“What do you do when you’re depressed in here?”

The cafeteria was abnormally warm this morning, and the sun spilled in bathing most of the chatty prisoners in light. Twilight buried her head in her arms lazily, sending a question Chrys’ way. She hummed in thought for a bit before answering.

“Play with something small,” she said. Twilight looked up to see her demonstrating. She fiddled with her hands as if something small was in them. “If that doesn’t work, maybe get a bite to eat, or read from a bible.” She put her hands down.

“Oh,” replied Twilight, plopping her head back down in her arms. She sighed quietly, delving back into her own thoughts. Chrys watched on in slight concern. She opened her mouth to speak, but there was a dull smack. Twilight rocketed upwards.

“Why the long face?” asked Pinkie as she put her tray down next to Twilight. She looked at her and realized that she was still grimacing in pain, but only smiled. “You’re too soft. You need to hit the gym more often.”

“Hey Pinkie,” said Chrys. She put her chin in her palms. “What’s up?”

“Nothing much,” she answered with a peppy voice. Twilight rested her face on her right palm and leaned onto it. Pinkie stared at Twilight’s uninterested eyes and her smile gave way to a confusing glare. “What’s wrong? You look like you haven’t slept a day in forever.”

“More like a few days,” answered Twilight with a lazy smile. “But… for the most part, yes.”

“What’s got you so shaken up?” Twilight’s smile dropped, and her eyes flicked over to Chrys, who did the same. Then she returned her gaze to Pinkie. She looked taken aback. “Are you two keeping secrets? Lemme hear, lemme hear!”

“”She’s uh…” Chrys started. Twilight looked away, a faraway expression painting her face. “Kinda hung up on Dash.” Pinkie stopped for a moment, considering what Chrys had said. She grabbed her plastic fork in her hand and threw it down, making everyone else’s platters shake against the table. Twilight turned toward her, startled by the sudden noise.

Oddly enough, she was still smiling. Though it was more of an infuriated grimace. She was clutching her fork so hard, the edges of her palms were turning white. Everyone at the table was watching now, keeping an eye on her as if she was a rabid beast. She turned her eyes to Twilight.

“You miss Dashie, huh?” she said, never dropping her ravenous smile. Twilight was taken aback by its ferocity but nodded slowly. “Well then? What are you gonna do about it?” Twilight raised an eyebrow.

“What do you mean?” she asked, confused. Pinkie put the fork up to Twilight’s face like she was showing it off.

“Dashie was a tough tough SOB,” said Pinkie, inspecting the fork herself. “She knows how to take care of herself in a fight. But the way she died is weird.”

“What do you mean?” repeated Twilight. “It was weird?”

“There was fighting in the halls,” started Pinkie, with a grand gesture towards the door. “There was fighting in the gym, the rec rooms, hell in people’s cells.” Pinkie pushed her face into Twilight’s, close enough that if she moved a bit forward, their noses would touch. “But there was no fighting in the Block Hub.”

“T-There wasn’t?” Twilight asked, looking into Pinkie’s large blue eyes. “How do you know?” Pinkie backed off, twirling the fork between her fingers.

“Sunset is a tricky girl, I’ll tell you that,” she said, grabbing the fork again while jabbing it into the table. “She makes her plans ironclad. Something she wants to be done? There’s a plan to do it. She didn’t plan for there to be a commotion in the Block Hub.”

“Why are you telling me this?” asked Twilight in exasperation. “I mean… what does this mean, anyway? I already know who killed—” she choked up, thinking about the horrible state of her friend’s body.

“You already know who killed her?” asked Pinkie, taunting Twilight with a condescending tone. “Well, maybe you’d like to enlighten us.”

“It was Sunset!” said Twilight, a little louder than she intended. Chrys looked bewildered but stayed silent. Still, Twilight continued. “She killed Rainbow. She said she would!”

“”Oh, really?” asked Pinkie. “Answer me this, Twilight. You’re a smart girl, so you should know the answer. Why would Sunset waste Rainbow?”

“Huh?” asked Twilight. She thought about it before answering. “She didn’t do what she was told, right? Sunset got fed up and… she killed her.” Pinkie shook her head and put the fork down.

“Not waste waste,” she said. “Talent waste. Rainbow, for all intents and purposes, is Sunset's right-hand man.”

“So… Rainbow Dash wasn't offed by Sunset?” asked Chrys. “So who could've done it? You seem to know.” Pinkie’s face, which looked insane a few seconds ago switched to one of deep confusion and embarrassment.

“Actually… uh, how do I say this…” she said, rubbing her hand through her messy hair. “Sunset was hoping you two could help me out. Haha.”

Twilight and Chrys looked at each other, both with the same look. Chrys looked back first.

“Why do you need our help?” she asked quietly. Pinkie smiled as if her earlier episode didn't happen.

“I can find value in any person. You’re like me! Familiar. That’s good.” Pinkie turned her head to Twilight, and their eyes met for a second. Twilight could see Pinkie’s glare pierce her own. She felt inclined to look away, but Pinkie seemed to be keeping them focused on her. “And you, Twilight. You’re smart. Very smart.”

“I… thank you,” said Twilight.

“But you’re too fresh. Too clean.” This time, it was a new voice. She walked slowly towards the table. Twilight’s chest tightened up, and her stomach lurched. She couldn’t stop staring at Sunset’s eyes, which seemed to burn into her own, like a more captivating version of Pinkie’s Twilight didn’t notice that she was close until she was right above her.

“W-What?” she asked, still staring.

“Your version of thinking about the future is parole, maybe what your little friends are doing outside.” Sunset leaned forward, and her eyes took on a dark tinge. Like the fire in her eyes was burning her insides to ash, making her feel cruelly cold inside. “What should you be thinking about, hm? What do you think?”

“What I should be thinking about?” repeated Twilight. She opened her mouth to answer, but she blanked. Looking away didn’t occur in her mind. “Rainbow Dash… and who killed her.”

The world snapped back into focus. Sunset’s smiled. It was small but present. She squatted down, face to face with Twilight, and they studied each other. Sunset’s was meticulous but still warm, like the day they met.

“So what do you say?” she asked. “I’m the fish to know in this pond if you want to look at it that way. Help me find who killed Rainbow, and I’ll make sure you get everything you could want.”

For a few seconds, Twilight stared past everything. Only focusing on the thoughts in her head. Rainbow’s warning repeated in her head, heeding her not to get involved. Her ears must have been raw, with all the times she heard it.

Can I join her if it’s for you?

“I want to know who killed Rainbow Dash.”

Sunset simply nodded her head.

Twilight was resting on her back, leaning up against a cold wall in the E-Block. She was looking down, but her eyes were turned upward. She was watching the guards go past. One, then two. Then none. Every few minutes. She only had a few minutes to do this, but that’s all she would need.

Sunset was next to her, arms crossed. She wasn’t being careful at all. She stared down the person in the cell, never taking her eyes off of her until Twilight tapped her shoulder.

“You have about three minutes,” she said. “Maybe less, if the guards get alerted.”

“Well then,” said Sunset, watching the next patrol coming down and passing them. “Make sure they take their time then.” Twilight was silent as she walked to the cell of Sweetie Drops and walked in. Twilight saw her get up from her bed to look Sunset in the eyes. She was not appreciative of being walked in on.

“I don’t have much time, so I’ll keep this brief,” she said, walking deeper into Sweetie Drops’ cell. “You and your boss were in the crowd when the big fight started. Did you see anyone leave the fighting?”

“Fuck you,” said Sweetie Drops. “You think I’m scared of you or you lapdog out there?” she turned and look at Twilight before looking back up at Sunset. “I don’t give a fuck about you or that fuck up, Dash.”

Sunset grabbed Sweetie Drops collar, and pulled her close, headbutting her in the nose as she did. Twilight could hear the crack and feel the pain herself. She winced as Sunset brought her in for another one. She let her go, onto the bed.

“What the hell, man?!” exclaimed Sweetie Drops clutching her nose and groaning in agony.

“I’m going to ask you again—”

“I didn’t see anything, asshole!” she yelled. “I should fuck you up for that!” Sunset smiled as she looked down on the helpless woman.

“But you won’t.” Sunset reared her fist back and sunk it into Sweetie Drops’ face, causing her neck to snap back. She grabbed her by the collar and delivered two more punches, each as devastating as the last. By now, Sweetie’s face looked like it was going to swell soon. “Who. The. Hell. Did. You. See?”

“I-I didn’t see—” Sunset brought her knee to her face, causing Twilight to gasp in pain. She tried to run, but Sunset’s continued assault to her head made everything hard to process.

“This is probably what you saw, hm?” Sunset hit her with a final knee before pushing her up against her wall with force. “What you saw happening to Dash? Spill the fucking beans before I spill your guts on the floor.”

Twilight walked into the cell, checking for guards before she did. She put my hand on Sunset’s shoulder, which caused her to turn around. Her eyes were wild, and her smile was devious.

“Let her be,” said Twilight, looking at the sniveling, whimpering mess before her. “You’ll kill her at this rate, and the guards will definitely find you.” Sunset looked down at Sweetie Drops, then back at Twilight. She let Sweetie out of her grip then motioned towards the door.

“Let’s go then.”

She left the cell, motioning for Twilight to follow her. They headed towards the exit to the block, running into guards as they left.

“Just on time,” mumbled Twilight. Sunset nodded, putting her bloody hands in her pockets and acting naturally. The guards looked at the blood on her pants but didn’t say anything. The two walked out of the E-Block together. “Did you really have to do that? Be that brutal, I mean.”

“Probably not,” said Sunset with a shrug. “But I don’t really care.” Twilight shuddered, wondering what the woman next to her could do when she was actually angry. “Anyone else seems suspicious?”

“No one under her,” reported Twilight. “She’s being pretty suspicious on her own, though,” Sunset grunted and kept walking.

“She’ll get her comeuppance soon,” she said, shaking her head. “Let me think about Rarity. You just think about the people who could’ve taken part in the actual fight. Don’t rule out anyone.”

“Okay…” Twilight stopped in front of B-Block, watching as Sunset walked off just as she’d been doing for the past few weeks. Twilight watched her enter her own cell block, A-Block, and disappear from view. Twilight sighed, and turned back into her own block, making her way to her cell.

“Long day?” asked Chrys. Twilight didn’t know how long she’d been standing there. She smiled at her.

“Kinda,” she said, opening the door to her cell. She invited Chrys in, both of them sitting down on the bed. Twilight closed her eyes in fatigue. “I know this is gonna sound stupid… but hear me out.” Chrys turned to Twilight with an eyebrow raised.

“What’s up?” she asked.

“I signed up for this,” said Twilight, looking over to Chrys. “But I don’t think I signed up for all the violence and the fighting. I just wanted to find out who did this to Rainbow.”

“Yeah, you’re not really up for bashing heads in.” Chrys looked over to Twilight’s pained face and winced. “Sorry. Tender subject.” Twilight looked back up to the top of her cell. It was nearing the end of the day, and she’d need to get some shuteye soon.

“Hopefully this is all worth it,” said Twilight with a heavy sigh. “I don’t want to hurt people to no end.”

“Everything has an end,” said Chrys, getting up from the bed. “Good or bad, everything has a reason. You just have to keep working at it to find out what it is.” Twilight watched as Chrys walked out, closing the door behind her as she went outside into the Block Hub. Chrys was a good friend.

And Twilight really didn’t want to see her head bashed in.

She shivered, before laying down, head on her pillow, and slowly drifting to sleep.

Author's Note

It's been a while, but here it is. The next chapter of Breaking the Bars.

Please excuse the relative lack of length when compared to my other chapters. Ending it here just seemed right. Also. excuse my wonky schedule which probably throws you out of the loop.

If you can overlook those two things, I hope that you enjoyed.