Chapter One: The Painful Memories
It’s the beginning of another day for the next year of being at Crystal Prep Academy.
You hear your alarm clock going off, but you turn it off and try to get some more sleep but that turns out to be your biggest mistake of many.
“GET OUT OF BED MARINE!!” You dad barged into your room with you falling out of your bed.
Rubbing your head and getting grips of reality, you being to complain “Dad! What the hell? It’s 6:00am!”.
“Quit complaining, kiddo! I’ve been awake for more than 72 hours and get rudely awaken almost on a daily bases, you want to enlist into military? Get better get used to this sort of awakening” Your dad tells you, sure you always wanted to follow your dad’s footsteps and join the armed forces, just as he did for your grandfather, so you’re pretty much a military bloodline and one of the most known, since your dad reached the rank of Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps.
“Get dressed, your mother has made you breakfast” he orders you as you force yourself up.
After a shower you get dressed in your school uniform, always prepared for your senior years of high school, you soon look out of your bedroom window and you see the girl of your dreams walking to the bus stop and always rocking out, it was Lemon Zest.
Ever since you meet her in 9th Grade, your heart melted as you had classes with her, she was also not completely like the other Crystal Prep students of the days of Cinch, sure Lemon can be competitive and determined when it is required of her, but she mostly cares about her music, which is probably why she broke free of her indoctrination faster than everyone else.
However sometimes you felt inferior towards her, mainly because you didn’t qualify to participate in the Friendship Games, but what most don’t know is that you deliberately failed on purpose, due to you believing that the Friendship Games between Crystal Prep and Canterlot High, has felt pointless and completely missing it’s point and above all missed the true purpose.
When you put your name down to qualify for the games, each participant had to research the Friendships Games, but when you look at other schools Friendship Games and compared them to your school’s games you become confused, the other Friendship Games were comprised of members of each school mixing students together forming co-oped groups, showing the values of the games; Companionship, Unity and above all Friendship, and when you looked at your school’s version of the Friendship Games, you see that Crystal Prep had a different approach, by constantly showing; supremacy and domination over everything. And what made you found is that despite Crystal Prep being the overall winner, they still had to brag and gloat about your school’s supremacy.
When You head to the training grounds the next day, you saw some trainee getting harassed and abused for achieving only average scores. This was when you realised that being part of the Friendship Games will turn you into something you’re not.
When it was your turn to qualify for your chosen area of superiority, you saw Lemon Zest doing incredibly well, you felt so bad that she was participating in something that was against what the Friendship Games were really about, but you stood to your beliefs even if it meant being shunned by the girl of your dreams.
When it was time to finalise your qualification, you had to participate in a 200m sprint and if you finish 4th or below, you will be unable to be part of the Friendship Games, when the race began, you took flying gaining a small lead, however when approaching the finish straight you become exhausted and three participants overtake you and before you could react the race was over.
The primary leader of overseeing the participant was Indigo Zap, though she complemented you on having a fire to win, she criticises you on how you use it, but it didn’t matter to you, all you cared about was what Lemon thought of you, but to your relief she was rocking out on her headphones to notice your performance.
After having your moment on remembering the events of prior to the Friendship Games, you soon realises that your mother had made breakfast, and you quickly head downstairs, where your parents were waiting for you.
“What took you so long?” Your mother asks you.
“Sorry Mum, I was having deep thoughts” You reply back to her.
“What were they about son?” Your Dad asked, while having a coffee.
“It’s nothing to worry about” You say back, you know far too well if you tell your parents about Lemon Zest, you mother would go on and on about her being your first crush and all that embarrassment, and your father would go on saying that it’s good having someone to fight for and to be the best soldier you can be and all that.
“Anyway here’s your breakfast” Your Mum sang as she puts a plate of ham and cheese toasties in front of you, then for some odd reason you see a jelly doughnut in front of you.
‘What the hell?” You wonder, then you turn and see your mother grinning and your father’s eyes going big, ‘oh not this again!’ you mentally complained.
“What is that?! What the fuck is that?! What is that Private Pyle?!” Your Father boomed, quoting one of the Marine Corps most favoured films ‘Full Metal Jacket’.
As your parents re-enact the doughnut scene, you turn your thoughts back to Lemon Zest, and remember how she and the other Shadowbolts were treated when they returned.
After the Friendship Games resulted in a tie, between Canterlot High and Crystal Prep, most of Crystal Prep didn’t approve of the result and labelled the participants as failures and stating the team Shadowbolts has been disgraced. Unlike most you and a handful of students didn’t take part of it of berating the Shadowbolts, but you saw that Lemon Zest, Indigo Zap, Sugercoat, Sour Sweet and Sunny Lane were the primary targets. It was disgraceful to see some of Crystal Prep Academy’s top students reduced to targets of discrimination.
Each Shadowbolt became blacklisted; Indigo Zap was stripped of her rank and removed from every team she was a part of despite being a valued member ever since she enrolled at Crystal Prep.
Sunny Lane was ushered out of the fashion group and was replaced by Suri Polomare, and all of Sunny’s creations were taken and burned, hours of inspiration, hardwork now became ash, one member of the Fashion group named Coco Pommel stated her objection but led her to be also removed from the Fashion Group.
Sour Sweet was forced out of the Archery Team, with her teammates and coach calling her mentally unstable to use a bow, which confused her, her medical certificate approved her using a bow and arrow, but whatever she said, the Archery Team ignored and broke her bow in a million pieces.
Sugercoat was once a proud member of the debate team and various other groups, but now was reduced to nothing as her team disowned her, ignoring anything she had done for her teams.
You knew what everyone in the music department would do to Lemon Zest, using whatever you could get my hands on, and with some help from the new techie group, You did something completely illegal; You broke into the school and Infiltrated the music room, Splinter Cell Style.
Behind the Music Room, there was the digital archive, and took a 2 terabyte hard-drive and began transferring everything Lemon has made, remixes and personal creations. Once you had everything Lemon had done, including something from Indigo, Sugercoat, Sour Sweet and Sunny Lane, just in case, you left the school and put the hard-drive in your personal safe at home.
And the following day, your prediction was correct, everyone in the music department was about to terminate all of Lemon’s creations, despite Lemon pleading to them to at least get a copy of everything she made as she didn’t have the backups, but they refused and purged all her creations, you were about to enter the room to comfort her, but you knew that if you try, you and Lemon will be disowned and bullied to the music groups content.
A part of you wanted to take this up with Dean Cadence, but when you go to see her in her office, you overhear Cadence and Cinch arguing.
“You can’t hold the participants responsible! You can’t just allow your students to treat some of our best like they’re trash!” You hear Cadence roar.
“They all betrayed me! Every last Shadowbolt who participated will receive their punishment for disloyalty!” Cinch responded back.
“By encouraging all of our students and staff, to treat the girls like nothing?!” Cadence asked in disgust.
You never heard Dean Cadence feel so disgusted by such behaviour which was possibly why Dean Cadence took all of it to the school board before the school year ended. When Dean Cadence reported the situation at Crystal Prep Academy, Cinch was declared unfit for working in an educational environment, the Staff were sent to other schools across the state, and newer staff took over. The School Board then decided that Dean Cadence should become the new principal of Crystal Prep, shocking Cinch, the School Board then blacklisted Cinch and stripper her of her certification to be a principal, and thus ended the Regime of Cinch, something you and a few came up with after the Friendship Games.
Soon you realise that you have gone into a deep thought (again), and your parents took notice, “Hey are you okay?” Your mother asked you.
“You seem to be having a lot of deep thoughts, think you should take the day off?” Your Dad asks you.
“No I’m good” You look at your watch and see it’s almost 8:10, the time you need to be on the bus, “I gotta go get ready!” You shout out to your parents, then head upstairs to brush your teeth, then grab your bag, your phone and all the other stuff you need and head off to school.
Chapter Two: Seeing Hearts Broken
You arrive at the bus stop and see Lemon Zest minding her business, still rocking out like she does. Somehow her smile always brightens your day, but then before it could last any longer, a group of Crystal Prep Students arrived and quickly say their twisted opinions on Lemon Zest.
“Failure!” one coughed.
“Whore!” the second covered.
“Slut!” the third said normally as, she saw Lemon wearing her headphones, then texts to someone, but it doesn’t take much of your consideration.
Eventually the bus arrived to take everyone to Crystal Prep Academy, and as you board you see Lemon heads to sit with her friends, Indigo, Sour, Sunny and Sugercoat.
When you sit down, you were about to put on your headphones and listen to some music, but then hear some students ahead of you talking sexually about Lemon’s group.
“Honestly, if Indigo wasn’t a complete unfaithful bitch, I would love to fuck that firm ass of her’s, god she must work that ass like crazy to get it like that, man Crystal Prep’s got some hot athletes, even if some are unfaithful whores like her!” One of the Crystal Prep Students stated to his compatriots.
“Who cares about her? Sour Sweet is where it’s at! I bet that bipolar bitch would love to fuck three guys, if thinking that could cure her!” Another stated, which disgusted you, someone saying bad things about some who has a medical condition, but it turns out that it wasn’t the end of that.
“What about Sugercoat? I bet that blunt cunt, is complete sex maniac, she has to be! Why else would she be a silent one?”, another Crystal Prep student stated in his vulgar fashion.
“Probably hiding the smell of every dick she sucked and took in, since the last month” one of the female students began to chime into the conversation, “however I would tap Sunny Lane!” she boasted.
“Wait, are you telling me, that Sunny Lane is a lesbian?” the Crystal Prep student asked.
“Bisexual, Lesbian, I don’t fucking care, I just want to finger that cunt of hers! She always flaunts her assets to guys but gets frigit as fuck when she talking to girls!” she stated her intention.
Overhearing their vulgar and somewhat intense conversation, made you feel very worried for the Shadow 5, whether not if they were serious or not, it all still concerned you. Sure every member of the Shadow 5 were incredibly attractive, but to go far and make a slam on some of their aspects, such as Sunny’s sexual orientation or Sour’s bipolar disorder and what not, seems a very messed up prospect.
Soon the Bus arrives at the school, you decide to wait for a moment to put away your phone, but the group ahead stays behind.
‘This can’t be good’ You think to yourself.
Soon the Shadow 5 walk down the aisle, led by Lemon, followed by Sour, Sunny, Sugercoat and then Indigo, then two of the Crystal Prep students nodded and then both smacked Indigo in the ass. When Indigo turns around with her face red and a furious look, she was pissed.
“What the hell was that for?!” she hissed at the group.
“It’s what you get for being a traitorous whore!” One of the Crystal Preps responded with a smirk, but Indigo gives all of them the finger and then leaves the bus, soon followed by the group.
As you leave the bus, the driver pulls you aside, “Are you one of them?” he asks you.
“No sir” you respond back.
“I plan to report their behaviour to Principal Cadence, but I might need some evidence to back me up” he insists.
“I don’t I’d be a valuable asset to help, but I can give you something help, I managed to record their conversation, would that be of assistance?” You asked holding up your phone.
“I appreciate it, you know you’re a good kid, a lot better than the other students I get, well except for the group of five girls” the driver admitted.
“Glad to be on your good book” You respond, then give him a copy of the conversation to him, so he’ll have his testimony against the misbehaving students, you then leave the bus for school.
As you head to class, you see the Shadow 5 having a conversation, probably about what happened to Indigo, which seemed correct as Indigo had some tears in her eyes, probably the first time you saw the most elite athlete crying.
‘Should I go over and see if she was okay?’ you wonder “or would she think I was one of them, I did not get off the bus like everyone else did’ you think again, and decide that you entering the conversation would make things worse.
An hour goes by and you head off to Maths, you see the group of students from the bus been taken to Principal Cadence’s office by your school’s security team. You hear their demands of innocence but are ignored and are taken into Cadence’s office.
A smile hits your face as the disgusting lot got what they deserved, but then you see the Shadow 5 at their lockers.
“You guys go ahead I’ll get my textbook and meet you at the see you in class” You hear Lemon tell her friends.
“Okay just hurry up, class begins in 5 minutes” Sugercoat stated to her rocker friend and the others leave for class.
You decide to try talking to her, but before you could, you are thrown into the lockers, by someone and fall to the floor, as you get up rubbing your head wondering what the heck happen, you see Lemon Zest getting harassed by no other, this kiss ass himself; Blueblood, the instrument of Crystal Prep Academy’s misery, and two other students holding her.
“What do you guys want?!” Lemon shouted as she was held by Bluebood’s goons.
“What we want? What we want is that, you and your friends get what you deserved for disgracing our school’s name, during the Friendship Games!” Bluebood shouted at the rocker girl.
“You all still mad about the games? It was last year!” Lemon complained.
“And it’s taken this long for you to receive your punishment!” Blueblood snarled and takes off Lemon’s headset.
“Hey give it back! They were a gift!” Lemon tried to get free from Blueblood’s goons.
“Yeah?” he smirked and then splits her headset in two, “Cause now it’s scrap! Just like you”, then his men let Lemon go to fall to her knee, soon Blueblood and his goons laugh as they walk away, but where you stand, you film the whole fiasco, with your blood boiling.
“You’ve terrorised Crystal Prep for the last time” You mutter under your breathe, but then turn back to a broken hearted Lemon Zest as she picks up her broken headset and you swear you were about to cry for Lemon.
“Lemon! Lemon! Come on You’re….” Sugercoat called out to Lemon Zest and saw her holding her broken headset, “Lemon… what happened?” she asks her sadden friend, but Lemon was too heartbroken to respond.
“Blueblood, that’s what happened” Sugercoat and Lemon Zest turn and see you, looking furious, “that stuck up bastard has done enough, and it’s time for him to pay” you tell them.
“How are you going to at Blueblood, the guy is pretty much immune to any form of prosecution, even with principal Cadence, he always say none of us have evidence” Sugercoat explains.
You hold up your phone, “I recorded the entire thing, there’s no way he can get around this time, also Lemon I’m really sorry that he broke your headphones” you apologise to Lemon, feeling bad she lost the thing she cherished most.
“It wasn’t your fault, but looks like this will never be fixed” Lemon cried as she got up and threw the broken headset in the bin.
Soon Sugercoat takes Lemon Zest to class while you stayed behind, you walk over to the trash can, and take out Lemon’s broken headset and put them into a plastic bag you keep for emergencies, then head to Principal Cadence’s office.
As you arrive at Principal Cadence’s office, you see your exhausted principal going through a lot, “Principal Cadence, my I have word?” you ask her.
“Oh it’s you, please have a seat” she kindly tells you, as you take your seat, she seems to be putting face to hid her exhausted state, “What can I do for you?” she asks.
You don’t know how to proceed, you want to tell her everything you saw today, from the bus incident to Blueblood harassing Lemon Zest, however you decide to ask something else.
“Are you okay Miss Cadence? You seemed exhausted when I arrived” you point out, then Principal Cadence sighs.
“Was it very obvious?” she asks you, hoping for an honest answer.
“You had your hand on your face, I’m guessing you a tough day?” you wonder.
“Yes, I had to suspend more than 5 students for sexual harassment, which two did physically and the rest verbally, one of the school bus drivers gave me a recording of it, I still wondered where he got it from since he wouldn’t name the person who gave it to him” she pointed out the recording you have the driver.
“It was me, I was sitting behind them and I listened to their comments on Indigo Zap, Sugercoat, Sour Sweet and Sunny Lane, the driver wanted me to take part in reporting the misbehaving students, but I was concerned of being a future target, so I gave him the recording of their conversation” you explain.
You see Principal Cadence get up and walks to the window, “I feel so sorry for those girls, ever since the end of Friendship Games, they’ve become targets of bullying, I tried so hard to help them, but ever since the start of the new school year it’s the same thing as we got back from the games…” You hear Principal Cadence starting to cry, “I’m a failure as a Dean and a Principal” she cried.
“No you’re not” You get up and comfort the upset principal, “You’ve tried your hardest and that’s what matters, and I want to stop the bullying as well, which is why I came here” You pull out your phone as you finish your sentence.
“Blueblood has been harassing Lemon Zest and destroyed her personal property” you report.
“Listen, as much as I want to get rid of him for being one of the main reasons the Shadowbolts misery, do you have any evidence to prove” Principal Cadence asked, as it was her job to have something to prove Blueblood’s actions rather than the words of another student.
You play the recording on your phone, and Principal Cadence is shocked, she sees what Blueblood does to Lemon Zest, and then to put the icing on the cake, you pull out Lemon’s broken headphones. You soon see Principal Cadence’s head down then she raises it.
“I hope he’s enjoyed his time at Crystal Prep, cause tomorrow will be his last day” she tells you, “Thank you for showing me this, please copy this and send it to me, I would like to keep this to prevent Blueblood from lying his way around again” You nod in agreement.
After giving her the copy of Blueblood’s actions, you get up to leave before she stops you, “You know, You’re unlike the other students here at Crystal Prep, what’s the reason?” she asks your good personality rather than the others.
“Honestly, I’m in love…”You admit and you hear Principal Cadence giggling.
“May I ask with whom?” she asked.
“Lemon Zest, I don’t know why, every time I see her, my heart just melts all the time, but seeing her sad or getting harassed, just makes me feel what she feels” you continue to admit your feelings for Lemon, which couldn’t be more embarrassing to express them to your school principal, but she was surprised.
“Well I hope you plan to tell her tomorrow, since Valentine’s Day is tomorrow” Principal Cadence indicated to a calendar, and she wasn’t wrong, “I wish you luck in finding love, and thanks for coming to see me” she waves goodbye to you, which you wave back and then leave.
The day finally comes to an end, and you are glad it’s over. As you sit down and wait to leave, you see the Shadow 5 board, with Lemon and Indigo looking miserable and the others trying to comfort her.
“You can’t allow what happened affect you” Sunny Lane places her hand on Lemon’s shoulder, but she remains quiet.
Behind them, Sour Sweet and Sugercoat try to cheer up Indigo, “Indigo, I’m sorry you had that happen to you, but whoever did it, I’M GOING TO BREAK THEIR LEGS!” Sour Sweet put her input.
“What they did was wrong, and I heard that they got suspended and probably going to receive community service for three months” Sugercoat said to her, but Indigo said nothing and remained quiet.
You watch the Shadow 5 sit down and continue trying to cheer up Lemon and Indigo, you soon decide that despite you love Lemon Zest, you want to do something for all the Shadow 5, so you knew what you have to do.
