgrades, the works if every SIREN who can carry a gun is going to take down Les Scars. And that means we have to play a little dirty for a change….” She sighed. “And no, I’m not happy about it.”

“But Seaman Bliss—”

“Is underage per Canadian law, yeah. But remember: our regulations specified certain laws don’t apply to us – and that was one of them. Do you know what I did for my final test? I had to assassinate a man in Thailand who was into little girls. That means that at the tender age of thirteen, I had to do it – and I mean both ways.” She shook her head. “In a perfect world, I wouldn’t order Seaman Bliss to do what she’s doing – though she seems smitten with him, age notwithstanding. No, in a perfect world…a girl like Piano Bliss would never know that the SIRENs exist, because they wouldn’t.”

“So what now?”

“We look at the info, stage our forces, and have them raid local blood banks, then give them a little extra as well as a scare not to talk once the job’s done. Then, we continue as always. We have a mission to complete and a foe to defeat and no SIREN will rest until the job’s accomplished…or to the death.”

“To the death,” Rhapsody agreed.

“Here, take this.” Velvet handed Celestia an ice pack and a bottle of water. “You going to be okay?” The three had moved to the juice bar, where there were seats for Celestia to recover while she nursed both her injuries and her humiliation.

“No, I’ve got a huge bruise that’s probably going to develop into a black eye, and I’m probably going to be the laughing stock of this gym.”

“Sorry, sis,” Luna said, contriteness in her voice. “Had I known you were unprepared, I would’ve….” She facepalmed. “Sorry.”

“No, it’s my fault. I tried to hide from you both what I should’ve told you, because I didn’t want to make a spectacle of it…and instead, I ended up doing that anyway.” She groaned. “Can we get out of here? And what happened to Chrys?”

“She had to go, some emergency where she works,” Luna replied. “She says sorry and that she’ll call you later to see how you’re doing.”

“Thanks.” Celestia sat there for a few minutes before asking, “It’s…it’s not too late for me, is it?”

“Too late for what?” Velvet asked.

“Too late to find happiness?” the pastel-haired beauty said in a small, girlish voice that sounded all too fragile and worried.

Velvet leaned forward. “You mean it?”

Luna, for her part, smirked. “Knew I was right.”

The look in Celestia’s eyes was one of someone completely lost as she said, “I met someone; he works over at the Blanks. He’s….” A soft smile came onto the woman’s face as she turned to face her companions. “He’s perfect. Strong, handsome, kind….”

“Sounds like someone a little smitten,” Velvet replied. Celestia blushed and both Velvet and Luna giggled in response. “No, Tia, I’m happy for you. I’ve always wanted you and Luna to find guys of your own—”

“If only so you don’t keep flashing Night,” Luna cracked.

“Luna,” Celestia said in a tired voice, sighing. “Seriously, you can drop that joke, okay?”

“Tia?” A new voice came in and the trio turned to find a man standing there, looking at the prone woman. “What happened to you?”

“Sable?” She turned away, aghast. “I….”

“Who hurt you?” His voice was cold and angry, and both Velvet and Luna flinched in shock at the sudden change in his voice. He bent down at her side, reaching out to turn her face back to him. “If anyone hit you I swear I’m going to—”

“No! Nobody hit me, Sable,” she stammered, blushing from both his touch and his concern. “I slipped on the treadmill and faceplanted on the control panel. I feel like an idiot as is, please don’t make it worse.”

He turned to the two women there. “Is this true?” Unable to say nothing, they merely nodded. When that happened, he relaxed and offered her his hand. “C’mon, let’s get you out of here.” She took his hand and he pulled her up with muscles that the other two women couldn’t help but take notice of. “I was going to do some time weightlifting today…but my girl’s more important, if you ask me.”

“Your…girl?” Celestia said breathlessly.

“Unless there’s something wrong with that?” he asked, his voice containing curiosity.

In response, she leaned up against him, sighing. “Take me home?”

“How about I take you to my place, take care of that shiner, and make us dinner? Got a new recipe that I’m dying to try out. We can come get your car later.”

“I’m all yours,” she smiled. Turning back to Luna and Velvet, she fished out her locker key and tossing it in their direction asked, “Luna, can you put my stuff in my car? We’ll be by your place later. Bye!”

As Celestia and Sable left, Luna waited a few more minutes before wiping a bit of drool that she hadn’t realized came from her mouth. “I…wow,” was all she could say.

“Yeah, tell me about it. Something tells me I need to get my hubby here so I can get him to look like that hunk of man meat.”

“You do realize this conversation doesn’t pass the Mo Movie Measure, right?”

“Lu, this is real life, not some damn test,” Velvet replied, “and right now, I’m pretty sure what just happened was very real.”

Luna watched as, in the distance, the man helped her sister into the car, but not before getting a kiss on the cheek from her. There was no doubt that they were an item. “No kidding,” she sighed as the car pulled away and drove off.

“Hey, honey,” Cadance said as Shining walked through the door to their apartment. “You look beat.”

“I am. And it’s the kind of ‘I am’ that I can’t tell you about,” he groaned, pulling off his tie and slipping off his jacket. “The most that I can say is that until further notice, I’m working for the FBI, and that this is probably a case that I can’t talk to you about at all.” He plopped down on the couch and leaned back, rubbing his forehead. “This is probably worse than the whole thing with Sweet Pea back from December.”

“That bad?” she asked, sitting down next to him.

“Yeah. Involves a group of girls this time, and…yeah. Let’s just say it’s bad,” he groaned.

“Well, I’ve got enchiladas in the oven, and no plans tonight except spending them with you,” she said, snuggling closer to him as he put her arm around her. “So, do you get a Fibbie badge?”

“Yeah, had to turn my CPD badge into the locker for the moment. They wanted me to turn in my service pistol as well until I told them that I carry my own. Had to get that approved.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out his newly-issued FBI ID and badge. “Apparently this isn’t normal procedure, but we got the lecture that this isn’t a normal case.”

Taking the badge in hand, Cadance looked at him, her lilac eyes looking into his blue ones. “Please tell me you’ll be okay on this one.”

“Cady, I—”

“No, hon. I know you – have known you for years. I know every little thing about you, and as a lawyer, it’s my job to basically notice a person’s tells. Right now, you’re wrestling with telling me something you’re not supposed to, and you’re worried how I’m going to take it.”

“That obvious?”

“Not to the average person, no,” she admitted, “but I had a very good professor at law school who covered all that.”

“Okay.” He looked at her as though she was the most priceless thing in his life, before leaning forward and kissing her. He didn’t know it, but that simple act of love set her into a panic mode that she had to fight to keep off her face. “The fact is that everyone in my team – me, Mel, Cuff, and Sandy—”

“Sandy’s involved in this too?” she gasped, concerned that both her husband and her best friend were both involved in the mess.

“Yeah. Anyways, we’re supposed to wear body armor whenever we’re on duty, and in at least Cuff’s case, he’s gotta get a gun with better stopping power.”

Cadance, long familiar with her husband’s knowledge of guns – he’d even taught her how to fire them in the event of an emergency – blanched, followed by her hands going to her face in shock. “Shiny…no….”

He nodded. “We’re facing something bigger than I’ve ever dealt with, and it’s going to be nasty. This is something that’s LA or New York ‘big’.”

She wrapped her arms around him before she even realized she’d done so. “Please be careful, and tell the others, as well.” She then said, sotto voce, “I don’t know what I would do if I lost you, Shiny.”

“You won’t,” he said, kissing her. “You won’t, I promise.”

“How are you feeling?” Sable asked Celestia as she lay on his couch.

“I think I’ll be swimming from now on,” she groaned, sitting up. “And maybe I should have you sock me in the other eye so I match.” As a result of that, he snickered. “Something wrong?”

“Just making me think of something from my past.” She moved slightly so that he could sit down and he began. “When I was about fifteen or so, I had my first girlfriend, flighty thing by the name of DoubleStar. Dub was a bit of a tomboy, and could easily keep up with me whenever I went hunting or fishing. Anyway, one weekend she went hunting with me and insisted on using the shotgun, though she never used one before. I thought that she’d practiced with one, so I let her. We went after this buck – pretty big one, eight-pointer – and she fired…and the gun bucked, the butt hitting her square across the face. Ended up with double black eyes and ended up with the nickname ‘Raccoon’, which she hated at first, but eventually embraced.”

“So what happened?”

“I joined the military while she joined Peace Corps, she met a guy there, and got married three years later. We still keep in touch, though…well, you get the idea.” He smiled. “But my point is that if you think I’m deterred by a black eye, well…Dub and I were a couple despite those coon eyes of hers, and she learned to have fun with it. Your situation’s different…but I’m not going away.”

“Even if I’m in the AARP age range?” she teased.

“Told you: I always had a thing for older women,” he said with a laugh. “Dub was six months older than me, so…hey, what’s a decade or two?”

“Well, let’s find out,” she said, leaning up to kiss him, which he joined in.

“This…is weird.” Aria held up a halter top. “No way am I going to wear this.”

“It looks good on you, sis,” Sonata suggested. She’d already picked out a hoodie for herself, as well as some skirts and other normal clothing.

“Well, yeah, this is easy for you – you’re the team’s forward scout, so you’re supposed to look like you blend in. I think I’m going to go help Dagi – I think she just wandered over to the boys section.”

“Good idea; Maddie can help me,” Aria replied.

Taking the hint, Madrigal said to the middle triplet, “This isn’t as hard as it seems, Ari. Just grab what looks good on you and doesn’t look like it’ll give anything away.” She looked critically at Aria’s violet and turquoise hair. “Look, I know you prefer your hair in a bun, but…what about twin pigtails?”

Aria looked at her. “Pigtails? Really, Maddie?”

The older woman nodded. “Yes, pigtails. Trust me, I saw the look in a teen magazine I got for Soni and it had some pretty good styles. Tell you what: why don’t I help you with finding some stuff, okay?”

“Would you?” Aria asked.

“Of course.”

Meanwhile, Sonata walked over to Adagio, who seemed to be looking more in the men’s section. “Uh, Dagi? Women’s section over here.”

“Yeah, but I think I like the guys’ stuff better.”

“Honestly, I agree…but we’re supposed to be girly girl for this op.”

“True, I suppose.” The pair walked back towards the women’s section before Adagio asked, “Soni…do you ever think about our parents?”

“I try not to, sis,” Sonata admitted. “Remember what Uncle Poutine said: we were found in a tenement in Eastside Vancouver, with our dead parents and lucky that we were still alive, since they were dead for close to a week. Personally, I think we’re better off now than we were before.”

Adagio nodded; she’d read the dossier that their guardian had given the three when they turned thirteen and started formal military training: that the three were found by the bodies of their dead junkie parents, who had likely been illegal Chinese immigrants. That the three were emaciated and appeared to be only a few months old; their “birthdate” was in fact the day they were taken in by the Ministry of Child and Family Development’s Vancouver Office. That their “birth order” had been literally decided not on actual order, as that was unknown, but on which one was picked up by the MCFD agents in order: Adagio, Aria, and Sonata. That their names had been given by the SIREN recruiter who had been secretly embedded within the MCFD office, and had immediately had “a relative” come down to pick them up – their “uncle”, who had assigned the names the moment he’d heard about the triplets. That their guardian had given them names based on his favorite girl group. Shortly after reading that information, the three teens went to the potter’s field where their parents had been buried. They laid three single roses in Canada’s colors at the gravesite and hadn’t been back since.

“Haven’t you thought of what life would be like if we were…normal?” Adagio asked. She looked at her “youngest” sister; for all anyone knew, maybe it was Sonata that had been born first, but it would be a mystery that no one would ever know the answer to.

“Dagi, you’re my sister. I’m assuming you love me and Ari, right?”

“Of course, Sisterhood or no. Why do you have to ask?”

Sonata smiled. “Because this is normal. Might not be other people’s idea of normal, but this is normal for me: you, me, Ari, our grandes sœurs, and whatever missions we’re assigned. You’re the oldest and you’re our fireteam leader.”

“Yeah, this is normal for us, I guess,” but as Adagio looked across the store at two teenagers in the baby section, one with flowing red-and-yellow hair and the other with bobbed lime-and-fuchsia hair, she said to her sister, “But sometimes I wonder what’s normal for everyone else.”

“Thanks for coming with me shopping for baby stuff, Sunny,” Blossomforth said, trying not to waddle. “I’m nervous about….”

“Hey, I promised I’d be there for you, right?” Sunset replied, taking a snapshot of a bassinet. “How’s birthing classes going?”

“Ugh. They call it the Russian method, and I can see why – my ancestors had to have been hardy to deal with that kind of crap.”

“I didn’t know you were Russian.”

“Well, I’m not; my great-great grandparents were, though; moved here after the Soviets took over way back when. What about you?”

“I don’t know,” the flamehaired teen replied. “That’s the problem with being a runaway orphan…my past is a big blank.” Sunset made a note to someday look up the birth records of her human equivalent; there had to be something that she could use for her own needs, and even though her life was her own now, she was, biologically speaking, her Earthly counterpart’s twin.

“That’s a shame. Do you know what Flash was?”

“Dutch family, I think; he mentioned it once when I was over his place. He’s still not speaking to you?” Blossomforth turned away, and Sunset put her hand on her friend’s shoulder. “Sorry.”

“No, I told you that you were right already,” she said softly. “It’s just…this is his child that I’m carrying and that I’ll be giving birth to in fall. You’d think that he’d care somehow, or that his parents would.”

“I really didn’t know his parents well,” Sunset informed Blossomforth, “so I can’t tell you what they’re likely thinking. All I can say is that I’m here for you, Blossom, you and your child.”

The younger girl smiled. “You know, don’t take this the wrong way, Sunny, but I swear, if you were a guy, I’d probably want you as a boyfriend?”

Sunset laughed. “Blossom, I have enough problems in my life without contemplating Rule 63, thankyouverymuch!”

“But seriously, thanks, Sunny. This isn’t easy for me, being a single mom, and though my parents have adjusted, it’s good to know that I have some friends who won’t abandon me.”

“Nobody has, Blossom. Nobody has. Honestly, I’m just glad that Mr. and Mrs. Cake let us go on a workday to do some baby shopping for you.”

“Oh, they probably knew I needed a hand and that it was easier for you to help than Pinkie,” Blossom said with a secretive smile on her face.

Seated in the Sugarcube Corner Café, six teens – with a seventh poking in occasionally when not handling waitress duties – talked, and from the way they acted, it seemed as though it was both clandestine and the most important thing in the world, and given the attitude of all of them, maybe it was.

“Girls,” Twilight said to her friends and her cousin Octavia, “I need your help.”

“Help?” Rarity asked. “Of course, Twilight dear, but whatever for?”

“Well, it’s to plan Sunny’s birthday,” Twilight answered, then quickly saying to Pinkie before she could interject, “Yes, Pinkie, you’re planning too, but I want this to come from all of us.”

“Of course, Wiley Twily!” the party-planning teen chirped. “I can’t plan all the parties, you know. Just most.”

Author's Note

Okay, and with this chapter, this completes all seven days in sunny June. We're done, folks. Go home. :trollestia:

Oh, but if I ended it, you'd miss Sunny's birthday, right? Should I continue?

PHP in this case doesn't refer to web coding, but the PHP (MV), a Croatian pistol.
And lastly, the Mo Movie Measure's better known as the Bechdel Test.

June 27: I Could Be Happy

The alarm clock chimed, and Sunset woke up, sitting up and stretching her arms in a different way so that she wouldn’t wake up….

Crap. I forgot, she sighed. Octavia had a music recital in Klamath, Oregon, and Twilight had gone with her. Looking at the bed, it felt a little lonely, but they must’ve left early an—

She sighed. Today was her birthday – well, it was the human Sunset Shimmer’s birthday, truth be told. Admittedly, the former unicorn still had no idea if her actual birthdate corresponded or not – if so, she’d turned thirty in pony years today – but it was her birthday regardless, in a manner of speaking. This was the first birthday that she’d planned to spend with others that didn’t involve her making dumb decisions she’d regret the next day; the previous ones she’d stayed overnight at Flash’s place, and there had been a lot of drinking and other stupid things involved. Now, she just wanted happiness with her family. She didn’t care what the plans were, just to spend time with her loved ones.

Unfortunately for her, it had already started off on a bad footing for the supposedly now seventeen-year-old: two of the people she loved most in the world wouldn’t be present today and she wouldn’t see them until Monday evening. It was already going to be a rough day since she had to go to school even though it was a Friday; plus she had to work today and Fridays were always busy. It didn’t help also that now that Blossomforth had entered her final trimester, her doctor had recommended that she stay off her feet whenever possible, so she was now on permanent cashier duty, leaving Pinkie and Sunset to handle waitress duties. Pinkie had even overheard her aunt and uncle consider hiring another employee to fill the slot that Blossomforth would likely be leaving once she had her child.

Well, maybe Pinkie has something planned for today, Sunset thought with a soft smile. Given the large party she threw for Rares’ birthday back in April, there’d be no way she wouldn’t have something planned. Well, I guess I’d better go shower, head downstairs and get hugs and attention from the parentals.

Clambering off her bed in order to make it, she couldn’t help but sigh in contentment. Here she was, a thirty-year-old mare and a seventeen-year-old girl at the same time; the daughter figure of the immortal goddess-princess of the most powerful nation on Equus, a baroness in her own right – since Celestia had restored her given title – and an official grand mage of Equestria – a title bestowed on her by Princess Twilight, since she was technically now the most powerful unicorn in existence. But none of that mattered to her. No, what truly mattered to her were the folks downstairs who would hug her, wish her a happy birthday and let her know she was loved – her parents in spirit, if not in blood or even legally.

I wonder if Razz feels that way about her foster parents, Sunset thought. Well, maybe when she was older and had her own apartment she could have the black mage unicorn come for a visit. In any case, that was for some day in the future.

Her bed now made, she grabbed a change of clothing from her dresser and wandered off to the bathroom to shower, shampoo and shine.

Thirty minutes later, Sunset was seriously considering if she could get Princess Luna to see if she’d somehow slipped into a waking dream. As she descended the stairs, the house was quiet and empty, not at all normal for the household at this time of morning. By the time she’d reached the kitchen table, she saw Velvet’s handwritten note:

Sunset looked at the note as though it was a refutation of her whole life. If not having Twilight or Octavia present was a disappointment, being alone in the house this morning was a bigger one. Is this supposed to be normal? Not having anyone care about my birthday? She remembered all the lavish birthdays that the sun alicorn had thrown her year after year when all she wanted was just to be called a daughter. Meanwhile, the birthday parties for her friends that they’d all celebrated over the course of the year – initially Pinkie’s own, back in December; then Fluttershy’s, back in January, followed by Applejack’s in March and Rarity’s the month after – there’s no way that she’d be forgotten in all that, right?

I mean, Pinkie even asked two weeks ago when Tavi and Twily’s birthdays were so we could start planning.

As Sunset walked over to the microwave to start the machine, she heard some keys jiggle in the door and a smile came to her face…which immediately fell as she saw Cadance walk through the door.

“Morning!” the young woman called out, brushing her cream, violet and fuchsia locks out of her eyes. “Something wrong, Sunny?”

“Oh, ah, no, Cady, sorry,” Sunset replied. “I just thought that it’d be Mo—I mean, Mrs. V coming in. She took Spike to an early doctor’s appointment.”

“I know; she called me and Shiny last night to tell us,” Cadance replied before looking at the teen with a critical eye. “You look a little down.”

“I just didn’t sleep well last night,” Sunset lied, not wanting to explain the whole thing. As it was, she knew that Cadance had a good sense for reading peoples’ emotional states, so she left it at that. Changing the subject, Sunset asked, “What brings you here?”

Walking over to the coffee machine and grabbing a cup, Cadance answered. “I figured you didn’t want to take the subway or bus to school, and since I have to go up to the North County prison to profile a case I’m working on, I thought I’d give you a lift.”

“Thanks, I appreciate that,” Sunset said with a smile as she pulled her breakfast out of the fridge. “Want one?”

“Thanks; I forgot to grab a yogurt out of the fridge on the way here,” Cadance replied, taking one gratefully. After a few bites, she said, “You really look down this morning. You sure you’re okay?”

Sunset nodded as she finished her burrito. “I’ll be fine. Just couldn’t sleep, is all.”

“Okay. In any case, we gotta go soon,” the lawyer replied as she looked at the clock. “I have to be at Northco Jail by 8:30, and the freeway’s always busy this time of day.”

“Okay,” Sunset replied, gulping down the last of her coffee. “Let me go brush my teeth then we can go.”

As Sunset raced upstairs, Cadance reached into her purse, pulling out her phone. Quickly, she hammered a message out to a preset list: She looks like the world’s fallen down on her. Hope this is going to be worth it, gang.

It will be, a response returned. It will be.

Feeling the rays of the sun gently strike her eyes as though it was a hint that it was time to get a move on, Twilight Sparkle sat up in the sleeping bag she slept in. Quietly rising from the plush cream carpet of the chiffon-haired girl’s room, Twilight noticed that Fluttershy was still asleep, as was Octavia, who had also stayed over as well. Given that Fluttershy and Rarity were the best choices to stay over at, and that the latter was holding onto the various items for tonight, the oldest of their circle was the final decision.

Stretching to get the kinks out, Twilight heard her phone chime the indicator tone for an incoming text. Reaching over to the phone, she looked at it and smiled softly, seeing both Cadance’s initial comment and the reply from Twilight’s mother. Part of Twilight’s heart broke when she heard how disconsolate Sunset was to wake up to an empty house, but at the same time the plum-haired academic had to remind herself that it was all a part of the plan; surprise parties were a surprise for a reason.

Nevertheless, she typed in her response. We’ll get things going on this end, don’t worry. Think we can keep Sunny away from home all day?

A few seconds later, she got a response from her father: I talked to the Cakes and they plan to keep her busy tonight until about seven. From that point, they’ll drive her home, and then that’ll be a surprise. You’ve got until then to get everything ready.

Will do. I’ll remind the girls to park over by Mrs. Mountain’s house, so Sunny doesn’t recognize any of their cars.

Turning off the phone, she had a girlish giggle come to her throat. Now’s the time to get plans in gear.

“Oh no, she’s giggling – that can’t be good,” a wry voice replied. Twilight looked up from her phone to see Fluttershy and Octavia looking right at her.

“Morning,” she said with a smile.

“You look happy,” Fluttershy observed.

“Ecstatic,” Twilight admitted.

“Hey, I’m even excited for what’s going down tonight, and I’m not as impacted as Twily is,” Octavia said.

Remembering what it was, Fluttershy nodded. “I’m happy for you both. You both and Sunny. She needs this.” Getting up from her bed, she started to make it and added, “I’ll make breakfast for us, and then we can head to your place, Twily.”

“Well, you’ll have to park around the block so Sunny doesn’t see your car—”

Fluttershy grinned as she said, “Already thought of that; Mom took my car to work today so I could borrow hers. Anyway, you girls freshen up and I’ll go start making breakfast downstairs. Pancakes okay?”

As Cadance drove off, Sunset briefly watched her drive down the street before turning her attention back to school. Normally she’d meet up with Rainbow or Lyra, but Rainbow sent her a text during the drive to school that she had a team summer season meet down south at Whitehaven High, so she wouldn’t be at class today and to remind Ms. Raven of that.

“Heya, Sunny.” Sunset turned her head to see Lyra catching up to her. “Wow, you look like shit. You okay?”

“Yeah,” the flame-haired girl sighed. “Just…you ever have one of those mornings where you think that everyone you know forgot something important?”

Lyra nodded. “Yeah. Back in December I nearly unintentionally broke Trixie’s heart, because I got so tied up with Bonnie that day that I lost track of time and nearly forgot my best friend’s birthday. Goddess, I’d hate to be the idiot who forgets a friend’s birthday, you know?”

“You don’t say,” Sunset deadpanned.

“No, serious – and I think I’d be toast if I ever forgot my gal’s. Oh, speaking of which, Bonnie’s birthday is July 8th, and we’re throwing a party for her. Nothing major, just some of her friends and such. Want to come?”

“I’d love to,” Sunset said, giving her friend a Pan-Am smile. Part of her wanted to strangle Lyra for her insensitivity, but Sunset reminded herself that it was just as likely that Lyra hadn’t intended to twist the metaphorical knife in Sunset’s back. After all, how many people knew her birthday? She was a changed person now and she couldn’t just count on anyone just remembering it out of the blue, even amongst her circle of friends.

“Ms. Shimmer, a word, if you please.” Sunset turned and saw Ms. Luna approaching her, a serious look on her face.

“Don’t know what you did, but I don’t want a part of it,” Lyra joked.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, whatever, delinquent,” Sunset replied. “Talk to you after class.”

“Tell you what, let’s go to lunch this afternoon – it’s on me,” Lyra said, waving as she walked off.

“Deal,” she said to Lyra as she turned her attention to the summer school principal. “Can I help you, Ms. Luna?”

“No, if anything, I should be asking you that, Sunset,” the educator replied. “I got a call a few minutes ago from Cadance, who said you were looking under the weather. I wanted to follow up on that to see if you were okay.”

“I just…didn’t sleep well last night,” Sunset replied. “I’m not sick or anything.”

The smile on Luna’s face was genuine. “Forgive me for being a little concerned. As an educator, I have to make sure all my students are hale. And as your mother’s best friend, obviously the matter of your care becomes a little more personal, if you understand.”

“I do,” Sunset yawned, a bit involuntarily. “Just….”

Luna looked around. “Sunset…I would very much appreciate it if you went and took a nap in my office. Feel free to use the couch, and I have a small blanket there that I use occasionally myself if I need it. The secretary called in sick herself today, so there won’t be anyone in the admin office to bother you.”

“Ms. Luna, I….”

“Just humor this old woman, okay? I’ll tell your teacher I excused you.”

Sunset yawned again. “Okay, if you insist.” Maybe I do need a little more sleep. With that, the teen headed off to the principal’s office.

Luna watched her walk into the building before calling out, “Okay, you’re clear to come out.” From the building’s other wing, Rainbow, Trixie, Bon-Bon, Minuette and Lyra all came out. The fact that only two of the five were summer school students would’ve tipped anyone off that something was amiss; fortunately, Luna had already covered that issue over smoothly.

“Well, Trix and I can keep her busy during lunch,” Lyra explained, to which Trixie nodded her head.

“AJ and Pinkie are meeting me at my parents’ chocolate shop,” Bon-Bon replied. “We’ll make the cake there.”

“That leaves you and me to take care of things, Colgate,” Rainbow said. “This is gonna rock!”

“Hey, don’t forget that we have to pick up Blossom as well,” Minuette added. “No way she’s going to miss this one.”

“You know, this would look very good on you, Coco,” Suri Polomare said to her future freshman apprentice. The two were at Tender Sigh’s Treasure Box, an intimates store that served a very special clientele. “Any guy who saw you in this would be very smitten,” she commented.

Coco looked at the sheer, lacy number and tried not to blush the color of her purse. “It’s…very, ah, seethrough,” she stammered.

Suri gave a soft smile. “Trust me, I’ve worn less around my boyfriend. That is, after all, the point.”

“Well, what about me, sis?” Crackle asked, eyeing the thing with a lot more certainty than Coco did. Suri gave her friend Vanity Fair, the one who would oversee Crackle, a slight glance, but it was more than enough to get the message across.

“Crackle, you’re more the adventurous type, right?” Vanity said with a knowing smile. “I think they might have just want you want this way.” Leading the girl over to another section of the store, Vanity gave her friend clearance to do whatever it was they had planned.

Suri looked down at the girl. “Coco, can I be frank with you? You are not going to survive some of the more, ah, ‘public’ events at Zacherle’s if you don’t relax.”

The girl animatedly gasped, “But I…but they…but that!” She finally pointed at the outfit, turning completely and utterly red. “I can’t wear that! My parents’ll kill me!”

Suri smiled patiently. “My dear…when I was up for the freshman lingerie contest? I had to wear a lot worse. Actually, you should ask Fleur what she had to wear.” In the time that she’d gotten to know the girl, she learned that she was the sister of Fleur’s boyfriend, which made breaking her all the sweeter when it occurred. “Trust me, it’s all in good fun, both to allow you to get used to some of the more, ah, unique parts of womanhood as well as just the harmless razzing that comes with this sort of thing. I assure you that when you’re a senior, you’ll probably be doing the same thing to a sweet thing like yourself, wondering why you ever got worried about it.”

Coco looked at Suri oddly. “You sure about this?”

She laughed. “Tell you what: we’ll have dinner over at my place tonight. You can wear that and I’ll wear mine, okay?”

“You promise?”

“I absolutely promise.”

“Can we have Crackle and Vanity join us?” Coco added.

“I’m sure they might have other plans, but we can ask them,” Suri said, making a mental note to make sure that Vanity and Crackle make other plans. As Coco nodded and headed off to the cashier, Suri pulled out her phone and texted Vanity to arrange that.

Suri smiled maliciously. All it would take tonight would be getting Coco relaxed in that oh-so-revealing suit, and when she least expected it, she’d find something in her drink. Five minutes later, Coco Pommel would rue the day that she ever tried to work her way up the social ladder using Suri’s sister.

Plus, I’ll have a very happy fiancé. And happy marriages make for perfectly controlled ones, Suri thought as she wandered over to the body gels and other accessories. Let’s see…I wonder how the edible ones taste?

Trixie took a sip from her shake, then eyed Sunset critically. “Sunny, you really don’t seem to be yourself today? Are you sure nothing’s wrong?”

“Trixie, have you ever felt that someone you know forgot something important?” Sunset asked, twirling a fry in a small ketchup cup.

“Oh, yeah, that I do,” she said with a grin. “Goofball here almost forgot my birthday this past year.”

“I didn’t forget, okay? I just…I got tied up with other things,” Lyra said, blushing. “Besides, the only reason we meet on the 20th is because your birthday’s on Christmas and I felt sorry for you when I was nine!”

Sunset was taken aback by that. “Really?”

Trixie nodded, putting her arm around her best friend. “Yeah, and it was really sweet of her to do that.” She then grumbled to Lyra, “Too bad you were too busy with Bonnie to make time for the person who’s like your sister!”

“Are you forever going to give me grief for this?” Lyra muttered.

“The Great and Powerful Trixie never forgets a slight,” she said with a laugh.

“The Great and Powerful Trixie’s cruisin’ for a bruisin’,” Lyra mock-growled, shaking a fist.

Meanwhile, Sunset looked at her phone, ignoring her two friends. They were weird; she knew that and they’d come back to reality anyw—

“So, do you want to?” Trixie asked.

Sunset looked up from her phone and blinked. “Sorry, I missed that.”

“Lyra and I were thinking about going to the movies in an hour and wanted to know if you wanted to come.”

In reply, Sunset looked at her phone. “Sorry, girls, but I have to work this afternoon, so I’ll take a raincheck, if that’s cool with you.”

“Yeah, sure,” Lyra replied.

Sunset rose from her chair. “I guess I gotta get going. Thanks for lunch, Lyra.”

“No problem,” the celeste-haired girl added. “Need a lift?”

“Naah, Sugarcube Corner’s not that far away, and besides, you guys probably want to get going soon anyway.” Sunset gave her friends a grin, picked up her backpack, then headed out the door.

“Man, she looks rough, like nobody loves her. And did you have to twist the knife like that, Trixie?” Lyra accused.

“I didn’t mean to do it; I was just answering her question and by the time I realized what I’d said, it was too late,” the Alice-blue-haired girl admitted. “I’ll apologize to her tonight, okay?”

“That works. Now, let’s go meet up with Rarity so that we can help her with the stuff to decorate.”

Cadance was looking over some paperwork in her office when she heard a knock at her door. She looked up to see Shining Armor standing there in a suit. “So, what can I do for the FBI, Agent Armor?” she asked with a smile.

He walked in with a grin. “Oh, I’m here to investigate a thief,” he said as she rose from her desk and walked over to him.

Putting her arms around him, she asked innocently, “No thieves here, Mr. G-Man. We’re lawyers – we’re swindlers, not thieves.” She then leaned forward and kissed him.

“Yeah, found my thief,” he said. “The one that stole my heart.” She grinned then gently elbowed him in the stomach, making him say, “Injury, injury! Anyone know a good lawyer who can help me sue my attacker?”

“Keep it up and you’re sleeping on the couch, mister,” she teased as she went over to get her purse. “So, ready for lunch?”

He nodded. “Yeah, and my parents are already downstairs, picking up the documents – they said they’d meet us at the café across the street.”

“Can’t believe it. Hasn’t even been a year and already….”

“I know. But Mom and Dad looked it up, so….” He shrugged. “Besides, Sunny deserves this. We love her and she belongs with us.”

“Well, let’s go meet your parents, then,” Cadance said with a smile as they departed her office.

Sunset sighed. It was a busy day at the Sugarcube Corner Café, and it hadn’t helped that Blossomforth had a medical emergency related to her pregnancy. Worse, given that Sunset hadn’t shown up yet, Pinkie – Pinkie, of all people! – had gone along with the floral-haired girl in an attempt to get her to relax while they went off to see Blossomforth’s doctor. That was bad enough.

But somehow they’d managed to have a busier than normal day here, and as a result of that, Sunset had run herself ragged getting orders to and fro. Usually on a Saturday afternoon she’d have time to joke with any of her friends who came in or get to know any other CHS students who came in better, and generally improve her reputation, not that it really needed much more improvement after all the changes of this past school year. Yes, there were some students who would never forgive her – Sweet Surprise, Dazzle Dance and Dusty Road all came to mind – but she’d learned, even before her reformation, there were people that would never love her.

Still, sucks to be the hated one, she knew as she dropped off an order with a customer with a smile, then rushed back to the counter. “Okay, I think that covers it,” she exhaled with relief.

“Sunset, take a break,” Cup told her. “I think I can handle it from here in case one of them has an issue.”

“Are you sure, Mrs. Cake? It’s not a problem,” Sunset replied.

The older woman gave the teen a kind, patient smile, the kind that a proud, loving parent would. “You’re fine, dear – you’ll want to pace yourself today, given that you’re the only one here.” The then added with a grin, “Besides, I’m not so old that I can’t spend time on the floor myself.” Seeing one of the customers with an empty glass, Mrs. Cake then went over to take care of the issue.

“Sunny, do you have a moment?” Carrot asked. Sunset nodded and went over to the back end. “I wanted to tell you ahead of time, but there’s going to be some changes coming in the near future and I wanted you to be aware of them when they start on July 1st. Do you remember about that other café you told me about? The Knickerbocker?”

Sunset nodded. “I remember them; our stuff is much better, but the owner there knows his stuff, why?”

The look on Carrot’s face was pensive. “Premium Roast…he’s owned the Knickerbocker for decades, but he’s getting on up in years, and he’s looking to move in with his daughter’s family in Tucson. So…he asked us to purchase it. We’ll have to take out a loan, but that’s not the problem. The problem is….”

Sunset sighed. “I’m fired?”

Carrot chuckled. “No, not at all. Actually, what it means is increased responsibility for you. When you and Pinkie get back from San Francisco, I’ll be taking over the running of the Knickerbocker. Because she can handle the tables pretty well, that means Pinkie will come with me, as well Blossomforth – since she’ll be taking off a few months after she has her baby, having her at the smaller location will be easier. But what it also means that until Cup can hire someone to help take the slack off you for a while, you’ll have the run of this place by yourself. Think you can handle it?”

“I suppose I could,” Sunset admitted. “I mean, Pinkie ran all this by herself when it was just you three, right?”

“True, but I think it’s more than fair to say that you’ve been responsible for bringing in a lot of the business since you started working here,” Cup added as she returned to the counter. “Besides, we’re also going to give you a raise to go along with the new title of Head Waitress here.”

“Really?” Both Cakes merely nodded in response, and the smile on Sunset’s face grew to Pinkie-levels of size. “I think I can live with that.”

“Good,” both adults said with a smile on their face, as another person came into the café. Even though Sunset didn’t know the either girl, her time back in Equestria revealed the two to be Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, the latter having come in immediately after her friend. Both teens sat down at the nearest table, chatting on about various things.

Fortunately, her brief conversation with the pony Diamond Tiara had helped her to plan for this: “Hiya, and welcome to Sugarcube Corner Café. Let me guess: you’ll have a chocolate peanut butter shake,” she commented to Diamond, before asking Silver, “And you’ll have a iced caramel mocha? Let me get that for you while you look at the menu.”

Both girls looked at each other in surprise before asking, “How did you…?”

Sunset winked. “I’m just good like that,” she said, before walking off to go put the drink orders in.

The scene back at the house on Golden Oaks was, for lack of a better term, controlled chaos. Pinkie was pretty much redecorating the whole of the house to accommodate the large number of visitors and as the other girls worked, and at one point Twilight had to assure the party teen that nobody who lived there would like a house garishly painted in shades of pink, purple, and soft yellow.

“Twily, do you think she’ll be okay with this?” Blossomforth asked. Seeing as how she couldn’t do much due to her pregnancy, the floral-haired teen had offered to help set up the table displays and help wrap any gifts that the purchasers needed help with. In particular was Rainbow Dash, who admitted to having gone through a whole roll of giftwrap before fruitlessly giving up on that.

“Hey, what can I say? Giftwrapping’s an egghead thing,” she said, ignoring the scowls from Twilight, Octavia, Rarity, Minuette, Trixie and Bon-Bon. Blossomforth merely sighed.

“Well, Ah don’t know about you girls, but Ah think we outdid ourselves,” Applejack told the others as the keys in the door jangled, as the adults came in.

“Wow,” Velvet commented, genuinely impressed. “You girls really outdid yourselves this time.”

“It’s for Sunny, Aunt Velvet,” Octavia said with a smile. “Of course she deserves all this.”

“Besides, Mom,” Twilight added, as the girls gathered around her, “Sunny’s meant so much to us all since she’s come to live here. She’s touched all of us, and she deserves this moment in the sunlight.” The other girls nodded in agreement. “All of us, to some degree or another, know about the person she was in the past and have seen her move beyond that – and that’s the person we know and love now.”

From where he stood, Shining Armor said nothing, instead watching his sister as she spoke and how the girls naturally seemed to flock to her. She had changed much in the year since Sunset had come to live with them, and Twilight had changed in a way that not even their cousin Octavia had been able to engender. Whereas before Twilight had been a nebbish, bookish recluse rarely comfortable in her own skin, these months had not only brought the plum-haired scholar out of her shell, but she’d done things that Shining never would have expected his sister to be capable of. And now, here she was, leading these girls as though it was nothing. The caterpillar had emerged from its cocoon not as a butterfly, but possibly as a lioness-in-training.

And none of that would’ve been possible without Sunset’s appearance in their lives. Furthermore, it hadn’t been entirely one-sided; some time back in late February, he’d had a talk with her and she’d confessed her whole past – it was bad enough that had she not been somehow protected from the results of her consequences, she likely would’ve had either ended up a student at The Blanks, or likely in juvenile hall. He’d accused Sweet Pea months ago of being a worse version of Sunset, only for the latter to admit that she’d probably been a far worse version than Sweet Pea could have ever been.

And yet she was a part of their family now, undeniably so. His mother, father, sister, cousin, aunt and uncle loved her. Even Spike begrudgingly admitted, in his own way, that he didn’t mind having her around. As for Cadance, she absolutely adored Sunset, and despite everything, Shining had come to see her as a younger sister as well.

“You’re thinking about her, aren’t you?” Cadance said as she looked at him. “Sweetheart, you need to stop feeling guilty about what you thought the day you met her. It was an innocent mistake, and once you realized, you got her the help she needed.”

Shining smiled softly. “Yeah, and I got a new kid sister out of the deal. I guess it’s not bad.”

“Trust me: when she gets here and sees the whole plans that we’ve all made? She’s absolutely going to flip,” Night said to his son. “And we wouldn’t have her if it wasn’t for you, Shiny. You’ve always made us proud, and this is just another sign of that.”

Sitting in their bedroom, bored as could be, Adagio looked out the window at the night sky. She, like her sisters, was grounded for two weeks following the incident that had happened at her workplace that the triplets had confused for possible Les Scars activity. And while their grandes sœurs were satisfied with the report the trio had given, it still meant that they were in a world of shit for disobeying Madrigal, who was acting as their immediate guardian during this mission.

The last three days of her life had given her something to think about, something unexpected. Now that she no longer had her job, something in her life felt incomplete. That, and the grounding – instead of something along more military lines – also stung for some reason. If it had been their grandes sœurs’ idea to make them feel like normal girls…well, in Adagio’s mind, it was working.

It was only eight o’clock and as she looked out the window that faced the front of the house, she watched as a trio of teenagers her age chatted and laughed about something. She wasn’t sure what it was, and even if she was there, she might not have understood anyway, but the way that they seemed so happy about the likely unimportant, trivial issue as though it was the most important thing on the planet. Maybe it was shoes, or maybe it was fashion. Perhaps it might have even been about a solid, dependable M-14 battle rifle, but she doubted that. However, there was one thing for sure that Adagio knew she felt:

Conflict. Part of her wanted to ignore the girls. After all, they weren’t a part of her world. They wouldn’t likely know what it was like to fire weapons, use explosives, much less take lives, and that latter part was something that Adagio had become very skilled at. But at the same time…there was also the strange need she’d had in the past few days, especially after meeting Shim and Sham, a need she never felt before.

A shudder went through her body. What if I’m really not cut out for this life? I feel like I am, I know I am, but…. With a worry, she turned to look at Aria and Sonata, reading over military publications, slightly disinterested. What if I’m separated from them? From Mezzo? She remembered Intermezzo and Madrigal’s respective biological sisters. Both had left the SIRENs, and both had little contact from their sisters. Without a doubt, sisters were important to the SIRENs. It was the reason the group was informally referred to as the “Sisterhood”, why the mentor-mentee system was called grandes and petite sœurs, why Intermezzo and Adagio were as close as Aria and Sonata were to their sœurs. Sometimes it even felt that Intermezzo was more her sister than Aria or Sonata; that wasn’t their fault, but rather how tight the bond was.

And yet, here I am, watching those three, wondering if that might be my fate. For a second, she imagined herself, Sonata and Aria as that other trio, joking and laughing and dressed as far from military life as could be. They weren’t talking about guns, killing or operations. They were talking about whatever trifles and trivia filled the mind of a Canterlot girl their age. And the three would laugh, because that’s what normal girls did – normal girls by the world’s standard, not by theirs.

Somehow, that didn’t seem bad at all, as far as Adagio was concerned. And she couldn’t quite voice how horrifying that concept was to her.

“Hey, you okay?” Aria asked. Adagio had been staring at the window for so long, she hadn’t noticed either of her sisters looking up from their manuals. In fact, the eldest sister really hadn’t realized until Aria tapped her on the shoulder.

“I’m thinking….” She pointed out the window at the three girls. “What if we were like them? Are we meant to be like them? Is that what Mezzo and the others are trying to say?”

Aria smirked. “You’re still stinging from the chewing out you got earlier today, I see. That, or you liked working at that pizza place.”

“Yes, yes, I did – why, don’t you like yours?” Adagio accused.

Aria flinched as though she was punched in the chest, before she admitted, “I…. The instructor I work with? He’s in college. He…asked me out. I had to come up with a dozen reasons why I couldn’t go out with him, but….”

“But?”

An unexpectedly soft, girlish smile came onto Aria’s face. “I wanted to, okay? There was something about him that….”

“That you wanted to know if something would spark?” Sonata asked as she finally joined in on the conversation. “I have to admit? I kinda like cooking. We’ve been doing things way out of our comfort zone since we got here, and I’m farther along than either of you. I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that sometimes? I’ve thought about leaving the Sisterhood and not coming back.” She then looked towards the bedroom door and added softly, “Maddie wants me to leave as well. I think she’s worried about what’s going to happen to me – to all of us – once we beat Les Scars and have to deal with what happens next.” The youngest of the trio scrunched her face in thought. “Well, I’m guessing that the skipper figures that we’ll return to the RCN, but if you ask me, that’d be suicide.”

“Oh, I’m sure that Captain Blast hasn’t thought about that at all,” Adagio told her sister. “The SIRENs have taken out numerous members of Les Scars and the CANSOF people assigned to them. If we turn ourselves in now, we’ll probably end up all behind bars, if not worse. I think that she plans for us to go merc after this, but that’s a hard kind of life even for military folks. They’re not like PMCs.”

“I wouldn’t want to go merc, personally. Too much gray area there – sometimes you don’t know who the good guys or bad guys are,” Aria sighed. “Maybe there’s a reason we got this mission for our final test and not one of the other scouting ops.”

Sonata looked at her sisters with worry. “Girls, promise me something? That even if one of us quits, that we’ll still be family? I love you both and I would be heartbroken if I never got to see you again.”

Aria hugged Sonata. “We’re sisters – true sisters – so of course we’re never going to be apart. No matter what, we’ll always be together.”

Adagio hugged them both. “You couldn’t keep me away from either of you even if you tried,” she said softly.

“Thanks for giving me a lift home, Mr. and Mrs. Cake,” Sunset said as they pulled up in front of her home.

“Oh, it was no problem, dear,” Cup replied, trying very hard to keep the smile on her face a secret. “Carrot and I had plans to go see a movie tonight and your home just happened to be on the way to the theater. Besides, you’re our best employee, Sunset, and we wouldn’t want anything to happen to you, even on a summer afternoon.”

“Yeah,” Sunset said, trying to hide the disappointment out of her voice. So far the day had been a bust. Nobody had remembered her birthday. They’d celebrated everyone’s so far, save for hers. And while she knew she should be used to it, not having celebrated once since her move to this world, it still stung her that her parents, her friends, and now even her employers had forgotten.

“Well, we’re here,” Carrot announced as they pulled up in front of Sunset’s home.

“Thanks for the ride again, Mr. and Mrs. Cake,” Sunset said somewhat morosely as she stepped out of their van.

“Is something wrong, dear?” Cup asked.

“No, just…tired,” Sunset said, faking a yawn lest Mrs. Cake worry about her. Stretching, she said, “I’ll see you two tomorrow afternoon. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, Sunset.” As they drove off, the smile on Cup’s face grew larger. “She has no idea what she’s in for, does she?”

Carrot shook his head. “Nope.” Now let me drive around the block so that we can let her go in and then we’ll park, okay? Her gift is still in the trunk, right?”

As she watched the Cakes drive off, Sunset fumbled in her backpack for her keys. There was a light on in the window; the living room lamp closest to it. But that wasn’t necessarily an indicator that anyone was home. Furthermore, with her better-than-normal-human hearing, she could tell that if anyone was home, they weren’t in the living room. Besides, the way she was feeling right now, she’d just do her homework, then lock her door, cast a warding spell so that no one would disturb her. Then she could light the dragonfire candle, and see if Celestia had sent her something. If there was a pony that wasn’t likely to forget, it was her mentor and mother figure.

Sticking the key in the door and turning the knob, she hoped that at least someone would remember that it had been h—

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY!”

Sunset dropped her bag in shock. There, standing in front of her and carrying a cake was…all her friends. Her family. Principal Celestia and Ms. Luna. And Spike, taking pictures with his phone, commenting, “These are gonna make great blackmail items.”

A second later, Cadance pulled his phone out of his hands, looking for the delete function. “Sorry, squirt – not going through all that again.”

Meanwhile, Sunset continued to stand there, a look of complete and utter shock on her face, clearly indicating that she hadn’t expected this.

Pinkie gave Lyra a wink. “See? Toldja she wouldn’t have expected this.”

Lyra laughed. “Yeah, you’re right.”

Still, Sunset didn’t move from her position, barely breathing or blinking. In another place and time, she might have been considered a painted stone statue in the royal gardens. But this was here and now, she was in her house looking at all the people gathered that she had in no way, shape or form even remotely planned for a situation in which practically everyone she knew was here.

The doorbell behind her rang, and Night answered it, letting the Cakes in. And with that, Sunset’s completely and utter confusion grew.

Standing together, Rarity almost felt pity for her friend. “Oh, my, it seems Sunset is a little out of her bailiwick, Twilight, dear. Perhaps you should go save her?” Twilight wordlessly nodded towards her friend and moved off. Octavia, also by the two, didn’t move, however.

“Octavia, darling, I’m quite surprised you didn’t go with Twilight to recover Sunset before the poor dear passes out,” the fashionista told the musician, who had been chatting with Fluttershy. “You two are family, correct?”

“I….” Octavia hesitated, both because she didn’t know how to express what she had to say next as well as the fact that if there was one person that she’d talked to about her current problems, it had been Rarity – the eminence-tressed girl had figured out the rift between Octavia and Sunset while no one else seemed to see it. Rarity in turn gave Octavia a look that seemed to say it all without saying anything, and the other girl sighed. “This…this is their night, Rarity,” Octavia replied, hoping it would be enough of an answer. “Sunny’s my cousin, but…Twilight…. Twilight loves her more than anything. Sunny…she fills the niche that I used to.”

“Oh, Tavi, you’re not being forgotten,” Fluttershy replied, just hearing about this for the first time and looking at Rarity with concern. Rarity gave a slight nod that indicated that they would talk about it later, and the chiffon-haired girl nodded. Determined to help her friend regardless, Fluttershy gave Octavia a hug and said, “You’re her cousin, Tavi. Sunny relies on you.”

“No. Sunny relies on no one,” Octavia said in a surprisingly cold tone that made Rarity and Fluttershy pause. “We all rely on her – and that’s the problem.”

“Sunny?” The older girl flinched as Twilight reached her. “You okay?”

“I…you…you all did this for me?” Sunset asked, astonished.

“We’re family, Sunny – or did you forget that we like to celebrate birthdays around here? I mean, yeah, Spike’s birthday back in March was a little different, but….”

“I…I don’t…. I don’t know what to say,” Sunset replied, looking completely shell-shocked.

Velvet went over and embraced Sunset. “Well, Sunny, instead of just saying something, why don’t we let the birthday girl blow out all the candles on the cake, shall we?” Taking the younger girl’s hand, Twilight took Sunset over to the cake and sat her down before Applejack placed a weirdly-colored birthday hat on the girl.

As the group within began singing while Sunset still sat there, stunned, she didn’t know what to say. Her mind was literally aswirl with excitement and confusion. She never would have expected this from her friends and family and it had hurt to even think that they would have forgotten her, but she should’ve known better. This was her family and friends, and she was a very long way from the Sunset Shimmer that none of them would have wanted anything to do with.

As she blew out the candles, they seemed to transfer their warmth to her: a good, clean kind of warmth that she felt was gone from her life for the longest time. She’d known that warmth before, being Princess Celestia’s student and daughter figure, but it had disappeared when they split and Sunset moved to the human realm. But over the last year, she’d slowly moved to this moment, the time when everything in her life would bring her that warmth once more. She never had expected it to come from this human family she was now a part of, this group of loving humans that had taken her in and made her a part of their lives. She loved them more than she could ever say and today, if nothing else, was alongside their friends, their way of saying that they loved her just as much.

“Okay, birthday girl, time to open the presents!” Night said, as Rainbow was first in line to give the birthday girl her gift.

The next few minutes went by in joy, because it wasn’t the gifts that she’d been given that counted, it was the love behind those trinkets that mattered most. Friend or family, each one given made Sunset feel like a million dollars, each a treasure:

Rainbow had been first and had gotten her friend a little something that she’d spent the year working on: a collection of Discord CDs from around the world with alternative covers or names. Looking at it, Sunset had noted with amusement that the Japanese edition of Q Who You? had been renamed Wild and Crazy for that market. There were also bonus tracks on some of them, songs that Sunset had never heard before. She hugged Rainbow for the gift and promised to make copies for her.

The gift from Applejack had been well-meaning: a year’s subscription to her dojo and classes from her instructor. Given that Sunset had actually enjoyed the brief sparring sessions that she’d had with Applejack in order to prove her “prowess” at the martial arts she’d “showed” in Horseshoe Bay months back, it would come in handy. Applejack got a hug for her efforts as well.

Rarity’s gift was…ironic, given their shared past, but something, Rarity admitted, that Sunset would need someday: a tiara, gorget and clothing to match. Though she said it was for the prom next year, the look in Rarity’s eyes indicated that it was for something else, possibly for the next time Sunset returned to Equestria to reclaim her baronial lands, maybe. In any case, Sunset happily thanked Rarity for the gift and hugged her friend repeatedly.

Fluttershy’s gift, though homemade, was no less precious for it: a combined photo album and scrapbook, with everything from the moment that they made up until now. It was heartfelt, loving and so very Fluttershy, and Sunset couldn’t help but hug her friend.

Pinkie’s gift had been one that she’d gotten with concert with her aunt and uncle. Given that Sunset had shown a little more than a casual interest in cooking, the trio had gotten the teen an expensive La Creuset cooking set, along with a few dozen cookbooks. If it had been anyone else that had done that, it would have been a bizarre gift, to say the least. But to Pinkie, Carrot and Cup? It was just another day in their lives and another three people that Sunset was glad were there for her.

And so the gifts continued, much to Sunset’s joy and surprise: a Gematria-to-English encyclopedia set from Lyra. A combined gift from Trixie and Bon-Bon, an old book of magic tricks from the antique dealer over in Everfree Glades. Minuette, not sure of what to get her friend, settled for a gift certificate. Blossomforth, ever grateful for Sunset being there for her through thick and thin, bought her friend a golden charm pendant that she could adorn later with all the trinkets and décor of her life.

Then came her family’s presents: as Evening and Ballad would be moving overseas and would have no need for two cars, they opted to give one of them to Sunset – after she got her driver’s license – because Octavia would need the minivan for her contrabass. As for Octavia, she got Sunset a guitar, as Sunset had made enough jokes about it that the raven-haired musician swore she was going to teach her pseudo-cousin even if it meant killing her. Cadance, Celestia and Luna had gone in together to order new furniture for Sunset’s bedroom, as the old stuff was still a little too male, having been Shining’s old furniture. When asked, Cadance cryptically said they were going to take Shining’s old furniture for their spare bedroom, while Luna and Celestia were a bit more honest and told Sunset how proud of her they’d become since her change.

Finally, Twilight came in hand, the rest of the family behind her, with a small, flat gift. “This is from us, and last but not least,” Twilight said, handing her the clothing-sized box. “This is heartfelt from all of us, and something we’ve wanted to give you for the longest time.” Sunset looked up towards her family. Other than the slightly annoyed look on Spike’s face, there was something just a little odd about all her immediate family standing right there, waiting for her to open it.

Taking the box and looking at everyone, who in turn seemed to take a very interested gaze at Sunset, made her feel self-conscious, almost as bad as the day where she took her official test to be Princess Celestia’s student. While she hadn’t brought life from a dormant egg like Princess Twilight Sparkle had, there were probably more than a few who still talked about the unicorn filly who tried to levitate a ton of coal…and in the process had a magical misfire that turned about a sizeable portion of Canterlot into fast-melting milk chocolate. This was, of course, nothing she could tell her family.

“So…are you planning to open it?” Velvet asked, the smile on her face both sincere and clearly an indicator that something was awaiting.

Not knowing what else to say, Sunset carefully undid the wrapping, revealing a small white paperboard box within, the kind usually used for clothing boxes. So it was clothing, she figured, no biggie – she was a teenager (at least in this form), and so sooner or later, she was going to get this kind of gift. But then her analytic mind kicked in and she began to wonder: if all her family got her was clothing, then why did everyone else – Luna, Celestia and Cadance, especially – put out for pricey presents for her? That made no sense at all, and if there was anything that Sunset cared about, one way or another, it was that things made sense. It was one of the things that made her equivalent to Princess Twilight Sparkle, mindwise, and part of the reason she got along with the human Twilight Sparkle.

None of this makes sense at all, she thought, giving her family a silent, awkward smile, then pulling the top off the box, revealing its contents.

Looking down into the box was a small stack of papers. Sunset picked up the first one…and nearly dropped it with a shock.

Sunset’s eyes started to sting with tears and a warm feeling as strong as Celestia’s sun started to well in her chest. Turning to look at her family, she was at a complete loss for words.

Velvet looked at Sunset with a loving, maternal smile. “I think it’s time we made it official, don’t you?” Night put his arm around his wife, and the family stepped closer.

Tears flowing freely and not giving a damn what she looked like at the moment, Sunset stood up from the chair and got up to hug her family – the one that wanted her for good and now wanted to make it official. She melted into the group hug, and though she couldn’t tell, there was not a single dry eye in the house as everyone cheered for Sunset’s good fortune.

Sunset held her sister, brothers, and parents, truly that to her, and wept tears of joy. Less than a second later, her aunt, uncle and cousin joined in, giving Sunset what she’d craved more than anything in her life: a family to love and would love her in return.

“We have sixty days before it becomes official,” Night told her with a smile, “and I know that every single one of those days is going to be a long slog. But for you, Sunny, it’s worth it.”

Sunset barely heard any of that. She was too busy happily crying.

A few hours later – and the whole of the living room having been converted into a large sleepover location for all the girls – Sunset still couldn’t process any of it. More than anything, it felt like a dream that she feared she would awake from, and though this school year had been nothing less than a rollercoaster for her, it had paled in comparison to her misadventure back in Equestria. And now there was this. This, just prior to the trip they would take next week to San Francisco to see Fluttershy make up with her father (or at least that was the plan.)

But she had never, in her life, expected this. She knew she was loved. She knew she was a part of the family, no matter what happened. But there was a difference between being a part of the family and actually being a part of the family. Cadance, despite the fact that she had yet to marry Shining, was family. Celestia and Luna, by dint of their long friendship with Velvet, were family. But for Sunset, it had always felt that there was this barrier between her and her loved ones, no matter how much they insisted it didn’t exist. That she was a part of them and they her, and they loved her as much as she loved them.

Today had proven that, and it was both thrilling and terrifying to Sunset.

“Sis?” She felt a tap on her shoulder as she heard Twilight’s voice. “Are you awake?”

Sunset turned around and looked into Twilight’s violet eyes, illuminated by the moonlight. “Can’t sleep. Too antsy, or nervous, or….”

“Afraid?” Twilight asked. When Sunset nodded, Twilight giggled. “Rainbow told me you’d probably react like that. Sometimes her little sister does, and Rainbow says that’s just natural. There’s always going to be a part of you that’s going to call out for your natural family, and we know that.”

“No, it’s not that, sis,” Sunset replied, glad that in just a few weeks, she could say that without a care in the world. “It’s that…I never thou—”

“My parents – sorry, our parents – have wanted to do that since January. Mom actually started the paperwork back in March, while you were gone. If anything, they were afraid that you didn’t want to be adopted.”

“No, never that! You guys are my family – the only family I have ever known!” Part of the back of Sunset’s mind railed at that lie; she knew there was a mare on the other side of the mirror who loved her like a daughter and who Sunset in turn loved like a mother. Though Princess Celestia had never adopted Sunset, the unicorn would always think of the alicorn as a mother figure to her, someone she loved dearly. Nevertheless, Celestia had not taken the steps that Velvet had, and though Sunset loved the former, it would be the latter she called mom.

“I don’t know what to say to that, Sunny, except that I promise you’ll never be alone again. You have friends and family. You have us. You have me.” Twilight reached out and kissed the flame-haired girl on the forehead, a sign of affection if there was any. “I said it long ago and I meant it: you are my sister, and I am yours. We were meant to be together, Sunny. I love you dearly and I couldn’t ask for a better older sister than the one I have.”

“Not even Cady?”

A soft grin came over Twilight. “Don’t tell her that, okay? You know she’s not the jealous type but I’m never going to hear the end of it if she finds out.”

“Your secret’s safe with me,” Sunset replied, laughing. In response, Twilight snuggled closer to her sister, Sunset threw an arm around Twilight, and with that, the two sisters fell asleep in each other’s arms, feeling the love they had for one another.

Sleeping just feet away, Octavia tried not to cry from what she’d just heard. All her life she had been Twilight’s “older sister” and Twilight had said so more than once. And now a usurper, a girl they barely knew and had been one step from being a who—

Stop that! Tavi screamed at her subconscious. You know what Twily meant!

But if that were true, her subconscious reminded her, Octavia would have been included as well. Even just a few months ago whenever something was going on with Sunset, Twilight made sure that Octavia was involved. They were a trio, part of their circle of friends and they all belonged together, right?

Right?

Or am I like Trixie? During the planning for the party, Octavia had been introduced to Trixie, Lyra and Bon-Bon. She quickly learned that Lyra and Trixie had grown up together and were best friends, just like Twilight and Octavia. But then Bon-Bon had entered the scene, and Lyra had definitely shown more of a penchant for being with her girlfriend than her best friend. Certainly Bon-Bon didn’t mean it on purpose; on the contrary, she acted as though Trixie was a part of Lyra’s family and they were friends as well. But Trixie was in a position of outside looking in, and unless Octavia was reading the teenage magician absolutely incorrectly, Trixie ached for the loss of someone she saw as a sister.

Just as Octavia now felt for her loss of Twilight.

Sunset woke up with the first rays of the sun on her face. She got up, stretching, then stepped around the morass of female teenage bodies that littered the room. She sighed in contentment, knowing how perfect the previous night was. Today would be different: though it was a Saturday, she’d spend the day starting to work on driving practice, since she wanted to get used to that as soon as possible. She didn’t have to work today, and that meant that was plenty of time to go down to the DMV and get her learner’s permit; Luna had said she’d talk to Iron Will about making sure that the flame-haired teen would be able to get into the last driver’s course, which started the week after next.

Quickly using the restroom, she then came back downstairs to find her mother cooking. “Looks like I’ll have to feed a small army,” Velvet said with a smile on her face. “Oh well, I’ve dealt with Spike’s little league team, and Shiny before that. I think I’ll manage. I guess I’m the kind of woman who likes having lots of children…though don’t tell your father that,” she said with a chuckle.

“I won’t. I Mrs. V…no, I mean, Mom, or….” Sunset’s face scrunched in confusion. “Am I allowed to call you that yet?”

“Technically not until it’s final,” Velvet said, cracking some eggs into a bowl, “but I promise that neither I nor Night will be offended. This is an adjustment for you, Sunny, and I know it’s not easy.”

“No, it’s not. I’m just….” Sunset bit off what she was going to say, mainly because she wasn’t sure how to finish the sentence.

Velvet took her eyes away from the bowl to look at the teen. “Sunny, nothing will happen. You are my daughter now, as far as I’m concerned, and I will fight to the gates of hell itself to protect you. I don’t care if your biological parents show up at the last second of the court appointment, we are not giving you up. You are family and we do not give up on family.”

Sunset leaned against her mother. “Thanks for being there for me…Mom.”

“No,” Velvet said gently, putting her arm around her daughter-to-be. “Thank you for being there at all, dearest one.”

July 1: Cat's in the Cradle

In a quiet, private room in a bar in San Francisco’s Embacadero district, a man sat, looking at the rest of the place through a one-way mirror. Drunk as hell, he watched the bodies writhe and twist to the music, as though the beats were the mating call to a virtual carnival. But that was part of the problem: the man knew if he walked out there, he could have his pick of any – and certainly more than one – and have them in bed practically instantly. Hell, just wagging his eyebrows would probably get a couple hot and bothered, such was his fame.

But he didn’t want that. No, he sighed, what he wanted he knew he could never have – and that was his own fault.

“If I were you,” he crooned, his voice seeming to slur from the how-manyth whiskey on the rocks that he’d had. “I’d be straight and true, just for you, a heart true blue….”

Sitting on the other side of the table, Tirek groaned. “Dee, you’re drunk.”

Running a hand through his shaggy platinum-blonde hair, Discord looked at his best friend with red eyes that seemed to shift to yellow when the light hit them just right. “Dude, I’m drunk right now and do not fuck a give, so please allow me to sing stupid half-written lyrics to all three of you until I vomit on the floor and you can have someone in our record label-hired entourage to take me back to my hotel room where I can scream the next morning about a Goddamn hangover.”

“Well, if it helps, my wife hired two girls to serve as our bodyguards,” Tirek said with a girn. “They’re out there right now, half-naked and assigned to lean all over us until we can make it to the limo. Heck, just to make it realistic, one of them is supposed to stick her tits in your face and tell her that she wants your baby.” The other ivory-haired man looked out the mirror before saying, “Fortunately for you, she’s a happily married lesbian with a family and is doing this just for the job, else you could be worried.”

“Look, only tits I want to grab right now are Poe’s,” Discord sighed, his head leaning back against the leather sofa he sat on as his hair fell into his eyes. “Did I ever tell you that I composed a song about how perky Poe’s tits are?”

“No, and I don’t want to hear it, either,” Tirek said. “Skies will kill me, then she’ll kill you, then she’ll tell Pose, and then your wife will kill all of us.”

“But do you know what I want more than anything else?” Discord slurred.

Tirek groaned. “Great, here it comes,” he said, taking a drink from his rum and coke.

Ignoring him, Discord said, “More than anything else…I want to hold my little girl and tell her I’m sorry. That I’m a bad daddy and I don’t des….” Discord suddenly stopped. Tirek was wondering what the hell happened, when a snore suddenly came out of the other man’s mouth. Tirek shook his head as he watched his best friend drink himself stupid…again.

A second later, a knock came at the door, and a girl with barely any clothing on came in. “Mr. Tirek? Just checking up on you two.”

“Thanks…uh….”

“Javelin,” the woman said. “I know that I was introduced to you as ‘Tender Sighs’, but that’s all a part of the job, sir.”

“Thanks. Anyway, Discord’s out like a light, so would you mind getting your partner and…?”

“Sure thing,” Javelin said with a grin. “Arbalest – she was introduced as ‘Sweet Touch’ – has been joking about it all night. She says that if she has to, y’know, it’ll be the first time any guy has ever seen them.”

Tirek rolled his eyes. “Okay. I’ll call the chauffeur and have him set up to pick us up outside in five.”

“Will do, sir. Be right back,” Javelin said as she went to get her partner.

Tirek got up and looked at his drunken friend. He knew Discord was hurting, especially after he and Skies had told the rocker about what happened a couple of weeks back. He hoped that the next few days would mend all the years of pain. There was no guarantee that it would, but Tirek believed in his friend, and he believed in Fluttershy.

If anyone can do it, it’s Shy, he thought with a grin as the two bodyguards slunk in, the eager and willing looks on their faces as much a lie as the lives Tirek and Discord lived.

As the private plane lifted off from CJV, the passengers, mostly teenage girls, were giggling and enjoying the whole thing. “This is the life!” Rainbow cooed as she leaned back in the plush seat. “You know, I could get used to this.”

“At least you can, Rainbow,” Octavia said with a smirk before pointing to the chattering, somewhat panicked person in the seat across the cabin. “Some people can’t.”

Applejack looked at Octavia with annoyance. “Y’know, you could be a li’l nicer, sugarcube. She is yer cousin.”

“Yeah, but she was this bad to and from LA,” Octavia told Applejack. “She’s just one of those people who can’t stand flying, is all.”

“That’s a shame!” Pinkie replied. “My favorite part is when there’s turbulence and the thing goes jiggy like a rollercoaster and the pilot says everything’s fine but you don’t know if he really has control or not an—”

“And now you see why I insisted on Pinkie sitting with us instead of over there,” Octavia told the others.

On the other side, Twilight took her sister’s hand and said, “It’s okay, Sunny. I’m here with you and you’ll be fine.”

“Easy for you to say,” Sunset said, looking at her sister with worry. “Have you been on one of these deathtraps before?”

“About a month ago,” Twilight drolled, “and for far longer than you did. It’s just a 90 minute flight from Canterlot to San Francisco, Sunny. Relax, okay?”

“Sunset, dear,” Rarity told her, “It’s quite alright. Remember that flying is the safest form of travel that people have developed. Why, when I was in a child, I was even in a plane crash, and as you can see, I survived.”

“You were?” Twilight asked.

Rarity nodded. “Yes. We were flying back from my grandmother’s place in early 2001 – this was before 9/11, mind – and we had to make an emergency landing in Boise because the hydraulics had lost power or something. Anyway, the pilot had to make a belly landing, and though we were all shaken, we managed to make it okay. The flight was later proven to be an accident, not a pre-terrorist attack or what have you. But I assure you, Sunset, those sorts of things are astronomically….” Rarity didn’t say anything further as Sunset got out of her chair and raced to the restroom.

“Rarity? That might have not been the best of topics to bring up right now,” Twilight said sternly. The apologetic smile on Rarity’s face made it clear that she hadn’t intended to have quite the effect on Sunset that she did, and a couple of seconds later, the teens could hear the sounds of retching in the restroom.

“Sorry,” Rarity said, flushing from embarrassment.

In a third set of chairs, Fluttershy, Posey and Angel occupied those. Angel had worn himself out from the excitement of being on a flight and had since fallen asleep. At the moment, Posey was reading from a tablet, and Fluttershy was wearing her Grados; from what Posey could tell, the music her daughter was listening to was probably the Cardigans’ Emmerdale – father and daughter, despite their differences and the former’s vastly different music style, had much the same taste in music.

Setting aside her tablet, Posey looked at her daughter. “You know, dear, neither your brother nor I are going to be offended if you go sit with your friends.”

Fluttershy hit pause on her phone and removed the headphones so she could hear her mother’s words after her reply. “I…don’t think that’s a good idea right now, Mom. I….” The teen’s face scrunched up in a sort of helpless look. “I don’t want them to think differently of me.”

“Why would they do so? With the exception of Twily and Tavi they’ve all known you for years, dear. Even Sunset, who was once your biggest enemy, has turned out to be a good friend as well, right? Plus, if you want someone who’s life has become different, that would be her.” After Sunset’s birthday, Fluttershy had told her mother of what had happened and Sunset’s reaction; Posey had commented that it was good for the troubled teen to finally find a place where she belonged.

“I know,” Fluttershy replied, “but this is different. None of them has a secret that makes them more important than anyone else – not that I think I am, but that they might think so.” Even still, Fluttershy knew this was a lie, and once again, it pointed back to Sunset: with the secret of what she really was, she had the “right” to say she was more important than anyone else, but…given how that had turned out and the past year she’d spent getting over that, she would be the last to make such a claim now.

“Sweetie, these are your friends. They’re never going to think badly of you, I’m sure.” Posey gave her daughter a smile and said, “If anything, once you meet up with your father, I’m sure they’ll be right there to support you.”

Sure, right after Sunny and Rainbow squee because they’re meeting their idol, Fluttershy sighed. Of course; that was unfair of her as well, as she had no idea if her friends would do the obvious or take the higher road and back her up regardless. Inwardly, she knew it would probably be the latter, but her friends were, after all, just teenage girls like herself. Or at least Rainbow is; I think Sunny told us in private that she’s thirty now? That made the chiffon-haired teen shake her head just from that fact: one of her friends was in her thirties and was still in high school. Of course there was more to it than just that, but that’s how the world worked, she guessed.

“Something on your mind, dear?” she heard her mother say and inwardly, Fluttershy swore. She let her mind wander when she shouldn’t have, and now she probably missed something that she probably needed to know.

“Not really,” Fluttershy said hesitantly. “Why do you ask?”

“Because I know you, dear,” Posey said with a smile. “That’s your ‘I have something on my mind but I can’t tell my mother’ look. And before you ask, yes, I’ve known that look for a long, long time.” When the younger woman blushed, Posey laughed and said, “Trust me, just rely on your friends. They won’t let you down. Now as for me, I’m going to get back to my book and I think you should go talk to the others.” Posey leaned over and watched as a very green-looking Sunset walked out of the restroom and back to her seat.

Posey reached over into her purse. “Give Sunny these, and tell her to have some water and relax. Apparently flying is not her forte.”

“You have no idea, Mom,” Fluttershy said as she took the pills and went over to join her friends.

Thirty minutes later, Sunset all but collapsed in relief on the tarmac at San Rafael Airport, north of San Francisco. The others tried to both shield Sunset from view while simultaneously trying not to laugh at her. Needless to say, it was not an easy move.

“Are you feeling better, Sunny?” Fluttershy asked as she bent down to help her friend up.

In a soft voice that only Fluttershy could hear, she admitted, “All the times I flew with Princess Celestia when I was a filly and I was fine. But I get into one of those metal tubes, and I’m as terrified as an earth pony 40,000 feet up.” She blinked away the nervousness, looking at Fluttershy with gratitude. “Thanks. I know I must look like an embarrassment.”

“It’s okay,” Fluttershy clarified. “I know I’m probably going to look more than a mess a few times this weekend.”

“Tell you what then,” the (supposedly) younger teen told the older one. “You keep me out of trouble and I’ll do the same for you?”

“Deal,” Fluttershy said as they walked towards the concourse building with the others. As Sunset looked around, she noted that the place didn’t seem too different from where she lived. Granted, this was California wine country and not the NorCal she was used to, but she could deal with it. She’d already dealt with the much busier life that was Los Angeles, a good few hundred miles more to the south so putting up with this was just as normal, right?

The group walked in to get their bags, only to note a bunch of men putting their luggage onto racks. “Is there a problem, gentlemen?” Posey asked.

“Not at all, ma’am; just making sure that you get the five-star treatment,” a young woman seemingly in her teens said with a smile. She had wavy blue hair and expressive red eyes.

Rainbow turned her head at that voice. “Melancholy Rose? That you?” Before she could get an answer, she went to go hug her friend and Scootaloo’s biological sister. “Hey, long time no see, girl! What brings you here?”

“Dad’s the producer for the charity concert,” Rose explained. “When he found out who was on the passenger manifest for the private flight, he thought it’d be best if family got involved you know? So, Scoots come with you?”

Rainbow shook her head. “No, but then again, if we’d known you were going to be here, she probably would’ve come. C’mon, let me introduce you to some friends and you can say hi to the ones you already know.” With that, Rainbow took Rose over to her friends and the teen got to say hello again to those she already knew as well as get to meet the others. Within no time flat, Pinkie had made Rose an honorary member of the Eightmazing Eight (Plus One!) and the nine girls idly chatted along like they’d been together for their entire lives.

It was at this point that Posey’s phone went off. Reaching into her purse to get it, she had a simple text from an unknown number: Did you make it to San Raf safely?

We did, she typed. It will be okay, I know it will. She’s a wonderful girl and you have every reason to be proud of her.

That’s what scares me, Discord texted back.

On the stage of Candlestick Park, Discord’s band practiced, with the time allotted to them today. They were the headlining band for the final day of the festival and thus they had to get everything ready.

Unfortunately, that didn’t seem to be Discord himself.

Freebase, running his hand through his white and silver dreadlocks, looked at Screwball. “Hey, SB, you know what’s up with the bossman? He seems out of it.” Both looked at him and watched as the tousle-haired rock star seemed to have his eyes focused into the distance, particularly into the stadium’s industrial entrance on the other side. “I mean, I know all that public image shit is just that, but…I dunno, he looks like he’s trippin’, if you ask me.”

Screwball looked back at the bassist. “You think so?”

“Yeah,” a woman in her middle-age looked at the pair, brushing the locks out of her unkempt hair. “He’s thinking about his family right now. It’ll be the first time in years that he’s seen his daughter.”

“Wait…the D-Man has a family?” Freebase asked.

Screwball rolled her eyes. “And I thought I was out of it. Free, you really gotta pay more attention. I’ve been with the band the least amount of time and I even knew that.” She picked up her guitar, checked the cable on it, then where it connected to the audio setup. It seemed off, so she fiddled with it a bit before replacing it with a new cord.

Screw Loose looked up from her drums. “Hey, SB, you know his daughter, right?”

“No, but I know a couple of her friends, and I’m cousins with one of those,” Screwball replied. “I’m guessing this is the part where you want me to go talk to him?” When both Freebase and Screw Loose gave her an even look, she shook her head. “Yeah, yeah, got the message. Bee are fuckin’ bee.” With that, she set the guitar down and walked over to the edge of the stage, plopping down next to him. “Hey, boss, you got a second?”

“So what’s she like?” Discord said, utterly serious and without a trace of a smile. “I know you met her friends, so please, don’t keep me in the dark. I know that somewhere my little girl came into the conversation.”

Seeing this side of Discord, the happy, silly man she’d performed with for the past few years, surprised her. He’d been absolutely goofy when he hired her as the replacement guitarist for the band. He’d danced a waltz on stage with Sugar Lips when she presented them with the 2013 Grammy for Best Rock Performance, not caring that the whole world was watching. Discord was a man who really didn’t care about his public image, because his public image was based on him not caring. And yet, here he was, milquetoast as could be due to the daughter he’d left behind and hadn’t seen in person for years, because he thought he was protecting her.

“You’re an asshole, you know that?” Screwball said.

He sighed. “I know. I’m sure Fluttershy will have much worse to say to me. Since I found out she was coming I haven’t slept much, worried about what she’ll say. Hell, I spent about two of those days in an alcoholic coma, if you believe Tirek—”

“I do. Had breakfast with him and his wife this morning. He craves a normal life just as much as you do.” Screwball chuckled. “So many people bust their asses to get where we are and what do we dream of? Being where they are. It’s a fucked up world.”

Discord nodded. “Yeah, that it is. Sometimes I wonder if all this fame is like a drug – if I can really walk away from it or just have one more hit and the rush’ll make me forget again. I mean, I’ve recorded an album nearly every year? Hell, I’m busy even for a rock star. And I keep telling myself the more I make myself a target, the more they’ll leave my wife and children alone. And then I wake up one morning and realize I’m doing that, too. Sure, I’m not doing what the tabloids accuse me of, but…where’s my chance to be at my son’s Little League games? When do I get to scare the hell out of my daughter’s first boyfriend? Where’s that Happily Ever After that all marriages are supposed to have?”

“Couldn’t tell you – you know how my parents are,” she told him. “Hell, part of me thinks I need to have Midnight move in with me to save her ass from them.”

He patted her on the shoulder. “You’re a good sister.”

She laughed. “Don’t get maudlin on me. I’m a bitch and I know it. I’m just a good bitch instead of a bad one.” She looked into the clear July sky. “So, you know what you’re going to do when you see them again?”

“Hug them and never let them go?” he said, chuckling. “No, I’m going to piss my pants with fear. Because I’ve never been here before – being a real dad. I’m not even sure seeing them again makes me one.”

She got up from her seated position. “It doesn’t,” she told him. “What comes after will determine that. But hey, you’re Discord, right? You’ll figure it out.” Seeing a limo pull into the area, she said, “Looks like the next band’s here for their practice session. We didn’t do shit.”

Discord shook his head, the shaggy white mass looking like a psychotic tribble with the shakes. “Fortunately, we still have tomorrow in the underground conference room to practice. We’ll get it right, we always do.”

“Yeah,” she said, walking back towards the other band members.

He turned his head to watch her wander off before he added under his breath, “Now I just wonder if I’ll get it right.”

As the group walked through the lobby of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in San Francisco, they were completely floored by the opulence of it all. From the expensive seating to the marble floors and elegant chandelier lighting, it made them feel more than a bit small.

“This is amazing,” Applejack said, her jaw one movement away from falling off, she was so awestruck. “Ah can’t even believe this place exists!”

Rose laughed. “Yeah, I’m so used to this kind of stuff that I forget how fancy it can be. No offense, girls, but this is just old hat to me. In the meanwhile, let’s get you guys checked in.” The blue-haired beauty walked over to the concierge, getting the girls checked into their room. “We’ve got you two each to a suite – that okay?”

Pinkie nodded. “I call dibs with Applejack!” Before the blonde could even comment, Pinkie rocketed over, grabbed one of the keycards and grabbing Applejack’s hand, cheerfully dragged her towards the elevator.

“Well, I guess I’ll stick with Fluttershy,” Rainbow said. “She could use her oldest friend right now, and I’m all too happy to help.” Fluttershy nodded, grabbed one of the keys, and the two were off.

Octavia saw Twilight sidle closer to Sunset, and decided to make her move. “C’mon, Twily, let’s go get our room!” Before the plum-haired scholar could complain, her cousin grabbed the nearest key and wandered off towards the elevators, Twilight reluctantly following.

Sunset looked at Rarity. “So, losers get chosen last?” the flame-haired girl said with a laugh.

“Of course, darling. I’ll get the key if you’ll be so kind as to grab my bag,” the fashionista told her friend and then the two were off.

Posey looked at Rose. “Well, I’m afraid my son and I aren’t planning to share a room with you, Rose.”

Rose laughed as she reached into her purse, giving Posey a keycard. “You’ve already been checked into an executive suite with your husband. There’s an adjacent room for your son, so he’ll be close by.”

“I appreciate that, Rose,” Posey told her. “It’s nice to have someone who can assist with this sort of thing.”

“No need to thank me; I’m going into the family business and so I have to know how to handle these sorts of things,” Rose replied. “Truthfully, this was easy; the hard one was last year when Dad asked me to help arrange a rendezvous with a notoriously – at least in public – heterosexual oversexed R&B star and his long-time not-heterosexual partner. They actually make a nice couple but….” She put her hands up helplessly. “If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that image is all in this industry.”

The older woman nodded sadly. “Entirely too much, if you ask me. Well, I’m going to go check into the room and make sure me and Angel are okay. Will you be okay here?”

Rose nodded. “Yeah. I’ll call Rainbow in about ten minutes and see if the girls want me to arrange a tour of San Francisco. I’m sure they’ll like running around Chocolate Square and the Embarcadero, as well as some of the other sights.”

“That sounds good. So I’ll see you around?”

The teen nodded. “Rainbow has my phone number; just get it from her if you need anything from me; likewise, feel free to call my Dad since you have his number and I’ll do what I can to help. See you later,” Rose said with a wave as she pulled out her phone and made her way over to the seats to contact her friend.

As Posey and Angel made their way to the elevators, the mother pulled out her phone and dialed a specific phone number, hoping it would answer. The first ringthrough connected to voicemail. She tried again and the second time around was answered with, “Poe?”

“Hello, love,” she said, a smile on her face. “We’re all checking into the hotel room now. Flutters is bunking with a childhood friend of hers, and Angel’s still a bit drowsy from the flight, but he’ll wake up later, I’m sure.”

“And Fluttershy?”

“Well, since you were hyperventilating instead of listening, I’ll say it slowly,” Posey teased. “She’s…with…her…friends…right…now—”

“And I thought I was the comedian in the family.”

She giggled. “Anyway, they’re probably going to tour the Embarcadero. She’ll be back tonight,” Posey told him, “and then we can talk.”

"Fuck yeah we would!" Rainbow responded, though kinda embarrassed to admit that she had no idea what the Embarcadero was.

“So, think you can get a hold of the girls and see if they want to go?”

“Oh hell yea! No worries there, Rose. See you in ten, okay?” As soon as the other girl disconnected, the spectrum-haired athlete looked at her old friend. “So, whatcha think?”

Fluttershy, as always, smiled sweetly and nodded. “Oh, that sounds like a great idea, Rainbow. Do you think the others will come?”

“Flutters, we’re here for you,” Rainbow reminded her, “and that means that you’ve got charge of this whole shindig. If you want to go, we’ll go, okay?” Rainbow stood up and hugged the chiffon-haired girl. “Yeah, okay, so I’m not as good at the mushy stuff as the others, but I do know when you need a hug, okay?”

Fluttershy giggled in response then pulled out her phone to send the others a text. “So Rose said to meet downstairs?”

Rainbow nodded. “Yeah. She also said that if tickets are still available, we can go see Alcatraz, which is totally cool.”

Rarity looked at the two twin beds. “So, Sunset, dear, which one would you prefer?”

“I really don’t care,” Sunset said as she made her luggage vanish. Technically she hadn’t brought anything except for her hammerspace backpack – originally cornucopic saddlebags that Princess Celestia had commissioned for and given to Sunset prior to her departure from Equestria; upon its arrival in Earthspace, it had changed to a normal-looking backpack, complete with IKEA tag and stupid UPPTÄCKA name – and that was more than enough. She could have actually carried everyone’s luggage, but obviously explaining all of that would have been a tall order. Besides, she was trying to be a normal girl and normal girls weren’t usually the most powerful magical thing on the planet.

“Well, as long as you’re not trying to cuddle with me, everything should be okay,” Rarity commented. Sunset froze in her tracks while the fashionista giggled. “Oh, don’t worry, Sunset, dear, I actually find that sweet. Sweetie used to fall asleep in my arms all the time when she was younger; unfortunately, you know how they get when they reach a certain age. It’s nice to see that you and she get along so well.”

Sunset blushed. “Maybe it’s just me, but after being an only foal for the majority of my life, having a family – a real family – just cannot compare. I feel like I’ve been missing out for so long and that everything I ever wanted I now finally have.”

Rarity went over and patted her best friend on the shoulder. “And that is why I’m so happy for you, darling. Forgive the saying, given what you really are, but having family that loves you and always wants the best for you…well, it’s what makes us human, so to speak.”

The flame-haired girl laughed. “Hey, you know me: I’m just a normal girl living in a mixed-up world.”

“Except you aren’t, not really,” Rarity said. “You’re a thirty-year-old mare, if I recall correctly. Your ‘older brother’ is four years younger than you.”

The statement had a sudden impact on Sunset. In a quiet voice, she said, “I still don’t know how I’m going to tell them the truth.” She plunked herself down on the bed dejectedly. “The people I love most in this world – the people that I should have no secrets from – and to this day, they really still don’t know me. They only know the person they think I am.”

Rarity realized she’d just opened a wound that she hadn’t intended. “Oh, my…Sunset, I apologize! I hadn—”

“No, it’s not your fault. This is all my doing,” Sunset told her. “It’s just that….” The pseudo-teenager sighed. “I finally have parents, siblings, a real life, and it can fall down on me at any minute. I’m living a lie, Rarity, a house of cards that I don’t know how I’m going to get out of.”

“Sunset, they love you,” Rarity answered honestly. “They plan to adopt you and finally make you truly a part of their family. Families can forgive anything, dear, and this too will pass, I assure you.”

“I hope so,” Sunset sighed. “I love them too much to lose them.”

“So, Twily, any ideas of what we want to do while we’re here?” Octavia asked her.

Twilight crossed her arms. “Yes…you can start by telling me why you didn’t want me to share a room with Sunny.”

“Only two to a room,” Octavia said, “and I’m shy when it comes to the others.”

Twilight didn’t buy that for a second. “Please don’t tell me you’re becoming jealous of your cousi—”

“She’s not my cousin.” The tone was so cold and brutal that it seemed as though the room had turned into the arctic tundra during a mid-winter blizzard. Less than a second later, Octavia added, “Well, not legally yet, but you know I think of her the same way as I do you.”

Twilight blinked, wondering if she’d just imagined what she’d just heard; it wasn’t like Octavia at all to make comments like that, but then again, it wasn’t like Octavia to be acting the way she had been since Twilight’s return from Italy. “Tavi, is there something that you need to tell me?”

“Not really.” She dropped into a seat and looked at her cousin. “Look, honestly: I just felt uncomfortable about sharing a room with one of the other girls, and the choice broke down to you or Sunny. Since Sunny’s comfortable around Rares, you were the obvious choice.”

“We were just over Rarity’s place the other night,” Twilight reminded her, “and you didn’t seem to have trouble then.”

“Because you were there,” Octavia replied. “If not…I probably wouldn’t have. Look, they’re our friends and they’re wonderful girls, but…they’re not you, okay?”

Twilight went over and hugged her cousin. “Tavi…and here I thought you were the brave one all this time. Look, they’re our best friends, okay? Everything’ll be okay, I promise. I know you’re going through a hard time right now….”

The musician gave her cousin a lidded look. “That obvious?”

“I don’t think anyone expected that your parents would have to leave early,” Twilight said. “Hell, Mom and Dad had hoped to have your bedroom done by the end of this month, and now the change in schedule? Dad said you feel a little adrift.”

“Yeah. Sometimes I wonder if it was Sunny who was always with you and it’s me who’s the girl on the outside looking in.”

“Yay! Bed bounce!” Pinkie called out the moment she stepped into the suite. She took a second step, then backflipped before landing perfectly on the bed.

Applejack just shook her head in wonder before realizing that as usual, Pinkie was being Pinkie.

After a few minutes, the others got their texts and everyone agreed as one to meet downstairs, just in time for the escort van to arrive. “Okay girls, here’s the plan: they’re going to drop us off by Pier 39 and we can walk around the area the whole afternoon. The Embarcadero’s a pretty close around location, so we should be able to get around on foot with no problem,” Rose commented.

“And if not Sunny can just throw us in her magic backpack so we don’t have to walk, right!” Pinkie burbled excitedly. Immediately thereafter, eight pairs of eyes looked at her. “Uh, I just said something I wasn’t supposed to say again, didn’t I?”

Sunset just facepalmed at that point, while Twilight said, “Pinkie…what are you talking about?”

“Uh…nothing! Nothing at all! No, not like Pinkie would ever break a Pinkie Promise!” the cotton-candy-haired cheerleader said, laughing awkwardly before muttering sotto voce, “I really need to keep my big mouth shut.”

“Um…okay! So, if you guys will head outside,” Rose said, “we’ll get in the van and get going to Pier 39!”

Deciding to just forget about Pinkie’s latest bout of Pinkieness, the nine girls headed towards the Econoline van parked in the pickup area. But as Sunset was about to get in, she felt a tap on her shoulder; she turned to see Pinkie give her an apologetic look. The former unicorn gave her friend a forgiving and understanding smile as they all got into the vehicle. And with that, the van drove off from the hotel, headed towards their destination.

“…and looks like we’ll be stuck here in Boston for a few more days. Sorry about that; we hadn’t intended to be trapped here, but the whole conference is running overtime and…. Yeah, I know, you don’t want to hear that, but you know how it is. Look, I’ll put some extra money into your account so you can go enjoy the concert, and…when we get home, we’ll make it up to you, little sis. I promise.”

A voice sighed as a delicate finger traveled the distance of the smartphone’s screen to the off button. Slipping it into her purse, the girl sighed, running her fingers through her green-and-blue locks then adjusting the glasses on her face. She was still adjusting to the short hair, since she was told that she looked more girlish with it; and the glasses were the result of her last physical, and frankly the idea of contacts – where you shoved glass right up against your eyeballs – made her admittedly squeamish. Looking at the sea lions seated on the actual slips below calmed her down slightly, but wasn’t going to be enough of a force to brighten her day.

Six and a half months of living here in San Francisco with her brother and his wife – well, technically legal guardian, but since said “parent” felt odd about “adopting” a girl less than a decade younger than him, they just agreed to treat each other as siblings – and she still didn’t feel like she belonged here. Granted, her life was leaps and bounds above what it had been just months ago during the holidays, but…she was still being privately educated, which meant she hadn’t attended school yet, which meant that she had no real friends other than those she lived with. Even the neighborhood she lived in with them were mostly young married couples, and some of the men she’d seen tempted her more than once to return to her old life – but she swore she’d never go ba—

“Oooh! There’s an antique bookstore there! Can we go look?”
“Yeah, figures she would get interested in old books.”
“No kidding. Anyway, let’s humor her and check it out, okay? I’m a little interested, myself.”
“Great! Now we have eggheads in stereo!”

Two of the voices immediately caught the girl’s attention as recognition set in, and she looked in the direction of the sounds. Sure enough, a group was coming in this general direction: one girl in front who acted as tour guide, while the ones behind her seemed as though they were tourists. And sure enough, two of them looked familiar, she was sure of it. She’d only met them once, and that dinner had been very awkward, but…as embarrassing as it was, she was feeling a little lonely right now, and better the presence of an acquaintance than absolutely nobody at all, right? Besides, it was her sister-in-law that told her often enough that “friends are mystical” or words to that effect.

Waving to them as they approached, she called out, “Hi! Sunset…Shining, right? And Twilight Twinkle?”

“Hey, Amel—”

“Sweet Pea, if you please,” the girl said with a smile that seemed more than a bit forced. “I’m not eager to relive that part of my life again.”

“Yeah, and for the record, it’s ‘Twilight Sparkle’ and ‘Sunset Shimmer’,” Twilight reminded her. “But it’s good to see you again…I think. Anyway, what brings you here to San Francisco?”

Sweet Pea laughed. “I live here! ‘Bout a quarter-mile away on Bay Street over by Russian Hill,” she said, pointing in the direction. “I come here all the time on the weekends to read and feed the sea lions. What are you guys doing here?”

“We’re here for the Rock Gods Rule Festival,” Sunset spoke, entering the conversation before Pinkie could slip up again. “But since it doesn’t start until tomorrow, our friend Rose here thought she’d show us around San Francisco a bit.”

“Wow, what a coincidence – I’m going there as well! Where are you guys going to sit? If I remember my ticket correctly, I’m in the centerfield stands.”

“Um….” Sunset scratched the back of her head and looked with embarrassment at the other girl. “We’re in….”

“VIP seating in the front row, oh fuckin’ yeah!” Rainbow squealed, only to suddenly meet a stare from a bunch of the others. “What’d I say?”

“Oh,” Sweet Pea said dejectedly. In response, Twilight and Sunset merely looked at Rose and Fluttershy. The latter, who could do little given her current situation, said nothing, leaving Rose to come to the rescue.

Rolling her eyes, the businessgirl said, “You guys are lucky that I got a ticket for Scoots just in case, so….” Looking at Sweet Pea, Rose said to her, “Okay, give me your info and I’ll have your new ticket waiting for you at the box office when you show up. We’ll be there for the first concert, so if you want to meet with us early enough, we can all have breakfast together.”

“Yay!” Sweet Pea cheered. “So, to make up for that, I think I should show you all around this place – what a real local does around here. Let me go flirt with the guy who has the tickets to the Alcatra—”

Twilight and Sunset gave Sweet Pea a glazed look.

“Um…he’s…my neighbor’s kid. Here for the summer. I’m…no, really! I’m not…I mean….” The girl suddenly flushed the largest shade of embarrassment that either had ever seen.

“I’m guessing there’s a story here regarding your friend, dears,” Rarity said to both of her friends.

“No comment,” both sisters replied at the same time.

“Oh, the mother and child reunion, is only a motion away….” Discord sang, his eyes nearly tearing up at what he saw before him.

“This is normal,” Posey said to her husband as she smiled, picking her dozing son off the floor. It had been a beautiful afternoon: though her husband hadn’t returned in time to see Fluttershy, he arrived just as she and Angel had finished unpacking and were thinking about lunch. Their reunion had been nervous to say the least, as Angel barely remembered him, but to her surprise, Discord had taken the time to learn sign language – his guitar tech, it turned out had been hired specifically because he knew it – and within minutes, the father had started talking to the son. A hug had happened soon after, as well as Discord’s tears of joy.

They’d spent the day together, having lunch in a secluded restaurant on the top floor of the hotel, where Discord introduced his family to the current incarnation of the band. Posey had chatted along with Skylark – or Screw Loose, to use her stage name – as well as meeting Freebase and Summer Violet (or Screwball, as her stage name went.) The five goofed around, and it was an especially touching moment when Screwball brought Angel over and started to teach him a little bit about how to play a guitar. Needless to say, he absolutely enjoyed it, and the tender look that Discord had on his face was something that she would treasure for the rest of her life – it certainly brought pause to the faces of all but Skylark, whose husband was here, though her college-age son couldn’t make it.

The afternoon had been even better, as Discord thought ahead and bought a game system so he and Angel could play. Watching as her husband and son gamed along, she wasn’t very surprised that her husband was more than a bit skilled with them…even though he knew exactly how to lose to Angel without making it seem like he was throwing the game. Around dinnertime, they’d ordered room service, letting whatever time and distance that had existed between Angel and Discord become a thing of the past, with the two platinum-haired males chatting along as though they’d never been apart.

Now evening had beckoned, and Angel had fallen asleep watching movies lying next to his father as both drank huge peanut butter and chocolate shakes. Posey stayed slightly distant, giving them both this moment, enjoying the moment as if it were a slice of pure paradise, and the closest thing to the fulfillment of her heart’s desire.

Still it was just that: only "close". One member of the family still remained absent from this reunion, and that was the part that was going to be the hardest. Fluttershy – I have no idea how she’s going to react to all this, Posey mused silently. She knew Discord was ready to see his daughter again…but did the same apply in reverse?

Unaware of his wife’s thoughts, Discord bounded up from his prone position and asked, “Poe, do you mind if I put him to bed?”

“Hon, I—”

“The last time I did, he was barely longer than my forearm,” Discord said in a soft voice, looking at the young boy dozing on the floor. “It’s not going to be more than a few more years before he’s into girls, fast cars, and arguing with his parents. I…I just got him back today. I want to enjoy what little I see of his childhood before it’s all pissed away by the exterior of an angsty teen. Because after that comes the college years, then the ‘Dad, I’m wild about this girl,’ and then my grandkids will be making fun of me because I look like the Rolling Stones on their annual Decrepit Tour.”

“Angel would never do that, sweetheart.”

“He’s my son, so he’s gotta be as much of an imp as I was,” Discord said, his red eyes shining. “Besides, I’m sure I’ve told you how bad I was during my teenage years. My old man and I fought all the time, then I’d go over and…well, nevermind. She’s not in my life anymore.” Posey then laughed, and Discord asked, “Something funny?”

A grin came onto the doctor’s face. “Celestia, right?”

“Well, yeah, I think I mentioned her name once or twice, but sweetheart, she was ages ago!” the rocker pled as Posey fished out her smartphone, brought up the gallery app, then showed her husband a picture.

“This was taken at the science fair back in early March,” Posey said. “Our little girl won third place for her studies in animal behavior.”

He blinked once. Twice.

“We’re not exactly friends, but Celestia keeps me up to date on Flutters’ progress,” Posey said with a grin. “And yes, she knows who Flutters’ father is.”

The look on Discord’s face was somewhere between a mild panic and a warped pride. “Too late to think about sending her to a private school in the area?”

A few minutes later, after Angel had been put to bed, both parents sat down on the couch, and it wasn’t long before Posey leaned into her husband. “You don’t know how much I’ve missed this,” Posey replied, as her husband snaked an arm around her shoulders. “There have been days when I miss you so much,” she said, reaching up to caress his face.

“I miss you every moment I’m not with you,” he said in return, taking her face in his hands.

“That a lyric from your next song?”

He smiled. “Only the truest words for my beloved wife,” he told her as he brought his lips to hers.

The two briefly leaned into kiss, stopping from going further only due to their sleeping son in the other room. Finally, satisfied, Posey collapsed with her head on her husband’s lap. “Have I ever told you that you kiss wonderfully?”

“As compared to whom?” he asked impishly.

She, however, was prepared for that question. “Um…Double Diamond, guy I knew in fifth grade. Good looks, but a sloppy kisser. Then there was Party Favor; he was a really adorkable kind of guy but a bit…well, he kissed weird. After that, well, then I swore off dating until I met you. But you already know all of this.”

Discord grinned. “I do…which makes me feel all the more lucky that I have you, Poe.”

The two were suddenly interrupted by the sound of Posey’s cellphone chiming – a particular ringtone that she only assigned to one person. Though Posey didn’t get to the phone in time, a second later a text arrived telling her where to meet. “She’s here. Are you ready?

Discord sat up in surprise. “You mean…?”

“It’s time, love. Angel will be fine here, and I can always come back.” She reached down and took him by the hand. “You have been waiting for this moment forever, Discord. It’s time to reunite with your daughter.”

“You sure you can walk home okay, Sweet Pea?” Sunset asked.

“Not really, but there’s a taxi outside, and I have plenty of money, so it shouldn’t be a problem,” the other teen replied, as she waved goodbye to the others. “Look…thanks for not telling them about…you know.”

“Look, my brother told me about it, and I don’t feel that’s anyone’s business but yours, unless you decide to tell anyone else – and I know my sister won’t say anything either. Besides,” the flame-haired girl replied, “I know how you feel.”

“You do?”

“I’m adopted, and when Shiny first met me – he was the one I first met in the family, since he kinda sorta arrested me.”

“Arrested?”

Yeah. He, uh, kinda thought the same thing about me as he did you,” Sunset awkwardly admitted. “Fortunately, he’s more interested in fixing the situation than gaining points or whatever it is cops do. That’s why he asked his mother – now mine – to get me the help I needed. That’s why he was willing to go to bat all the way for you. Because he cares.”

“I know, and I appreciate that. Don’t take this the wrong way, but…if he breaks up with Cadance, I’m first in line to fuck his brains out,” Sweet Pea vowed. “I’ll even marry him afterwards.”

Sunset facepalmed. “I did so not need to hear that.”

“Look, I mean that sincerely—”

“I’m sure you do.”

“—and I have nothing against Cadance,” Sweet Pea interjected. “Just…think of it as an insurance policy for your brother if he ever needs it.”

“Um…yeah. Anyway, I’d rather change the subject. Meet us here at eight in the morning, and then we’re going to the Hippo for breakfast, and then we’ll head to the concert. That work for you?”

“Works great. See you tomorrow, then.” With that, Sweet Pea headed to catch a taxi outside while Sunset watched her walk off. Once she was gone, the flame-haired teen yawned and decided to go up to her room. Tomorrow was going to be tough enough of a day seeing all the acts, but the one who would have it hardest, without a doubt, would be Fluttershy.

“Do I look okay?” Discord ran his hand through his hair once more. “I can go put on a suit, if I need to.”

Posey rolled her eyes. “Since when do you own a suit?”

He grinned. “I have some in case of an emergency. Haven’t found an emergency that requires one, to be honest, but I’m sure there’s going to be one sooner or later, right?”

“Probably not,” she said, kissing him on the cheek. “But…you’re fine. It’s not that kind of emergency.”

Discord, the famed “Chaos God of Rock”, the man who graced the current cover of Spin magazine, looked as though he was ready to hide behind his wife’s metaphorical coattails. “I think I should look my best for my little girl—”

“No,” she said, stopping and taking his face in her hands. “No, there’s been enough hiding behind images and everything else, love. Fluttershy needs to see you as who you are, not your stage persona.” She then poked him in the chest as she added, “She needs Discord, not Discord, got that?”

He chuckled. “You have no idea how much I’ve missed that little bit of sanity in my insane world,” he said with a grin.

She leaned in to kiss him. “I promise there’ll be more where that came from.”

As the two kissed, the elevator dinged and the doors opened, revealing nine girls headed to their respective suites. “Well, Ah don’t know ‘bout y’all, but Ah’m completely worn out,” Applejack admitted. “Think Ah’m gonna get some shuteye.”

Pinkie then chirped, “Oh, but I thought we can just watch the stars over and over and over and over and over…”

“Yes, Pinkie, darling, I think we all quite get the idea,” Rarity replied, “but I don’t think that’s possible.”

“It’s not,” Twilight pointed out. “All the light pollution prevents it. We might have been able to see it from Alcratraz, but that’s not a given.”

“Yeah, but running around Alcatraz was awesome!” Rainbow chirped. “I mean, just seeing all that neat pri – wait, is that your Mom, Flutters? And she’s making out with…O Dios Mio!”

All eyes suddenly turned to the two adults kissing passionately in the hallway. Recognition suddenly dawned on both Sunset and Rainbow’s face as huge grins came onto their faces. A split second later, both girls shouted out, “It’s Discord!”

As if flicking on a switch, the man suddenly broke from his kiss, then looked around, saying, “Where, where? Oh, I’ve got to get that guy’s autograph; he’s just fucking awesom…oh, wait, that’s me.” Shifting his shoulders back briefly as if stretching, he said, “Well, I suppose you guys-who-are-not-quite-men have to be talking about me, because Mr. Disco Red isn’t here – I should know, I checked.” Affably and clearly in his element, he pranced over to the girls without so much as looking at them, he said, “Now, now, I suppose I’ll sign on the dotted line for you – sorry, not making deals with the devil at the moment; he’ll have to see my agent – and then I’ve got to get you all to shoo before the nice sec…ur…i….” He suddenly trailed off as he finally fixed his eyes on the gaggle of teens in front of him – and in particular, the chiffon-haired girl in the middle of them.

“Dad….” Fluttershy whispered, the word uttering from her mouth unexpectedly, as if she’d never meant to use it.

“Fluttershy….” he replied, hesitantly.

She looked at him again, as if recognition suddenly set in…

…and then her eyes hardened, taking on a cold fury.

July 2: Venus and Mars/Rock Show

Watching the dawn, a drained Discord strummed on a guitar, half-speaking, half-singing as he let songs run though his head:

“Sitting in the stands of the sports arena,
Waiting for the show to begin
Red lights, green lights, strawberry wine,
A good friend of mine follows the stars –
Venus and Mars are alright tonig—OW!”

Posey gently rubbed Neosporin into the area around her husband’s left eye. “You’re such a baby. This is designed to make it feel better, not make it worse.”

The man sighed, looking at his reflection in the window: he had a nasty black eye and no matter how much his wife’s ministrations attempted to heal it, it wasn’t going to heal in time for his performance on the 4th. “Well, at least it enhances my ‘wild man’ image,” he said with a wince.

“Yes, because it’s sooo wild to get decked by a waifish seventeen-year-old girl,” Posey said, rolling her eyes.

“How is she?” Discord asked.

“Well, given that Fluttershy has never hit anyone in her life? I’d say her hand is bruised or worse,” Posey guessed. “As to how she’s doing? I…I let the girls deal with it. I’m not happy with her at the moment, and you can bet I’ll ground her for at lea—”

“Let it go, love,” he told her.

“Okay, I guess I need to check you for a concussion as well,” Posey snarked.

“No, I deserved it,” Discord told her. “I haven’t been the father I should have been—”

“And you’re not being one now,” the chiffon-haired doctor replied. “You have to be a parent, not just a friend.” She sat down next to him and looked him straight in the eyes. “If she’d hit me, I’d have grounded her for a month. She is almost a legal adult, Discord, and you know that is not the behavior of an adult. That is the lifelong job of a parent: to be there for them, no matter what, even in ways they aren’t expecting or don’t necessarily like.”

His head lolled back as he stared at the ceiling. “Yeah, something you’ve had the whole of their lives to do and me not a single minute since I left to do so.”

“Well, you’re starting – you’ve done marvelously with Angel,” she said as she kissed him on the cheek. “And all we have to do is just bring Fluttershy around.”

“Good.”

“And once that’s done,” Posey replied off-handedly, “I’m going to ground her until she’s thirty.”

“Check your hand now, Flutters,” Sunset told her as Fluttershy flexed her hand. When it seemed as though everything was fine, the flame-haired girl grinned and said, “Okay, your hand is fine. However, you did crack your wrist, but I fixed that up with a little magic. Just…no punching your father in his face again, got that?”

“What were you thinking?” Rainbow gasped. “Now he’s gotta go on stage with a black eye!”

“Rainbow, dear, you’re not helping,” Rarity said tartly. After Fluttershy’s unexpected “incident”, the rest of the girls decided to divide the whole thing: Twilight, Octavia, Applejack and Pinkie opted to get some sleep so they could “escort” Fluttershy for the day, while Rarity, Sunset, and Rainbow offered to stay up with the distraught teen and calm her down.

“Thanks, Sunny,” Fluttershy said as she collapsed on her bed. “I’m glad I have such good friends as you all to help me through this.”

“Yeah, y’know, because giving your old man a shiner is a great way for you to reconcile with him, right?” Rainbow snarked. Sunset and Rarity glared at her, and the athlete muttered, “Well, I thought it was funny.”

“Dear, as much as Rainbow’s sense of humor is…lacking, shall we say, she does have a point.” Rarity focused her deep-blue eyes onto Fluttershy’s own. “Whatever compelled you to commit such an act? That’s highly unusual of you to say the least. Normally I’d expect that kind of reaction to come from Rainbow, Sunset or Applejack.” Sunset rolled her eyes and Rarity giggled, covering her mouth in a half-hearted attempt to hide it. “Well, you can’t say that you three aren’t the more…aggressive of our octet, can you?”

“Point,” Sunset conceded.

Rarity turned her attention back to Fluttershy. “Now, I’m not going to say that it was a good idea to apply fisticuffs to your paternal issue, but…well, you broke your wrist trying to cave your father’s head in, Fluttershy. That is not the compunction of a proper lady.”

“I really don’t care,” Fluttershy said, garnering side-eyes from her friends. “He…he didn’t even notice I was there until he was in ‘Discord’ mode. That wasn’t my father that you all saw, that was Discord, almighty rock star and you know it! He tried to sign autographs, he tried to charm everyone, he—”

“Was kissing your mother when the elevator doors opened,” Rainbow interjected, “and it looked like the kind of kiss my parents share, not the kind that—”

“You and Soarin’ do when you’re debating whether to do boy and girl stuff?” Sunset joked.

“You know, normally I’d just hit you for that, Sunny, but now I’m going to repeat what Rares says: This is not the time for this,” Rainbow replied. A second later, an epiphany hit her. “Oh, my God, I’m being serious! I’m too young for this growing up shit.”

Ignoring the banter of the other two, Rarity focused on her friend. “Do you truly wish to make up with your father? To make your family whole?”

“I don’t know if I can,” Fluttershy told her. “I…I know he’s not to blame for any of this. I know what Uncle Tirek told me, that he’s always been there for us even though I didn’t know it. But I can’t reconcile any of that with my anger, or the fact that he abandoned us – or the fact that he could have done something for my brother’s hearing problems!”

Rarity looked at Fluttershy. “How do you know he hasn’t?”

“Mom would have said something!”

“Or maybe she spared you,” Sunset offered. Fluttershy looked at her friend and Sunset continued. “Your mother’s a doctor. She would have access to medical information, or colleagues that specialize in that stuff, right? Think about how old you were when they found out that Angel is deaf. With your father’s money and your mother’s expertise, they would know if something could have been done. But how would you, as a child, have reacted to the news that your little brother would never be able to hear a thing? You saw how I reacted when I found out about what happened to Twily, and we’re both almost adults. As a kid, you wouldn’t have been able to handle it.

“Plus, Angel is old enough to comprehend now what that means. Do you think that your parents – either of them – would dangle something like that in front of him if it’s not true?” Sunset folded her arms and looked right at Fluttershy. “Either you have to believe that your Mom and Dad both have an agenda against Angel…or that they’re doing what’s best for him. There’s no shades of gray, Flutters.”

The look on Fluttershy’s face was haunted.

“Hope you guys weren’t up all night,” Octavia said to the trio as they came down. “How’s she doing?”

“She’s decided to skip the first day,” Sunset told her cousin. “From what I remember anyway, it’s mostly heavy metal groups today, with Trickyfingers being the headline act tonight, right?”

“Yeah. In fact, if I recall correctly, Screwball’s still filling in for them until they get a permanent guitarist,” Rose said as she looked at the updated schedule on her phone. “Well, once Sweet Pea gets here, we can all file into the van and hit the Hippo. After that, we should make it to Candlestick in time for the opening act.”

Rainbow rolled her eyes. “Look, nobody cares about Metallica – they’re has-beens. So if we take our time at the Hippo, we can catch Hammer of Doom afterwards – now those guys can rock!”

“I…have no idea what you’re talking about, Rainbow, dear,” Rarity replied. “I’m merely going to breakfast for the company, after which Twilight, Octavia and I had planned to do some shopping on the Embarcadero. Perhaps we can get Fluttershy to come with us.”

“Hey, no worries, Ah’m goin’ with, Rainbow,” Applejack told her friend. “That way ya don’t feel lonely.” The rainbow-haired girl rolled her eyes, which got a laugh out of her friend.

“Hey, I’ll go as well!” Pinkie replied, looking at Rose, who was obliged to go; and Sweet Pea, who thought it would be fun regardless.

Sunset and Octavia were about to give their respective choices – Sunset planned to go, while Octavia had planned to go shopping with Rarity and Twilight – when both were tapped on the shoulder. Both girls turned to find a hotel bellhop standing there. “Ms. Sunset Shimmer and Ms. Octavia Melody?” he asked.

“That would be us,” Octavia replied. “Can we help you?”

“Yes, ma’am,” the young man replied. “Your presence has been requested by Ms. Summer Violet. She asks if you would both be willing to have breakfast with her in the Bayside.”

“Oh, how marvelous!” Rarity squealed. “The Bayside is one of the most posh restaurants in all of San Francisco! It has three Michelin stars! I’m actually envious.”

“Uh, who’s Summer Violet?” Twilight asked.

“That’s Screwball’s real name. Remember that I met her when Tavi and I went to LA,” Sunset answered as she and Octavia briefly shared a look. “She probably wants to know what happened last night.”

“Took her long enough,” Octavia muttered. “Usually she’d just bang on my door at six in the morning.”

“Probably both of us,” Sunset agreed before turning to the bellhop and responding with, “Yes, we’d both be happy to join her. Give us just a moment to wrap this up, if you please.” Turning back to her friends, she said, “We’ll get this squared away, check on Flutters if she opts not to go with Rares and Twily, then meet you at the venue. Shouldn’t be too hard.”

Octavia rolled her eyes and muttered, “Shouldn’t be too hard, she says. Yes, just like the Titanic was a ‘minor engineering issue’.”

“Trust me, Tavi,” Sunset replied. “I’ve got this all under control.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of.”

A few minutes later and a private chauffeur trip to the Presidio, the two stepped into the ornate elegance of the Bayside. Octavia, long used to rather baroque and rococo settings, was impressed with the grand simplicity of the place. Though Sunset would never admit it, it reminded her a lot of Princess Celestia’s personal apartments: quiet, unassuming, ornate where it had to be – or just as much against her desires. The unicorn-in-disguise knew her mentor and mother figure to be a simple, unadorned mare when the world wasn’t looking, and that would always be the Celestia she remembered – more now especially in light of the stories she kept hearing about this world’s one.

The two had no sooner walked up to the maître d’s lectern than the man himself, a reedy, pale man with an aquiline nose, pencil-mustache and slicked-back iron-gray hair said, “Ah, yes – the groupies. I should have expected as much.”

“Excuse me,” Sunset said, ignoring the man’s slight, “but we—”

“Whatever Valley Girl tripe you plan to spew out of your mouth, young lady, save it,” the man said as he curtly escorted the pair towards their destination. “Personally, I weep for the future of humanity if it comes to charming half-dressed ladies such as yourself.”

Octavia gave him a nasty look, but turned back to Sunset. “Ignore him. You see his type at restaurants all over the place. Usually they don’t get hired by the elite restaurants like the French Laundry, so they pretend as though they’re important. Don’t let it get you down, okay?”

“I’m quite amazed,” the man said breezily. “Did you learn to say that before or after watching your soap opera of choice? Or is television too advanced for kids today?”

Octavia was about to say something when Sunset looked at him and said, “Have a nice trip.” As Octavia looked at her weirdly, Sunset gave her a soft smile and suggested they move on when they saw Screwball. “We’ll take it from here – you can crawl back to your hole now.”

“Why, I never!” The maître d’ glared at Sunset while Octavia snickered.

“And that’s why you’re single, I’m sure.” As the man huffed and stormed off, Octavia turned slightly and in the empty restaurant, that was more than enough time for Sunset to get busy. Channeling small sparks of magic in her fingers, she enchanted the man’s shoes, and then snapped her fingers.

His next step ended up with him slipping, and Sunset had intended him to just fall and embarrass himself. Instead, his attempt to regain his balance, with his arms pinwheeling around like his life depended on it, were all for naught as he crashed into a nearby table, sending the glass and wooden construct shattering to the ground. The farthest chair was knocked backwards, colliding with a single pedestal upon which sat a priceless antique vase – which soon came to a halt.

As he picked himself off the ground, he was treated to both girls turning to look at him and trying not to giggle. “You did that on purpose!” the man accused, not sure if it was possible given the distance between him and them before so, but he was not getting into trouble for the damaged caused without a way to blame clearly troublemaking kids.

Sunset, in turn looked at him, her eyes aflame with cyan power. Reaching into his mind, she said, And I’ll do worse if you ever talk down to anyone ever again, got that? He looked at her with shock, and that was enough to get the point across. She turned away, quickly blinking her eyes to remove the illusion spell, then walked on towards Screwball.

Octavia looked at Sunset. “What did you do?”

Sunset laughed. “Used magic, of course.” A second later, she said, “Yeah, as if. Guy was so busy insulting us, he wasn’t watching where he was going and tripped himself up. Not my fault.”

Octavia looked at the restaurant’s cleaning staff, which had just arrived to pick up the pieces. Behind them was a woman with curly purple hair and wearing a chef’s outfit, the look on her face exasperated. Clearly she was the head chef or higher, and whatever the case was, the glare she gave the maître d’ made it clear he was going to have a lot of explaining to do.

The raven-haired girl shrugged. “Hey, as long as you’re okay….”

“I am. Now, let’s go see what your cousin wants.”

A few seconds later, they were sitting with Screwball, who was dressed fairly elegantly – for her, anyway – with a simple white polo and jeans that weren’t strategically ripped. “Hey, it’s my restaurant,” she laughed. “Even I have to follow the rules.”

“You own this place?” Octavia said.

“Kinda. Friend of mine in college was trying to make it on her own as a chef after spending a lot of time in some places. Since she’s a good friend, we went halfsies on this place. Yeah, admittedly I paid for it all, but she has daily running and such, so me being silent partner and all that works out. Oh, and speaking of which, I see you ran into Pristine. Don’t worry about him; he’s an asshole and he knows it. Since Sugar Belle’s already reading him the riot act, I’ll just hint to her that if he wants to keep the job he has to stop treating people like shit.”

Octavia looked on the menu. “So, I’m guessing you didn’t invite us just to talk about your side projects, Violet?”

“Got it in one, Tavi. So…how bad is it?” As the waiter came up to take their orders, Screwball silently pointed towards what she wanted on the menu while she looked at Octavia and said, “The D-man’s a hurting unit right now. I’ve…I’ve never seen him like this. He wants his family back to the point that he’s losing it. I really hope your friend is worth it.”

Sunset sighed. “Fluttershy hates him. Well, not really: she hates Discord, as in his stage persona, which from what little I could tell last night, he seems to almost always exist in. She wants her father back, and when he was being his persona last night when they connected—”

Octavia facepalmed. “That’s not all that connected.” At this point the waiter arrived with her French press coffee and the teen gratefully accepted, if only so she wouldn’t have to say anything further.

“Do I want an explanation for that?” Screwball asked.

Sunset smiled awkwardly as her regular coffee was placed in front of her. “No, trust me – you really don’t.”

As the girls watched the band walk off the stage, giving the audience thirty minutes of intermission before the next act started up, the group talked amongst themselves. “Ah have to admit, this ain’t mah usual cup of tea,” Applejack said with a grin, “but Ah do have to admit Ah’m enjoying myself.”

A satisfied smile came onto Rose’s face. “Glad to hear that, AJ. What about the rest of you?” In turn, the others in attendance nodded their heads, all of them having grooved along to the music so far this day.

But the smile quickly fell from Rainbow’s face. “Flutters is just staying in the hotel room,” she replied as she pocketed her phone. “She doesn’t plan on coming at all. I….” The look on Rainbow’s face said it all: she was having the time of her life, but so long as her childhood friend needed her, she couldn’t really relax. “Maybe I should head back and check on her?”

Sunset saw that and took initiative. “No, Rainbow. Let the others deal with that.”

“You sure about that? I know we’re all taking this seriously,” the athlete told her friend, “but it should be my responsibility.”

“Ain’t a thing,” Applejack interjected. “T’morrow, we’ll figure it out. Ah shan’t think it’d be a problem.”

“Shan’t?” Sweet Pea repeated. “People actually use that word?”

Pinkie grinned widely. “It’s a Rarity kind of word, dontcha know!” Turning to Applejack, she wryly added, “She must be rubbing off on you.”

The blonde groaned. “Ah think Ah could’ve lived without hearing you tellin’ me that, sugarcube.”

There was another knock on the door. Fluttershy didn’t bother to get out of bed, even though she could hear her mother’s muffled voice on the other side of the wooden barrier: “Fluttershy, we need to talk. I know you’re in there, so please, open up the door.”

A second later, her cellphone rang. She already knew who was calling; she saw the number once and decided to ignore it. Hopefully her mother would think that she’d decided to take a trip elsewhere and simply forgot her cellphone. Granted, Fluttershy, being a teen, was almost never without it, but there had been rare occasions where she hadn’t bothered to take her phone, mainly because the charge was drained. Hopefully, her mother would think that.

“Flutters, please – your father…he doesn’t blame you for what happened last night. But you need to….” There was a sigh on the other side, followed by the footfalls of Posey walking away as she “realized” that her daughter wasn’t present. Or maybe she finally gave up. In any case, it would leave Fluttershy solitaire for the moment, which is what she needed more than anything - anything to save her from the pain, humiliation and rage of what she felt at the moment.

There was the chime of the keycard, along with the ka-thunk of the automatic lock disengaging, along with three girls coming into the room. “Oh, Fluttershy!” Rarity said, her voice full of worry. “You haven’t even left your bed!”

Fluttershy looked up from the bed to gaze at her friends. Her eyes were red and her hair was more than just the usual bedhead mess; it was clear that she’d been crying while no one was around. Whether that was unintended or so that her friends wouldn’t worry about her was immaterial, as they were clearly worried about her now.

Twilight was at her side immediately. “I wish I knew what to say, Flutters. I mean…my life, familywise, has been an absolute paradise, especially since my sister came into my life. And with Tavi, I’ve never felt alone. So I can’t even pretend like I understand, Flutters.” She reached over and hugged her friend, adding, “But I promise you – just as we all have – that we’re here for you.”

Fluttershy looked up at all of them and asked honestly: “But none of you have ever had to deal with divorced parents, have you? Yes, I know my parents aren’t really divorced, but Mom made me think they were – and Dad didn’t seem to care about having us in our lives.”

Octavia shook her head. “Flutters, I think that had more to do with the fact that your Dad didn’t want you to have to deal with living constantly in the limelight. Look at my cousin – she’s used to the limelight, but that’s not because she works for your father. She’s like that because she has parents that are always trying to capture the fame of their youth and generally make idiots out of themselves as a result. Violet’s always talking about trying to protect Midge, and that’s always a mess. Maybe your Dad wanted you as far away from that as possible, and just didn’t do it correctly.”

“For my whole life, Tavi? I don’t give a damn about Discord, I wanted my father! Why is that so hard for everyone to see?”

“Maybe because we just can’t see it the same way you do, dear. Sunset’s past aside, perhaps only Applejack, whose parents went through a rough spell, as I understand it, could help you on this. But the truth is, I think that would bring up uncomfortable memories for her. So you’ll have to do with us.” A thought came over Rarity’s mind. “Shall we go see the Aquarium? I hear it’s lovely.”

“Thanks, Rarity,” Fluttershy said with an appreciative smile.

The look on Discord’s face was one of heartbreak. “She didn’t even show up,” Discord said, lying in the bed and staring at the ceiling.

“Rarity told me that they took her to the Aquarium at Pier 39,” Posey told him while administering a massage. “I sent her a text asking her to give me a call, but she didn’t.”

“Maybe we should get security to unlock the room for us?”

Posey gave Discord a lidded look. “I am not going to be the one to explain to Firefly why we walked in on her daughter while she’s asleep.”

“That’s a thing?”

Posey smirked. “Take your typical mama bear, give her weightlifting muscles and firefighter training, then piss her off and get out of her way. Trust me, I’ve seen her reduce other women to tears just by glaring at them.”

Discord brightened at that. “Sounds like my kind of gal.”

“Sorry, you’re taken,” she said, punching his back as she started the higher-pressure portion of the massage. From the yelp she elicited from him, it was clearly effective. “Oh, by the way, Red says hi.”

He turned over at that. “Red? How’s she doing?”

“Snarky and happily married. She says that you and her husband should get together sometime. He hates your music.”

“I hate my music. The record label only let me do the Explosive Chocolate series because I threatened to leave for Sony when my contract was up.” He groaned. “I envy guys like Beck, or Real World – they get to be experimental. But I wrote myself into a box some time ago and I can’t get out of it now. That’s why Violet’s thinking about releasing her solo album under her real name – so it doesn’t bomb because ‘That’s not what Screwball does!’” he said, air quoting that last part.

“Yeah. So, sleep with her yet?” Posey joked.

“Heh – Finnish gossip rag claimed me, her and Skylark got caught in a ménage à trois backstage. They had to retract it when it was proven that we were all on a flight to Paris at the time.” His features twisted into a frown. “You should’ve seen the look on Sound Stage’s face; he wanted to fly back just to punch the writer’s face off, and you know he’s not a violent kind of guy.”

“Yeah, that doesn’t sound like him. Okay, done.” As she sat down on the bed and he turned over onto his back, she looked and appreciated her husband’s well defined chest and muscles. Even in his mid-fifties, he was still a looker. “So, do you want to try again tomorrow with Flutters? She probably just needed the day to calm down.”

He sat up, and his countenance took on an unusually serious expression. “Poe?”

She looked at him, knowing he was about to say something drastic. “I’m not going to like this, am I?”

He told her, the look in his eyes as fragile as the day they’d met.

She reached over to hold him, just as she did then, being his strength, as she swore she always would.

The following morning, Posey knocked on the door again. She wasn’t too surprised when she found Rainbow there. “Good morning, Rainbow.”

“She’s not here, Doc,” Rainbow replied. “Rose, Twily, Rares and Tavi decided to spend the day in Chinatown. That means me, AJ, Pinkie, SP, and Sunny will have to catch a ride with you after breakfast, if that’s cool.”

“That’s not a problem, Rainbow,” the older woman told her. “In fact….”

“Oh, heya, Dr. Posey!” From behind, Sunset let out a happy chirp. “Looks like it’s you and me for breakfast this morning, Rainbow. AJ and Pinkie want to sleep in and Sweet Pea has to swing by the bank before she gets here; she offered to pick up McBreakfast for the lazyasses.”

“Good timing then, Sunset. I was just about to invite Rainbow to breakfast, and I think you should come as well. I think that my husband and I need to talk to both of you about what’s going on. Frankly…we need help. Fluttershy’s extremely angry, and she won’t get over that soon, and Discord…well, he just wants her back.”

Rainbow suddenly yelped “Discord?” and a huge, Pinkie-esque grin came onto her face before she said, “Oh, fuck yes!” and started nodding her head – or maybe headbanging – to the point where it was a huge rainbow blur. Sunset, suddenly having memories from a little over a month ago and a two-by-four to the back of her head before running into a flaky pony version of one her – well, just as flaky – friends. What pony Lyra had done back then clearly was reminiscent in what Sunset was seeing now from Rainbow and she didn’t care for that.

Deciding to be the bigger girl – in a manner of speaking – she told the other teen, “Rainbow, we’re not meeting Discord Discord. Think of it as if we’re meeting my parents.”

“Okay, you got a point.” Turning back to Posey, Rainbow added, “Whenever you’re ready, Doc.”

“We’re having breakfast in our suite, so right this way.”

The way that Discord presented himself, dressed in a simple polo and chinos, made him almost look more like a guy who hadn’t grown up rather than one of the world’s premier rock stars. And that was more than enough to put both Sunset and Rainbow in more serious moods. Given their loyalty to Fluttershy, Posey wondered if this had been a good idea after all.

Right now, in a sober, serious way that had actually made the doctor proud of her husband, he was explaining how they’d got to that point. “And when the gossip rags threatened to expose Angel’s pictures to the world, I developed the plan. We managed to hide Flutters from them, but you can’t hide forever from the press.” A light seemed to turn on his face. “You know, I could turn that into a rather scathing song….”

“Focus, love,” Posey gently admonished.

“Right. So, anyway, Poe and I talked and we came up with the plan. She moved north to Canterlot, I bought a mansion in Malibu, and I got Starlight Glimmer to shack up with me.”

Sunset knew Starlight Glimmer all too well – by reputation, that is; she’d been a former member of Bananarama back in the 80s and like Madonna had remained a timeless icon of music. The fact that she portrayed herself as a slut in public and had come out of the closet before it was considered publicly acceptable didn’t bother the woman in the slightest. Pinkie, the electronica fan amongst them, had more than a few of Starlight’s albums from her nu-disco and rocktronica days. Rainbow and Sunset had both agreed not to laugh at their friend’s taste in music, and that had remained so since.

It was Rainbow that popped the question: “Isn’t she…y’know, a carpet muncher?”

“You’re rude as balls; I like that in a kid,” Discord said with a wolfish grin, slipping into his public persona for just a second. He then returned to seriousness and clarified with, “No, this was back before she started dating Coloursfly and was still pretending to be as straight as possible. I knew her secret – we have the same agent, and really, she’s nothing like her stage persona; in fact, she’s more of a soccer mom to her kids in private – and she agreed to move in with me for about a year and a half since it would keep the press on both of us and our secrets hidden in plain sight.” He laughed. “Fortunately, the mansion has three master bedrooms, because I really don’t know what would have happened if we were really a thing. She likes gingham! There’s not a single person on this planet who really thinks gingham is a thing!”

“Red likes gingham,” Posey pointed out.

“My point is made.”

“So, Mr. Discord,” Sunset asked, “If this was all a ruse to keep them off your family, surely it had to die down sooner or later, right?”

He shook his head. “I’m afraid that only works in the movies. In real life, kiddo, they’re always after you – always wanting that scoop so they can get one on their fellow paparazzi. Some of them don’t stop for things such as ethics and morals; how do you think they got pictures of my son from the hospital? It wouldn’t have surprised me if there were a couple of them trying to catch a picture of me and Star in bed. Fortunately, that wasn’t the case.”

“Oh, I’m sure it wasn’t,” Posey said in a mock-dangerous tone.

“Trust me, hon, it wasn’t: we probably would’ve pissed off Tuxedo Sweetie, the girl Star was dating at the time, if we had.” Turning back to Sunset, he said, “So given that I’m a very busy rock star, they were always following me. I’d hoped it would have died down after a year or so, but the next thing I knew, my little girl was a very angry teenager and I’d been away for the majority of her life. I’d never meant that.” To the surprise of everyone at the table, his eyes started to gleam with unshed tears. “I love my children – I’d have to be a monster not to. And while I’m glad that I made up with my son,” he said, gesturing to the kid who had left the table a bit ago and had now firmly ensconced himself in front of the PS4, “every day I spend apart from Fluttershy hurts me more than the shiner she gave me.”

Rainbow sighed. “You know, you’re an absolute asshole. I love your music, but…Discord, you’re a fucking dick.”

“Rainbow!” Sunset snarled, only to be silenced by the athlete holding a single hand up.

“That’s…what I had planned to say. I might be your number one fan an’ all, but…Flutters and I have been brazos since we were kids. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for her and vice versa. And I honestly came here with the intent of squeeing over your music, and kicking your ass – metaphically, of course.

“But…you love her. You love her just as much as my parents love me, and there’s no way that I can blame you for that. I’m not going to say that what you did was right, but you thought you were doing the right thing, so that has to count for something, right?” A thoughtful look came over Rainbow’s face and a second later she blurted, “I don’t know if I can do anything to help than I already have, but the girls and I have promised that we’d do what we can and we will, right Sunset?”

Sunset nodded simply. “Doc, you know my history, or what my mother and Dr. Zecora have told you. I wasn’t a nice person when Fluttershy and I first met. But more than anything else, it’s the parents that I have now that changed me for the better.” She looked at Discord, then back to Posey. “I don’t know how much you see it, Doc, but Fluttershy hurts. She’s always been sensitive, but this whole ordeal has made her far more fragile than I’ve ever known her to be. And I’m not sure I’m comfortable with that.”

Out of the corner of Sunset’s eyes, she could see Rainbow mouthing a question: Did you read her mind or something, Sunny?

Sunset sent back a telepathic reply: No, Rainbow – that would be rude. Before Rainbow could say anything further, she turned back to Posey. “I feel like I’ve been repeating the same thing over and over again, but Flutters’ one of us – and we stick together. The girls went through the wringer just to set me on the path I am, and I would do no less for any of them.”

An appreciative smile came onto Posey’s lips. “You’re a good woman, Sunset Shimmer.”

A wry smile came onto Sunset’s face. “Not really, but I try – both the human and the good parts.”

Sitting in the House of Nanking, Fluttershy and the others shared lunch and relaxed. Well, Fluttershy was relaxed; the others were attempting to formulate how they were going to bring up the subject to her.

Picking up a sizeable bao in her hands, the chiffon-haired girl looked at the others and said, “Thanks for coming with me, girls. I’m…not really comfortable at concerts. Puppytails tried to take me to go see Calculator Blues in concert, but the crowds kinda unnerved me. I guess I’m not used to the college crowds just yet.”

“I’m surprised you’re still seeing him, dear,” Rarity replied, “especially after that incident where you lost your job because of him.”

“Oh, he didn’t have a choice,” Fluttershy explained in a soft voice. “And I was in the wrong, girls – I could have been in serious trouble. Besides, this way, working at the zoo, I get to take care of my little Wolfgang.” She smiled. “You should see Wolfy now! She’s gotten so big, and she’s an absolute sweetheart.”

Twilight ignored the factoid she’d read a few months back on the Canterlot Zoo & Wild Animal Park’s website, about their star wolf and the fact that even though she wasn’t a year old yet, she was clearly destined for alpha status, being far larger than most she-wolves and would likely be larger than a lot of the males. “Flutters, we—”

The crash of an industrially-made faux-porcelain teacup crashed against the floor, scattering green tea to the four winds. “Oh, I’m sorry,” she said to the waitress. “Let me clean that up.”

“Flutters, you’re ignoring the problem – and don’t do that again; that’s being rude to Twilight,” Rose commented in a sweet tone. The other girls looked at her and Rose explained. “Fluttershy’s had that cup on the edge of the table since it was filled. Furthermore, her eyes continually darted over to it in order to make sure that she didn’t knock it over in the case of a genuine accident.” When Fluttershy had a surprised look on her face, Rose said, “That’s the benefit of having a lawyer for a mother; she’s taught me little things like that. Unfortunately, it means that family poker nights are hell.”

“Rose, please,” Octavia interjected. “Flutters, do you love your family?”

“Of course I do! More than my father,” she accused. “He didn’t care to stay with us! And don’t tell me that ‘he did it for our sakes’ – I grew up without a father! So did my brother! My mother has been alone all this time!”

“Fluttershy, dear, your brother has never wanted for anything, nor have you. And from what I saw the other night, your parents are still very much in love,” Rarity pointed out. “It’s clear that your father’s heart has never been in any other place than with you all – and you know this. We shouldn’t be arguing about it.”

“Look, Fluttershy, I’m coming into this late,” Rose admitted, “but I can tell you that I’ve had the pleasure of knowing your father for a while. While I was expecting that I would have to take care of your family, it’s the fact that Discord has been a good friend to my family, and I wanted to do the same in return.”

As her food arrived, she picked up the chopsticks, deciding to make a visual display. Holding the twinned sticks together, she said, “This is how your father wants your family to be, Fluttershy. Intact, together and happy. But this—” Rose commented, as she pulled them apart, “—is how you’ve been acting. You’re tearing your family apart, Fluttershy. Maybe you’re not doing it intentionally, but you sure as hell are doing it.”

Fluttershy had hit her saturation point. “But he didn’t take care of my brother! My brother is deaf because my da—”

“Are you so sure of that?” Rose asked in an annoyed tone. “Do you have any proof whatsoever?” When Fluttershy shook her head, Rose commented, “Because I bet your mother does. And if your dad did, and your mom knew about it? To me, that’s not the sign of a loving parent. And your mom, from what little I know about her, wouldn’t stand for that. But they’re still together. So maybe the problem isn’t your father.

“It’s you.”

Evening drew to a close, and the concertgoers all stumbled into the hotel, happy as a clam, Pinkie especially.

“That was sweet!” the cotton-candy haired girl squealed, still with some energy left, no matter how minute. “Dancing on stage with Screwball and Daft Punk was the highlight of my life!”

Applejack brushed the locks of her damp hair out of her face; they’d been soaked from all the sweat due to the dancing. “Ah’m glad you enjoyed yourself, sugarcube. Tomorrow’s gonna be the cream de la cream.”

Sweet Pea grinned. “It’s ‘crème de la crème’, AJ. You know Rares would never let you hear the end of it if you said it in front of her.”

Applejack grinned. “Why’d ya think Ah said it now, when Ah’m safe?” The other girls got a chuckle out of that, just in time to see the remainder of their group walk in, shopping bags in hand. “An’ speaking of Ms. Offended herself, here she comes.”

The look on Rarity’s face was one of a very fried girl. “Please…not now, Applejack. If I have to break up one more fight, I just….” She groaned. “I swear on my femininity, I don’t know what I’d do next.”

“Oh, fighting’s no fun!” Pinkie said. “We should all be friends!”

“Tell that to Rose and Fluttershy,” Rarity insisted. “Ever since Rose confronted Fluttershy on the whole thing regarding her father, the two have been fighting left and right. Apparently Discord is a friend of Rose’s father, and Rose is somewhat defensive of hi—”

“Wait – Fluttershy is Discord’s daughter?” Sweet Pea asked, completely floored.

“Yeah, I forgot you didn’t know about that,” Sunset said by way of apology. “Part of the reason she’s here is because Discord hasn’t seen her in years, and he wants to make up with his family. Fluttershy’s mother – Discord’s wife – and their son have, but not Fluttershy. She’s too angry about the whole thing.” Sunset gave a quick explanation to the girl, along with a request not to say anything about it.

“I promise I won’t,” Sweet Pea replied, “but that’s sad. I would do anything to have my parents back – at the very least I wouldn’t have had to live with my uncle. But then again, if that hadn’t occurred, then the rest of my life, warts and all, wouldn’t be the way it was.”

It was at that point that the rest of them came in, with Fluttershy and Rose verbally sniping at each other, Twilight and Octavia fruitlessly trying to be peacemakers. It was clear that neither girl was going to succeed when Fluttershy, with a huff that Rarity would have been proud of under any other circumstances, stormed away, saying, “I’m going to bed. I’ll see you all tomorrow – maybe.”

“Wow, what a fucking cunt,” Rose said to the others. “Goddamn histrionic bitch – I can see why she’s the way she is.” Rose suddenly realized that she’d just insulted Fluttershy in front of her best friends, which wasn’t the smartest thing to do. “I mean—”

“Yeah, we know what you mean, Rose,” Rainbow interjected. “Don’t worry about it. She’s normally not like this, but this whole thing is cracking her up. I can’t apologize enough for all of this.”

“Not your fault, Rainbow. It’s just….” The blue-haired businessgirl ran her fingers through said tresses. “She really doesn’t know, does she?”

“Know what?”

“Mom told me about it before we got here earlier in the week: that I wasn’t supposed to mention Angel’s deafness, because it was a sore point for the family. I asked her why, and she said that Discord and Posey had tried everything in their power to see about getting aural implants, or something of the sort, but the doctors don’t want to do it until he’s reached puberty and his growth spurt, or else they’d have to operate directly on his skull. Even still, they said there’s little chance of it.”

“And how do you know this?” Twilight asked.

Rose smiled softly. “Mom is Discord’s lawyer. When I said he’s a friend of the family, I meant both my parents.”

“I see,” Sunset commented. “And tomorrow’s the last day of the concert, too. After that…it’s going to be that much harder to get them to talk to her. And I’d hate to see what Flutters’ parents have in mind.”

“What?” Screw Loose said, looking at her boss and friend as though he’d gone insane. “You’re not serious about this, are you?”

Discord sighed. “Skylark…I envy you so damn much, you know that? You and Sound Stage…you didn’t care about your image, you just had a family. Even when members of the fanclub were begging you to pose in Playboy—”

“They still do,” she said with an impish grin. “One guy says I’ve perfected the MILF look, whatever that is.”

Discord laughed, but then turned serious again. “I need to do this. For my family. For my children.”

Tirek looked at him with disappointment. “You know, I never thought I’d see the day when you gave up, Dee. Even when we were just starting out and we had doors slammed repeatedly in our faces, you never gave up.” He waved his arms and said in an affected voice, “‘You kids ain’t ever gonna make it in this industry!’ or ‘You don’ got chops, boys,’ or my favorite….”

“‘Nobody’s gonna take a girl in the band seriously!’” Screw Loose laughed. “Yeah, those were the times. And I’d hate to see them end.”

“All good things, so the saying goes,” Discord replied. “And maybe it’s time. I mean, none of us want to be like Blues Boy and the rest of the Rolling Stones, right? I personally don’t want to be on stage pushing around my rocker and hoping that my dentures fall out. So it has to be this way.”

“Sorry, I can’t accept this, Dee,” the female drummer said softly as she rose from her chair. “I know things are hard for you right now, but…please, think about this. I’m not taking this well; you know that Free and Violet won’t.”

“She’s right, you know,” Tirek added. “Fuck, if I tell Scorpan? He’ll probably come up here and kick your ass.”

Posey, silent throughout this whole conversation, finally spoke up. “Where is your brother, anyway?”

“Praying for the concert tomorrow,” he told her. “He got Born Again; even said he’s thought about taking some time off and joining a seminary. But even still, he’d have to hide it – the rock style does not go well with being devout unless you’re into Christian Rock.” He took a swig from the bottle of herbal tea in his hand and said, “Maybe we shouldn’t be hiding any of this…but unless you plan to take on the label, what can we do?”

“Think on it, Dee,” Screw Loose commented. “You guys are like my brothers, and I’d hate to have to schedule family reunions at the park near my place. It would suck,” she said with a laugh.

“Yeah, maybe. Anyway, I’m headed off to bed,” Tirek said. “We’ll talk in the morning, you two.”

“Yeah, we will,” Screw Loose agreed. With that, both left.

Alone, Discord looked at his wife. “You’ve been way too quiet tonight, hon. What do you think?”

“I think you’re making a big mistake myself,” Posey said, “but I’ll back your play. You’re doing this for us – or so you think.”

“So I know,” he said with a melancholy smile.

“No, so you think. But Skylark’s right – you need to think about this more.”

“No,” he said, as he got off the couch, “my mind’s already made up. Don’t confuse me with the facts.”

Finally, the girls all bade each other goodnight, and one by one, they all went upstairs. Sunset was one of the last to go, with a somber look on her face as she apologized to both Rose and Sweet Pea for Fluttershy's issues.

“It’s okay, Sunny,” Rose replied. “Sadly, this is the sort of thing that I’ll have to deal with if I’m going into the family business.”

“I’m…getting over those sorts of things, Sunny,” Sweet Pea said in turn. “I’m a big girl – I can deal with it.”

“Okay, then,” the flame-haired girl said, yawning. “Well, I’m gonna catch some shuteye. We’re meeting down here at eight, right?” Rose nodded, and Sunset blearily grinned. “Perfect. Okay, night, girls.” Waving to both of them, she headed off to the elevators and the suite she shared with Rarity, who had been the first to go up after Fluttershy, complaining that “a girl needs her beauty sleep if she’s going to be at her best on the most important day of the festival.”

Rose turned to Sweet Pea and said, “Okay, don’t forget to meet here at eight in the morning, and we’ll hit Pierside. I haven’t been there before, and they’re supposed to have a really great breakfast. That work for you?”

“Yeah, I’ve eaten there before,” Sweet Pea replied. “It’s tops.”

“Okay, then that works. Night!”

Sweet Pea paused for a second, before speaking out, “Hey, Rose? Are you…okay with all this? Seeing Discord and Fluttershy going all to hell?”

“Not really,” Rose replied sadly. “My mom is technically my stepmother; I don’t have a relationship with my birth mother, so it hurts me to see families shattered like that. I’m guessing that you’re the same way?”

“Yeah. My mom died in childbirth, and my dad committed suicide. I lived with my uncle for years – and that was a nightmare no girl should live through,” Sweet Pea told her. “I’m happy now, but…I look at Fluttershy and I see how I felt all that time ago. Mad at the world….”

Without thinking, Rose finished the statement for her: “…and with no one to trust, even though you know there are folks there for you.”

“Yeah,” Sweet Pea admitted.

Rose looked at the elevators, and the sleep-addled gears in her mind turned. “Hey, I have an idea. Do you have a few minutes to spare?”

“Sure, why?”

Rose explained.

A vicious grin came onto Sweet Pea’s face. “Well, I thought I’d never say this again, but…if you need me, I’m yo’ ho.”

July 4: Nowhere Girl

Opening her eyes just before the alarm went off, Fluttershy sat up in the hotel suite she shared with Rainbow. While they had both returned from their nightly events at the same time, Rainbow had stayed up to play games on her phone for a bit and probably would be completely dead to the world…

…which surprised the chiffon-haired girl as she looked over to her friend’s bed, seeing it empty. I wonder where she is.

The question was answered a few minutes later as Rainbow stepped out of the bathroom looking, well, as right as rain. However, the chilly “Oh, you’re awake,” that issued from the Hispanic teen’s lips didn’t put Fluttershy at ease.

“Rainbow? Is something wrong?” Fluttershy asked.

“Yes – you.” The look in Rainbow’s burgundy eyes was harsh, not angry, but disappointed. It seemed as though the scowl on Rainbow’s face was there to prevent her from doing anything else. “You should know that Sunny and I had breakfast with your parents, yesterday,” Rainbow informed her. “And you know what? I was willing to go to bat for you. Even though Discord is the most awesome rocker ever, I was willing to go to bat for you. Do you know why? Because you are my best friend – we’ve known each other practically since second grade!”

Fluttershy sat up, saying nothing.

“But after today? I really don’t know if I can look you in the face. You’re the kindest, sweetest girl I know – but not anymore.” She sat down in the chair across the room from Fluttershy, an action that the other girl took clearly. “The man I met yesterday – the man your mother is married to, loves and had a family with – was not the Discord that I see on stage. You know who I saw? I saw your father – someone that I see inside you every day. Well, everyday…until now.” Rainbow stomped over and pointed right in Fluttershy’s face, adding, “But do you know who I’ve seen here these past two days? It’s not the Fluttershy I know. No, it’s Tirek’s stage persona. Not the person you told me he is, but the ‘fuck you, I do what I want and I own the place’ attitude that I’ve seen on TV countless times over. And you know what? The past few days? That’s been you.

“You may not want to have anything to do with your dad, but that’s not my problem. And frankly, I’m tired of having to explain your bitchiness to our friends, your family, and everyone who’s come across you!”

Fluttershy’s eyes reflected heartbreak, but Rainbow didn’t care. Instead, she stormed out the door, not bothering to look back.

Fluttershy sat there, hand reaching out towards the door as if willpower could bring Rainbow back to her. But as the gulf of time between the present and when Rainbow left grew, Fluttershy eventually brought that hand back to bury her face in it, along with the other one. Her heart wrenched in two as she realized she had not only started to push away the person she wanted least near her, but those she wanted close by as well.

And if Rainbow was willing to tell her off…how did the rest of her friends feel?

“Rose, you had Goddamn better be right about this,” Rainbow said at breakfast a few minutes later. “I just hit Fluttershy hard and I’m not going to be able to forgive myself if she doesn’t recover.”

“You hit Fluttershy?” Rarity asked, aghast. “What were you thinking?”

“Ah think she means in a metaphorical manner, Rares,” Applejack added. “Y’know Rainbow wouldn’t hurt anyone who didn’t deserve it…or couldn’t take it.” However, as a precaution, she looked at the person in question and asked, “Ah am right, aren’t Ah?”

But before Rainbow could comment further, Rose interjected. “Look, I already explained myself – I’m not going to do it again, Rainbow. You’re just going to have to trust me and Sweet Pea, okay?”

“Yeah. You I trust – her I barely know,” Rainbow grunted as she sat back in her chair, crossing her arms and pouting.

“Gee, thanks, Rainbow. You’ve really inspired me with your touching care,” Sweet Pea snarked.

“Look, Pea,” Sunset replied. “Don’t take it personally. Rainbow’s just a little freaked out right now.”

“Could’ve fooled me.”

“It’s okay, everything’s going to be fine,” Twilight commented, trying to assure the other girl. “It’s just…well, even I have to admit some trepidation to this whole plan of yours. After all, you have no real guarantee that it’s going to work out the way you think it will. Fluttershy’s an unknown variable in this—”

“It’ll work, Twilight, dear,” Rarity drolled. “It might…perturb Fluttershy, but as you know, in the end, she’ll see reason.”

“And how are you so sure, Rarity?” Rainbow demanded, banging on the table.

“Rainbow, enough,” Sunset told her. “Twily and I trust Pea, and you should too. Besides, she was honest with us about her past, and that was probably hard for her to do.”

“Fine, fine,” Rainbow grunted, finally acquiescing. “But you’d better take care of her, Rose. Fluttershy’s delicate, believe it or not.”

“I will,” Rose assured her friend. “We’ll both be there. Now go hit the concert and have some fun. Leave the tough stuff to me and SP.”

“And that’s my decision,” Discord said. “I know it’s not one you guys wanted to hear, but it’s one I have to make for myself and my family.”

“And I still think you’re out of your fucking mind,” Screw Loose told him. “Fuck what the label has to say, Dee! What’re they going to do, drop us? If that happens, everyone from Sony to SubPop’ll be coughing up cash to sign us! Or maybe we should just create our own label, indie all the way!”

“You can’t do this!” Freebase gasped. “I just signed a deal with MusicMaster to promote their line of bass guitars!”

Screwball rolled her eyes. “Way to think about priorities, Free,” she snarked. Turning to Discord, she continued. “You know, Trickyfingers just asked me if I’d take their lead guitar slot. I was thinking about splitting my time between the two bands. I hope I don't have to plan on making it my permanent gig. Asshole that Free can be aside, I like to think of us all as a very dysfunctional family.”

“Yeah, thanks, Violet,” Screw Loose laughed.

“Anytime, Skylark,” Screwball replied with a grin. “But seriously: I like being in this band. I was seriously stoked when I heard I was being picked as the replacement for Tirek. And working with you all has been the highlight of my spoiled-ass Hollywood life.” The smile fell from her face as she admitted, “Maybe I’m just being a selfish fuck, but I don’t want it to end.”

“It won’t, not immediately,” Discord explained. “If I’m retiring, the label’s going to at least want one last album and the fans are going to want a farewell tour – a real farewell tour, not like that shit Big Nose is pulling.”

“Big Nose?” a voice asked behind Discord. It was Posey, interjecting herself into the conversation.

“He’s a rap star, known for his raunchy lyrics,” Screw Loose explained. “About five years ago, he supposedly found God or Islam or something like that. He then decided he was going to retire and start his farewell tour. Two albums, a world tour and one reality TV show on TNT later, and he’s still ‘just about to retire’.”

“I see,” Posey commented, sitting down next to her husband. “Well, you know Discord is as good as his word: if he says it’s just one farewell tour, then it’s just one farewell tour.”

Freebase looked at Discord, then at the others with a scowl. He promptly stormed out of the room, angry as could be.

“Violet, do you mind?” Screw Loose asked.

“No; besides, I get the feeling you three need to talk alone,” the younger woman answered. “Boss, seriously think about what you’re doing. I’m not saying this just as your guitarist, or your friend – I’m saying this as someone who has been a long-time fan of your work. This band has been through so much – you and Skylark are rock legends. Things always end too soon, boss. Don’t let something else end early, too.”

“You’ve really fucked this one up, you, know that?” Screw Loose snarled. “I really hope you come to your senses before you make your announcement on stage. Because right now, you are seriously off-base.” She then turned to Posey and added, “And you need to knock some sense into this idiot.”

“He’s like this because of our daughter,” Posey told her friend.

“Yeah. Makes me wonder where she got that from.” Giving one last glare at her bandmate and friend, she then walked out after the others.

Discord sighed. “I guess practice is cancelled then.” He plopped down in a nearby chair and ran his hands through his hair. “Oh, fuck me, did I screw this one up but good.”

Posey bent down to her haunches and looked her husband in the eyes. “You know, I’m reminded of the lyrics to ‘Love is Like an Insane Chimera.”

“Really?”

With a soft smile, she quoted from his lyrics:

“Love is like an insane chimera,
When ya least ‘spect it, it’s gonna getcha
Stripping hearts with love it’s gonna letcha
Now take m’ heart and let’s play ‘fetcha!’”

“Yeah, and that’s why it was one of my earlier songs,” he admitted. “Doesn’t have the wordplay I’m known for now.” He reached into a nearby cooler, pulled out a bottle of raspberry lemonade, opened it and took a swig. “Am I crazy to be doing all this for Fluttershy? Will she even realize that I’m giving this all up for her and Angel?”

“Does it matter if she does?” Posey asked. “You’re making a difficult decision – one I’m not even you sure need to make—”

“It was rock n’ roll done did m’ family in,” Discord commented in a way that made it clear that he was quoting. “And before you ask: Paisley Dreamer. Sixties British psychedelic rock artist. Was on top of the world…but his wife left him and took the kids, because he was never home. Drank himself to death in a Birmingham hotel, but died on the exact same day as Mojo Risin’ of the Doors, so guess who history remembers.”

“Love, I would never—”

“I’ve had that nightmare so many nights,” he said, his eyes unfocused, looking away. “That I was alone, you were in the arms of another man that my children called their father, because that’s all they knew. That I was wasting alone and away in a penthouse with some cheap hooker I hired just for the illusion of attention. That I died, and the next day the papers said, ‘He was a rock star. He died. The world moves on.’” He looked at his wife, and his face was haunted. “I see that hatred in my daughter’s eyes. That’s all I can see now – that Fluttershy hates me.”

“She doesn’t hate you, hon. She just doesn’t understand.”

“Yeah. She hates Discord – and she can’t see the difference between the rock star and the man who gave her life.” He seemed to withdraw into himself as he added, “And that’s why Discord has to die – so that my family can live.”

The hours continued on, and as one set rolled into the next during the day, the crowds watching the concerts raved along with the bands onstage, having the time of their lives. The final day of the music fest was specially set for the bands hand-picked by ticket purchasers as to who would play, and a variety of styles rolled onto the stage, from the Polyphonic Spree to the MacPans, from Sapphire Shores to Bucket of Fireworks and more. Each band played to the utmost of their abilities, and to the audience in the seats and those watching from international pay-per-view, this was going to be one of the greatest moments in modern cultural history.

At the moment, Depeche Mode was on stage, getting the audience to sing along. The crowd lapped up the ambience, feeding it back to the band, creating a symbiotic effect of entertainment for both performer and listener alike. There was not a single person in the rows who wasn’t enjoying the whole of the concert…

…except for seven girls, all of which were trying to get their mind off the fact that in twenty minutes, the final act of the evening would come on: Discord and his band. And it was hard for them to notice the absence of three of their group: Sweet Pea, Melancholy Rose, and most of all, Fluttershy. It made it hard enough that the three of them could barely stand to be at the concert.

“Whatever I’ve done, been staring down the barrel of a gun…” Pinkie sang along, trying to raise the spirits of her friends, despite the fact that her own was flagging. Fortunately, she had memorized the lyrics to all Depeche Mode songs in case of Depeche Mode emergencies.

“Pinkie, dear, while I appreciate the…enthusiasm,” Rarity said, “I don’t feel that this is the best thing right now.”

“Is there something you need from me?”

“Pinkie, I’m quite serious about this.”

“Are you having your fun?”

“Pinkie,” Rarity said, feeling a little exasperated that her friend was ignoring her. “Would you listen to me, please?”

“I never agreed to be,” Pinkie said with a wink and a grin, “your holy one!”

“Rares, just give it up right now,” Applejack said, trying not to laugh as Pinkie continued singing along. “She’s tryin’ to help us get over our funk right now. And personally, Ah’m not going to blame her for that.”

“I understand that, Applejack, darling. But if she was going to do that, I’d rather that she’d done so when Sapphire Shores was on stage. At least I know all the lyrics to her songs.”

“That’s okay, Pinks,” Octavia said, patting her mock-distraught friend on the shoulder. “I don’t know any of the bands here, so I’m just as lost.”

Twilight looked at Sunset. “So…do you think the others will join us soon? Especially….”

Sunset sighed as the band onstage finished their song, thanked the audience and stepped off as the intermission kicked in, letting everyone head off towards the restrooms. Watching as the crowd filed away from them and towards the long latrine lines, Sunset looked into the nighttime sky and asked, “Girls, what if I was a unicorn and had magic powers?”

Twilight blinked. “Sis, I’m trying to picture you as a unicorn.”

“I thought you saw me as one in your dreams back when you were sick.”

“No, I mean real life this time,” Twilight explained. “For starters, you’d have to be a horse, white and with a horn in your forehead.” Octavia facepalmed, and behind the two of them, the others tried very hard not to laugh as they knew the truth. Pinkie was about to say something, but a glare from Rainbow got her to immediately pipe down.

Rarity finally recovered enough to say, “Well, were I to go along with this mental exercise of yours, Sunset, for one, I would start by saying I’m sure you would make for a very lovely unicorn, certes. That being said…I fail to see how such an instance would make a point.”

“The point I’m trying to make is that if you, or anybody, really, were to ask me to fix it with magic…I couldn’t. Magic doesn’t work that way.”

“That’s because magic isn’t real, Sunny,” Twilight pointed out.

Pinkie admonished her: “Twily! You’re ruining Sunny’s SuperFunPretendyTime!” Applejack shook her head at that and facepalmed.

“Anyways, the point I’m trying to make is that if I was a unicorn with all sorts of magic to fix stuff, I couldn’t fix that. There are no shortcuts to the human heart, and there never will be. It’s not who we are, after all.”

“That’s rather…poignant—” Rainbow began.

“Poignant,” Octavia corrected, pronouncing it the right way.

“Yeah, that. Anyway, that’s rather insightful of you, Sunny. But I think we all know what you mean, and we’re all worried if this is going to work. I sure hope it will.”

Instead of replying, Sunset pointed at a star in the sky. “That star was formed billions of years ago – it might not even be there now, having gone nova long before any of us was ever born – and yet its light continued on so we could see it, having travelled countless millennia to get here. There was no guarantee it was ever going to touch us: there’s so many asteroids, worlds, comets, stars, etc., between that one and us. And yet somehow it arrived here to bathe us in its radiance.

“The point I’m trying to make is that there’s no guarantees that anything will go right. Maybe Pea and Rose will fail. Maybe Fluttershy’s too wrapped up in her anger and hate to let go. Maybe there’s no way the breach can be mended. But maybe…just maybe…magic will happen.” A smile came onto Sunset’s face. “After all, friendship is magic.”

As the girls relaxed in their chairs, two concertgoers that seemed reminiscent of Snips and Snails walked towards their seats. Though she hadn’t intended, Sunset could clearly overhear their conversation:

“Man, where’d the fuck you hear that rumor?”
“I’m tellin’ ya, man! It’s solid! Discord’s quitting the biz!”
“Bullshit. No way that shit’s happening. I’m betting at best, Freebase is announcing he’s leaving the band. Good thing, too – he’s nowhere near as good as Steel Strings was.”
“Naah, man! It’s true shit! Heard it from that guy I get my weed from, says he overheard it while walking past the dressing rooms.”
“Yeah, as if I’m going to believe some pothead that works here.”
“Hey, bro, he got us the tickets, right? He knows what’s up. Just watch – in a little while, it’s gonna be a whole different world.”

The two continued off towards their seats, mindless of what they’d just revealed to Sunset. Part of her wondered if it was true – Discord would do anything to get back in Fluttershy’s good graces, but would he go so far as to actually quit the industry he clearly loved so much and had such an impact on? And would Fluttershy even respond to that?

Part of her wanted to leave now and slap Fluttershy silly – she certainly had the skills for it. But that would be the old me, the person I don’t want to be, she inwardly admitted. I have to believe that Fluttershy can change, just like Twilight believed in me – just like they both did.

A loudspeaker kicked on with a metallic screech before a loud voice boomed over the air: “IN TWENTY MINUTES, THE MOMENT YOU’VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR HAPPENS – DISCORD TAKES THE STAGE!”

Sunset took out her phone and looked at the time. Twenty minutes until something – of which even she wasn’t sure – was going to happen, and one way or the other, it was going to be permanent.

I believe in you, Flutters, Sunset thought to herself. Don’t let me down.

Still dressed in her pajamas, Fluttershy sat down on top of the bed, flicking on the TV. So far, there had been nothing that had interested her, and she’d already seen the most recent episode of Filly Fantasia. Finally, she checked the PPV channels to see if there was anything that could have interested her and when that didn’t happen, she finally gave up and put it on Comcast Music on Demand, who had the US rights to the festival.

She promised herself that she wouldn’t watch the whole time; in fact, if anything, she could use the time to pack her bags for tomorrow’s flight back home and to find a way to apologize to her friends. She had to admit that circumstances had made her less than polite to those who had cared enough to come with her, and she had treated them less than kindly. Additionally, she’d met Rose and Sweet Pea while here and she hadn’t made a very good impression on them, she was sure.

She spent the majority of the day writing drafts of apology letters on her tablet while listening to the music. Some of the bands she liked; others not so much, but it was clear that they were putting their all into it, performing for the crowd that wanted them here. They too wanted to be here, sharing their music and style with those in the audience, and though no musician herself, Fluttershy was impressed with the showmanship and professionalism that so many of the bands displayed.

She barely remembered times back when she’d seen flashes of that in her father…before he became what he was. He was still successful, but there was the side he showed to the public and the side he showed to his family. Discord, the musician, would have never acknowledged his daughter. Discord the man loved her more than anything. But one day he went away, and all that was le—

Fluttershy shook her head, trying to dispel the thoughts. She didn’t need to be morose now while she had letters to write and….

The camera closed up on several people dancing in the rows; whether by fate or just by chance, the camera zoomed in on a Hispanic rainbow-haired girl, bopping along to a white girl with unruly pink hair. Several of them were just enjoying the show, and it simultaneously warmed and broke her heart to see her friends, on TV no less, having the time of their lives. Fun because they were enjoying themselves. Pain because they were having fun without her.

I should be there, a part of her soul chastised herself. I should be there, with them, having fun. I should be getting to know Rose and Sweet Pea better. I should have spent more time with my mom and my brother. Turning off her tablet, Fluttershy looked at her reflection and said simply to herself, “You are just a rude cunt, aren’t you?” And that was something she couldn’t deny; after all, the signs were there – she had done this before, after all: it had been the first week of her freshman year at Canterlot High, and after her meeting with Counselor Iron Will, he’d given her some pointers on being more assertive, and had lent her some motivational CDs from speaker Bill E. Goat. Unfortunately, she’d taken the lesson the wrong way and had been an absolute nightmare to her friends, and this was during a time when Sunset was too sexually involved with Flash to meddle in her affairs, or else it would have been worse. Still, the damage had been done and though she’d been forgiven back then, it had laid the grounds for when Sunset split them apart until the arrival of Princess Twilight.

But as she looked at the person reflected in her tablet, she had to wonder if that person was really gone. After all, what if everything they’d said about her father was true, and it had been her that had been the blockade to it all? What if it was she who was to blame and not her father?

She looked at her hand, holding the tablet. She could still see the bruising on the hand; Sunset couldn’t heal everything, or else it would have been too suspicious. Her father had never raised a hand against her…but when she’d seen him for the first time in years it had been her to lash out. And now her hand carried the symbol of her sin.

As Depeche Mode took the stage, she realized that the whole day had passed and she hadn’t eaten a thing – and her stomach was now demanding tribute very loudly. She still had to finish these letters, so going out, even to one of the restaurants in the hotel, was not an option. Turning back on her tablet, she went to the hotels intranet site and ordered room service: a chicken sandwich, sweet potato fries, and a diet Cherry Coke. That done, she went back to what she was doing.

Ten minutes later, there was a knock at the door, followed by a muffled, “Ruum sabis!” Fluttershy, by this time had slipped on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, went to open the door—

—only to be bowled over by Rose and Sweet Pea as they walked in, pushing an empty cart. “Sorry, but your din-din’s been cancelled,” Sweet Pea snarled. At the moment, she was wearing a black cape that seemed like something Rarity would make for some of the cosplayers that commissioned her. Rose stood there, carrying a backpack. Both girls had severe looks on their faces.

“Oh, girls – it’s, ah, surprising to see you here,” Fluttershy stammered. Part of her wondered where her dinner went, and why were both girls here.

“Oh, we gave the dinner to a homeless guy down the street,” Rose said. “He absolutely appreciates it. Besides, you won’t be able to hold it in when you see what we’ve brought you.”

“What you’ve brought me?” Fluttershy asked. “What did you two bring me?”

“The ugly truth,” Sweet Pea said in a cold, clinical tone, as she reached for the neck clasp that held the cloak that draped over her body. She tapped the jewel, which was actually a clasp release…

…and the cloak fell away, revealing nothing but what Sweet Pea had been born with.

Fluttershy looked at the girl standing in front of her with wide, shocked eyes. Sweet Pea was just standing there, naked as a jaybird, and not bothered by it in the least.

“Wow, you really aren’t bothered by this, are you?” Rose asked sadly.

Without taking her eyes off Fluttershy, Sweet Pea said sadly, “Do you know what my dream is, Rose? That I’ll meet the guy who will sweep me off my feet and I’ll be able to blush when I disrobe.” The naked girl uttered a cold, cruel laugh. “So many girls dream of being sexually proficient with their true loves. I’m terrified that I will be.” She sauntered over to Fluttershy, moving in a very sexual manner; Fluttershy reacted, sliding back on the bed until her back was against the headboard.

Sweet Pea moved in closer, sliding onto the bed with movements that were practically instinctive. Everything on her was a purely sexual thing, and that freaked out Fluttershy to no end. Finally, with no more room for Fluttershy to move, Sweet Pea invaded her personal space. “You think your daddy mistreated you? Girl, you have no idea what mistreatment is,” Sweet Pea said, reaching out with a hand to caress Fluttershy’s cheek. “Your parents are still alive. Mine are dead – and my uncle used me as his personal sex toy. I had to run away and sell myself on the streets to survive.”

“What?” Fluttershy gasped.

Sweet Pea retracted her hand. “I have your attention. Look at me, Fluttershy.” The chiffon-haired girl turned away, and Sweet Pea screamed, “LOOK AT ME, YOU GODDAMN HISTRIONIC FUCK!” Fluttershy did and gasped: Sweet Pea’s body was a mazework of scars, puckers and other indicators of a hard life. “Do you see this?” she said, pointing to a pucker on her right breast. “A client did this to me in Sunnytown. Paid my pimp extra to hurt me, he said. My, ahem, ‘employer’ never told me a Goddamn thing.” She then pointed to various scars on her body, detailing all the injuries she took, all the times her pimp punished her, all the times she did drugs to numb the pain. “If I could show you the scars inside me, from the abortions I’ve had, those are even more horrifying.” Sweet Pea’s eyes started to tear up as she said, “The very first one was due to my Uncle Tripwire.” Fluttershy gasped.

Like a wounded animal, Sweet Pea climbed off the bed, then went over to Rose and hugged her fiercely; Rose returned the embrace but glared at Fluttershy with an anger that raged. Finally, Rose said, “You did good, Pea. Go shower.” Sweet Pea wordlessly took the backpack from Rose, then without asking, walked into the bathroom. Fluttershy could hear Sweet Pea sobbing before the shower turned on.

“I…I didn’t know,” Fluttershy said, looking at Rose with guilt.

“I had it easier. My birth mom merely abandoned me. I’m sure you’ve heard about what she did to Scootaloo,” Rose said, her voice taut and still angry. Reaching down to pick up Sweet Pea’s cloak, she folded it gently, then said, “Would you hold this for me, Fluttershy?”

Fluttershy did so, never taking her eyes from Rose’s scowl. “Look, I owe you an apology for last night.”

Rose gave a slight smile as she said, “Apology accepted.” And then she slugged Fluttershy, as hard as possible, in the stomach. Fluttershy collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath, as Rose shook her knuckles. “I meant what I said – I accept your apology. That is on behalf of your father – and I daresay you hurt him worse than I did you.”

Fluttershy, eyes filling with tears, looked up at Rose, terror on her face. “Why?”

“Because your father loves you – and is getting ready to throw away his career, in front of the whole fucking world, just to appease you! He’s throwing his whole life away for the daughter who doesn’t fucking deserve it, in my opinion – especially one who uses her brother as an excuse!”

Fluttershy, ignoring the pain, got to her feet. “How dare you—”

“No, how dare YOU!” Rose roared. “Your father wanted to help your brother! Discord was going to fucking bankrupt himself if it meant helping his son hear! I know because my mom is his lawyer!” Fluttershy looked with surprise, and Rose went for the kill. “Your parents never told you because they thought you weren’t mature enough to handle it. Guess they were right.

“All you have done is blame your father for everything while wishing that you had him back. Guess what? He’s always been there – but you’ve been pushing him away! And now he’s throwing away everything for you – and do you think that’ll make him happy? It sure as fuck won’t make you happy!

“You have one chance to fix this – one fucking chance. And you’d better do it before he gets on stage.” Rose pointed at the television as Depeche Mode finished up their set. “You have thirty minutes to make it down to Candlestick Park and make it right. Because if you don’t, and Discord throws away everything for you? You will have a world full of hatred – and all that will do is make you old and bitter.”

Fluttershy looked at the TV and the caption at the bottom that read DISCORD ON IN THIRTY – BIG ANNOUNCEMENT. “Oh, my…I have to get down there!” she gasped, taking a step before falling to her knees in pain.

“Oh, quit that – I pulled my punch,” Rose said, offering her a hand. “I’m a sport archer – I know my upper body strength.”

Fluttershy took it. “Rose, I’m sorry.”

“I’m not the one you owe an apology to,” Rose said with a winning smile. “You can apologize to everyone else later. Right now, we need to get you down to Candlestick, because you have someone you really need to apologize to.” Walking over to the bathroom door, she called out, “Pea? Ready?”

“Yeah,” Sweet Pea said, running a towel through her hair one last time. Looking at Fluttershy, she began with, “Look, Flutters….”

“No, Sweet Pea. I owe you an apology – but I’ll have to do it later,” Fluttershy said, rushing over to get her phone and purse. “Right now? I have to save my dad.”

“And now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for!” the announcer said. “DISCORD!”

In the audience, the din grew as hundreds of thousands of adoring fans called out “Dis-cord! Dis-cord!”

But for seven girls, they looked at each other with worry.

“She didn’t make it,” Rainbow said sadly. “The one time she needed to be here, and she’s not.”

“Maybe she is,” Pinkie assured her friend. “I believe in Flutters.”

“Well, whut says our magic unicorn?” Applejack asked. Octavia and Twilight would see that as just a reference to Sunset’s earlier statement, but Applejack meant it sincerely.

“Magic 8 Ball says ‘try again,’” Sunset said sadly.

One by one, the members of the band took the stage to ovation, especially as the band chose to wear costumes for the night’s performance: Screw Loose was dressed in a bizarre Catholic schoolgirl outfit. Freebase walked out in Star Wars Imperial Stormtrooper armor, sans helmet. Screwball, ever the flashy one, came out dressed in full samba attire, straight as though she’d walked off the carnivale in Brazil. The crowd went wild as the trio started to warm up their instruments.

And then Screw Loose started a drum roll, her hands deftly moving her drumsticks in rhythm, ready to introduce her boss and longtime friend. However, her heart was roiling: Dee, don’t do this. You’re only hurting yourself.

And a split-second later, Discord ran out, wearing a dog costume. His oversize collar jingled and jangled as he ran onto the stage, finally skidding to a stop in front of the microphone. It hid his still-recovering black eye well; for those who hadn’t heard the story his PR spun out of utter bullshit, they would think it as part of the costume.

Grabbing it with an ease borne of years of long practice, he shouted, “Good evening, Pasadena! How’s the crowd out there in beautiful Lake Michigan? And to all two of you watching on TV – oh your cable bills are going to suck!” The crowd cheered and laughed, though something seemed forced about his sense of humor, as though he didn’t have his heart in it.

Starting to twirl the mic stand like a baton, he added, “So let’s get this show on the road, shall we? Let’s do a little dance – a mambo!” The sound of the crowd turned to a massive roar as Discord hinted he was starting off with “Mangy Mutt’s Mescaline Mambo”, a goofy little song that he’d written in high school. While it had never been a single, it was a crowd favorite and often played at concerts.

Sure enough, the other three band members started up, Screwball hammering on the guitar just as Tirek did when the song was first recorded. Screw Loose, long familiar with the song, let herself slide into the rhythm, while Freebase started grooving on his guitar. The trio passed the first part where Discord was supposed to start singing. He didn’t. Hoping that he wasn’t about to give up now, they fiddled around with an extended opening to the song that Screw Loose had written for a concert in Copenhagen back in the mid-90s. Getting to the second cue, Discord skipped that as well, standing stock still on the stage.

Finally, he put his hands out, calling out to the three, “Okay, that’s enough.” The three members of the band immediately stopped, their music sounding as discordant as their frontman’s name.

Discord looked at the audience, bringing his microphone to his lips. “I’m done. I quit.” The audience fell as silent as the grave, as though they hadn’t heard what he said. So he said it again. “I’m done. I can’t live like this anymore. I’m…I’m a liar and a coward.

“Do you know that wild party man who sleeps with a girl in every concert venue, does more drugs than South America can produce and parties like he patented the idea? Do you? Because I don’t – that’s not me. Me? I live a lie: a carefully constructed lie that my record label built because they didn’t like the idea that Discord was married and with two wonderful kids.”

That got the audience’s attention. Someone in the crowd yelled, “No fucking way!”

“Yes, fucking way – how do you think babies are made?” Discord responded with a trace of a smile that was his image, before he went back to his true self. “You know, they call me ‘The Chaos God of Hard Rock’ or ‘Alternative’s King of the Jesters’. Do you know what I listen to? I love the Cardigans. Sigur Rós. The Cocteau Twins. Coldplay. OMD. Thievery Corporation. Despite what I said in an interview, I don’t own every Red Hot Chili Peppers album. My wife does; not me.

“Do you remember when I said that Tirek was the worst guitarist there was and I wish he went to hell? I don’t. I never said that. When he wanted to go solo to be in ECI, I was proud of him – and why not? He’s been my best friend for most of my life, not my rival. That was all PR bullshit. He’s my kids’ godfather. He’s happily married to a great woman, and no, she’s not a former Playboy centerfold – Blender magazine lied. Well, them or our label, what’s the fucking difference? I don’t even know myself.

“All I have wanted is downtime to spend with my family: My wife, who I love more than anything; my son, who needs me; and my daughter who has had to go through life without admitting who her father is – she’s a high school student and I’m sure most people think she doesn’t have a father. That’s my fault – I let the assholes at my record company dictate my life. I let the press build an image of me and instead of tearing it down, I kept it up. I hurt my family by doing that.

“No more, do you hear me? NO FUCKING MORE! I won’t watch my children grow up from afar anymore. I won’t spend my anniversaries on tour, managing to ‘sneak a day in’ with my wife. I’m tired of it, and I’m tired of lying to my family, my friends, my band – and all of you.

“So I’m done. I quit.” He put the microphone back on the stand, getting ready to walk away. “I just can’t be the Discord the world wants me to be.”

He turned to walk away from the stage, when he heard a voice:

“Dad!”

He looked up, as if imagining things. He realized it was real a second later as he was tackleglomped by a teenage torpedo. Discord, the irresistible force ramming him like a freight train, and the microphone stand crashed onto the ground in front of an audience of 50,000 present and millions worldwide watching via broadcast.

“Fluttershy?” he spoke, not believing it. His voice echoed through the speakers, as he hadn’t turned off the microphone.

“Dad,” she gasped. “Don’t throw away your career for me! I’m not worth it!” Fluttershy said, hugging him. “I’m so sorry for the way I’ve been. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“No, sweetie,” he said, caressing her face gently. “It was I who hurt you. And that’s going to stop now.”

“Not if you quit! That won’t make you happy! That won’t make anyone happy!” Fluttershy cried. “Just...don’t.”

“My mind’s made up.”

“No, it’s not.” Fluttershy did something then that shocked anyone that knew her – and most certainly the seven standing just mere feet away from her in the seats: getting off the ground, she grabbed the microphone and as she faced the crowd, spoke: “Um...hello. My name is Fluttershy, and as you can guess...I’m Discord’s daughter. It’s true what my dad says: my brother and I have had to pretty much live our lives without him because of his fame and the way the public reacts to that. I won’t lie: it hurt, and for quite some time, I actually hated him. I refused to speak to him, I never told my closest friends who he was – I even went so far as to tell people that I didn’t have a father...and that was unfair to my mother as well.

“We came here, because my mother, my friends and Uncle Tirek and Auntie Skies hoped that I would be able to work things out with him.” She looked at him for a second and then looked back to the crowd, admitting, “I didn’t. I was the one who gave him the black eye – it wasn’t from some bar fight, which I know MTV reported; or the jealous husband of some guy whose wife he was hitting on – that I know E! reported. I did it because I wanted to hate him so much for abandoning us…for abandoning me.

“But thanks to my friends, I was reminded that there are always two sides to a story, and I recently discovered the truth. And I’m ashamed of how I acted – what I’ve become. I never wanted that. I never wanted to hate the man who gave me life and who loves me.” She reached down, offering a hand to her father, asking, “Dad, will you forgive me?”

“There’s nothing to forgive,” he told her; it was barely audible on the microphone as he took her hand and she helped him up.

“And will you all forgive me for nearly taking away this man who has meant so much to you?” she asked the crowd then looked at the band.

In the crowd, seven girls were completely and utterly speechless. To add to the chaos, both Rose and Sweet Pea arrived a second later with victorious smiles on their faces. “Okay, I didn’t expect her to go that far,” Sweet Pea commented.

“This was your gals’ doing?” Applejack asked, aghast.

“Yup!” Rose beamed. “Pea and I make a good team.”

Octavia looked appreciatively at both girls, then at the teen pouring her heart out to virtually millions. “Yeah, that you guys do,” was all she said.

For Fluttershy, bearing her soul was both a heartwarming and terrifying moment. But then she looked at her friends in the crowd, and all nine were looking at her with smiles and support. With that strength, she then looked at the crowd, who was cheering - and somehow, the cheering was for her.

“May I?” Discord asked for the microphone, a loving smile on his face that the crowd could see clearly. It wasn’t the Discord they knew – no, it was somehow better.

Fluttershy happily handed it over, then got on her tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek. “I love you, Dad,” she said, hugging him, and the crowd did a loud, murmuring, “Awwww….”

“I love you too, sweetie,” he said as he put his arm around her. Then, facing the audience, he said with a grin, “Guess I’m unquitting, huh?” The audience roared its approval, so loud that the world was nothing but noise and storm for a few minutes.

Discord took off the dogsuit, wearing too-tight jeans and a patchwork t-shirt underneath, then jogged over to the band. “Hey, pass me the banjo,” he told them.

Screw Loose was positively beaming. “Knew you couldn’t do it,” she told him.

“It wasn’t me,” Discord replied with pride in his eyes, pointing to his daughter. “It was all her.” He then shut off the mic and explained what he wanted to do.

Freebase looked at him oddly.

Screw Loose laughed.

Screwball simply shrugged and said, “Somehow I’m not surprised.”

With that, Discord walked back to the stage and handed Fluttershy the banjo, then whispered something in her ear.

“But...but….” Fluttershy stammered.

“I know you know how to do this, kiddo. Besides, you love that song, right?”

“Yeah, it’s Grandpa’s favorite,” she admitted, “but I’m not a performer. It’s not like I’m in a rock band or anything myself.”

“Yes, millions of people know who you are now, so nobody’s going to really know the difference,” he said, pointing to the audience and the cameras. Her eyes went wide and he laughed. “You had no problem telling them how you feel, right? Just relax and remember what you were taught.”

“I—”

“—will do fine,” he assured her. Flicking on the mic, he then shouted to the world, “And now for something completely different from other things which are not quite the same as this is.” He paused as if in thought. “Hey, I wonder if that phrase is trademarked. Anyway….”

Out of nowhere, the band started playing “Back to Donegal”, a traditional Irish folk song and a favorite of Fluttershy’s Irish-born grandfather (Discord’s father). However, the lyrics were less of the type of the famous version by Bing in the 40s or even the somewhat inebriated 1992 version by Angry Love. In fact, it seemed that if anything, Discord was making up the lyrics as he went along, all in his usual careless style.

But the surprise went to Fluttershy, who played along on banjo, and who seemed to not only have the instrument down pat, but even had parts in the song that required her to solo.

Octavia’s jaw dropped. “Wait – I thought she said she didn’t know how to play an instrument!”

Rainbow said off-handedly, “Actually...she admitted to me two nights ago that she actually knows how to play the guitar, the bass guitar, the banjo and the mandolin. She didn’t learn them from him, but from her grandfather instead. She just tends to hide it because she never felt she was that good at it, and...well...you know the rest.”

“Not good at it? I’ve met professional players who aren’t as good!”

“Octavia, dear, I’m sure she had her reasons for not telling us,” Rarity piped in, “and she’ll probably be more forthcoming in the future. After all...her biggest secret’s out now, correct?”

“An’ Ah’m sure she’ll tell us,” Applejack assured the others as the song concluded just in time for the Fourth of July fireworks to begin.

Watching from backstage, with tears in her eyes, Posey had a smile that couldn’t be stopped as it grew so wide she nearly looked like it would split her head in twain. Her family was finally whole once more, and they could finally be together as one.

Here, you’re gonna need these,” Tirek said, handing her some tissues. She looked up at him and surprisingly, he’d been crying as well.

“And here I thought you were a big, tough guy,” she gently teased, gratefully taking the tissues.

“I am...but I’m also a softy,” he said, wiping his own eyes. “And I wonder how much of that is going to be public now.”

Afternoon Skies approached them both. “Spruce and I just got off the phone with the label. Discord’s caused, well, discord: Marketing’s apparently tying themselves in knots trying to explain themselves; and Rolling Stone is camped out in front of the New York office, wanting quotes. This is not going to settle anytime soon.”

“Good,” Posey told her friend. “It shouldn’t.”

The following day, the girls were all at the Napa airfield, ready to go home. “So, you’re not coming with us?” Rainbow asked.

Fluttershy shook her head. “I actually took the following week off as well, so Dad asked if I’d come with him to his tour dates in Sacramento and then the tour bus should be able to drop me off at home while he’s on the way to finish up the rest of his tour.”

“Sounds like you have a lot of catching up to do,” Twilight commented.

“Yeah. But it’ll be worth it.” Fluttershy hugged her friends and thanked them for everything, not sure of what else she could say. “I don’t deserve to have friends as good as you all.”

“We’ll send a bill for services,” Rose cracked, and Sweet Pea laughed.

“But I guess that means you’re moving to LA?” Pinkie asked sadly, her hair starting to deflate. “That’s where your dad lives, right?”

“Ha! As if,” Discord said, walking up to them all, Posey and Angel in tow. He was dressed in a polo and slacks again, very much not what was expected of him – and something he relished. “Actually, we’re keeping the Malibu place as a vacation home. We actually own undeveloped land in San Palomino...something something Golden Oaks–”

“Wait – you own that undeveloped plot at the end of the street?” Twilight asked. “That means that Fluttershy’ll be living down the street from us!”

“Not immediately,” Posey explained. “We still have to build a home there and that’s going to take a bit. We’ll actually be renting out the penthouse in Marriott Renaissance Retreat downtown. And since we’ll still have ownership of the house we’re currently living in, Fluttershy can still use that as an address so she doesn’t have to change schools if she wants to stay at CHS.”

“I do,” Fluttershy said, putting her arms around Rainbow and Sunset. “I wouldn't want to leave my life just because it’s changed.”

“Well, flight’s getting ready to go, so we need to get on board,” Posey told them all.

“Best of luck, Flutters,” Sunset said, hugging her friend. The others did the same in turn, and said goodbye to Discord, Rose and Sweet Pea as well, the other two promising to keep in touch with them.

A few minutes later, the aircraft reached for the skies, with the girls, Angel and Posey onboard. A few minutes after that, Rainbow groaned. “Oh, man!”

“What, Rainbow,” Sunset retorted, holding onto the seat for dear life and not in the mood for her friend’s histrionics.

“We totally forgot to get his autograph!” Rainbow cried.

“He’s moving to Canterlot, dear,” Rarity reminded her. “You can get it at any time.”

“Yeah, but...I would be getting the autograph of Discord, the rock star!” Rainbow explained. “When I see him again, he’s just gonna be Flutters’ old man – and who wants an autograph from their friend’s dad? Ick.”

In a dusty, forgotten library in Switzerland, Divine Right looked into a book that centuries ago was forbidden – and nowadays forgotten. With it in his right hand, he summoned a ball of violet spellfire into his left. He then peered into the flames, looking for an answer only he would discern. He didn’t worry about anyone else seeing him, as his bodyguard-slash-lover Piano was on station with orders to “dispatch” anyone who approached.

“Canterlot,” he whispered. “So it begins in Canterlot.” Somehow, he wasn’t surprised. For a rather pedestrian American city, it had a surprisingly large magic field, for reasons no one could explain – and one that had, just as inexplicably, seen a lot of use as of late, far more than that of the rest of the world.

He grinned. His empire would begin with an end. It was fitting, after a fashion.

And after all, it was his divine right.

Author's Note

In case anyone's curious about what song Discord and Fluttershy are playing on stage:

And for those not familiar with Rory McLeod, keep in mind that he's an English rock star on par with Paul Weller: famous in his country, not as much here in the States. He did this song for the shits and giggles on stage and it eventually ended up on his 1992 album Travelling Home.

July 18: Again and Again

Casa Picante was an “authentic” Mexican restaurant, the word in this case meaning “so obviously not associated with anyone even remotely Hispanic that Taco Bell was brutally realistic by comparison”. Still, it was a strangely popular restaurant despite its kitsch image and goofy ¡Fiesta! theme, complete with eye-searing colors, badly-warbled mariachi music and more piñatas than an XBox game. And at the middlemost table, as though they were in the eye of the pseudo-Mexican storm, sat four girls, each of them in various states of “enjoyment” of their breakfasts: from Octavia and her Cinnamon Churrolicious Stuffed Waffles to Champagne and her surprisingly – and actually – authentic menudo. Rarity, eating lightly, simply settled for a small breakfast burrito, while Twilight, wanting to be a little more “adventurious” (as the menu said), went for the huevos con chorizo.

“Thanks for coming, girls,” Champagne said, the look in her eyes determined, “though…I hadn’t expected you to bring someone extra.”

“Chammie, this is Rarity,” Twilight said, giving the introduction. “She was also a victim, and she’s a friend of mine. I thought she would be of help with this.”

“Victim? You don’t mean….” Rarity said, the look on her face surprised.

Twilight nodded. “Yeah. It’s happening again. And we think that we know who’s really behind it.”

“How much does she know, Twily?” Champagne asked.

“More than she probably wants to,” Octavia commented. “She was almost a victim of Blueblood himself.”

Champagne took a drink of her non-alcoholic mimosa. Setting the glass down, she commented, “I’m not very pleased to say it, but that’s more than enough, as far as qualifications are concerned. Ms. Rarity, here’s the situation….”

“You want to pay how much for this warehouse complex?” the man gasped over the phone. “Sight unseen, no less?”

“That’s correct, Mr. Values,” Piano Bliss said over the phone, trying to affect a Scottish accent. Fortunately, she was originally from Nova Scotia, where just about everyone spoke with a brogue that Americans identified as “Scottish”. “His Highness, Prince Divine Right, is offering twenty million euros – around twenty-seven million of your dollars – for the whole complex. And according to our company’s research, your facility has been sitting there unused for quite some time.”

“Tell me about it. Folks here in Canterlot are so damn NIMBY at times that a set of warehouses designed to deliver stuff closer never gets used, while the ones down in the south part of town are practically filled to capacity. Stupid world we live in, I swear.” She heard him sigh on the other end before he continued with, “Well, at least you’re offering me more than those dolts at Walmart. They’re only offering me twelve; you’d think that for a company that’s afraid of the new Barnyard Bargains Supercenter going up just blocks away they’d be willing to offer real money.”

“Well, sir, my lord Prince truly desires the property and is willing to recompense you for such. Plus, if I may be so bold…he’s not much one for Barnyard Bargains or its ilk.”

“Hrm, so what does he have in mind?”

“My lord Prince has petitioned the American football federation – sorry, I forget they call it ‘soccer’ in the States – to create a football club in Canterlot. The complex downtown is large enough for a stadium and its needed environs, and such a complex provide plenty of jobs for the region.”

“Well, if you ask me, he needs to build another NFL team out here, ‘cause the Stallions ain’t worth a damn. Still, it’s his money, and the price is right…sure, you have a deal.”

“Wonderful. Please send a copy of our contract to our attorney’s office in Los Angeles, and she’ll look it over – strictly a formality, as you know. Once that’s done, we’ll be in town in a few days to sign the necessary contracts. Will that be sufficient?”

“That’ll be great. I’ll talk to you in a few days then, Ms. Line.”

“As will I, good sir. Have a pleasant day.” With that, “Dotted Line” hung up the phone, and Piano shook her head, laughing at the idiocy of the man. He doesn’t even realize he signed his own death warrant. Not that she’d kill him, of course, but “an interested party” would get word to the FBI that a SIREN sympathizer was in their midst, and sooner or later that would filter to CSIS. Mr. Property Values wouldn’t have much longer to live after that.

“So, any luck?” Divine Right asked his secretary/bodyguard/lover as he looked up from a book. For a rare change since she’d met him, he was not reading a grimoire or any sort of magical book, but instead an everyday, average book: The Prince. She’d heard it was a fairly nasty piece of work – or at least what she’d been told by her grande sœur – so she wondered why he was reading it. Probably for the irony, or maybe it’s just something princes read, she thought.

She giggled softly. She regularly bedded a prince. That got her quite on the way to being a princess, at least more than the average girl. Yes, she was a combat-ready SIREN, but…a girl had dreams, right? Besides, he chose her. Sure, he was probably double her age – his ID said he was about 52, though his weirdly youthful looks implied he was no older than his late twenties – but hey, he chose her and that was all that mattered.

“Very much so, dearest,” she told him, and he looked at her oddly. May as well stake my claim now. Once we beat Les Scars, who knows what will happen next, and personally, being a princess is not a bad idea.

He closed his book and gave her that smile that she knew was just for her. “In a few days, head to Canterlot to finalize the details. I still have a few more things to attend to, and then I’ll be along shortly, okay?” He looked at the nearby grandfather clock. “In the meanwhile, I must meditate and expand my skills. We’ll do something tonight for dinner, okay?” Piano gave him her most winning smile, determined to win him. With a grin, he walked off.

As he left the library for his private chambers, he ran into his secretary – his true secretary. “I have a missive for you, sir,” the man said, handing him a sheaf of paper. “Additionally, your appointment has arrived and has been escorted to the map room.”

“Thank you,” Divine replied. “Please, make sure that Ms. Bliss is kept…busy until I return from my appointment. The last thing I need is some heavily-armed, love-sick puppy following me around while I’m trying to attend to important business!”

“As you say, sire,” the secretary said, bowing as Divine walked past, not giving the issue further thought. Walking up to the third floor, he opened the door to find his appointment lounging in a chair, swishing a glass of wine.

“Ah, yes. Chateau Quilicot, 1986. A wonderful year. I’m glad you approve.” He sat down and looked at the attendee, then poured himself a glass. “So, have you given any thought to my offer?” he asked.

“I…have, and I’d like to know what’s in it for me,” the other person voiced.

“Ah, yes. I’m presuming you mean beyond the obvious trappings of wealth and power?” he asked, and received a nod in reply. “Well, you will be able to take the Director of the CSIS and quite literally squash him or her like a bug. You will taste immortality and experience things that others cannot even begin to dream of. Your desires and demands will be capable to the ends of the Earth and beyond.”

“And all I have to do is agree to your demands?”

“Think of it as…an offer from someone suitably impressed,” Divine commented, raising a glass to his lips. “You intrigue me. And unlike that young thing downstairs, I can tell that you are more than just your chest and your thighs.”

Cantata Blast sat there, a scowl marring her features, until she commented, “That ‘young thing’ you referred to is dear to me, dearer than most. She is my petite sœur, and I have raised Piano since she was a baby. And I am not pleased that you chose to bed her…and now you want to throw her away as if she was nothing.”

“As you can imagine, in my line of work, we cherish much…but I’ve learned that sometimes, you must sacrifice what is dear to you to succeed.” He smiled. “Let me tell you a little story: once, I was a man in love. I wooed a woman of incredible beauty and stature, one who I wished to be at my side and in my bed more than anything. But she spurned me – me, a prince!”

“I can’t imagine why,” Cantata drolled.

Divine ignored her. “Instead, she ran off to America, married some dolt and bore that man a child. I wanted to make her mine – I still do.” He poured himself another glass of wine, then said, “But I could sit here all day and tell you about how much I would treat her as my own personal little porn star…or I could do something much more productive and offer the position to someone more…suited, shall we say.”

“In short, for warming your bed and murdering your enemies, I become your wife?” Cantata said bluntly, holding her glass out for a refill.

“Close.” He refilled her glass, and clarified: “No, in return for keeping me company throughout all of time and destroying our enemies, you become my wife and empress.” He leaned back in the chair and said, “Come now, don’t think small – you have a keener mind than that.”

“And what of Piano?”

“I have something in mind for her – and no, it does not involve murder. But, I will be honest: she will be a footnote in our rise to power.”

“I see.” Cantata took the glass and drank again. “And you’re sure of this ‘immortality’, or do you speak merely metaphorically?”

“I’ve shown you my secrets since I started my interests in you and you know that.” He held his hand out, and as it glowed with a sulfurous violet hue, he plucked a book out of nowhere, as if willing it into creation. “My father of fathers created this tome, and many of its spells have been of grand use. Did you know that there’s one that I could use to make you my slave?” Cantata’s hand started going for her pistol and Divine shook his head. “I tell you this because I want it clear: I want your mind. If I wanted, I could have every nubile little girl in the world whoring for me this very second, but what would that get me? Frankly, Piano may be a great diversion…but she’s not one for stimulating conversation.”

“I never focused on her standard education as I should have,” Cantata said by way of apology. “But I appreciate the candor.”

“I will give you time to consider the offer, of course,” Divine commented, “but don’t think of it too long: I will have need soon of a great general for my armies.”

“Admiral – I’m no mere army woman,” Cantata mused with a hint of a smile.

“Does that mean you’ll accept?” Divine asked.

“Yes, I think I will,” Cantata said, rising from her seat.

Divine rose from his seat as well. “Good, good. I will send Piano on duties to America in a few days. Then you and I will have all the time in the world to get to know each other. Will time in Monaco suffice?”

“That’s sufficient,” Cantata commented drily, then added, “But I warn you now: I’m not some love sick child to be wooed with flowers and trinkets. If you truly want me body and soul, then you’d best be prepared to earn it as much as you wanted that other woman.”

“I see,” Divine commented. “Then consider this my first gift to you, then: in the next room over, you’ll find something you’ll truly appreciate. Oh, and the room is soundproofed. Now, I must attend to my business, and I’ll leave you to yours, my betrothed to be.” With that, he walked out, and she walked towards the door. He then stopped, watching her frame and her tight body, his eyes leering over every curve that he very much intended to know personally. “A marvelous woman,” he mused as he walked out.

Cantata opened the door to a room that reeked of various body smells; clearly someone had been living in their own filth for the past few days. She heard a muffled voice and the clink of chains. Ignoring the smell, she reached over to turn on a light switch and see what was there.

“Oh, my – he does have a way with gifts,” she cooed with a smile. Perhaps it will be worth it after all.

Sitting before her, bloodied and clearly having not been fed or allowed to use the facilities for a few days, was a man in a soiled suit. He was chained down to the floor, his balding blue-and-orange hair a mess. He looked at the woman who entered, and his eyes went wide with terror.

“Well, well, well – Assistant Director Far North. Pleasure to meet you here.” Cantata’s eyes boiled with rage.

“Y-you can’t get away with this,” North commented. “A-A-ARROWHEAD—”

“Doesn’t know you’re here,” she said, crouching down in front of him like a panther eyeing its next meal. “In fact, I doubt you know where here is – for the record, it’s a small mansion in Valcluse, France.” His eyes widened. She smiled at that before looking at him straight in the eye. “I’m going to kill you painfully. You took the Admiral from us. He was our lone family, the one who wanted us all to be free from an illegal program Parliament knows nothing about.”

“We couldn’t risk Poutine telling them. The SIRENs have been too effective a deterrent against our enemies,” he admitted.

“And so you had him assassinated and posthumously disgraced. That was a mistake.” She took out her gun and pointed it right between his eyes. “So we rebelled, and then you tried to have all of us killed. Well, this is the point where we bite back. Pity you won’t live to see it.” She holstered her gun. “A quick death is too good for you.”

“W-What are you planning to do?”

Cantata got up, and walked over to the nearby table. Sitting on a silk pillow were brand-new surgical steel knives, all still in their wrapping. Picking one off the pillow, she removed it sheath and then looked at him. “Let’s just say that this is a war between the SIRENs and CSIS. And I’m about to commit a war crime.”

Aria’s fist was stopped mere fractions of an inch away from Sunset’s face. “Are you actually paying attention?” the pigtailed girl asked.

“Hey, give her a break, Ari,” Applejack said from her seat. “Yer leagues better than her – and me – and Ah think y’ need to realize that.”

“AJ, I teach martial arts classes at the Y,” Aria reminded her, “so I keep that in mind. But Sunny, you really don’t strike me as the kind of girl interested in it.”

“Well….” The awkward smile on Sunset’s face was more than enough to answer.

Before Aria could blow a fuse, Applejack told her, “Look, let me talk to Sunny in private, okay?” She pointed to Rainbow. “Spar with Lazy over there fer a few and let me talk to her, ‘kay?”

“Yeah, sure.” Aria glared at Sunset, then walked over to Rainbow, who was boxing with a training bag.

“An’ Ah thought mah sah-bu-nim was tough,” Applejack said with a chuckle. “Look, Sunny, Ah’m gonna be honest: Ah know we covered the basics so you could fake knowin’ somethin’ after the incident months ago, but Ah’d be surprised t’ hear you say that yer serious about all this. So, you want to tell me what’s goin’ on?”

“You’d laugh,” Sunset told her.

“Try me.”

“Okay. You obviously know that my magic was unlocked. But here’s the thing: on Equus, there’s magic everywhere, so a mage can pull from other sources aside from herself; pulling from her own reserves for major spells is a desperation move. However, here on Earth, everything’s pretty much magically dead, with the exception of you and the others – and I’m not about to do that. So I have to draw from my own reserves, and even though – and not to brag – I’m probably the most powerful unicorn living, even I’ll exhaust myself. That means I have to increase my wellspring and to do that, I need to be in better shape, better meditation and better reaction capable. Since I’m really not one for sitting in yoga class, I had two options – take those modern dance classes that Pinkie’s taking over the summer, or well, martial arts.”

“Really?”

Sunset nodded. “Yeah. I know it doesn’t seem it from when Twilight was here, but remember, she didn’t use any magic, because she didn’t think to. And as an alicorn, she’s a lot more in shape than you’d think.”

“Ah wouldn’t know what the comparisons were ‘tween an alicorn and a unicorn, sugarcube,” Applejack admitted. “Heck, until Ah met Twilight, Ah didn’t even know what an alicorn was.” Applejack crossed her arms and added, “Well, and all this time Ah thought it was ‘cause y’ wanted to protect Twily.”

Sunset blushed. “Well…that too. I mean, Twily and Tavi – they’re my family, and I nearly blew that once. I can’t afford to do that again.”

“Well, y’know we’re always here for ya.”

“I know, but what if something magical happens?”

Applejack pondered on that for a second. “Last time we had a magical problem around here, you took care of it. Time before that? No offense, but….”

“Yeah, I get the point. But they’re my family, AJ. If the situation was reversed, I’m sure you’d want to do the same, right?”

The blonde nodded, giving her friend a laconic smile. “Yeah. Let me talk to Ari and see if she can go easier on ya. Ah think she thinks you know more than you do, and that’s probably mah fault.” She patted Sunset on the shoulder. “Practice a kata while Ah chat with her, ‘kay?”

“Got it.”

On time, Coco arrived at Blueblood’s home. Slinging her bag over her shoulder, she walked around the side path, away from the main house and towards the guest house where Blueblood and Suri lived. She thought that was pretty cool, that both her parents and his realized how much they were in love, so much so that the adults let the two choose their future even though both were technically not old enough yet to do so. She hoped that she could find someone like that someday.

Finally arriving at the bungalow, she knocked on the door. Seems quiet, she mused. I hope they’re at home.

Sure enough the door opened, revealing Blueblood. Coco swooned a little when she saw him, and if truth was to be told, she felt a little jealous for Suri: Blueblood was a gentleman and a handsome guy, kind and debonair. If he was single, maybe she would have tried to catch his attention, but given that he was four years older than her, he would probably never see her as anything other than a kid sister type. But maybe someday she would meet someone as cool as he was. He did mention he had a cousin who went to Canterlot High, and maybe she’d get to meet – Flash? or something like that – in the near future.

“Oh, hello, Coco!” Blueblood said with a warm grin. “Come in! May I take your bag?”

“Thanks,” she said, handing it over as she stepped in. “So, where’s Suri?”

“She was unfortunately tied up with other affairs,” Blueblood said sardonically. “She’ll be home later tonight, so, my apologies, dear lady, but you’ll have to tolerate my poor presence as recompense.”

Coco giggled. “Don’t say that – you know I like being around you!”

“I know. Care to play some chess while we wait? And would you care for some champagne?” She nodded eagerly as she made her way to the parlor table. Another thing she liked about him: he was a chess player, something that she’d learned from her grandmother; also, he treated her like an adult and let her drink, something she knew she’d be in trouble for at home.

“That would be wonderful, thanks!” Coco said as she sat over by the chess set. As she did, she watched Blueblood as he walked into the kitchen, wearing that form-fitting cornflower-blue t-shirt that accented his muscles from tennis and his other hobbies. She couldn’t help but wonder why she was so focused on him. For starters, he was Suri’s boyfriend, and he treated Coco herself like a little sister.

And yet all I can think of is him right now, she thought as her eyes went over every line of his body.

“Like what you see?” he asked suddenly, and that snapped her out of her reverie.

“I-I’m sorry?” she asked, flustered.

He set the bottle of champagne in the chilling bucket, then gave her a smile. “I presume you were looking at the cake I baked. I’m not the best at that sort of pursuit, but based on the hungry look in your eyes…would you care for a slice?”

“Oh! The cake! Uh, sure! I’d love to try it, thanks!”

Blueblood walked over and set the glasses of champagne down, then wandered over and grabbed a plate and a knife. Cutting Coco a generous slice, he then placed that in front of her, then sat at his seat at the chess table and gazed at her. “Please, I’m interested in knowing what you think of it.”

“Aren’t you going to have some?”

“I’ll wait for Suri to return home before I do,” he said, turning his attention to the chessboard. “But I couldn’t possibly turn down the request of a sweet young lady, could I?”

Coco hid her blush behind a drink of her champagne, then reached over and made her opening gambit, B2 to B4. “Your move,” she said, slurring her words slightly. She thought about it for a second and wondered if she was getting drunk, but then again, neither he nor Suri would ever let it get that far.

He was about to make his own move when the phone rang. “Excuse me for a second, if you please.” She nodded and he got up, making a beeline for the phone.

“Hello, dear, I suppose I should ask if she’s arrived yet?” The voice was unmistakably Suri’s, though she was affecting an obviously badly-done Jersey accent in case Coco had been nearby.

“Yes, the package arrived this morning,” Blueblood said breezily. “Everything is just as planned, thank you for asking.”

“So, do you have anything planned for her when I get home, or do you need more time?”

“Oh, I have a few extras that are in play – I’m sure my dearest would very much appreciate the Dutch chocolate and German liquors I’ve planned for later on. But thank you for your services, I’m sure she’ll very much appreciate the gifts.”

Suri, currently shopping in an intimates store, understood immediately what Blueblood had just told her via code: “Dutch chocolate” was a general term for any chocolate extremely high in PEA, phenylethylamines, which was one of the known confirmed aphrodisiacs that was effective on humans. As for the “German liquor”, that was clearly the Vibe.

Suri picked out something special for herself, and based on her measurements, for Coco. Tonight would be special, both for the fact that she would remove a problem from her sister for once and for all, and she would have a little fun. And besides, if Coco did check out, perhaps she could be persuaded to stick around on a more permanent basis. After all, Suri did reward her underlings, friends and personal assistants, and what she had in mind was as personal as things could get.

Coco Pommel, tonight I will break you, Suri said with a nasty gleam in her eye, and whether I rebuild you or destroy you entirely depends on what you plan for my sister.

Sunset had just arrived home as she saw Twilight and Octavia, dressed as though they were headed out. She looked at both and asked, “Going somewhere?”

“Yeah,” Twilight nodded. “Champagne Dreams invited us to something school related. I know you’ve been out all day, and plus, I think our parents want you to babysit Spike, or else I would invite you.”

A weary Sunset gave a tired grin and said, “That’s okay, sis. I’m wiped out from working out all day with the other girls, so I could use the breather.”

“Working out?” Octavia asked.

“Yeah. I was just BSing with AJ, Rainbow and Bonnie, when Ari decides she’s going to show the three of them her moves. And seriously, she’s in a class all of her own. She then insisted that I learn something, since whatever AJ taught me ‘wasn’t worth a damn.’” Sunset chuckled and added, “As you can imagine, AJ did not take that well.”

“Yeah, I can imagine,” Twilight commented, giggling.

“But Ari thinks that because I have two girls at home, that as the oldest, I need to protect you both. In her words, ‘They’re probably not as trained as Soni and Dagi are.’ Heck, I didn’t even know they knew martial arts – I thought it was just Ari.”

The look on Twilight’s face was one of sweet admiration, while Octavia’s was unreadable. Finally, Twilight smiled and said, “That’s so sweet of you, sis! I mean, we haven’t really needed anyone looking out for us since we were kids and Shiny was in high school, but—”

“Who says we need it?” Octavia asked in cold fury, her eyes narrowing in anger.

“Tavi?” Sunset asked, suddenly wondering what was going on – that had not been the answer she expected.

As if a switch were flicked, Octavia calmed down and said, “Sorry – tonight’s going to be stressful and I’m already on edge.”

“Boy troubles?” Sunset asked sincerely.

“Look, can we not talk about this now?” Octavia groaned, before turning to Twilight. “Rarity’s going to be here in a couple of minutes.”

“Rarity’s going with you two?”

Twilight nodded. “Yeah, she knows Chammie. Look, sis, everything’s going to be fine, okay? We’re going with Rarity, we’ll be there for a few hours, hopefully, and then we’ll be back home by midnight. Everything’s going to be just fine.”

Sunset looked at both her sister and cousin critically. “You’re saying that as if I should be concerned. Do Mom and Dad know about this?”

“Yeah,” Octavia told her. She would have said more, save for a horn honking outside. “Well, that’s Rares. You and Spike try not to kill each other, okay?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Sunset groaned. “Think I’m going to take a shower.” Twilight gave her sister a kiss on the cheek, and Octavia gave Sunset a quick hug and both were off.

As Sunset walked up stairs, she couldn’t help feel that something was off. She wasn’t sure what, only that her instincts were screaming at her to do something.

“Hey, Sunny?” Spike called from his room. “That you?”

“Yeah, it’s me, squirt, what’s up?”

“Hey, can we have pizza tonight? Mom and Dad said to ask you.”

She walked over to his room and said, “Tell you what: let me go hit the shower, and I’ll think about it.”

“I’ll behave,” he bargained.

“I expected you to anyway,” she rejoindered.

“I won’t bother you all night.”

“Deal. Call the pizza place and order the usual,” she told him. “Now I have a hot date with some hot water.”

Thirty minutes later, the four were parked just outside of Crackle’s house. “You sure this is the address?” Twilight asked Champagne. “This looks rather…pedestrian for someone of Suri’s stature.” The four were seated in Rarity’s car, across the street from the house in question. It was clearly a stakeout, but for what reasons, Twilight wasn’t sure.

“In case you didn’t know, Suri and Crackle are half-sisters,” Champagne explained. “Crackle’s the daughter of Suri’s father’s mistress. There’s a rumor going around that Suri’s father actually loves his mistress and not Suri’s mom, and that the latter’s a marriage of convenience. Even still, it’s clear that Suri and Crackle love each other dearly and that the older would do anything for the younger – that’s probably how we got into this mess, now that I think of it.”

“So, dear, what are we waiting for?” Rarity asked.

“Apparently Crackle went out for the day with some ‘friends’ – though turns out that they’re actually just younger sisters of Suri’s clique. Apparently they’re keeping a tight lid on her and don’t want her to realize what’s going on. Even still, she’s the only chance we have of stopping this once and for all,” Champagne told the group. “We just have to convince Crackle.”

A few minutes later, a Mercedes Benz pulled up to the house with Crackle getting out of the passenger seat and Vanity out of the driver’s; a girl with blazing white hair and soft gray eyes got out of the back seat. “Okay, don’t forget about tomorrow,” Vanity told the younger girl. “We have a whole bunch of things planned.”

“But I had plans with my friend Coco,” Crackle told her.

“I’m sure she won’t mind if you cancel,” Vanity told her. “Given all the stuff that she’s doing today with your sister, she’ll probably be too tired to do anything tomorrow. Trust me, she’s not going to mind.”

“You’re sure?”

“Yes, very sure.” Vanity gave her a smile.

The other girl then spoke up. “Well, I hate to tell tales, Crackle, but my brother? He kinda likes you and he was hoping that you’d be there tomorrow.”

“Really, Windy?”

“Yeah. He told me that when I get home I have to give him your phone number, if that’s okay with you.”

Vanity snickered. “See? That’s how you do things, girl! You’ll have yourself a boyfriend by the beginning of the year a—”

“Okay, Vanity, that’s enough.” The doors on Rarity’s car opened, and four women stepped out. “You done stalling for time?”

Vanity crossed her arms. “Well, well, well. If it isn’t Ms. ‘I Graduated and Now School Business is None of My Business’. Why don’t you head on off to college like a good girl, Champagne? Plenty of boys there to ride you, since from what I hear you do more of that than studying.”

“Classy as always, Vanity. Tell me, how does it feel to be Suri’s little toady? Especially now, helping her destroy someone’s life?”

“You’re lying!” That came from Crackle. “My sister’s a wonderful person – she would never harm anyone!”

“You’re wrong,” Champagne told her. “Your supposedly-saintly sister is about to have her boyfriend seduce your friend. Hell, knowing that bitch, wouldn’t surprise me if she tried to do it herself!”

The new girl spoke up. “Okay, I don’t know who you are, but I don’t like your tone. You don't speak to my friends like that, so you and your little slut buddies get back in your car and go fuck yourselves, got that?”

At this point, Twilight realized she needed to get involved before it was too late. Pulling her diva pin from her pocket, she said, “Ms. Crackle, I need to talk to you. My name is Twilight Sparkle, and I’m the senior diva for Zacherle.”

Vanity’s eyes narrowed at Twilight’s words. “You dumb cunt – you actually think that you’re the diva?”

“She’s lying,” Crackle shouted. She ran behind Vanity. “I know she is, Vanity!”

“So do I,” Vanity said firmly. “Last chance, Dreams. Get you and your lesbo orgy out of here or else something not so nice is going to happen.”

“Like what?”

The platinum-haired girl snarled. “You don’t want to find out, trust me.”

“Please,” Twilight asked, calling over the increasing din. “Ms. Crackle, you have to believe me! Your friend Coco’s in danger!”

“What?” Crackle asked.

“I’m not going to lie – your friend’s in danger, and we think Blueblood and Suri are behind it!” Twilight cried. “Even if you don’t believe us, think about your friend!”

Octavia spoke up. “I was nearly sexually assaulted by Blueblood once,” and then she pointed to Rarity, adding, “and so was she. Blueblood is not the guy you think he is, and even if you believe your sister’s innocent…she might be in danger from Blueblood, too. Both her and Coco.”

“Don’t believe a word either of them are saying, Crackle!” Vanity shouted. “They’re doing this to humiliate Suri!”

“But what if she’s telling the truth about Blueblood?” Crackle asked. A thought came to her head, more than once, of Blueblood looking at her in an unusual way. She thought at first it was because of some of the facial features she shared with her older sister. But if he’s really that way…. The girl suppressed a shudder.

“Okay, I’ve had enough of your shit, Faire,” Champagne said, reaching over and grabbing Crackle’s arm. “They’re here to stall you, Crackle. They’re not your friends.”

“Sharp Wind!” Vanity shouted.

“Roger that,” the girl said, changing her tone from friendly to obedient, and moved with a speed that bordered on the impossible.

The next second almost seemed like the world was moving at a quarter of its normal speed. The white-haired girl rushed forward, leapt into the air, spun and lashed out with a vicious kick that caught Champagne straight across the face. Champagne’s nose exploded in blood and the girl was staggered back by the blow, crumpling to the ground, screaming in pain.

Sharp Wind, meanwhile, moved in front of Vanity and Crackle, the latter’s face filled with shock. “Meet Sharp Wind, a girl who’s kinda like a little sister to me…oh, and my bodyguard, too. You see, I was kidnapped when I was a child, and my parents wanted to make sure that it never happened again. So in return for a lifelong scholarship for the family, Father fixed me up with a lifelong friend who also serves as my bodyguard. And she knows every martial art there is out there.” Vanity shrugged. “Apparently some girls are trained as ninjas or something for some reason. Who knew?”

“Shall I take care of them?” Sharp Wind asked, never taking her eyes from her quarry.

“If you would, please,” Vanity said affably. “Break the two divas wannabes first, and then whoever the extra loser is.”

“On it,” Sharp Wind said, rushing off and heading straight towards Twilight, fist cocked. The teenage fighter was moving so fast, Twilight knew there was no time to escape.

Octavia rushed towards her cousin’s aid, but knew she wouldn’t make it in time.

A panicked thought went through Twilight’s mind: Sunny, save me!

Fractions of inches before fist collided with face, an indigo storm intervened. Sharp Wind felt her feet kicked out from under her, a painful slam to her chest, and then an even fiercer hit to her face, splitting her lip and drawing blood from her nose. She crashed painfully against a neighborhood streetlight, dazed.

“Don’t. Even. Move,” Sonata Dusk snarled. Her raspberry-hued eyes raged with angry fire, and her stance clearly showed that it was just the first round in the fight – and that she would finish it.

Sharp Wind thought otherwise, rocketing off from her downed position. She saw the newcomer’s moves, and while it was clear that she was good, there was no way she was going to beat a heavily-trained bodyguard.

She never even reached Sonata, who ended it by plucking the girl out of the air as if she was standing still, elbowing her in the chest, following up with a backfist, and then a brutal uppercut that ended it. The snap of Sharp Wind’s nose was heard as it cracked and she went down for good this time, felled by an opponent who, to Vanity’s shock, wasn’t even winded.

“Touch them,” Sonata warned, “and I hurt you.”

“Soni?” Twilight gasped, shocked.

Without removing her eyes from Vanity, Sonata said, “I was out for a jog – yeah, I know it’s a few miles away from my place – and I saw the crowd. Thought something was going on and I’m glad I got here in time. Wouldn’t want to see you hurt, Twily.”

“Thanks,” Octavia replied, not even asking where Sonata got the Fist of Angry Triplet skills from.

Vanity wasted no time. “My father will pay your parents whatever you want – just get rid of those idiots behi—”

“Those ‘idiots’ are my friends,” Sonata seethed. “Say one more thing about them, and you lose your teeth.”

Rarity, meanwhile, had enough presence of mind to bend down by the fallen Champagne. “Girls, she’s hurt.”

“Rares, let’s get her to the hospital,” Sonata responded.

“Wait – you guys are really telling the truth about Suri?” Crackle asked, shocked.

“Don’t believe them!” Vanity warned.

“You just had someone beat up, Vanity! And your friend’s hurt too! Why should I believe you?” Crackle countered.

“Soni, we have a problem,” Twilight told her friend, explaining as much as she could as they tried to ease Champagne in the car.

“I see,” Sonata said a second later. “Ari’s at work today, but Dagi’s home. Let me call her and have her bring my car, and then we’ll go.” She then fixed her eyes on Vanity and said, “This isn’t over, got that? You just made a big mistake.”

Twilight called to Crackle. “Crackle – please. I’m not lying and Coco’s in danger. Please, trust me.”

“No! They’re ly—” Vanity’s words were suddenly cut off by an unexpected punch to the gut by Crackle.

“You’re lying,” Crackle said in the girl’s ear, “and if I find out that Coco and Suri are hurt? You’ll pay.” Crackle immediately rushed towards Twilight, asking, “Room for one more in the car?”

Rarity smiled awkwardly. “We can manage, dear.”

“Dagi, go with them. Something weird’s happening, and I don’t like it,” Sonata said to her older sister a few minutes later.

“Soni, we shouldn’t be involved. We’re SIRENs. This could seriously blow our cover,” Adagio reminded her.

“Please? Someone innocent’s being hurt, and isn’t that we’re supposed to do? Protect the innocent?”

“No, actually, if you want to get technical, it’s defending the Crown, Canada and its citizens, followed by prosecuting the war against our enemies,” Adagio commented. “At least, that was the old rules. No current rules, but I suspect of Captain Blast wrote them, they’d go along the lines of ‘Take out CSIS with no quarter given.’ In any case, there’s nothing there about protecting the innocent.”

“Dagi – it’s Twily, Tavi and Rares,” Sonata explained. “You’re closest to them and Flutters, just like I’m closest to Sunny and Pinkie and Ari’s to AJ and Rainbow. It’s the natural result of having friends.”

“Of HUMINT assets, you mean.”

“No, of friends. And they need us right now – and honestly? We need them to need us, because we need friends.” She looked at her sister. “I…I want to quit. I’m not cut out for the lifestyle of the Sisterhood; neither are you and you know that. And for all the claims that Ari’s the least bothered by it, it’s obvious she’s struggling, too.”

“Let’s not talk about this right now,” Adagio commented.

“No, you’re right, sis: You need to act, not talk. Forget being Seaman Adagio Dazzle – just be Adagio Dazzle, the girl whose friends need her right now.”

Adagio sighed and nodded. “You’re…you’re right. Fuck, you’re right. Okay, I’m in. But you, me and Ari need to talk about this later. If we’re going, someone has to tell our sœurs.”

“Understood. Now, I’ll stay here with Rarity – that girl might come back and she might take another shot at that Champagne girl. But in case she’s not: you need to protect Twily and Tavi. Please.”

“On it,” Adagio commented. “By the way, I really don’t like driving your car.”

“Can we talk about this later?” Sonata groaned. “You have a job to do.”

“Blue, do you mind if I lie down?” Coco asked. She felt dizzy all of a sudden, and it couldn’t have been due to the champagne, which she’d stopped drinking a while ago. Maybe dinner disagreed with her. She made a point that as soon as Suri arrived she’d ask to be taken home.

“Sure, can you make it to my bed?” Without bothering to ask her, he went over and scooped her up in his arms, carrying her towards the bed. “There. So, shall we make our way to my bed?”

Her inhibitions raced through her head, and without anything to stop them. “Blue?”

“Yes?” he said softly, looking at her with eyes that seemed to be just for her.

Coco leaned forward and kissed him. Not as she would her brother, but as someone she wanted to be hers. Something in the back of her mind was telling her this was wrong, and that Suri would be furious, but it was soon drowned out as she tasted his lips, his tongue. She pressed harder, making up for her inexperience with enthusiasm. Both collapsed on the bed, not stopping.

Finally, Blueblood broke off. “Coco, dear, you know you shouldn’t do that.”

Coco blushed, but said, “Blue? I…I want to be your girl.”

He leaned forward and kissed her, gently tugging at her shirt; a second later, she helped him with it. A second after that, it was off.

“What now?” she breathed.

He kissed her on her neck, planting tiny touches from his lips down the ridge of her jaw. “You want to be my girl? I think you’ll want to be a woman, instead.” With a gentle stroke, he undid her bra, the clasps springing free.

A second later, the lock to the door clicked, and it opened, revealing Suri. “Oh, Coco,” she said in a mock-pout. “You didn’t.”

Coco’s eyes went wide with shock. “No, it’s not….”

Suri walked over, opened a drawer, then pulled out a small green bottle. “I know it’s not, Coco,” she told her. “Drink this, it’ll make you feel better.”

“Okay,” Coco nodded, then imbibed as instructed. It only took a few seconds for the concentrated vibrasnopam to take effect, and a second later where there was a dizzy but amorous girl was a glassy-eyed robot.

“Coco?” Suri said. “Take off the rest of your clothes.” Without even giving a second thought, she started to do so.

“Was that wise?” Blueblood hissed. “You just gave her a dozen doses. She might just overdose.”

Suri looked at him with a wolfish smile. “Dear? When I’m done with her, all she’ll be good for is a fleshlight we feed and wash.” She looked at Coco, sitting there, nude and as still as a doll, ready to be controlled; the look in Suri’s eyes was blazing. “She will never come near Crackle again.” She then pulled off her own top, then started to help Blue with his own. “You love me, don’t you, Blue?”

“Of course, love. I don’t trust you – but you know I love you,” he said.

“Then will you be a dear and break her for me?” Suri asked. “I’ll give you a night you’ll never forget.” She then turned to Coco and said, “Kiss me. You and I are going to have fun with Blueblood tonight.”

“I said, Mr. Blueblood gave strict instructions not to have visitors tonight,” the guard told Twilight. “He and Ms. Polomare are enjoying a quiet evening at home, and that’s what I intend to do.”

“Sir, someone in that house is in danger,” Twilight told him. “You need to let us in!”

“No, I don’t need to do anything,” the guard said. “I take my paycheck and my orders from the Senator, and when he’s not around, then it’s his wife or Mr. Blueblood. And since the Senator and his wife are back on the East Coast right now, guess who’s in charge? And his orders are final.”

The second guard laughed. “Yeah, go home, little girl. It’s a school night.”

“It’s summer,” Twilight countered.

“Then you’d better go get ready for school, it’s not that far away. Now get out of here before I have to call your mommies and daddies for trespassing.”

Twilight walked back to the car, leaning over by the driver’s side. “They’re not going to listen, Dagi,” Twilight told her, “and I don’t know what else to do.”

“Don’t worry,” Adagio said, undoing her seatbelt and getting out of the car. “I’ll take care of it. You just keep the car running, Twily. I’ll be right back.”

Twilight got into the driver’s seat, and from the back of the car, Octavia asked, “What’s going on?”

“Dagi said she’ll take care of it,” Twilight replied.

Adagio went over to talk to the two men. Within seconds, she moved like lightning, leaping over the ten-foot gate as if it wasn’t there. She then attacked the first guard and took him down in less than a second, and as the other one pulled out a stun gun, Adagio kicked it out of his hands, caught it, and jabbed it right between his legs. As he fell back, she delivered a spin kick to his head, slamming him against the guardhouse.

Twilight, Octavia and Crackle all watched, completely stunned at Adagio’s moves as she dusted herself off, then went over to the guard tower and opened the gates.

“You think you know someone….” Octavia voiced, still surprised.

Adagio climbed into the passenger seat. “Think you can get us in, Twily?”

“I…I don’t have a driver’s license, Dagi,” Twilight responded.

“It’s really not hard to drive – if you’ve done it in an arcade, you can do it in real life. Just think of this as practice.” Twilight nodded and as she moved the car forward, Adagio leaned back in her seat and voiced, “So, which one of you is going to ask?”

“I figured you’d just tell us when the time was right,” Twilight told her.

“Thanks. But, I suppose I can tell you guys the truth,” Adagio commented with a smile. “My dad’s Special Forces,” she said, lying through her teeth. “That’s why he’s overseas. He wanted to make sure that we could all protect ourselves, so he taught us a variety of styles. And while we all regularly practice and spar with each other to keep it up – he did ingrain it into us, after all – only Ari wants to pursue it as a career. The rest of us are just happy to be able to protect ourselves when need be.”

“Against what?” Octavia asked. “If Russia declares war on you directly?”

“Maybe,” Adagio said flippantly. “Trust me, I’ve seen worse.”

The car moved silently down the roadway, around the main part of the house and past the garage, then headed towards the guest house. “That’s Suri’s car,” Crackle told them. “I really hope you’re wrong, Ms. Sparkle.”

“Trust me, I wish I was,” Twilight commented.

“Twily, park here,” Adagio told her. “We’re going the rest of the way on foot.”

Suri and Coco were kissing and Blueblood felt like a kid in a candy shop. His cousin might have been able to score some hotties, but Blueblood was sure that Flash never had his hands on two girls like this before – and a new one, just for the breaking.

Suri stopped kissing Coco and said, “Well, what are you waiting for? You have two of us to please, Blue.”

He leered at both girls. “And right now, there’s not a thing in the world that could stop me.”

He had cause to rethink that a second later as the expensive oak door cracked at its hinges and swung open, breaking in two. Blueblood and Suri looked at the door in shock and the redhead standing there, anger in her eyes.

“Hi,” the girl said. “I’m here from the Anti-Asshole Committee. You two have been proudly selected as assclowns of…well, forever is a good term.”

“Who the fuck are you?” Blueblood screamed. “Get the hell out of my house, now!”

Adagio instead plopped onto his sofa. “No, actually I think I’ll just watch you comically attempt to get it up—” she said, raising a single finger to symbolize her thoughts, “—while realizing that your plan to ruin that girl’s life just got as fucked as you were hoping to get yourself.”

“You have less than seconds to get out of here before my guards make short work of you,” Blueblood snarled.

To answer him, Adagio pulled a couple of revolvers out of her hoodie’s pocket. “Oh, they dropped these. Probably when I bashed their brains in, I’m guessing.”

Blue looked at Suri. “Call 911.”

“Yes, call them,” a voice called out, righteously angry. “It’ll be the last thing you ever do as a Zacherle student, Suri Polomare.” Suri turned to look at the door, and standing there was…

“Twilight Sparkle,” Suri seethed. “So, the little girl thinks her tits got big enough to make her a woman. Go home, Sparkle. You’re out of your league.”

“And you’re one step away from being kicked out of Zacherle,” Twilight warned, crossing her arms and giving Suri a look somewhere between defiance and authority. “Shall I quote the regulation for you, or will you just realize that you’re doomed?”

“Oh, please, do you think I’m that stupid?” Suri laughed. “To invoke that, you need both divas and a third-party witness from the school. Oh, and there has to be a formal investigation by the student council and ultimately by the faculty and school board. You’re bluffing.”

“No, she’s not,” a second voice said, as Octavia entered the room. “Two divas,” she said, holding up two fingers. “Oh, and a Zacherle student there,” Octavia added, pointing to Adagio.

“And who are you?” Suri asked.

“My name is either ‘none of your damn business’ or ‘Ms. Not Appearing in This Location’, take your pick,” Adagio taunted.

“Well, I’m almost impressed, Sparkle. You stopped sucking your cousin’s tits long enough to come up with a plan – a pointless, useless plan, but one nonetheless.”

“Don’t make me break you, Suri,” Twilight said, her eyes narrowing. “You’ll regret it.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Octavia looked at Twilight – and tried not to lose her composure. Standing to her right wasn’t Twilight Sparkle, not anymore. From the glint in her eyes to the tone of her voice, from the stance of her body to the cocksure attitude she wore like a suit of armor, it was clearly Sunset Shimmer that challenged Suri.

She’s her bitch now, body and soul, the voice at the back of Octavia’s mind called out. How much longer until you’re nothing but a footnote in Twily’s life? Octavia’s eyes narrowed at that, and she couldn’t help but snarl.

And then she saw Blueblood, as he was getting off the bed.

“Okay, I think I’ve had enough of this; my fiancée has asked you to leave, and you haven’t; I’ll just have to have you arrested,” Blueblood snarled, walking towards the phone.

A second later, he saw an inhuman face in front of him, someone that seemed to be from his past.

“You tried to break me,” Octavia said in a sing-song, girlish voice that was nothing less than eerie. “I was probably the first. It’s time to return the favor!”

And with that, as if it were nothing, she grabbed him by the nape of the neck and in one quick move, slammed him against the glass of the coffee table, shattering it – and his face – in one fell swoop.

“How! Do! You! Like! That! NOW?!” Octavia roared, stomping on the back of his head in a manner unlike anything would have expected out of the normally placid musician. The whole thing had happened so fast, it had barely dawned on anyone that if someone didn’t corral Octavia, she would end up killing him.

Fortunately, Adagio grabbed her from behind. “Tavi! Snap out of it!” She pulled the snarling girl away from the room and towards the opposite end of the bungalow. “This isn’t you, Tav! Get a grip!” A second later, Octavia did, turning from an insanely enraged girl to one crying on her friend’s shoulder.

Twilight had briefly watched everything that had just happened. “This is your fault, Polomare. I will have you removed from the school,” Twilight ordered as she pointed an accusatory finger at the would-be female rapist.

Suri gasped, moving towards Blue’s side. He was unconscious and bleeding from several cuts in his face; by a small miracle, his face was a bloodied wreck but no serious damage appeared to happen. Suri then rushed to the kitchen, grabbing a butcher knife. “Get the fuck out or I’ll kill you!” she roared. “It’ll be self-defense, no one will dare to say otherwise!”

“I trusted you.”

The words, and particularly the voice, shook Suri to the core. She turned to look at Twilight, to instead see a young girl standing there, her eyes pools of shame, sorrow and anger.

“I trusted you to take care of my friend,” Crackle told her sister, “and this is how you do it?” She moved to Coco’s side, who was still naked and sitting there, posed as a porn star. “C’mon, Coco, we’re getting you out of here.”

Crackle then looked at her friend in horror as Coco robotically said, “Do you want to love me too, Crackle?” Coco raised a hand to caress her friend’s cheek as she said, “I want you to make it special, Crackle.”

“WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER?” Crackle roared at her sister, tears streaming down her face. “WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY BEST FRIEND?”

Suri was at a loss for words. “Crackle,” she said, reaching out to her sister. “I did this for you, little one. I wanted to keep this…gold digger from hurting you!”

“Hurting me? Gold digger?” Crackle laughed, but there was no mirth or warmth behind it as she started to dress Coco. “Suri, you stupid bitch. Coco’s family has more money than your mom! Her family owns the Four Seasons – not just the hotel, the whole damn company!” Suri gasped as she did the math in her head; to Suri’s horror, she realized if it was true, it was Coco’s family that were the wealthy ones…and Suri’s in penury, by comparison.

“You talk about lawyers, Suri,” Twilight commented. “I did the research: Coco’s late grandfather was the district attorney for Equestria County in his time…and the current DA was mentored by him. That means Coco and I have connections, and you know what that means.”

Suri had the uncomfortable feeling for the first time since babyhood of wetting herself. And it didn’t help that she was naked, with everyone to see the display.

“Classy,” Adagio drolled. She then looked at Octavia to see if she was okay; the raven-haired girl sadly nodded.

“Crackle,” Suri began. “I…I’m….”

Crackle slipped Coco’s pants on her and handed her the phone. “Call 911 for your boyfriend. He needs medical attention.” Helping Coco to her feet, she said, “Now we’re getting out of here. And Suri? I never want to speak to you again.”

Suri reacted as if slapped. “Crackle!”

“Don’t you ever call me your sister, ever again! The sister I knew and loved would have protected Coco like her own flesh and blood, because she would have known how important she is to me. You, on the other hand, tried to ruin her!”

“Well, that’s not going to happen,” Adagio said, opening a closet; a second later, she held what looked like a small computer. “Looks like they were going to make their own blackmail tape using the video on this RAID drive. Too bad it just failed. Oh, and look! I just found a new RAID drive that Soni can use for our MP3 collection. Twily, can I keep it?”

“Knock yourself out,” Twilight said with a laugh.

“Well, no, not gonna, but point taken,” Adagio giggled. Let’s get out of here, girls.”

“Ms. Sparkle?” Crackle asked Twilight as she struggled to carry Coco. Adagio handed Twilight the RAID drive then picked up Coco, much to Crackle’s relief. “I’m sorry I doubted you.”

“Just call me Twily,” Twilight said with a smile. “And don’t worry, we’ll make sure she’s safe. Let’s get out of here.”

The five then left, leaving behind a shell-shocked, urine-soaked Suri and a bleeding, unconscious Blueblood.

The sunlight shone on Coco’s face, bringing her to wakefulness.

“You feeling okay, miss?” Coco looked up and saw a girl her age sitting there, as if watching over her. She had beautiful cerulean eyes and curly pink and lavender hair.

“No, I feel sore, and I don’t remember anything,” Coco told her.

The girl passed her a glass of water. “Here, drink this. My sister said that you and your friend accidentally got alcohol at the restaurant you were at.”

“I really…I really don’t remember anything,” Coco told her. “I remember that I was supposed to meet up with my sister’s friend and her boyfriend, but…everything’s blurry.”

“Yeah. Alcohol will do that sometimes,” the girl said. “Trust me: my dad gave me some by mistake once; don’t think I’ll ever be drinking again. Anyway, my sister’s friends brought you and your friend here, because you’re going to the same school as she is so you’d be safe.”

“Thanks. I’m Coco Pommel, by the way,” Coco said, offering her a hand.

“Nice to meet you, Coco. I’m Sweetie Belle,” the other girl said, offering hers to shake. “Well, they’re downstairs now. You hungry? I can get you some food if you don’t think you’re well enough to get out of bed.”

Downstairs, Crackle hung up the phone. “Suri wants me to forgive her, Twily. But…I can’t. And yet….” The girl’s eyes looked haunted.

“Take your time, Crackle, dear,” Rarity said. To her side, both Twilight and Octavia nodded. They’d all spent the night over at Rarity’s place and updated her on everything. By the time explanations were over, Rarity had administered a near-whole bottle of Robotussin to Coco to neutralize the vibe…and Rarity was beginning to feel grateful that she didn’t attend Zacherle.

“Suri says that she talked to the guards and everything will be reported as a break in, that Blueblood was attacked by people who didn’t believe him to be innocent from whatever happened earlier in the year and there will be no indicator that we were ever there. But in turn, we can’t tell anyone what happened…and we can’t ever let Coco know what happened to her.” Crackle looked at the girls and said, “I have to make nice with my sister, now that I know what she’s really like and I can’t ever tell my best friend that my own sister tried to rape her.” Fresh tears marred her face. “I have to lie every day to my best friend from now on. How can I live with that?”

“Let that be my problem, Crackle,” Twilight told her. “It won’t be easy, but that’s why Tavi and I are there – divas enforce the school rules, and we’re there to help. And you’ll never have to deal with it ever again, if you don’t want to.”

Octavia added, “And yes, it won’t be easy to make up with your sister, especially now that your image of her has been shattered. But maybe this is a chance for you to help her change her ways, because otherwise, it won’t be a very bright future for her.”

Rarity then chimed in with, “And you’re not alone, Crackle, dear. You have us. And…I think you should talk to my sister and her friends. They’re about your age, will be attending CHS in the fall and trust me when I say have a circle of friends you can rely on is worth more than anything you can imagine.”

“Thanks,” Crackle said with a tone of appreciation. “It’s funny – all this time, I wanted to be just like Suri, because she was my older sister, and I love her. But now…I think I want to be more like you, Twily.”

“Thanks,” Twilight said, blushing. “I can only hope to be the kind of role model to you that my own sister is to me.”

“I thought you and Tavi were sisters!”

“No, while Tavi’s as dear to me as one, she’s my cousin, not a sister,” Twilight said, squeezing her cousin’s hand gently to let her know she cared. “Hopefully sometime soon, I’ll introduce you to my sister. Sunny’s a great girl to know and if there’s anyone who knows what it’s like to rebuild her life, it’s her.”

“I’ll agree to that,” Rarity said, “But only because she has loving sisters like you and Octavia.” Twilight just grinned. Octavia, on the other hand, didn’t know how to answer that.

July 20: More Than This

“Um…yeah! Sure, we’d love to have you guys, and I’m sure that Tavi would love to see you as well, honestly the whole family will…Of course it’s not! It never is, you know that…What time? Okay, either Night or I will be there…Yeah, can’t wait to see you as well! Bye!” Velvet plopped down in the chair next to the phone stand. “I am so fucked.”

Celestia laughed. “Goddamn drama queen, I swear.”

“Tia? Go fuck yourself sideways, okay?”

The principal laughed. “That’s what I have a boyfriend for.”

Luna almost dropped her beer. “Tia, I swear to God, you’re a cunt for not telling me that you got that far.”

“Lulu, unlike you, I don’t like to advertise my relationships.” Looking at them both, she said, “Look, Sable and I are taking it one day at a time, and honestly, this got to where it is faster than I expected. Maybe I’m a prude or old fashioned—”

“Oh, I’m a cute and drunk college girl, won’t someone come fuck me?” Velvet said in a sing-song voice.

Celestia facepalmed. “You’re never going let me live that down, are you?”

“I wouldn’t be your best friend if I did,” Velvet commented, taking a swig of her wine cooler.

“Whatever. So who was that on the phone?”

“Night’s parents. We knew that sooner or later, they were going to want to meet Sunset. And honestly? When they didn’t come down after Sunny’s birthday, I breathed a sigh of relief. But Tavi’s birthday’s tomorrow; and they’ll be in, and….” She covered her face with her hand, not quite a facepalm, but rather the result of a deeply-ingrained desire to hide. “I wonder if I can move to Mozambique?”

“Come on, Vel, this is your in-laws you’re talking about. How problematic can it be?” Luna asked.

“Well, you’ve met my parents, right? Night’s are…unique. And I don’t mean that in a bad way. It’s just that….” Velvet seemed as though she was actually struggling for a definition, which the other two women knew wasn’t normal for their friend. Finally, Velvet finished with, “Well, I love my husband, but Night can be a bit of an oddball at times. And I can guarantee, he gets that from his parents. Night definitely takes after his father Nachtlicht.”

“Nachtlicht?” Luna asked.

“Yeah. Apparently his family moved from West Germany when Nacht was three, but he’s lived here all his life – doesn’t change the fact that he has that very German attitude he got from his parents. Calliope, on the other hand? Let’s just say that’s a couple I never would have expected to get together.”

“Are we going to be laughing our asses off?” Celestia asked with a gleeful, impish smirk.

“Tia, may I remind you that if infinite other realities exist, somewhere you dated and fell in love with Night and these are your in-laws?” Velvet countered. To her surprise, Celestia winced at the thought.

Luna, who knew her sister had a very bad epiphany – after all, if Sunset came from another reality, there were likely parallel human ones, too – asked, “So what does Calliope do?”

“She’s a musician – it’s where my brother-in-law got his influence from. Sorta.”

“How bad are we talking?” Luna asked.

By a small miracle, at that moment, a mournful tone wafted in from the office. “Odd, I didn’t know she was here,” Velvet mused.

“Your niece?” Celestia asked.

“Yeah, Tavi lives with us now, not that it’s anything unusual. Though I don’t know why she’d be here right now.” Velvet got off the chair. “I’ll be right back.”

Velvet opened the door to the office, seeing Octavia, playing her contrabass. She looked agitated, and was playing something sorrowful with verve, the tears openly falling down her cheeks. As the door opened, she stopped and looked at Velvet. “Oh, Aunt Velvet – I didn’t know you were home.”

“Are you okay, sweetie?” Without waiting for an answer, Velvet went over and hugged her niece, who practically crawled into her embrace.

“It’s just…it’s just the music,” Octavia replied, unable to look at her aunt.

“Tavi, I used to change your diapers when you were a kid, you know. I know you as well as your parents, and I know you’re hurting. Do you want to talk about it?”

“Sorry, I’m feeling lonely right now. Twily and Sunny headed out today for something and took off without me, and all my friends are unavailable. Plus, I’m having to deal with my parents leaving and….” She finally looked up at her aunt, a fragile look on her face. “Sorry, Aunt Velvet. I…you don’t have to worry about me, really.”

Did she actually forget her own birthday? Velvet wondered, but then realized that it could just as easily be typical teenage melodrama; she wasn’t so old that she couldn’t remember her own misadventures growing up with the two ladies currently still sitting in the living room.

“And you couldn’t be more wrong about that,” Velvet said, kissing the girl on the forehead. “If you need me, I’m always here. And I know how it feels to be alone, okay? I wasn’t much older than you when I had to go off to college by myself. At the time, I didn’t expect that my best friend was going to be there, and it was probably the loneliest day that I’d ever spent. So I know kinda how it feels. As for your parents leaving, well, nobody expected that. But you’re a wonderful young woman, Tavi, and I know without a doubt that you’ll move beyond this.”

“Sometimes I don’t feel like I can. Sometimes I feel like I’m stuck in a dark, bottomless well, and something inside is eating me and I can’t explain it and don’t really know who to turn to.”

“You have us. You’ll always have us, no matter what. We’re family and you know what your uncle says.”

“Yeah, that I do: ‘family always sticks together even when they desperately want to throttle one another,’” she said, a grin finally breaking onto her face. “You know, that makes no sense.”

“Your uncle’s known for his brain, not his wit.” At that, the younger woman started laughing finally, then went back to embracing her aunt.

At that moment, Celestia took the time to peek her head in, saw Velvet comforting her niece, then mouthed a silent We’re getting going; looks like she needs you more than us. Velvet nodded and said nothing else, knowing that she’d talk to her friend later anyway. Celestia then departed, telling her sister, “We should get going; besides, looks like Vel’s taking care of one of her kids.”

“Octavia, right?” Luna asked as they headed towards the door. “She seems like a handful, if you ask me.”

Walking over to Luna’s car, Celestia asked, “Why do you say that? I’ve talked to her before and she seems like a level-headed young woman – far more stable than some of our students, especially given her circumstances.”

“No, it’s not that,” Luna explained. “Sunset…Sunset’s acting out we know was a cry for help, and we really didn’t pay too much attention to it, because she knew how to push our buttons. Not sure how she did, but she likely figured it out pretty quickly. But there seems to be something…emotionally manipulative about that girl, something deliberate.”

“Why would you say that? I don’t think Octavia is—”

Luna sighed. “Sis, take it from someone who tried to manipulate the hell out of you and Vel when we were kids: I know what I’m talking about. All you have to do is look at Twilight: for as long as we’ve known her, she’s been much behind the emotional and social curves.”

“I’m not sure I parse that: last time I talked to her, she seemed to be well in tune with everything and carried a conversation very well. She was certainly more mature than some of the others at that party.”

“You can thank Sunset’s influence for that. Think about it: compare Twilight how she was around this time last year, and how she is now. There’s been a huge change, and I think Sunset’s to credit for that.” As Luna got into the driver’s seat, she added, “Mind, I’m not accusing Octavia of anything malicious or anything.”

“It sounds like you are.”

“Because you don’t see the things I do. Look at it this way: do you remember when I spent all that time around Vel after you broke my arm and pretty much monopolized her time? I did that not because I wanted to get you for anything, or because I wanted to turn her against you. I did it because I was lonely and I felt that you two had no more time for me. I was being emotionally manipulative for no other reason than that, and thankfully it was Armonia that noticed, or else we probably would have come to blows again.” cuing the ignition, Luna finished it up with, “I think with Sunset in the picture, Octavia doesn’t know what to do – she’s been the focal point in most of Twilight’s life, from what Vel’s said. And coming from experience…that’s a very bad place to be when you’re a teenager.”

“And this is why I don’t want to have kids,” Celestia groaned as the pair drove away. “Taking care of a bunch of them at school is more than enough for me, truth be told.”

“What, no Mommy Tia?” Luna teased.

“Hey, at least my boyfriend is housebroken – yours usually sleeps in a drunk stumble somewhere or on some corner of your bed. Oh and the next time I come over and you two didn’t put clothing on because you overslept? I’m taking pictures and posting on Facebook.”

“You wouldn’t dare.”

“LinkedIn, then?”

“You’re pushing it.”

“Remember: I have accounts on all the social media sites so I can keep tabs on our students.”

Luna tried not to facepalm as she reached the stop sign. “I really should make you walk home.”

It was well past midnight when both Sunset and Twilight came in through the door. “I hope Rainbow doesn’t forget,” Twilight said.

“Of course Rainbow’s going to forget,” Sunset chuckled. “That’s why I asked Rarity to take care of things, instead.”

“You think of everything, don’t you, sis?”

Sunset smiled. “I try, Twily, I try.”

To their surprise, Velvet was still up. “You two are home late.”

“Sorry, Mom – we kinda got tied up at Rarity’s place wrapping up everything and making sure it’s all ready to go tomorrow,” Sunset told her. “I mean, we couldn’t exactly have her around while getting presents for her birthday party, you know.”

“Yes, but you should be more considerate of her feelings, girls: she’s been in a funk all day because she thought you guys abandoned her,” Velvet explained.

“Uh, that’s usually my modus operandi, Mom,” Twilight piped up, the half-smirk smile on her face. Velvet noted that it was the virtual twin of that on her older daughter’s.

Twily really has changed a lot due to Sunny, and vice versa, Velvet mused. They are very much two sides of a coin.

“Yes, but you know the difficult time that she’s going through right now. Her parents had to leave early, she really hasn’t decorated the room that we built for her – not that any of you seem to exclusively use your rooms, mind – and when she sees the cars that your aunt and uncle left behind, well, that’s a daily reminder as well.” Twilight and Sunset seemed to deflate a little, and Velvet said, “I know your hearts were in the right place, girls, especially given tomorrow, but…just keep her in mind, okay?”

“Mom, Twily and I wouldn’t be doing this if we didn’t,” Sunset said in a slightly defensive tone.

“I know, Sunny. It’s just…well, it’s one of those things you’ll get when you’re older. Now go get some sleep; you two have a big day ahead of you tomorrow.” Both girls kissed her on the cheek and went upstairs to their rooms; Velvet, satisfied that she’d done well, turned off the lights downstairs and in turn went to bed as well.

She had just started to drift off as she realized she’d forgotten something.

Sunset opened her eyes…to find a pair of strangers looking at her. The pair was an old man and woman, both with freakishly huge grins on their face. The man had a worn, weathered face, slicked back hair of blue, green and gray; the woman had long hair of indigo and yellow, tied back in a simple pony tail.

Seeing as how both were staring straight at Sunset, and with Twilight still asleep, she did the only natural thing she could: she spun in bed as fast as she could, then lashed out with a spinning kick, the attack very much hampered by the bedsheets. At the same time she tried to scream for help while shielding her sister.

The man managed to rear back in time, the smile still on his face. “She’s feisty. I like that!”

The woman grinned back. “Well, you married me, you know.”

Footsteps rushed down the door and the first one to poke his head in was Spike. Rolling his eyes, he said, “I’m so glad that you don’t do that to me anymore.”

A second later, Night was behind the stranger. Seeing what happened, he groaned. “I asked you not to screw with the kids!”

The older man looked back at the younger. “It’s a family tradition,” he defended.

“Yes, because being inches away from the strike zone of a seventeen-year-old girl practicing martial arts is the safest thing to do,” Night retorted.

At this time, Twilight, bluntly awoken by Sunset’s shout, flinched, then looked at her sister’s cautious eyes, then at the commotion in the room. And then finally, she sighed. “I thought you two had stopped that by now.”

The old woman pointed to the man. “You know him,” she said simply.

“You’re just as bad!”

As Sunset started to calm down, she looked at Twilight. “Someone want to tell me why there are old freaks in my bedroom?”

“Yeah,” Twilight said awkwardly. “They’re our grandparents.”

Minutes later, everyone was treated to the strange instance of Twilight Velvet, doubled over and howling with laugher, trying to grip the glass of water that Spike had so helpfully brought to her. “Oh, okay, that’s the best laugh I’ve had in months,” she said, finally catching her breath. “I really cannot believe that you keep doing that, Nacht!”

“I love my grandchildren,” he said in an offended tone.

“My parents love them too…but they don’t just barge into their rooms! What if the girls had been changing or something?”

“Eh, I’ve changed their diapers – well, not hers,” he commented, pointing at Sunset. “Besides, I’m pretty sure I know what’s under the hood.”

Night’s mother looked at him and as if it was a universal apology, said, “It’s your father.”

Velvet laughed. “You’re no better, Calliope.”

Sitting on the couch, Sunset tried to be on her best behavior as she whispered to Spike, “I’m still lost. Clue me in, please?”

“Grandpa does this to everyone in the family sooner or later,” Spike replied off-handedly. “He thinks that something we loved as kids is clearly going to last throughout a lifetime.”

“No kidding,” Twilight grunted, her arms crossed and clearly not happy about the “wake-the-fuck-up-o’clock” event.

“Anyway,” Night said, cutting through the argument in progress, “Sunset, these are your grandparents, Nachtlicht and Calliope.”

Sunset caught that right away. “Nachtlicht? German?”

Nacht grinned. “Never been there; my parents moved here well before I was born, but they gave their three kids German names, go figure. Anyway, I’m an astronomer by trade, currently working for the LBT facility in Arizona.”

As for his wife, she got up, then walked over to Sunset and pulled her up, a smile on the elderly woman’s face. “Look at you, you’re absolutely beautiful. I’m your grandmother, Calliope. I used to work in a circus…but I settled for the quiet life after I met this old coot,” she said with a laugh. “Still can play the organ and piano better than anyone else.”

Sunset felt distinctly uncomfortable. She’d had months to settle into her family as well as be exposed to her aunt and uncle, Octavia’s parents. But this sudden instance of being thrown into the proverbial pool was just a little disconcerting, even for someone with Sunset’s experience at dealing with the weird. However, with her…grandmother? …looking her over like a piece of meat, she didn’t know what to do.

Spike however, took her hand and said, “Hey, Sunny, need a favor, okay?”

Velvet said, “Spike, not now, okay?”

“Mom, Sunset said she’d do it earlier, and I didn’t get a chance to ask her until now! Please?”

“Mom, it’s okay. I’ll be right back, won’t be an issue,” Sunset said. With that, the teen followed her younger brother upstairs towards her room.

A thought, meanwhile, came over Twilight’s face. “Mom, where’s Tavi?”

“Oh, your friend Rarity took her out for breakfast, I suspect so that the rest of your friends can help decorate the place for the party.”

“Party?” Nacht asked. “You’re throwing a party for my granddaughter and you didn’t solicit my opinion, Velvet?”

“Nacht, we’re talking teenagers here.”

“Nonsense! Parties are timeless! Especially if they involve friends of young Twilight here, who has been a social recluse all her life!” Nacht put his arm around her with pride, boasting, “Why I wouldn’t be surprised if both of your friends show up and help us cut a rug with panache!”

Twilight tried not to facepalm.

“Okay, Spike,” Sunset asked, “what’s so important that you need help right now?”

Spike grinned. “Actually, you needed the help,” he said. “I know Grandma and Grandpa can be a little bit…uh….”

“Intense?”

“Yeah, that – anyway, I figured you needed a way out and since nobody minds me much, hey, I got you out of there, right?”

A huge grin creeped over Sunset as she hugged Spike, mussing with his green hair as she cheered, “Spike, I could just kiss you right now.”

“No thanks – I’m going to get more than enough of that,” he demurred. “But get me this week’s comic books and we’re even, okay?”

“Yeah, you got it.”

“Octavia, dear, I want to you to be absolutely honest with me,” Rarity said archly, “because I’ve been watching you over the past few weeks, and…well, frankly, I have some concerns.”

“Concerns?” Octavia asked. “Like what?”

“Do you really want me to voice them?” she asked, and after a second’s worth of hesitation, the other teen nodded. “Well, then. If you ask me: I think you’re jealous of Sunset because…well, forgive me for saying this, but I can’t help wondering if you’re in love with Twilight.”

Octavia blinked. Twice. Three times. And then snarled, “Rarity, you’re my friend, so I’m just going to ask you to get your Goddamn head out of whatever romance and/or porn novel you’ve been reading as of late. You do know what RSI is, right?”

“Yes, I read up on it before deciding to have this conversation with you,” the fashionista admitted. “And I felt it was necessary to ask. You may be offended, and if so, I apologize, but I am your friend, Octavia, dear.”

Octavia sat there for the longest time and said, “I…I don’t know. There should be no possible way: for one, I’m not a lesbian.”

“Perhaps it’s cliché, but Bon-Bon once told me that there’s a person out there that’s just perfect for you and until you meet that person, you cannot be absolutely sure of how you stand. You see, Lyra was very sure that she was lesbian when they started their relationship, but until she made that jump, Bon-Bon had been convinced that only men held any interest for her.”

“Well, there’s the other thing: she’s my cousin – even if I was in love with her, it’s incest. No thanks.”

“Octavia, you cannot help how you feel,” Rarity told her. “And I never suggested you take any such action. I just want to help you work through whatever issues you have.”

“Yes, but you’re suggesting that I go boink the closest thing I have to a little sister. How would you like it if I said you should go scissor Sweetie Belle?” Rarity winced at that, and Octavia thought she might have pushed things a little bit too far. “Look, I’m feeling a little conflicted about Sunny, not Twily, okay?” Rarity was about to open her mouth, but Octavia said, “And don’t you dare suggest I want to fuck Sunny, okay? Sometimes it’s barely all I can do to stand being around her.”

“Actually, I wasn’t about to suggest that,” Rarity countered. “But what I was suggesting is that you feel as though Sunset is taking away the one you love most in the world? Even if you never make that step, even if you don’t acknowledge it, maybe that is how you feel. You have been – to use a turn of phrase – Twilight’s, ahem, ‘mate’ for all this time: you’ve been her only real friend and her older sister figure. And now Sunset has come along, older than both of you, Twilight looks up to her, and there are more of us now to prevent your monopolization of Twilight.”

“So you’re saying that all I feel is that you should all go away so I can have Twilight heart and soul? That’s crazy, Rares.”

Rarity held her coffee cup to her lips. “The heart wants what it wants, darling, whether it gets it or not,” she said simply.

“That’s another thing: what if I am in love with Twilight as you say? How do I face her, if that attraction is growing?”

Rarity reached out with her other hand and gave Octavia’s a comforting squeeze. “If that is true – and only you can decide that, Octavia, you can at least comfort yourself in knowing that Twilight does love you, more than one cousin loves another. She looks at you and sees a sister, not a mere cousin. And for an only child like you? That should be absolutely vital.”

Octavia nodded. “It is, Rares. It is.”

“Well, Ah’ll say, Ah never thought that yer grandpa was gonna be like this!” Applejack looked at Sunset and Twilight with a huge grin.

“Someone kill me now, please,” Sunset moaned while Twilight merely looked at her sister with horrified sympathy.

With a practiced ease of someone that shouldn’t have been even as remotely spry as he was, Nacht moved from one end of the other in the main room, throwing up giddy bunting that looked more akin to a grand ball than a simple party.

“Ugh, can’t someone get him to stop?” Rainbow asked. “This is going to totally harsh the party!”

“Oh, I dunno,” Pinkie said with a grin. “I kinda like it! Besides, you can never harsh a party!”

“Shut up, Pinks.”

Then there was a knock at the door. Spike opened it to reveal Adagio, Aria and Sonata, all three bearing gifts. “Okay, where should we p—” Adagio began, but never finished, as a second later, the three of them were enveloped in a huge, breath-escaping hug.

“Oh, these three are sooooo darling!” Calliope cooed as she looked at the triplets, then back to Night. “Son, why didn’t you and your wife have triplets?”

“Mom, you do know that in general, multiple births aren’t that common, right?”

“Son, don’t argue with your mother.” She then turned her attention on the younger, smaller girls. “Oh, you three are so adorable! Velvet, maybe you should adopt these three, too!”

“You know, that is a thought,” Velvet mused while her husband glared at her. “Just kidding, dear,” she finally said.

“Uh, Grandma?” Twilight said, finally coming to her friends’ rescue. “I’m sure they’d like some time to breathe.”

“Oh, right – sorry.” Calliope let go of the three girls. Adagio felt as though she needed to be wary, Aria decided to move over to Twilight and Sunset for safety; meanwhile, Sonata, the most emotional of their trio, merely smiled, though people who knew her well enough could see the concern in her eyes.

“Uh, Pinkie? Soni? Would you two be willing to help me in the kitchen?” Fluttershy asked.

“Sure thing Flutters!” Sonata shouted in an over-exaggerated manner. Without even waiting for a response from Pinkie, she grabbed the bubbly teen’s hand and rushed off for the safety of the kitchen, Pinkie practically dragged along in Sonata’s wake.

Meanwhile, Aria took this time to speak up from her sanctuary: “Girls, your grandmother scares me.”

Sunset sighed in sympathy. “This is turning out to be a common refrain.”

“Yeah,” Twilight agreed. “Grandma and Grandpa can be a little…intense.”

“Intense nothing,” Adagio said as she moved over to her friends. “I’ve met intense people. Your grandmother’s insa…what the hell?” The curly-haired girl’s words trailed off as she saw Nacht effortlessly bounce from ladder to ladder, with his son practically shouting at him.

“This is probably the part where I explain that Grandpa was in the Army briefly in Vietnam,” Twilight said, feeling very embarrassed as her grandfather then took the time to start regaling the folks with the story of “how I was ambushed by the Cong back in Da Nang”.

“And so there I was, with a dozen gooks or so ready to ambush my unit….”
“Dad, you were never in the field! And for Christ’s sake, we have four Asian girls here!”
“Fluttershy’s quarter-Japanese, and the triplets are Chinese.”
“Oh, okay. Didn’t want to insult your friends. Remember, girls: slants and nips are good, but Charlie don't surf. ”
“That is not the point!”

“Girls, we’re seriously sorry,” Sunset said, wanting to apologize to Aria and Adagio, while Twilight ran off to make sure that Fluttershy and Sonata didn’t hear it and if they did, to make amends.

Adagio put up a hand. “Don’t worry about it, Sunny, seriously. He’s from a different time and all that, and I get that. We heard that more than once on base from people from that era. They don’t mean anything by it; that’s just how they were back then. I mean it: we’re okay.”

Sunset breathed a sigh of relief. If these are my grandparents, I seriously hope that my other grandparents aren’t as bad.

At that point, Shining and Cadance arrived from their respective workplaces and the mess started all over again.

“Happy Birthday, Tavi!” the crowd sang out.

“Thanks, guys.” Octavia blushed, after having spent her day with Rarity only to find that it had been a ruse so they could plan a surprise party. She’d also talked things over with her friend and was pretty sure that she wasn’t in mad lesbocest love with her cousin and sister-figure, nor did she hate Sunset. Things just didn’t work like that.

“Happy birthday,” Sunset said, hugging her tightly.

“Thanks for sharing it with me, Sunny,” Octavia said, holding her close. No, she loved Sunset. She didn’t hate her. She most certainly didn’t want to hurt her, stick her head in the garbage disposal and a whole host of things that were going through the back of her mind.

“Hey, we’re family, right?”

—No, you’re an interloper intruder thief! You should be eviscerated, slaughtered, flayed—

“Always,” Octavia said through clenched teeth.

“Something wrong?” Sunset asked, a brief look of worry flitting across her face.

“Just…Grandma and Grandpa,” she said, which was partially the truth.

“Oh, and now it’s my turn,” Nacht said as he brought out a book. Behind him, Calliope’s face nearly split into a wide, loving grin.

“A book!” Octavia cooed, smiling despite the fact that in all the years, her grandparents had never gotten it right, always giving her the books and Twilight always the music-related items. They generally traded whenever applicable, and if it was Octavia’s guess, based on the metronome Twilight had received this year, it would be another year where they’d do so again.

As she unwrapped the book, she said, “Aw, Grandpa, you…shouldn’t have!”

“I knew you’d appreciate it,” he said warmly.

“No, I mean it – you shouldn’t have.” The tone in her voice was clear mortification, and everyone in the room looked at her oddly before realizing that maybe she received something that wasn’t going to be the best gift for public display.

“Sweetie, go ahead and show everyone what you got,” Calliope said, gesturing for her to lift up the book.

With the look of those sentenced to be executed, Octavia lifted the book for all to see, hoping that nobody in particular would give her grief for this…and knowing without a doubt that they would.

Night sighed. “Dad, really?”

“I thought she could use it. She’s a growing young lady, you know.”

“Yes, Nacht,” Velvet chimed in, “but that? She already knows about that!”

The response from Calliope said it all: “Oh, my.”

Octavia continued to hold the book in her hands, entitled What to Expect When the Time Comes: a Complete Guide to Women’s Menstruation, looking at her grandparents with an awkward smile, trying not to cry from the complete humiliation she felt.

Cadance, sensing the girl’s growing trauma, moved in to save the day. “Tell you what, Tavi,” she said with a grin, “there’s a ten-year-old girl who lives down the hall from us. I’ll pass this to her dad, since he’s a single parent, and it’ll go to a good cause, okay?”

Unable to say anything, Octavia merely nodded.

The room fell into a very awkward silence as nobody knew what to do next. The only thing that could be done next was by Fluttershy, who hugged her distraught friend. Immediately nine other girls joined in and embraced the crying Octavia, though her heart knew that the tears were changing from sorrow to joy. These were her friends and family. People she knew and loved.

“Octavia,” Calliope started.

“No, it’s okay,” Octavia said as the other girls let her go. “Things have changed since you were my age, I know, Grandma. And I would never think you did this out of spite. It’s just that you and Grandpa march to the beat of your own drums, and I know that. The clashes come when the songs are different, is all.”

Calliope embraced her. “How did I get such as wise grandchild?”

“It’s in the blood,” Nacht said with pride. “And speaking of which, did I—”

“You probably don’t want to finish that sentence,” Sunset advised.

“You sure you’re feeling better now?” Night asked Octavia as the two talked, hours after everyone had left and Nacht and Calliope went to their hotel.

The raven-haired teen nodded. “I’m fine, Uncle Night, really. I was more mortified than anything else.”

“I know. My brothers and I had to deal with it, too,” he reminded her. “Probably got it worse because they’re our parents.” He then got up and kissed her on the forehead. “You’d better go get some sleep: your grandparents are taking you, Twily and Sunny out tomorrow to spend the day with you three. Plus, they want to get you an actual gift.”

“I know, and that’s not really necessary. But spending time with them?” she said, a thoughtful look coming onto her face, “That should be worth it.”

“That’s my girl,” he told her. “Now I gotta get back to that monograph they want me to peer review. You have a good night, Tavi.”

“Don’t stay up too late. G’night.” Octavia walked up to the room where she pretty much shared with Sunset and Twilight. Both were already asleep, and Sunset was turned on her side, dozing away. But Twilight looked like a sleeping beauty, her lips moving gently with her breath.

Am I in love with you, Twily? You’re the closest thing I have to a sister; I can’t imagine you as a lover. And yet….

Not sure of what she was doing, Octavia bent down, her lips moving towards Twilight’s and—

“Sorry to call you out here, Shining,” Sandalwood said. The two were at the Sundial Bridge in the middle of town, with a bevy of police cruisers around them.

“Yeah, because I love being dragged out of bed at two in the morning with my fiancée wondering where the hell I’m running off to,” he wearily smiled.

“I got something that’ll warm ya right up,” she said with a grin as she passed him a cup. “Oh, and I’ve got coffee, too. C’mon, senior officer’s waiting for us.”

They walked all the way out to the center of the bridge, when the senior officer looked up. “Hey, Armor, when’d you join the Feebs?”

“Only on extended loan, Stick,” Shining explained. Nightstick had been a fellow cadet at the academy, and though he was stationed at the central precinct, the two still kept in touch from time to time. “So, what we got?”

“Guy who owned that warehouse downtown decided to off himself and his wife on the bridge – straight murder-suicide. A couple that thought it’d be kinda kinky to have sex on the bridge under the stars found them. Needless to say, it ruined the mood.”

“Okay, it’s an acey-deucey,” Shining commented, the natural slang of the Canterlot Police Department sliding right in. “Obviously you didn’t bother the local Federales just for shits and giggles.”

“Course not – think I’d turn a tag over if we couldn’t do it ourselves?” Nightstick replied. “But then again, how many people do you know that have access to one of these little beauties?” the officer asked, handing Shining a clear bag with a gun in it.

“That’s a Stechkin APS,” Sandalwood commented, looking over Shining’s shoulder. “Russian machine pistol. You can’t fire it without a stock; too unstable otherwise.”

“Also hella illegal to have here in California, not to say the US in general,” Shining agreed. “Not to mention that for murder-suicides, it usually happens at the home and with whatever’s available at hand, not this….”

“Theatricality?” Sandalwood suggested.

“Yeah, that.” Shining looked at Nightstick. “Okay, Stick, what else did you find?”

“Smart man,” Nightstick nodded. “We also found that APS wasn’t fired at all. And if you look at the bodies? They were done in by 9mm – and that APS is a 7.62 model. These two were murdered, cleanly and professionally.”

Shining and Sandalwood looked at the gun, then to the two bodies covered with a tarp, then back to one another.

“The SIRENs,” they agreed in grim unison just as another officer ran up to them.

“Hey, we found a couple more bodies,” the new arrival told all present, “and it’s not pretty.”

With a start, Octavia woke up. Everything was cold and wet and—

I’m outside? she gasped. A second later, she looked down and…. I’m naked? Wondering what the hell was going on, she looked around and what she found suddenly made her queasy: there was dirt and blood – where the blood came from, she didn’t know – smeared all over her body. Lying on the ground was one of Velvet’s prized Miyabi kitchen knives; she’d seen them on Amazon for close to $300. And underneath the knife was the slashed and sliced remains of Sunset’s favorite t-shirt; a light blue number with a stylized sun on it that she said was a replacement for one she had back at the warehouse.

What happened? Octavia wondered, fear gripping her. Am I going mad like Twily was? Is the Vibe doing something to me, too?

No, it’s not, the voice in the back of her head said. It’s you. And you welcome it.

Octavia felt a drop of something splash her on the back of her head. She turned around to see another one of the kitchen knives embedded in the tree directly behind her. And impaled on that knife was—

Octavia threw everything into the garbage. Sneaking into the house, she put the knives in the dishwasher, then rushed upstairs and into the shower, where she blasted the hot water for all it was worth.

Finally, after letting the warm rain of the showerhead hit her, did she finally allow herself to cry hysterically and vomit.

“And so you’ve done well,” Divine said, tracing a line down Piano’s unclothed bosom as he held a glass of wine; the two gazed out the window at Mount Shasta, with the city of Canterlot just to the southwest of them. “The accommodations are more than adequate for the moment, you’ve dealt with both our now-sadly deceased ally and his assassins, and you even managed to find a drinkable California wine. I am suitably impressed, my dear.”

“Am I?” Piano asked.

“Hrm?”

“Your dear,” Piano said, ditching her negligee and leaning in close to him. “I would be more, my lord. I would be your everything.”

He bent down and kissed her. “Of course you would, and for that, I could not be more pleased. In fact,” he said, taking her by the hand and leading her to the sofa, “I have something for you.”

“You do?” Piano said, blushing, though inwardly she was cheering. She would finally earn her space as a princess and as his bride.

“There is…a tradition,” he told her as he sat her down on the cushions, “that my family follows: an old Bonaparte legacy. First, the finest diamonds for the finest bride to be.” He reached into a pocket and pulled out a priceless necklace of diamonds, to which he placed around her breathless neck. “The second,” he told her, “you have already fulfilled: promising your heart and soul to me.”

“Which I would always do, my love,” she sighed. She had him as her love now; and soon she would be Princess Piano and someday, Empress Piano.

“And lastly,” he said, pouring a drink from an unmarked brown bottle, “it is tradition for the bride-to-be to consume a drink of the family’s finest brandy. I’ve no idea why, but my mother did it, as did my grandmother, and so forth and so on.” He handed it to her, saying, “And with this, we will seal the deal.” At that moment, his cellphone went off and he looked at it. “Excuse me, my dear. The lawyer is here with some paperwork to sign, but when I get back?” He kissed her on the forehead. “I would very much like to make love to my fiancée.”

“I would love that too,” she sighed. He smiled and walked towards the door, as she brought the flagon to her lips.

She took a drink. It tasted weird at first, with a bunch of flavors she couldn’t describe; she hadn’t had brandy before, so she could hardly claim any familiarity with the drink. But eventually, she downed it all, and sighed, the liquid leaving a warm feeling in her body, and the need for more. She poured herself another drink, then another, and then after a few minutes drank directly from the bottle.

At this point, she stood up, giddy and slightly drunk. She felt a warmth in her nether regions and she knew that soon Divine would come to take care of that need. She could practically feel him now, every bit of h—

The warmth suddenly turned into a burning sensation, and then into an inferno within her. She started to roast and before she could take a single step more, she collapsed to the ground, vomiting up unnaturally-colored bile. She could feel liquid leaking from every pore of her body and as she looked at the polished marble floor, she was horrified to see blood seeping from her mouth, nose, ears, eyes.

She arced back as if slugged in the back, and an unearthly scream came from Piano Bliss, one of unnatural pain.

Two darts lashed out and hit her straight in the chest. A split-second later, the wires connected to the darts electrified, the energy racing down the taser wires to jolt Piano and bring her to blissful unconsciousness as she pitched forward.

From her hiding spot, Cantata Blast dropped the taser gun and walked forward, bending over to check Piano’s pulse. It was increasing speed, well beyond that of normal human tolerances.

“I wouldn’t worry about that,” Divine said as he walked back into the room. “By the time her transformation is done, she won’t read as a baseline human anymore.”

“Excuse me?”

“I told you that I would share everything with you, Cantata. She will be the first of your new army – the first of an inhuman, unstoppable army. But for now, we need to get her to a suitable room so that she will be able to…evolve…in peace. I must admit, the grimoire of my father of fathers doesn’t specify if it’s a gentle change or not.” He snapped his fingers and two handymen immediately appeared. He gave them quick orders and with a bow, they picked up the convulsing young woman and carried her off.

“What now?” Cantata asked.

He smiled. “What I told Piano: I intend to make love to my fiancée.”

“And if she’s not willing?” Cantata asked.

Divine pouted, but said, “Then she’s not willing. I need an equal, not someone suborned.”

Cantata responded by removing her shirt. “That’s all the answer I need. Now make me your woman – and let’s rule together.”

Author's Note

Some people might react with aplomb regarding Night's parents, but remember: what your norms are, aren't that of someone else's. It wasn't that long ago that prejudices were a lot more accepted than they are now, or that girls had their first period at age 16 instead of 10, which is the norm nowadays. Humanity is a story of changes, good or ill.

Up Next: Book III's conclusion!

July 27: Nothing Lasts Forever

The late July sun beat down mercilessly on Canterlot, its hot rays a virtual torture that never seemed to end; that was the norm for a California summer, and even though Autumn was a mere two months away, it almost seemed as though it would never arrive. There was no sign of clouds in the sky, and though the refreshing waters of the Sacramento River weren’t that far away, they seemed almost to tease and taunt those trapped in office buildings.

But for Posey, she merely ignored the trappings of the heat and sun and the cool, cool, river. No, for her, the unbearable heat was just another reminder of why the world was a cruel, cruel place.

“Time of death: 8:02:26, mark it,” the other doctor said. Looking at Posey, who had just literally sprinted from her car into the room, he said, “Look, Poe, it’s not your fault.”

“I know, Tense,” she told her colleague, Dr. Intensive Care, “but nobody likes losing a patient. Mrs. Mix was under my primary care, and I hoped she’d have a few more years.” In the corner, Posey could see her best friend and colleague, Redheart, but she ignored the looks from the other woman at the moment.

“Posey, we all have to go sometime,” he reminded her. “Nothing’s eternal, or else the world would be a huge mess. Look at it this way: at least you merely hate to lose them. I have to be reminded of my wife every time this happens.”

The chiffon-haired doctor sighed. “Sorry, Tense. I’d forgotten.”

“I don’t. I can’t.” But he gave her a wan smile and added, “At least I have my daughter out of what happened, and I wholeheartedly think my wife would agree. Watermelody is the pride of my life, and I can’t wait until she heads to college.”

For a change, Sunset was up early, and managed to crawl downstairs before her mother left for work. As she descended the stairs, she noted Twilight looking more than a little agitated. She was carrying a bag of bird feed and placing it in the trough she built for the parliament of owls that had made their home in the backyard since the return of the plum-haired scholar’s wayward owl.

Opening the backyard glass door, Sunset said, “Morning, sis. You got up early.”

“Hiya,” Twilight commented, not looking up from counting the thirty or so owls landing to stoop by the trough; most had already started chowing down on the feed, a mixture of dead insects, ground-up rodents and other meats necessary for the diet of a semi-tamed bird of prey. “Have you seen Aladdin?”

“Aladdin? Yeah, didn’t we watch it the other night? The genie was hilarious.”

“No, I mean my owl.”

Sunset blinked. “You named him?”

Twilight grinned. “I named them all – they are mine, right? Anyway, Aladdin’s more gray than brown; I’m guessing one of his parents is a barred owl. Named him that because he landed on my shoulder the day one morning back in January when I was humming one of the songs from the movie. Anyway, he’s been missing for two days, and it’s not like him. He’s a homebody, kinda lazy, honestly.”

“Not even going to ask,” the flame-haired teen commented as she leaned against the door frame. A second later, the third member of their group showed up. “Morning, sleepy.”

“Heya, yourself,” Octavia yawned.

“Tavi, have you seen Aladdin?”

She nodded. “Yeah, but to be honest, I kinda preferred The Little Mermaid.”

“No, I mean my owl!”

Octavia sighed. “You named them, Ms. Obsessive-Compulsive?”

“Yes, yes I did. But he’s been missing for two days!” Twilight commented. “I’m more than a little worried right now.”

Octavia’s mind suddenly swam back to two days ago – or rather a night and a half ago, when she was lying in a pool of dirt, blood and feathers. After she’d taken a shower, she’d realized something else had happened as well…and that terrified her more than anything else. She looked up to see all the owls staring at her, as if they knew what she’d done, as if they were condemning her. I didn’t do it! Or if I did, I didn’t mean to! she wanted to shout. I don’t even know what happened!

“N-no, I hadn’t,” the teenage musician finally stammered, looking away from her cousins in the hopes they wouldn’t catch on.

“Hey, Tavi, you okay?” Twilight asked.

“I’m…fine. Really,” Octavia demurred, looking as though she was trying to hide from the universe. Given her recall of the events after Twilight’s incidents due to her suffering from Vibe aftereffects, she wasn’t sure that she wanted to tell anyone what was going on until she was absolutely sure that was the problem.

The problem is: What if I do if something goes seriously wrong in the meantime? she mused with not a small amount of worry. If I really…. Oh, God, what’s happening to me?

Meanwhile, Sunset, unaware of the drama going through her cousin’s mind, patted Octavia on the shoulder. “Nervous about today?”

“Uh, yeah. Just a little.” Thankfully, Octavia had something to hide behind: namely, that she and Sunset would be taking their driver’s license tests today. Twilight, who didn’t have a car lined up for her, planned to take the test anyway, just so she could. The three of them had been practicing on-and-off since mid-June, with the three of them having taken the driving course offered at Sunset’s school, to boot.

“Well, let’s go in and get some breakfast, okay? Twily, you too. Don’t worry about Aladdin; I’m sure he’ll turn up sooner or later.”

“If you insist,” Twilight sighed, then put the feed bag in its bin before joining them inside.

“Thank you, Doctor,” Autumn Forest told Posey. “You did all you could, and my mother lived a long life, but she wouldn’t have had the extra days to say goodbye to her family if it wasn’t for you.”

“I’m sorry; I wish I could have done more,” Posey replied, the guilt on her face telltale, “but even I can’t stop the reaper.”

“I know. I need to make funerary preparations now, but once again, you have my sincerest gratitude for all you did,” the man said. Posey looked at him and his soft brown eyes, not quite yet showing the sorrow he would be feeling over the next few days. She also noted that to an ironic degree, the man’s hair and beard – the color of the dying leaves of fall – clearly made it more understandable.

“I understand, Mr. Forest. I’ll leave you to your business.” Unable to say more and feeling the pain of his mother’s death more personally right now than he was, Posey quietly walked back to the nurse’s station, where Redheart was waiting.

“You okay, Poe?” the rose-haired woman spoke, a look of concern on her face.

Posey shook her head. “No, I actually feel like I failed them. My patient, Red – she was my patient – and I couldn’t save her.” Posey looked over at the man, who was walking over to see his grief-stricken family. “I just hate losing them.”

“I know,” Redheart said with sympathy. “C’mon, we’ll turn this over to Outpatient and then go get you some coffee. Sounds like you need someone to chat with.”

“Thanks, Red.”

“Hey what are best friends for?”

Meanwhile, Autumn had to walk back and talk to his family. The love of his life, his wife Vanilla Cream, was already discussing things with her children. Fancy had a stoic look on his face; he had always been a “stiff upper lip” kind of child. Coco, on the other hand, was completely disconsolate: She’d been through an ordeal of a whole different situation as of recent, but she didn’t tell either of her parents what had happened. Her friend, Crackle, who did know, told them that it had been something that the school’s divas had taken care of – he wasn’t aware that the divas had that much power outside of school – and that she wouldn’t tell on her friend. Autumn respected the young girl, and so didn’t pry further.

“We have to talk to Outpatient Services, and then we’ll have to arrange something with a funeral house,” Autumn said to Vanilla.

His wife nodded. “I’ll call the funeral home and start making arrangements. But will you be able to hold up, love?”

He sighed. “I have to – it’s not like I can turn to my brother to help with any of this.”

“I’ll help in whatever way I can,” Fancy spoke up.

“Me too, Dad,” Coco spoke through the tears.

“Thank you both. Fancy, I want you and your sister to mostly focus on the wake. Vanilla, I want you to work on the funeral issue. I’ll have to talk to the lawyer, since he has the most recent copy of Mom’s will and he’s the executor anyway.”

“What about contacting our relatives?” Vanilla asked. “My parents will want to make the trip from home, and you know how the airport is over in Omaha this time of year. And then there’s your sister-in-law….”

“No, didn’t forget about her, believe me – I’d be a fool to, given how much she loved Summer. I’ll take care of those as well. I’m sure she’s got to make arrangements anyway; and I have no doubt others do, too.”

“Here you go,” Night said as he handed the keys to Sunset and Octavia, the smile on his face tempered with a bit of parental concern. All three had passed their driving tests, and thus all three now had driver’s licenses. Octavia had inherited her father’s Dodge Grand Caravan, mostly because of her need for all the cargo space for her instruments. Sunset, on the other hand, got her aunt’s Kia Forte, a smaller car the two used when they had no need for the minivan. Twilight didn’t have one yet, but she’d also told her father that she really didn’t want one at the moment, mainly because she had her cousin and her sister to rely on.

“Well, if you’re sure, Twily,” Night told her. “I don’t want you to feel left out.”

“No, Dad, I’m serious. Besides, it’s not like I’m the only one of my friends without a car: Pinkie and Rainbow don’t have ones either. And besides, it’s not really like I need them to get around the area.”

“Well, if you’re sure,” he replied, before turning back to the other two. “Girls, just because you now own your own cars, doesn’t mean that you need to drive around like lunatics, got that? Last thing I need is Shining to call me at three in the morning because you’ve had an accident or something.”

“I’m not sure I can do that in a minivan anyway, Uncle Night,” Octavia cracked a grin.

“Personally, I want to live long enough to be officially adopted,” Sunset said with a smile. “So no wild driving for me, I promise.”

“Good. Now go ahead and get out of here and do whatever it is that teenagers with cars do; it’s been a while for me. Besides, I have some paperwork to do.”

“Sure thing, Dad,” Twilight commented. As Night headed off towards his office, the plum-haired scholar asked, “So what now?”

“Maybe go see the other girls and plan for the week?” Octavia suggested. “Rarity wanted to plan a trip for all of us to hit the beach, mainly if only to keep their kid sisters out of their hair. Maybe between us, them, and the triplets, we can do an overnight camping trip; they do have those over at Horseshoe Bay.”

Twilight shuddered at the memory and Sunset caught that. “What about Mendocino?” the flame-haired girl suggested instead. “I’ve heard some nice things about it, and it’s a road trip, so all’s good.”

“You know, that’s a good idea. Let’s go pester them at work,” the raven-haired girl said impishly.

“Okay, who’s driving?” Twilight asked, and the trio looked at each other for the longest time before Twilight took the initiative, told her father she was borrowing his car and then dragged her sister and cousin towards it.

Meanwhile at the Sugarcube Corner Café, a different conversation was carrying on. It was a slow day, and most of it Mrs. Cake had spent attending to her children, leaving Sonata to pretty much run the place. At the moment, only two customers were in the café, and Sonata made sure to give them personal service. Admittedly, they didn’t tip well, but regardless, they meant a lot to her.

“So, we’re absolutely sure about this?” Adagio asked her sisters. “Because once we make this choice, there’s no turning back. Maddie will stay with us until we’re eighteen because of American law, but once we’re college bound, we won’t see her as often. We won’t see Mezzo and Vesper as soon as we tell them that we want to leave.”

“I know. But I can’t do this, sis; it’s not the life I want to lead,” Aria told her. “I love martial arts, and I’m a sharpshooter; maybe I can find work as a stuntwoman or a cop. But we’ve spent most of our lives running around the world doing stuff girls our age shouldn’t do – maybe things people in general shouldn’t do – and it’s nothing that I want to grow old and alone thinking about.”

“Old and alone?” Sonata caught that comment. “Someone ask you out?”

“Yeah, Indoor Court, my boss over at the Y,” Aria said, blushing slightly. “I keep trying to find reasons to shoot him down, but…it’s nice having someone pay attention to me.”

“Yeah, I know. There’s this guy who goes to high school over at County who comes in every morning after his jog to grab a frozen mocha,” Sonata sighed. “He’s asked for my phone number more than once.”

“Lucky,” Adagio mock-groaned. “Maybe that’ll happen for me once we start school; if I recall correctly, we’re in the zone for Canterlot High, not one of the other ones. In any case, I’ve asked Maddie to have Vesper and Mezzo attend. I know this’ll break their hearts, but we have to do what’s best for us.”

“Break their hearts? The fact that you and I are probably never going to see our sœurs for a long, long time should be a concern!” Aria interjected. “It is for me!”

“Sorry,” Adagio told her. “I know you love her and that she’s family. But this is our future, Ari – it’s not theirs.”

An uncomfortable silence fell over the three before Sonata finally spoke up with, “Well, I’ll be home as soon as we close. Maybe someone should order pizza or something; I don’t think it’s a good idea for any of us to cook tonight. I’m going to be emotional enough as is.”

“I’ll make the pizza,” Adagio offered. “Guess I should get used to it again, once I start working for Shim and Sham when the new restaurant opens.”

“So, anyone wanna tell me why the triplets ain’t here?” Rainbow asked as she sat down. The girls were meeting together over at Applejack’s place, and the younger trio was present as well. The living room was packed to practical capacity, and they were all noshing on an extra case of Rainbow’s favorite apple soda, as well as some fresh chocolate chip cookies Granny Smith had made just a few minutes before.

“Yeah, I called them about an hour ago, and Dagi said they had something important to do with their older sister,” Pinkie explained. “They said to call them tomorrow and update them on the plans. In any case, woo hoo! Party on the beach!”

“So Ah’m guessin’ we’re going to have to ride with you guys?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Unless you got wheels of your own and can drive for over four hours,” Rainbow drolled.

“No, I think we’re good,” Sweetie Belle interjected. Apple Bloom had hinted earlier that they could try to get a badge in Car Repair, but Sweetie was certain that one in camping – one that they hadn’t had a chance to get before – was probably going to be much easier to do.

“Well, after consulting with my parents, they highly recommended Mendocino as well,” Rarity said, handing out a bunch of documents she’d printed out for the group. “They vacationed there once before I was born; they recommended some hotels, but when I told them we’ll be camping…well, after Mother calmed Father down, they thought it would be a wonderful way to pass a weekend.”

“Mom and Dad weren’t happy about us camping?” Sweetie asked.

“No, but you know how Father can be: he was worried about a tsunami, or a hurricane or some ancient evil rising from the sea or something. Personally, I just think he’s being overprotective,” Rarity finished with a laconic but nevertheless elegant shrug.

“Don’t let him talk to my Dad,” Fluttershy interjected. “Now that he lives with us again, he’s been a bit…on an overprotective streak. Puppytails is currently in hiding,” she added, and nobody was really sure if she was serious or not.

“Well, Ah guess Ah’m in charge of the cookin’,” Applejack volunteered; she figured as the person whose family owned an organic grocery, it was only a matter of time before anyone asked.

“We’ll all bring something; it’s not fair to make you bring all the food,” Octavia piped in.

“Ah’d appreciate that; my parents don’t mind, but since we’ve got th’ truck Ah figured Ah could use that to carry the camping gear.”

“Well, it’s going to be a great chance for me to make some of my best outdoor recipes!” Pinkie said, squeeing. “We’re gonna have so many different flavors of smores—”

“There’s more than one flavor of smore?” Twilight asked.

Rarity giggled. “Twilight, dear, you should know by now that when there’s a Pinkie, there’s an, ahem, way.”

Meanwhile, without missing a beat, Pinkie continued. “And there’s a beetus, which is pretty good, too!”

“Oh, no – not the beetus,” Rainbow groaned. “The last time you made that, I was in sugar shock for the whole day!”

“Uh, Rainbow, didn’t ya say y’ needed the sugar anyway for the energy?” Applejack asked, recalling that moment.

“Well, yeah, but the crash afterwards put me asleep after the game – and I missed out on the team celebration! Me! The team captain! Do you know how embarrassing that was?”

Sunset sheepishly put her hand up. “Actually, that was my fault,” she admitted, an awkward smile on her face. “I, uh, slipped in some powdered Benadryl back then. It blended with the powdered sugar. If it helps, well…sorry.”

Rainbow threw up her arms. “Figures,” she grunted.

“So we’re good for what, next weekend?” Fluttershy asked.

“Can’t. I have cheerleading camp that weekend,” Pinkie told her. “What about the weekend afterwards? We can make it a double party: both for summer winding down and for Sunny’s adoption two weeks after!”

“I like that idea, personally,” Twilight said, moving as to bump Sunset playfully.

“What, no party afterwards, Pinkie?” Octavia asked. “You’re slipping.”

“Silly Tavi, of course there’s going to be a party afterwards! What kind of Pinkie do you take me for?”

Sonata came home to see their grande sœurs all gathered around a table, in their CADPATs, looking over documents. Standing behind them, also in uniform, were her sisters. They’d cut their hair to regulation again, and were no longer the mere teenage girls they’d been just hours earlier.

“No….” Sonata gasped. “You promised me, Dagi. You said we’d all do this together!”

Intermezzo Blue looked up from the document. “Seaman Dusk, you’re late. What’s your excuse?”

Madrigal Storm looked at her fellow SIREN. “She didn’t know, Lieutenant. Give her a break.”

“Fine. You have five minutes to get into uniform, Seaman Dusk. I’ll excuse the non-regs cut for now, but I want that fixed by tomorrow, understood?”

“Wha-what’s going on?”

“There’s been a general recall, Soni,” Adagio said as she approached her sister. “All active-duty SIRENs and any reservists on ready recall have been ordered to station – our new facility in downtown Canterlot.”

“What?”

Aria joined them. “We had to do this. This is our last chance to get revenge against those who wronged us! Then we can come back and be normal girls, without any pressure or guilt!”

Sonata looked horrified. “Why? Don’t you guys care? We wanted a normal life and now—” The youngest of the triplets angrily waved her arms to encompass everything. “Why did you lie to me, Dagi? Why are you backing her, Ari? You said you wanted a normal life, dammit!”

“We want a normal life for you three as well.” Intermezzo looked not unkindly at the teenager, not as the officer in charge of their cell, but rather as the older sister she’d been for Adagio for nearly all her life. “We wouldn’t ask this if the recall hadn’t happened here.”

“But a full battalion? That’s throwing a gauntlet in Les Scars’ faces! CSIS isn’t going to take this lightly,” Sonata stated with a tone that she wouldn’t have had just weeks before their current mission began. It was a sign of how much she’d changed since her worldview had been altered.

“I know. I hope the Old Man knows what she’s doing, or else we’re in trouble,” Intermezzo admitted. “Otherwise, this is going to be short and brutal for us. But I promise that once it’s all over, whatever plans Captain Blast has for us? They won’t include you three – they may not even include us.” She looked back at Madrigal and Vesper, then back at Sonata. “You three need a guiding hand, and far be it for us to abandon our petite sœurs.”

Adagio took her sister’s hand. “Please, Soni? We can’t do this without you.”

Aria took the other. “I know – it’s not going to be easy to tell our friends, or even if we’ll see them again. But once we’re done, we’re done. And we’ll all be together.”

Sonata had a very bad feeling about this but didn’t voice it. She couldn’t leave her sisters and their sœurs, even if she felt everything was going to go south.

“Okay, I’m in,” she said, knowing this was going to be the biggest mistake of her life. She could only hope it wouldn’t be the last one she ever made.

Intermezzo nodded. “Then get into uniform so I can formally report to the Quarterdeck that we’re mustered on station.”

Nervously, Sonata came to attention, sealing her fate. “Aye aye, ma’am,” she voiced, internally wincing.

At the desk in a private office adjacent to the bedroom, Divine Right looked at a copy of the grimoire that he commissioned for Cantata. It couldn’t be a perfect duplicate – he had to hold something in reserve, after all – but the transcription he was making would be more than serviceable enough. Of course, there was no assurance that she would be able to use it, unless she was a distant relative or someone from another one of the ancient bloodlines that Cavalcanti mentioned in his memoirs, and if that was the case, he would have to enchant a few items for her. Either way, it was just another way of ensuring her loyalty. In any case, it wouldn’t be ready for a while still; the historian he hired to translate one to the other was having some issues with some of Cavalcanti’s handwriting and that delayed it for another day.

He then looked at the small circle of runes he’d written down, as well as the vial in the center, giving off a sulfurous scent. Alchemical magic was still weak to him, but he was trying to learn that quickly; he had little choice in the matter. After all, his current project had been due to what he’d learned so far from his grimoire, and if it was to proceed beyond the embryonic stage, then he would need to make himself adept in rather short order. He then tapped a large touchscreen he had installed above the desk, noting the creature in another room that had once been Piano Bliss. A minor part of him felt bad for turning her into the creature that blood was being drawn from, but if his plan was to succeed, he would have to do it. A lot depended on that creature, the first of his true magical challenges. But he knew he would easily defeat any challenge, because it was his divine right to rule, to become a god-emperor and to own this, the first of many worlds.

Behind him, he could feel the sudden touch of Cantata’s fingers on the back of his neck. “Come to bed – it’s two in the morning.”

“I still have things to do,” he told her, taking her hand and kissing it briefly. “Don’t you?” he then asked her as he turned around to face her in his nearly naked glory; she’d slipped on a diaphanous bedgown to come to him.

Cantata smiled. “That’s what’s great about being a CO; I have an officer of the day who handles that sort of thing during the off-hours. But I’ll be back in uniform at 0800; that’s when I have to acknowledge all of our combat cells coming in so I can form them into new companies.”

“Then you should go to bed; I’ll be along after I have this last set of spells to cast in preparation for the big night.”

“And you’ll give me more details in the morning, I presume?”

“I’ll give you more than that, my dearest lady,” he told her.

She put her arms around him. “Like what?”

“Like the first step in owning this world,” he said, his eyes twinkling with sinister delight.

She leaned down and kissed him. “You come to bed in five minutes and I’ll show you a few things I’ve learned over the years,” she cooed. With that, she walked back towards the bed, and he then looked briefly at some astronomical and astrological charts, as they would be of supreme importance soon.

Assured that all was in place, he closed the book, confident that all would be done soon. As he rose from his chair, he looked at the moon as he headed towards its dalliance with the horizon. At last, all the pieces are falling together, he mused. I will have my throne, and more. I will have a wife that is truly worthy of me, and an army to grind my enemies into the dust.

He then reached into his pocket, pulling an old, faded picture of him during his teenage years. He was with a girl of incredible beauty and that even after all this time still had feelings for. But she’d spurned him and moved away – to this very town – and led a life without him. Well, here would be where he would get his revenge, a truly sweet and well-deserved one, because she’d spurned him and turned aside his affections, and now after all this time she would pay for that – dearly.

This is where I take everything from you, Solaire, he mused, ripping up the picture and throwing it in the garbage, including that which is most dear to you.

Under the sun-dappled light of a French morning, a group of teens departed the ornately-designed brick building on 2 bis Rue du Fer à Cheval. Normally the school was alive with a number of languages: French, English, Spanish, Dutch, and the myriad of tongues of the various nationalities that made up the student body of the Lycée International de Saint Germain-en-Laye, the world-famous International School located in the Parisian suburb of Yvelines. But it was still the summer holiday, at least for most of the student body; next week, school would start for the students assigned to the French, Dutch and Russian Sections of the storied academy.

Walking out of the wing assigned to the American Section of the school, a girl called out to her friends. “Thanks for coming with me, girls,” she said with an awkward smile.

One of them, with midnight-blue and white hair said, “Hey, it’s not like asking for a temporary leave from the school is common. Besides, you need friends around right now: you’re probably taking it hard, what with all the deaths in your family this summer.”

“Thanks, Night Lily. But seriously, when it’s your time to go, it’s your time to go.”

“That’s macabre as hell,” a second one with cyan and tan hair murmured.

“I don’t think she meant it that way, Beachcomber,” a third one with short coral-pink hair added.

“No, I didn’t, Priceless. What I meant was…well, nobody expected my uncle and aunt to have that car crash in Monaco, but Uncle Bataille never was much of a safe driver, and Aunt Quenouille wasn’t much better – but I loved them both, and I miss them dearly.” The girl’s eyes watered for a second, before she turned away to look into the distance. “As for my grandmother…she lived a long life and she was happy, at least the last time I saw her. At least Mom says that if we can make it there in the next few days, we’ll be able to attend the funeral.”

Priceless grinned, her lime-green eyes sparkling. “Well at least you get a sweet consolation prize – you get to go back to the States! Woo-hoo, shopping!”

Night Lily rolled her eyes. “Uh, Price? We live in Paris, remember? We’re already spoiled as it is.”

“Besides, I don’t know how much shopping I’ll be doing during the next few weeks I’ll be there,” the girl admitted. “Remember, I haven’t been back since I was a kid – been living here in France since Mom moved back.” The quartet crossed the street, walking towards the nearest bus stop. “As it is, when not getting to meet extended family, I’ll probably be studying to keep my grades up.”

Beachcomber laughed. “Studying? Really? The girl with perfect grades needs to study?”

“Beachie…. Look, my studies are important, since I want to attend a good university when we graduate, and even with my grades, Harvard or Oxford can be tough to get into.” The girl smiled softly, adding, “Besides, from what Mom tells me and what little I remember, Canterlot is hardly known for anything out of the ordinary. It’s just your average mid-size city in the US, not even as exciting as if we were going to New York or LA or whatever.”

Night Lily then looked at her friends and said, “Well, promise you won’t forget about us while you’re gone, okay?”

Beachcomber laughed. “Hell, you’d better bring us back presents, or else!”

“Hey, you gals are my best friends!” Sunset Shimmer said as she brushed a lock of her fiery-hued bangs out of her cyan eyes. “You know I’m going to!”

Author's Note

No spoilers in the comments, please! And don't forget to show the TVTropes page some love, folks!

TO BE CONTINUED IN

July 16: One Thing Leads to Another

Sitting at a lone desk in an office rented by the Federal Government, Canterlot Police Officer 2nd Grade Shining Armor let his fingers dance over a laptop keyboard as he finished his latest report. Though the other desks were prepped for use, they were empty and at the end of the day, some faceless government worker bees would gather the gear and the desks and he would move to the main FBI office at the Canterlot Federal Building.

Finishing his report, he saved before closing the laptop. So that’s that, he thought, looking around the empty room. We’ve been at this for a few weeks now and nothing to show for it than waste of a whole lot of money on what seems to be a wild goose chase.

“Well, here you go.” A cup of coffee and a couple of éclairs were set in front of him. A second later, Sandalwood plopped into the chair. “Shining, I know what you’re thinking – this whole thing is a huge waste of taxpayer funds and all that shit.” She took a sip of her coffee, muttering under her breath, “God, this is shit.” Looking back at him, she added, “But you’re right. And I still think that the Fibbies are right on this, too.”

“So then why are we releasing the rest of the Task Force back to their normal duties?” Shining asked her. “If they’re so sure about SIRENs being in the US that we have to write regular reports that we have to issue to the CIA, DHS, DOD and a whole shitload of agencies I’ve never heard of before?”

“They haven’t been released, Shining, they’ve been returned temporarily to train with the CPD SWAT unit. Hell, ECSD is starting up a Special Emergency Response Team, and they asked me to join once I return. Thinking about it.” She took a bite of her donut and another drink of her coffee before commenting, “But something’s going up, and I think we’re looking at a war – the kind of thing that usually tears up LA or Chicago, not here. I was talking to Hardline. She was a sniper – countersniper, no less – in the Marines before she joined the FBI. She told me she just started practicing with a rifle again.”

“You were in the Navy, Sandy. You tell me what you really think,” Shining told her.

“What you would like me to say, or what I really think?”

“Sandy….”

Sandalwood looked Shining right in the eyes. “I know you don’t like wearing body armor.” She tapped him on the chest. “Start.”

“Okay…where does this go again?” a voice asked Sunset.

“Table four, Soni,” Sunset told her, pointing at the table in question. “And then the other order goes to table twelve, which is the one by the window.”

Sonata Dusk sighed. “Sorry, boss – still getting used to this.”

Sunset grinned. “Hey, you should’ve seen me on my first day: I was afraid that half the time, I was just going to flip my lid and walk out the door, not ever coming back.” She patted the other girl on the back. “You’ve been here a week, right? Don’t worry; you’ll get the hang of it.”

“Thanks, Sunny. Well, time to go drop this off. Oh, before I forget: are we all still on for the movie tonight?”

“Yeah, if you, AJ, Flutters and Rarity don’t mind being the driver,” Sunset grumbled. “My dad says I can’t touch my car until I take the driver’s license test at the end of the month.” The flame-haired girl groaned. “My aunt and uncle give me one of their cars for my birthday because they’re moving out of country and I can’t touch it!”

Sonata laughed. “You sound like my sisters. Ari and Dagi hate cars, which is why they use motorcycles. But whenever we want to go somewhere, it’s always ‘Soni, can you drive us, pretty please?’” The Asian girl laughed, then added, “Well, let me get these to the tables.”

“Yeah, and when you’re there, can you ask Twily to check with AJ and Rares on the movies? Flutters said she can pick up me, Tavi and Twily.”

“Will do,” Sonata said with a soft smile before going back to her duties.

As Sonata headed off, Sunset smiled in appreciation; she was getting used to being a supervisor, and it helped that her first supervisee was friendly. It had been just a week ago that Sonata had answered the HELP WANTED sign, and during the interview had told Sunset and Mrs. Cake about having just moved from Vancouver – Washington! – a few weeks ago and that she lived with her older sisters, two of which were her fellow triplets. While Sonata tended to be a bit forgetful and clumsy, Sunset suspected that was more her shtick; the guys who came into the café tended to lap it up. What Mrs. Cake noticed was that Sonata did have a great talent at baking – apparently, she did all the cooking at her place – and she was more than capable with a wrench, having fixed one of the ovens so that a call to a repair company wouldn’t be needed.

Sunset and Sonata had hit it off as friends fairly quickly, and a couple of days later, the latter introduced the former to her older triplets, Adagio and Aria. Adagio, the eldest, was bookish but street smart; if anything, she reminded Sunset of a streetwise Octavia. Aria was a tomboy with a biting sense of humor; like Rainbow but a lot more earthy. Afterwards, Sunset introduced the three to her circle of friends and when they all started school again in the fall, the triplets would be attending CHS. All in all, it was fair to say that the three were on the way to becoming members of the girls’ group, and Pinkie would have to think of a replacement name for the “Eightmazing Eight”.

“Sunny, can you help me in the kitchen?” Cup asked from behind the register. “Brick Oven’s Pizza Parlor just requested a batch of pizza dough, and I’m going to need some help if we’re going to get it done in time.”

“Sure thing, Mrs. Cake, it’s slow enough that Soni can handle it on her own.” With that, both went to the kitchens.

Meanwhile, Sonata walked up to table four, first tray at the ready. “Okay, miss, you had the shrimp salad and the fruit cup, right?” Then turning to Twilight, she commented, “And for you, the chicken salad club and fries.”

Twilight nodded. “Thanks, Soni.”

“No probs, Twily. Also, your sister asked if you can call AJ and Rares and see if they can pick up the others tonight.”

“Sure, I can do that later.”

“Thanks. Well, I gotta get this over to the other table, so you two enjoy lunch!” Giving them a cute little wave, Sonata left Twilight and her lunch date to themselves while she went over to take care of her other customers.

Meanwhile, Twilight picked up a fry. “Okay, now that the food’s here,” Twilight began, “would you tell me why you wanted to meet here, Fleur? Honestly? You look rough, and I could have easily met you at your place.”

“Sorry, I haven’t been sleeping well the past few days,” Fleur began. “And as to why I suggested here, you know some of the waitresses, right? Or at least that’s what I get from the one we were just talking to.”

“Yeah, but Sonata’s new. As to the rest, yeah, they’re my friends, and my sister’s the head waitress for the café.”

Fleur looked surprised by that. “You’ve…never mentioned a sister before.”

“Yeah. She goes to CHS, not Zacherle,” Twilight clarified. “Plus, Sunny’s adopted, and has only been in our life for about a year or so, but I love her as much as if she’d been there my whole life. But anyway, since I’m getting the feeling that you need privacy, I can promise that you’ll get that here.”

Fleur gave Twilight an appreciative glance. “You know, there’s something about you that’s changed over the past year, now that I think about it. You’re a lot more confident than you used to be.”

“Thanks. I think that’s due to Sunny. She’s been helping me come out of my shell, so to speak. But you were saying?”

“Sorry. In any case, you’re aware of how serious my boyfriend and I are, right? We’re actually waiting until we start college before he officially pops the question.”

“Congratulations!” Twilight chirped. “Planning to have the wedding once you graduate?”

“Yes, but that’s not what this is about, Twily. Anyway, Fancy and I don’t start Harvard for another month, but my parents want to take one final family vacation together before I go away to college – it’s apparently important enough that they asked for my brother and his family to join us. We leave for Belgium next week and are spending most of this month and next at my grandmother’s place.” She took a bite of her salad, then said, “This is going to be the last time you see me for a while, so, it’s time that you assumed your station…Diva.” Fleur reached into her pocket, pulling out an ornate pin meant to be worn on the breast pocket.

Twilight took the pin with all due respect. “I know we discussed this, but I’m really honored that you think this highly of me, Fleur.”

“You and Tavi made a real impression on me and Chammie. I know it’s not often that a graduating diva doesn’t pass the role onto another senior, but you two have a maturity and grace that I don’t see in the incoming senior class. It’s bad enough that they’re going to tie up the student council. Things could get bad if they get the diva slots as well.”

“Well, aren’t you supposed to give this and the burgundy jacket to me at the pinning ceremony?”

“Oh, don’t worry about that; I’ll be flying in from Boston for that weekend, and I already arranged with the faculty,” Fleur explained. “But I’m giving you the daily pin because I need you to assume your duties early – because I need your help.”

“Of course I’ll help, Fleur. We’re friends and friends help each other.”

Fleur ran a hand through her chiffon-pink and ice-pink hair, sighing in relief. “You have no idea how much I appreciate that.” She paused for a break, then continued. “My family and Fancy’s have known each other ever since my mother moved from Brussels to attend college here – for some reason, a lot of French speakers tend to attend Canterlot State or Shasta University. Anyway, you could say that I was married into his family from the moment my mother, Fleur de Blanc, met Fancy’s. But to skip the whole story, we’re intertwined: Fancy looks up to my older brother, Vin de Pays, as like older brother to him. And likewise, Fancy’s little sister, Coco Pommel, has practically been my charge since she was born. She certainly loves me like a sister and she means the world to me.”

“Sounds nice,” Twilight said. “But if that’s the case, I don’t really see the problem.”

Fleur’s face took on a haunted cast as she said, “Suri Polomare – that bitch has been courting Coco and you know Suri’s never up to any good.”

Twilight flinched. She’d heard all the rumors: that Suri’s boyfriend Blueblood had been behind the whole Vibe incident that had roiled the area several months back – and whose drug, courtesy of Sunny’s ex-boyfriend Flash, had cost her so much…and even more had Sunny not come to the literal rescue. Flash was apparently Blueblood’s cousin, who was Suri’s boyfriend…and when those links were connected, it filled Twilight with dread. Admittedly, both boys were proven in a court of law to have been framed by teens who were now serving time, and Suri had never been suspected of a thing, but…Twilight knew Suri was a schemer. She was the type of girl that codified the meaning of ‘if I want it, I get it and woe be to those in my way’. Nobody at school rubbed her the wrong way like Suri Polomare and her partner-in-crime Vanity Faire did.

“Tell me more,” Twilight told her friend.

“Fancy and Coco’s grandmother is in the hospital and isn’t expected to live much longer, so Coco’s been in somewhat of a mood as of late, one I haven’t been really able to help her with. I’ve tried to spend as much time as I can with her, but it’s never enough, especially since I have to leave soon. Fortunately, Coco’s got a best friend, name of Crackle, who’s been there for her all this time. Unfortunately, I just found out that Crackle is Suri’s half-sister, and that Suri and Vanity are sponsoring the girls for Freshman Rush. But I know those two are up to something, and I’m worried about Coco.”

“Do you think Crackle’s helping her sister to screw over Coco? And why?”

“No, that’s the thing: I’ve met Crackle once, and she’s nothing like her sister, so much so that had she not told me, I wouldn’t have known at all. And Crackle doesn’t strike me as the sneaky type; if anything, she seems like someone who is easily used. And I’m pretty sure that Suri would have no scruples even when it comes to her family; the fact that she handed Crackle over to Vanity means she doesn’t want her harmed in whatever schemes she has.

“As to why she wants Coco harmed? I’ve blocked so many of Suri’s little plans, it’s a wonder that she still manages to use her family connections to safely cover her ass. But now that I’ve graduated, Suri wants to send me one last message to say that she won, to make it clear that I no longer can stop her, and the easiest way to get to me is through Coco.” Fleur looked at Twilight, and the latter saw unending sorrow in the former’s purple eyes, something that made it clear that she meant every word of her fear. “And given that Blueblood has ties to Suri…I truly fear for Coco.”

For Twilight, there was no question. Sunny stood up for me because she loves me, but she also did it because it was the right thing to do. I haven’t met Coco Pommel before, but helping her is the right thing to do, especially if it’ll give Fleur piece of mind.

“I’ll do it,” Twilight assured her.

Vanity brushed her hair out of her eyes as she looked over at Suri. “So, let’s go over the plan again. You know your sister cares a lot about Coco, right?”

Suri took a drink from her glass of wine. “Because I think that little dyke is trying to seduce my sister,” Suri snarled. “Look, I know my little sister. She’s as straight as she comes, and she doesn’t need some little carpet muncher trying to weasel her way into Crackle’s life.”

“Aren’t you bi yourself, though?” Vanity asked.

“That’s different,” Suri said haughtily. “It was just physical between my last girlfriend and I, and it was mutual attraction, not some golddigger trying to work her way into polite society. Plus, it was before I met Blueblood. I genuinely love him – my complete control over him notwithstanding – and I have no intention of leaving him.” A grin came across her face as she admitted, “Doesn’t mean I that can’t have fun now and then, right?”

“Yes, but you’re talking about your boyfriend seducing your little sister’s ostensibly best friend. That takes her out of Crackle’s orbit and into yours.”

“And I’m more than capable of controlling her that way,” Suri pointed out. “After she checks out, if she still wants to be Crackle’s friend, I’ll…consider it. Hopefully, that won’t be the case, with what you have lined up. What have you researched?”

Vanity reached into her purse and handed Suri a flash key. “I’ve looked into six girls that are part of the freshman group. All of them have good breeding and come from well-heeled families in the area. One of them is also a lesbian, should your sister decide that way. Another of them has a brother, a sophomore, attending Muenchinger; he would make a good match for her if she moves in that direction.”

Suri plugged the flash key into the adapter on her tablet. “Ah, yes – you’re referring to Polished Crystal, correct?”

“Yes. Her older brother, Dapper Charm, is a charming young man.”

“Oh, I know – they have an older brother, Debonaire Style. I daresay that had I not met Blueblood, I’d have Debonaire wrapped firmly around my little finger,” she commented. “Actually, you may be interested in him yourself: he’s into girls that are ‘fun loving’, so to speak.”

“You mean girls that are into threesomes,” Vanity drolled. “Not my style. I want to find a husband, get in between his legs, and firmly control him and his assets, without any complications like mistresses or anyone that might present a challenge to me.”

Suri took another drink of her wine. “What is life without the challenge, Vanity? And believe me – I don’t accept any challenge unless I’m completely sure that not only will I succeed, I will dominate.”

Crackle focused her attention on Coco. The two were having lunch at Tacotopia in downtown Everfree Glades, and had spent some time shopping. An embarrassing point came when Coco’s credit card had failed; it had not been due to a lack of money, but rather that the card system had gone down completely. Crackle, without cash on her was consigned to have to put the items back, but fortunately, Coco, who preferred to pay with cash than use the card her parents gave her, lent her friend the money.

When the system came up ten minutes later, Coco immediately returned the loan as well as insisting on buying her friend lunch. Since Tacotopia was a relatively new place, the two opted to go there. And everything between the two friends had been bright and cheerful: Crackle had talked about a guy who was going to attend Muenchinger that had caught her eye, while Coco admitted there wasn’t anyone she wanted to date at the moment, though she wanted to wait until the first inter-school dance to see how many guys whose eyes she’d catch.

Then Coco’s cellphone rang, and she’d dutifully answered it, apologizing that it was her father. The smile fell from Coco’s face as the call continued, and about ten minutes later, as their meals arrived, Coco hung up and looked as though her world had just shattered.

“Your grandmother again?” Crackle asked gently.

Coco wordlessly nodded. “Dad just called. The doctor told him that there’s no hope…that it’s only a matter of time.” She looked up and her eyes started to well with tears. “Why is everyone I love leaving me? Nana’s dying, Fancy and Fleur are leaving, and many of our friends have even moved away!”

“I’m not going anywhere, Coco – we’re best friends, and you know you’re always going to mean the world to me.”

“Thanks,” Coco replied, wiping the tears from her eyes. “Thanks, Crackle – you’re the best friend a girl could ever have.”

“And don’t you forget it!” Crackle said with a wink. “Besides, you really can’t blame Heather Rose and Dazzling Smile for having to move. Heather’s parents are divorcing and she’s going to live with her mom in Maine; her life’s going to be rough as is. And Dazzy’s family’s moving to Miami – she’s lucky as hell! And besides, I miss them too, and I’m sure they miss us.”

“Yeah, I guess.” Wanting to change the subject, Coco asked, “How’s things going with Vanity?”

“It’s been…interesting. A lot of shopping and bonding. I’m glad that Suri paired me with her best friend. Vanity’s sweet and sure not to get me in trouble, which is probably what I really do not want – I don’t think embarrassing my dad would be a good idea, personally. How about you and Suri?”

“It’s…been okay….” Coco began, not sure of what else to say. Sure, other than being somewhat…forward…Suri had been well behaved. Plus, the older girl had introduced her to her boyfriend, and while Blueblood was a gentleman, there was something predatory about him, something that set her on edge. Though, at the same time, there was something alluring about him. When she was in the presence of both of them, she started to have feelings that she was sure she wasn’t supposed to have, that her family might not take well.

“Coco, is something wrong?” Crackle asked. She would’ve looked more concerned had it not been for the bulging taco in her hand.

“N-no! I mean…I appreciate you setting me up with her!” Coco exclaimed. “It’s just…look, I’m….” She sought brief respite by taking a bite of her enchilada. “Nana’s health troubles are still bugging me; that’s all. Your sister’s nice and I met her boyfriend, too.”

Crackle nodded. “Yeah, Blue’s a sweetheart. He’s like the big brother I never had and he’s always there when I need him.”

“I know he and my brother don’t get along,” Coco confided, “but I guess that’s a guy thing. They’re different people and they just don’t seem to match. I guess that happens.”

“Yeah, I guess it does,” Crackle agreed.

“Thanks for the birthday presents, Twilight,” Sunset said on her phone.

“I didn’t know what to really get you, so I hope the stationery set will do some good,” came the reply. “Sorry, I’m really bad when it comes to choosing everypony’s birthday gifts. Even the human ones.”

“Well, I still appreciate it.”

After she’d returned home from the movies, Sunset realized she hadn’t been in contact with Equestria since the week of her return from her little adventure. Deciding to rectify that, she waited until Twilight – her sister – was asleep; Octavia was “paying the monthly bill”, and as such, decided that she wanted to sleep alone, so she was in the bed in Twilight’s room. Once she was sure Twilight was asleep, the flame-haired girl immediately cast a sleeping spell on her plum-haired sibling, then threw up silencing and warding spells on the room; this would prevent anyone from wandering in. With that, she was clear to talk to Twilight – the alicorn princess – and dialed the cellphone she’d sent to her friend.

“The others have gifts for you as well, but I’ll have to wait until we have an extended time to send them – I’m guessing you’re pushing your luck right now.”

“Well, I’ve warded the room, but Twily’s asleep on my bed right now, so yeah, waiting might be better.”

“Oh, and Celestia says she’s going to hold onto your present until she sees you again; she told me she wants to see the surprise on your face, but personally I think it’s just a way of saying that she wants to see you again.”

“Mother’s prerogative, I guess,” Sunset laughed.

Those words made Princess Twilight wonder. “Uh, I thought Mo…I mean, Twilight Velvet was your mother,” the alicorn voiced before she added, “Mare, that is so weird that your mother has the same name as mine.”

“Well, they are essentially the same person, Twi,” Sunset pointed out. “Besides, while Celestia will always be a mother to me, as you’ve said, Twilight Velvet is my mom.”

“Sorry if this sounds corny, but I can practically hear the love in your voice when you say that. I think it’s sweet.” Sunset blushed, and was glad that Princess Twilight couldn’t see her at the moment. Thank God for not using video chat, she sighed.

“So…how’s your sister doing? I’m guessing she’s okay now?”

“Yeah, thanks for asking. She still thinks it was residue from that attack back in January, and I’m really not going to correct her, or anyone else in my family.”

“You really should, you know. You’re our ambassador to Earth and that means you need to take extra precautions, Sunny. Better to get it out of the way and let your family know what you really are, right?”

“Easy for you to say,” Sunset sighed. “My family just got used to me being a normal girl and not the problem child that Ms. Celestia said I was for so long. And you want me to tell them I’m not even human?”

“Sure you are – you said it yourself: you’re as human now as you are pony. And if they really love you, Sunny, they won’t worry or fret that you weren’t born like other girls. I’m sure of it.”

“I’ll…think about it, Twi.” The indicator was clear that Sunset most definitely didn’t want to think about it, but she wasn’t about to tell her friend that.

Princess Twilight knew that changing the subject was probably better for the moment, so she did: “Anyway, now that your sister – she goes by Twily, right? – is back to normal, tell me more about her; I’m interested. It’s probably weird seeing, well, me every day.”

Sunset silently thanked her friend for the discretion, and cheerfully answered. “Naah, not really, because you two are as different as night and day; I could have both of you standing next to each other and I could still tell the difference.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. For one, I dunno about you, but Twily’s a lot more affectionate with friends and family, at least since I’ve known her.”

“That’s probably your influence, Sunny. I’m working on it, but a lot of ponies say I can still be standoffish from time to time.”

“Also, while you’re both analytical and smart, you’ve mastered different disciplines,” Sunset continued. “You’re the Princess of Friendship and the Element of Magic, and probably the only ones who can keep up with you are me, and maybe Razz, Luna and Celestia.”

“Not really; when it comes to normal magic disciplines, Razz really isn’t good at them – they have to be truly alignment-neutral for her to get them. As for Celestia and Luna, both have said I’ve outdone them in skill ages ago, and they’re only stronger in power because they’re older. Not trying to brag, but I well outstripped Cadance even when I was just a unicorn.”

“Ah. Well, to continue, Twily would have been in college already if our parents decided they didn’t want a superbrain freak for a kid – and no, that’s not an insult; it’s not normal for kids to be in college, and the ‘rentals wanted to make sure Twily had a normal life. In any case, she pretty much masters anything she comes across and I’m guessing she’ll probably have several doctorates in vastly different fields before she hits thirty.”

“She sounds like someone I would really like to know.”

“I’m sure you two would get along great,” Sunset said fondly as she sat down next to her sister, gently stroking her shoulder. “You’re a great friend, and my sister’s wonderful to know. You two would absolutely be as thick as thieves.”

“Wait – burglars are overweight on Earth?”

“It’s a figure of speech, Twi. Don’t worry, I didn’t get it at first either.”

“Ah, I’ll have to remember that. Anyway, I need to get some sleep: we’re having a ceremony tomorrow – we’ve decided to officially designate Razz our first Grand Mage of Dark Magic.”

“Really?” commented Sunset. It was probably something Raspberry Beryl deserved, but the former unicorn could easily see the amount of panic in the nobility that such a decision would cause.

“Well, yeah. Now that I’m a princess, I have to be more politically involved, which means less time for adventuring; and you’re obviously a little tied up in being, well, in another dimension, so we need another grand mage to fill the gap. I suggested it to Celestia, and she agreed. Plus, it gets rid of all those stupid sentencing rules that she was pretty much forced to impose on Razz. By making it her job, Razz can leave town whenever she needs to because it’s part of her duties, and really, with the way things are nowadays, it wouldn’t hurt to have extra defenses in case some giant walking disaster decides to trash the countryside again.”

“Makes sense. Well, I need to get some sleep as well, so I’m going to call it a night. Say hi to everypony and congratulate Razz for me and give Celestia my love next time you see her.”

“Sure thing; will do. Goodnight!”

“Night, Twi,” Sunset said as she hung up, then plugged her phone into the charger cable. She then deactivated the magic component of the dragonfire candle; as she did, the flame changed from green to orange, turning into a normal candle, giving off a sweet pine scent. Finally, she banished the warding and silence spells, then went over and shook Twilight slightly. “Twily? Sis? Wake up….”

Gently, the sleeping beauty stirred, opening her purple eyes to gaze at her sibling. “Hey, what’s up?”

“Well, if you’re going to go to sleep, you might want to get ready,” Sunset advised, as she started taking off her shirt. “I’d lend you some sleepwear, but the rest of mine are in the laundry, sorry.”

“That’s okay,” Twilight murmured as she sat up, rubbing her eyes. “Hey, Sunny, who were you on the phone with?”

Sunset fought to keep the shock from her face or show any outward reaction to the stunned sensation she suddenly felt. She heard that? Bu-but that was a mid-grade sleeping spell I cast on her! She shouldn’t have been able to sense anything! Quickly thinking of an excuse, she commented, “Oh, Trixie called. She just finished her show in Atlanta, and she wanted to know if we wanted anything from there.” That was certainly true enough; Trixie’s uncle Presto, aunt Star Swirl and grandfather Alakazam were touring during the summer as “The Amazing Lulamoons”, and Trixie decided to tour with them for the month of July. “She said she’ll call back in a couple of days.”

“Oh? Where’s she at?”

“Atlanta, if I recall correctly. She was tired, so she was half-slurring.”

“Makes sense,” Twilight nodded.

“Yeah. Well, I need to get some sleep – last day of summer school tomorrow, and that means finals – so unless you’re going to sleep with Tavi—”

“No, thank you. She kicks in her sleep when it’s that time of the month,” Twilight commented as she scrunched her face up in distaste. Instead, she started stripping off her clothing, and crawled underneath the sheets. “Too lazy to go get my PJs,” she yawned.

“Uh, Twily, you’re not wearing a bra,” Sunset commented.

“So? It’s not like I hadn’t seen yours – hell, saw them on the first day. Besides,” she said with a sigh that sounded just a little too creepy, “if I was going to have some girl take advantage of me…I’d rather it be you.” She bit her lip and brought a hand to her face. “Please, be gentle.”

“WHAT?!”

Twilight suddenly started laughing riotously, watching the floored face Sunset had as she reached for the light switch. “You actually believed that?”

“Twily, you do realize it would be easier for me to sleep if I just strangle you to death? It’d be quiet then,” Sunset mock-grumbled as she crawled into bed. “Besides, my tits are bigger than yours, so there.” She stuck her tongue out.

“Do that again, and I’ll French kiss it back into your mouth,” Twilight mock-threatened.

“Oh dear, oh dear. I’ve turned my little sister into an incest nympho. Whatever shall I do…other than waking up Tavi for a threesome?”

“Nope,” Twilight said, wrapping her arms around her sister. “I get you first. After all, it’s better when sisters are together, right?”

Sunset facepalmed. “Hoist on my own petard, I see.”

“Yeah, I’ve been waiting for a while to use that on you.” Twilight reached over and kissed her sister on her cheek, then snuggled closer. “But honestly? I think you’re rubbing off on me, sis. And I think that maybe, I needed that. Tavi’s helped me a lot with getting out of my shell, but you actually got me out of it. And I can’t thank you enough, Sunny.”

“No thanks necessary – that’s what family’s for,” Sunset said as she turned on her side to sleep.

Turning on her own side, Twilight yawned again and commented, “Get some sleep, Sunny. Big day for you tomorrow.”

“Yeah,” Sunset admitted softly. “That it is.”

“Ari? What’re you still doing up?” Madrigal asked. She’d been up looking at the latest intelligence reports, and filing a few of her own. The news was becoming clear that Canterlot was more and more likely to be the place where things went down, which would make them the advance team. With that in mind, they had to start making preps in the event that the schedule accelerated.

“Can’t sleep,” Aria said as she wandered over to the kitchen.

“There’s some coffee if you want it. Also bought some sleeping tea as well.”

“Thanks,” Aria said, opening the cupboard and pulling out the tea box, then throwing a packet in before grabbing the teapot. “Do you have time to talk?”

“As a sœur, your superior officer, or—”

“One woman to another,” Aria asked as she sat down in the chair next to the older woman.

“Aria, there’s no shame in deciding this life isn’t for you,” Madrigal began as though she knew what Aria wanted to talk about. “In fact, if you want my honest opinion, Vesper probably wants you out of this as much as I want Soni to walk away.”

“No, we already agreed: either it’s all three of us, or it’s none of us. We don’t want to be split,” Aria explained. “But I want to know if I want to push for leaving or not. I mean…part of me wants to be a SIREN. Uncle Poutine was a father to us all, and what those bastards did to him? I want to commit mass murder if it means avenging him.”

“We’re not murderers, we’re sailors, warriors of the sea,” Madrigal said calmly but firmly.

“I know that; I meant that metaphorically. But regardless, that part of me wants to see this through to the bitter end. And then there’s the life we’ve been leading the past few. Dagi’s been happy working at that replacement pizza place that she works for: Jazzyrabbits or something like that. And I know that she and Tavi are becoming good friends. Soni enjoys working at that café she got hired at and she and Sunny are clicking. And I like my job at the YMCA, and I enjoy working out with AJ and Rainbow. Their friends are becoming ours, and we’re becoming part of their group.” Aria then looked up at Madrigal and said, “And personally? That frightens me.”

“How so?”

“We’re inserting ourselves into social groups, as assigned…but is it for the mission, or because we’ve been lonely? Are they really my friends, or just HUMINT assets? How can I look them in the eye every day, knowing that I’m lying to them? Those are the questions I ask myself constantly, and while I don’t know if Dagi or Soni are, I’d be lying if I didn’t say I don’t think they are. Especially Soni – you know how she can be.”

“Yes, I do.” Madrigal looked at the house and said, “If you guys do decide to leave…this house is yours. We’ve deposited several million in several accounts around the US that you can access. You’ll never want for anything, and you’ll be able to choose whatever you want for your future, as long as you don’t betray the Sisterhood.”

“I would never do that; I know they wouldn’t either, except….”

“Except?”

“Isn’t leaving a betrayal of its own? Aren’t we turning our backs on everything we’ve been taught? And I know what you said – keep saying – and I know what Vesper and Mezzo have told us as well. But I wonder, who am I? Am I Seaman Recruit Aria Blaze, or just Aria Blaze? Am I a teenage warrior – or just a normal girl with normal dreams and a very abnormal life? Do I want to die for Queen and Country on a battlefield somewhere…well, before this all began – or grow old with a husband, grandkids, the works?”

“Nobody can see the future, Ari. It could very well be that you make that choice, or that we may all be dead by this time next month. The world could end, or we could beat Les Scars. Nobody knows, though we continue our paths.” Maddie gave the younger girl a smile. “I trust you’ll make the right decision in the end…though only you’ll know what that really is.”

“I suppose.” Aria finished off her tea, then got up. “Thanks for the tea, Maddie.”

“That’s what I’m here for: senior officer and sœur.”

“And you do both great, Maddie.” The middle triplet got up, put her cup in the sink, then headed for the stairs. But she stopped, and without looking at Madrigal, asked, “If there were no restrictions….”

“Me or one of the other girls would have taken you three long ago. Maybe settled in Kansas, or Alberta, or somewhere similar. Someplace where we could all have the lives we want – the lives you three deserve.”

“Maybe, maybe not,” Aria said. “That’s for the future to decide. G’night, Maddie.”

The following morning, Twilight called Rarity. “No, I don’t need to work today, not exactly, Twilight, dear, but I had planned to put in some time working on my designs today. Is there a reason for your call?”

“I’ll make it simple, Rarity: I need your help and your advice.”

“Well, of course I’m always willing to lend a hand. What can I do for you?”

“If you can pick me up in thirty, let’s talk about it over breakfast. It’s on me, okay?”

“Well, if you put it that way, of course. I’ll be there in thirty minutes then. Taa-taa!” Rarity hung up her end of the line, leaving Twilight to head to her room to wake Octavia up.

“Hey, sleepy, wake up. Rarity’ll be here in thirty.”

“Do I have to wake up?” Octavia mumbled. “I’m sore all over and my breasts hurt.”

“Sorry, but this is important, Tavi, and I need your help. It’s a diva thing.”

Octavia sat up. “Wait – Fleur already handed over the position to you?”

“She’s leaving for Europe this afternoon, so she needed to. And she has someone dear to her who might be in trouble.” Twilight looked at her cousin’s bleary eyes before saying, “Suri’s involved. And, maybe, she’s using the Vibe.”

“What?” The sheets on the bed turned into a geyser of fabric as Octavia leapt off the bed, pushing aside her pain. “What the hell?”

“Yes. We have to do something and we have to do it immediately. I’m having Rarity meet us here, and then we’re going over to Casa Picante for breakfast.”

“You know I’m not into Mexican food for breakfast, Twily.”

“You might not be, but Chammie, who’s going to help us, is. Plus, she might make you a diva as well – I’ll probably need some help.”

“This is big, isn’t it?”

“It’s as important to Fleur as you are to me,” Twilight said with a smile.

But I haven’t been important to you since that bitch came into our lives, a voice in the back of Octavia’s head growled. With effort, she ignored it and said, “Okay, if it’s that important. Let me go hit the shower and I’ll get ready.”

“Are you sure?” Crackle said, speaking to her sister on the phone. “I mean, Coco and I have been planning to go have a picnic in the park for a while….”

“Dear little sister, I wouldn’t ask this if it wasn’t important – I know how dear she is to you,” Suri said on the other end. “But there are some girls I want her to meet, ones you already know, that could be advantageous to her future. And since you’ve been through this tedium before….”

“Yeah, I know,” Crackle groaned, twirling a strand of her unbraided violet hair. “And you’re sure you don’t need my help?”

“Quite, dearest sister. Do you remember when I took you last September? I recall you were bored beyond comparison. Especially when that one girl – Serving Set – prattled on for hours about types of herringbone china.”

“Ugh, don’t remind me.”

“Don’t worry; as soon as we’re done, I’ll have Blueblood drop you off – I have another appointment today – and if you like, he can take you both to the movies.”

“That’d be great! Thanks.”

“Be sure to thank him, Crackle, dear – he suggested it. I just suspect he wants to spend time with my adorable little sister instead of me,” Suri faux-sighed.

“Don’t worry, I’ll give him back. I’ll talk to you later, sis. And thanks again.”

“Think nothing of it, dear little sister of mine. Bye.” Suri hit the disconnect button on her phone, then set it in the charging cradle by the bed. Looking over at Blueblood, she asked, “Are you ready, dear?”

“Well, of course – I’m always ready, my love,” he told her with the look of a wolf in his eyes and a smile on his face.

“Yes, but if I get so much as a drop of that horrid drug in my system, I will break you,” she said with an equally loving smile and a viper’s glare.

“Wouldn’t think of it,” he said, getting out of bed. “So when does our ‘entertainment’ arrive?”

“Around nine or so. Do you remember the plan?”

“As if it were a part of me, dearest Suri. We chat breezily about things, and at noon, we have lunch, and we start administering the doses. You start putting on the charm at about three, I call your sister and say that plans have to change, and by four, I should have myself a little diversion.”

“So long as you don’t forget about me,” Suri said, leaning forward to kiss him.

“I could never forget about you love,” Blueblood replied, completing the kiss. However, his words made her wonder what exactly he meant by that.

“Yuz!” Lyra shouted. “No more summer school!”

“Oh, fuck yeah!” Rainbow agreed, pumping a fist into the air. “We get to enjoy a month and a half of summer vacation, oh fuckin’ great!” She looked at Lyra and Sunset and asked, “Hey, wanna go grab some lunch? It’s on me.”

“Thanks, Rainbow!” Lyra said.

“Yeah, much appreciated,” Sunset agreed. “And the best part is, I don’t have to work today: Soni says that she’s got everything handled, and that I can rest easy.”

“Yeah, I can imagine. How’s she working out, anyway?”

“She’s a trip, let me tell you two,” Sunset explained. “Sometimes she seems to be a complete space cadet, then I catch her on a break reading Sun Tzu, or a book on Desert Fox. She’s really into military literature for some reason. Then she’s a great cook and baker, and she knows how to fix things. And then when I’m thinking she’s some sort of superbrain, she makes this sort of off the wall comment that I usually associate with you, Lyra.”

“Oh, gee, thanks,” Lyra deadpanned.

“Seriously, though, she’s a good friend and I’m glad to know her.”

“Yeah, I’ll say – and her sister, Ari? She’s awesome. Seems to know a lot of different martial arts styles, and she’s been sparring with me, AJ and Bonnie regularly. And just when we think we’ve got her number? She switches styles and completely one-ups us. She’s good – damn good. Even AJ’s impressed.”

“Yeah, and then there’s Dagi,” Sunset began. “Smart as a whip and gets along with Tavi and Twily; plays a lot of chess by phone with them. Too bad she can’t go to Zacherle with them; I’m sure she’d do well there.”

“Wow, sounds like those three are like made for Disney Channel perfect,” Lyra observed.

“Maybe,” Rainbow replied. “That’s not a bad thing, is it?”

“Dunno, but my guess is that people who are that good in real life? It’s my thought that anyone that perfect? They have something to hide. I’m not saying that’s the case with them – they are, but….”

“But?” Sunny echoed.

“Eh, don’t worry about it, Sunny – probably just my imagination working overtime,” Lyra said with a grin. “Anyway, where do we want to go? I’m starved!”

Divine Right held the phone in his hand, as if in thought. He sat on the sofa in his mansion, thinking about what the next move would be. Clearly Canterlot would be where it all began, but even still that meant that he had to make plans. If things were to go his way, he would have to control every variable and avenue for change. Nothing could be left to chance, and there could be no margin for error.

«Your highness,» a servant sounded in soothing British-accented French as he came into the room, carrying a package.

Wary, Piano set down her book and withdrew a small pistol concealed in her clothing. She took her duties to protect him as fiercely as she was smitten with him, Divine noted. Too bad that will end soon.

«Easy, my dear,» he told her. Then looking at his butler, Stiff Posture, he asked, «Is that the package I purchased?»

«Yes, my prince,» the man said bowing and proffering the box, an elegantly carved oaken box with inlays of red and yellow gold. «The representative from the auction house in London brought it by with all the certificates and such. As requested, we’ve inspected the package and it matches.»

«Good. Frankly, I care not a damn about the certificates. Its authenticity speaks for itself.» Taking the box in his hands, Divine opened the case, looking within. There, nestled on a priceless silk cushion, was a silvery blade. Though polished to perfection, legend had it that it had never seen a day of burnishing, for it had never needed it. The handle was made of three colors of wrapped gold, leading to a hilt that had stars and swirls embedded on it. Finally, the leaf-shaped blade had writing on it that had yet to be deciphered to this day, its cryptic messages as unreadable as the Voynich Manuscript or the Rohonc Codex. Though dagger-sized, it seemed to be proportioned as though it was meant to be wielded as a sword – and not a short sword, but a primary blade.

Reaching into the case, he pulled it out, taking it into his palms. Yes, the legendary Sword of Balance. Though not mentioned often in the stories that made up the Matter of Britain, the sword was mentioned in the Matter of France – a blade made of pure magic and reputedly carried to these shores by Star Swirl the Bearded, a distant counterpart to Britain’s own Merlin. The blade had been in the hands of a German collector, a descendant of the kaiser, who had met with a…sudden and untimely accident. It had been mere child’s play for Divine to have someone convince the man’s widow to put the blade up for auction; likewise, a considerable amount of veiled threats and bribes ensured that he was now the sole owner.

The sword would be part of the key, just as the Gift would be, as the Chant would be. That trio would give him unimaginable power, make him nigh unstoppable and would return him to the throne – not only of France, but of the whole world.

A king – and I will have a proper queen, if she accepts, he said, looking briefly at Piano. You poor love-struck child. You’ve no idea what is in store for you.

But Divine Right, soon to be the absolute ruler of everyone and everything, certainly knew.

After all, it was his divine right, as it was always meant to be.