Choices

With food in hand, Sunset sees two options pop up before her.

X: Wander the halls, and see who might be doing what around the school.

O: Just head to the table with her friends, and hang out with them, like most lunches nowadays.

As Sunset moved across the cafeteria, and tried to ignore the catcalls she got, she spotted the small table that her friends usually sat at. Of course, with how busy the other five were, it was pretty rare for all of them to be there, and today, it looked like Applejack and Fluttershy were the only ones that had been able to make it.

Once she got into earshot, Applejack shook her head. “Well, Fluttershy had told me that you had decided to dress… differently today, but I hadn’t actually expected it to be true.” She than smiled. “Guess it’s that rocker side of you then, isn’t it?”

Sunset blushed, “I guess so. Today has just been really weird if I’m honest though.” She picked up her cheese burger and took a big bite.

Fluttershy smiled, and placed a hand on the one Sunset had on the bench. “Well, I know you’re still acting like yourself, so I wouldn’t worry about it personally.”

Applejack bit into her cheek, before shrugging herself, and leaning forward to get some of her own grub. “I suppose that’s really what matters. It isn’t the clothes that make the girl, it’s her own actions. As long as those aren’t changing too much, we don’t have anything to fear.”

“Well I’m trying to be a nicer person I want to be a good person.” Sunset blushed nervously.

Applejack reached over and squeezed her hand as she smiled. ‘I know sugarcube. Just don’t think a more open person means a nicer person, okay?”

“Alright, today has just been very weird… Oh! Button! Button Mash over here!” Sunset stood up to get Button’s attention.

Button didn’t hear her though, and Sunset got to see as one of the quarterbacks, Thunderlane, smiled down at the poor nerd. Just from the posturing, how Button looked, and the hand on the wall that stopped him from going anywhere, she knew what was going on. She’d used the same tactics too many times not to.

X: Leave him be. I would just make more enemies trying to help him, and they are the jocks. I didn’t mess with them for a reason.

O: Confront them. I can still hold some level of fear over most people, and bullying is just wrong… or so I now think.

V: Act oblivious, and pretend to be his girlfriend. It’s underhanded, and Button might pass out, but bullies don’t like to do it when there are witnesses. Celestia knows I used plenty of dark corners for my business.

Sunset stepped over, her heels making an extra bit of noise as she approached. She wanted to make sure she was heard, and heard she was, as Thunderlane jumped at first at the sight of her. What she didn’t notice was his eyes flicking over her body, and the grin that barely hid in his scowl. Instead, she felt complete control as she crossed her arms and said, “Let him go.”

Thunderlane gestured for her to go away, his scowl becoming more realized as he glared at her. “Look, you aren’t queen of this school anymore, and I’m just talking to Button about an arrangement we had, that’s all. A friendly deal. So, since you aren’t even ready to do this, why don’t you just move along?”

X: Confront

O: Backoff

Sunset stepped forward, her eyes glaring into his as she growled, “And what will you do if I don’t?”

It was too late when she realized the smile in his eyes, and that she had walked right into what she wanted. “This.” His hand, the same one that had been stretched out before, now reached forward, grabbing the front of her bra, and pulling it down, hard. She heard the clasp in the back undo itself, and the fresh air caressed her bosom as Thunderlane held her bra.

It was about this point, as Button froze in place and a small bit of blood left his nose, that Sunset realized that they were lucky to be in a corner.

Sunset gritted her teeth and cried out, swinging at Thunderlane’s nose. “You… you Gelding!”

Thunderlane stepped back, his teeth grit as he recoiled from the pain. Glancing to the room though, he saw that their noise had made sure that his actions were still unseen, even with Sunset’s shout, and now he was angry. He pushed forward, his hands grabbing ahold of her bosom and forcing her against the wall as he scowled. “Alright, you bitch, let’s see how tough you real-”

Crack!

A brown fist slammed into Thunderlane’s cheek, and this time sent him sprawling onto the floor. Button then stood before her, holding his wrist. His eyes were darting from place to place, unable to stay in one point, before they landed on Sunset. He reached out, grabbing her hand, and tried to pull her away, and out of the cafeteria.

X: Follow Button. That punch didn’t sound good, but if Thunderlane isn’t out cold, he is going to be mad, and I may need to protect Button.

O: Stay, as Thunderlane still has my bra, and I want to make sure the jackass gets what he deserves.

Sunset let Button take her away as a groan came from Thunderlane. Even if she bothered to stay, it’s doubtful she would get much done. There was a bit of a reason that her empire lasted as long as it did. Besides, she had come over to make sure Button was okay, and now she was even more curious.

And, as she found out when Button’s adrenaline stopped, it was a good thing, as the poor boy hit his knees with a cry of pain. Kneeling beside him, Sunset saw him clutching at his hand, and whimpering.

Sunset kneeled down “Let me see. My, uh, old mentor taught me about wounds, and how to heal them.” She was, admittedly, bluffing a bit, but as she pressed into his palm, and felt one of the bones move a bit, she knew she would need to be pretty dumb not to realize that the poor boy broke his hand on the idiot’s thick skull.

Button tried to take his hand away, an open sweat coming down his face at this point. “It’s… It’s nothing, I-I promise. What’s more important is that you’re okay, and that we,” he paused, still somehow able to blush, even like this, “find you something to cover up with.”

“Y-yeah. Hopefully AJ comes soon. I know she was watching…” Sunset blushed. “Thunderlane is going to owe me a new bra… gelding bastard.”

Button nodded, breathing heavily as he leaned back against the wall. His hand now grasped at his wrist, his arm shaking as he tried to keep it still. She could hear him muttering, worried about what this might do to him, and about the pain.

X: Kiss Button Mash. He deserves that much.

O: Let him touch me with his good hand. He stood up for me, seems pretty sweet, and god knows he could use a distraction.

V: Do what I had thought before, and undo his trousers. No work for him, and I give him what he is due, and then some.

Y: Hold his good hand, and let him know I’m here. No matter what though, I’m not leaving him alone.

Sunset moved over to his right side, gently taking ahold of his good hand, and smiling at him as she squeezed it. He tried to smile back, but it was obvious that it was forced, and hard for him to hold. Despite it only taking her another minute, by the time Applejack came around the corner, he was sobbing into her shoulder, shuddering in pain and fear.

“Sorry it took me so long. Are you two okay?”

“Button’s hand is broken, and Thunderlane took my bra. Do you have a top I can borrow?” Sunset looked up, hopeful.

Applejack frowned. “I… don’t. Sorry. I don’t even know where we would find one right now, at least before lunch ends. If I could track down Rarity, that would be a whole different story.” She then turned to Button. “As for you, first, thanks for helping out Sunset, it means a lot to me. Secondly, we either need to get you to the nurse, or at least get your hand bandaged up so it stays still.”

a moment, Button just nodded, gritting his teeth as he stepped away from Sunset and the wall, before his eyes popped open. “W-wait, I’ve played enough survival games to know that, nnf, you could just rip a piece of a shirt off for a bandage. And then, Sunset can just take my ruined one. Worst that can happen is the guys tease me.”

Applejack glanced over to Sunset and raised an eyebrow. “The thought had crossed my mind.”

X: No, as I owe him too much already.

O: Yes, as it fixes both of our problems, and I can figure out a real way to thank him other than, ‘He got to see my tits.’

Sunset slowly nodded, looking Button right in the eyes as she asked, “Are you sure?”

Button nodded with a smile. It was small, but she could tell sincere, just like the rest of the boy. It actually kind of hurt though, as she knew a large part of it had to go to the pretty girl talking to him. That did give her a good few ideas as to how to reward him though.

She couldn’t set any of them into motion yet though, as by the time they had everything taken care of, the end of lunch bell was ringing, and they had to rush towards class, with Button feeling better, unlike Sunset’s stomach.