As the World Falls Down

by HudsonHawk

Rating: teen
Tags: Sunset Shimmer, Drama, Dark, Sad, Other, Original Character, Equestria Girls, Prince Blueblood, Babs Seed
Length: 23417

Sunset Shimmer tries to reach out and make amends to a boy she helped humiliate, who's doing something worse than trying to kill himself... living out of spite.

It's been two months since Sunset Shimmer, along with her friends, successfully kept Dactylic Pentameter from jumping from the roof of Canterlot High. It's been two months since she rectified one of her greatest mistakes...

The problem with being a former bully turned repentant soul is you've hurt so many people that you can't remember them all.

People like Silver Screen.

Unlike Dac, Silver decided to live after a crushing humiliation she helped engineer. However, he's a bit worse off: he's choosing to live out of spite rather than any true desire to live, and if she doesn't try to fix her mistake, he'll head down the same dark path she did...

A fan sequel to the excellent fic "One More Dance" by my friend and surrogate bro LightningSword.

Published 2016-09-23 13:00:01 UTC
Last updated 2024-07-03 12:28:52 UTC

Twist of Fate

"Do we deserve a second chance?
How did we fall into this circumstance?
We weren't so straight and narrow
This is much more than we deserve
A higher voice has called the tune
Two hearts that lost the beat will now resume
The gift of life extension
By divine intervention..."
-Olivia Newton-John, "Twist of Fate"

Sunset Shimmer had always hated Friday detention. Back when she was the queen bitch of Canterlot High, she had been to her share of them as, even though she ruled the student body with an iron fist, her power did not extend to the faculty.

She looked up from her copy of "Needful Things" and snuck a look at the clock on the wall: 4:45. In fifteen minutes, she'd be free to go. Good thing, too: she'd only been in the school library since 2:30, and she was starting to get cabin fever. Thankfully, Stephen King's prose helped to keep it at bay.

Despite the gripping tale in front of her, she couldn't help but think back over the events of the past two months or so... ever since she had seen how much of a monster she was... ever since...

...ever since she had managed to fix her greatest mistake... ever since she had saved Dac's life.

Dactylic Pentameter... her new best friend... her former victim. She knew how much of a bully she had been, but she never knew how much she had truly hurt him until that day... the day he nearly jumped from the roof of Canterlot High. Thankfully, she, along with her friends, had been able to talk him down. Now, she, the girls, and Dac were the closest of friends, and things had begun to look up for him. Sunset, for the first time since her reformation, was truly happy.

But something felt... off today. She just couldn't put her finger on why.

She snuck another look at the gray-skinned boy next to her. His mop of brown hair was messy and unkempt, but it fit him somehow. He wore stylish dark-green glasses and a black-and-gray Hawaiian shirt. It looked rather subdued for the type of garment known for it's garishness. Then again, the dark colors could have been an attempt to help hide the pudge in his midsection. The ensemble was finished off with neat blue jeans and a pair of black hi-top sneakers. He was stern-faced, perusing the latest edition of Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide, and writing on a small notepad.

Sunset grew curious. All morning, she felt she as if she had seen him somewhere before, but she couldn't quite place him. She looked to the large desk at the front of the room: empty. Vice Principal Luna had left to take care of a personal matter about twenty minutes ago, so there was no harm in trying to talk.

"Hey." She whispered.

"Please don't talk to me." The boy replied, calm and emotionless.

That was rather rude, she thought. She tried again.

"Excuse me-" She started.

"Please be quiet." The boy asked, a bit annoyed.

"Wow. I just wanted to know-"

"I'll slow down so you can understand me, Sunset: Shut. Up. Please."

The boy turned away and continued reading and writing, leaving a stunned Sunset sitting there. It took a minute to process what she heard before her mind went to work.

Okay, brain... let's go to work. I think I know him... I got this strange sense of déjà vu. Now, how do I know him? Of course, maybe he's another victim. That narrows it down to... the entire school...

Sunset was still mulling over everything when the door opened, and Vice Principal Luna stepped in, obviously miffed.

"All right, since you haven't killed each other or destroyed part of the room, I trust I can leave you two alone again for a while? I have to attend to a small problem."

"What hap-" Sunset started.

"If you must know, Miss Shimmer, someone was caught keying my car, and they have to be attended to. I just figured that you two should know."

"Excuse me, Miss Luna?" The boy asked.

"Yes, Mr. Screen?" Luna replied.

"Can I be moved to another room? I can't stand being in the same room as Bacon-Hair here."

Behind his back, Sunset shot him a death glare.

"Mr. Screen..." Luna sternly said. "Has she hurt you in any way?"

"Not recently..." The boy replied.

"Okay... has she hurt you today?"

"No..."

"I will not open up another room unless there is a good reason. If you two have been quiet and civil so far, you two can be civil for a little while more right here. Are we clear?"

"Yeah..." The boy replied, defeated. "...clear."

"Now..." Luna started. "...I will be back at precisely five o'clock to let you out. Good day."

Luna walked out, locking the door behind her, leaving the two kids alone.

"Mr. Screen? Sounds familiar..." Sunset thought.

"Great." The boy said. "Stuck with the alpha witch of Canterlot High for another thirteen minutes..."

Sunset grew miffed. She got up from her seat and stormed over to the front of the boy's desk. She glared daggers at him.

"What is your problem?" Sunset asked, trying to contain her rage and annoyance.

"Life in general, but right now, a certain bacon-haired succubus who can't take the hint and leave me alone." The boy replied, glaring at her with equal rage before returning to his movie guide.

"Okay, that's it."

Before the boy had a chance to react, Sunset's hand had shot out and grabbed his book. She flung it across the room with one fluid motion as the boy sat there, his jaw hanging open.

"Now that I have your attention..." Sunset began. "...why are you so angry with me? What did I do to you?"

There was a short silence before...

"Give me back my book." The boy said angrily.

"Not until you answer my question." Sunset replied.

"I'll get it myself then." The boy said. As he stood up, Sunset's hands found their way to his shoulders and forced him back into his seat.

"Don't touch me." The boy snarled. "Don't ever touch me..."

"Or what?" Sunset asked. "You gonna hit a girl?" She stood back, motioning to herself. "Go ahead if it makes you feel better. However, I don't think you're the type to do it. I can tell."

There was a pause. Then...

"God damn you..." The boy replied, defeated.

"Are you going to tell me what I did?" Sunset asked, her arms crossed and a stern look upon her face.

"You mean you don't remember?" The boy replied, incredulous. "Figures. The day you hurt me and humiliated me was the most important day of my life, but for you, it was just another Tuesday."

"What's your name?" Sunset asked.

"Silver. Silver Screen."

The gears started to shift in Sunset's head. The name sounded familiar.

"Now do you remember me, you deceitful temptress?" Silver snapped, his eyebrows furrowed in slow-burning anger.

"Pretend I don't." Sunset replied, refusing to take the bait and snap back. "Enlighten me."

"Fine. Can't believe you don't remember this. Guess lack of a soul leads to a short memory..."

It was a miracle that Silver's head didn't explode like the poor bastard's in "Scanners" from the glare Sunset had given him. Silver cleared his throat and began to speak.

"This happened before the fall formal. I was putting my stuff away for the day before I headed home..."

Author's Note

The song I named the chapter after, because I felt it (and the entire story) is summed up by it:

Don't Laugh at Me

"I'm a little boy with glasses
The one they call the geek
A little girl who never smiles
'Cause I've got braces on my teeth
And I know how it feels
To cry myself to sleep..."
-Mark Wills, "Don't Laugh at Me"

Silver Screen plopped his algebra and history books in the bottom of his locker. While he didn't mind history class, especially learning where real life differed from the movie portrayals of said events, algebra was utter torture. While walking back to his locker, he tried in vain to figure out when he'd need to calculate the cosine of anything.

He opened up the top portion of his locker to reveal his little library. An action figure of Ash from Evil Dead stood in front of the novelizations lined up in back, chainsaw ready to slice up a Deadite. Finding a sizable gap, Silver set his copy of Maltin's movie guide between the novelizations for The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai and The Incredible Melting Man.

"Hi."

Silver turned. He saw... her. The purple shirt with the ornate sun. The knee high black boots with what looked like purple flames. The orange miniskirt with yellow and purple stripes. The studded leather jacket. The red and yellow hair that looked like a pile of delicious bacon. Those aqua eyes that filled him with mystery and wonder...

Why was Sunset Shimmer talking to him? Silver was pretty low on the social totem pole, as far as he knew. Someone as popular as Sunset Shimmer normally ignored him. Why did she decide to suddenly start speaking to him?

"Hi?" Silver responded, cautious.

"Nice locker." Sunset said, looking at the top portion. "Like the library. Real movie nerd, huh?"

"Yeah." Silver responded. "I love horror and sci-fi. Guess with a name like mine, it's only fitting that I'd be really into it."

"Who's this guy?" Sunset asked, picking up Ash and examining him.

"That's Ash, from the Evil Dead movies." Silver replied, nervous as hell.

"Why does he have a chainsaw for a hand?"

"The evil got into his hand and it went bad, so he lopped it off with that chainsaw and attached it to the stump."

"Ooohhhkayyy..." She deapanned as she put Ash back. She then leaned against the open locker door, arms folded, her eyes half-lidded.

"I don't think I got your name." Sunset said.

"Uhh... Silver... Silver Screen..." Silver replied, sweating like Jimmy Savile in a McDonald's Playland. "No need to ask who you are."

"My reputation precedes me?"

"Who doesn't know who you are? You're the most popular girl in this school... which raises the question of why you're talking to a nobody like me."

"I thought that what you did for that Babs kid was sweet."

"I saw you laughing from your locker, Sunset. You were enjoying it."

Sunset turned on the charm and began to go to town. "I thought about it later, and I was wrong to enjoy it. I wanted to show you how sweet I thought it was by inviting you to a party tonight."

Silver gulped. "A p-p-party?"

Sunset batted her eyes at him, making him blush brightly. "Just a little get together. No booze or drugs or anything like that. Jail time just isn't me. So... can you make it over to my house tonight?"

Silver froze. His heart began to race as he argued with himself. On one hand, this girl was a bully, plain and simple. She had lied, cheated, stolen, and belittled others. The likelihood of her changing in any way was slim, and the fact that she was showing any interest in a dumpy guy such as himself was a red flag, But on the other hand, there was still a chance that she could have changed. How would he know if he didn't give her a chance? Besides, maybe her supposed change... her interest... maybe it was real. All she needed was a chance to show it.

"I can make it." Silver said.

"Great!" Sunset said, a small grin on her face. She pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to Silver. "Here's my address. I look forward to seeing you there, Silver."

Sunset sashayed away, leaving Silver alone, stunned. He couldn't believe this was happening. It took him a moment to realize that a: he was still at school when he should be at home, and b: he was standing there like a total idiot looking at a piece of paper. Slipping it into the pocket of his garish Hawaiian shirt, Silver walked out the front doors of Canterlot High and started home.

The purple dusk of twilight was in full bloom as Silver's battered green Vespa sputtered to a stop outside 1428 Elm Street, taking a spot behind a red Ferrari with the not ostentatious at all license plate "BTRTHNU." Silver killed the engine, dismounted and made a quick once-over of himself in the Ferrari's side-mirror: his hair was combed into a semblance of a neat hairstyle, his black button-down shirt was free of hair and dust. He looked down: his nice jeans had no rips or tears, his belt was through all the loops and secured with a belt buckle depicting the desert and twin moons of Arrakis from David Lynch's "Dune," and his faithful black hi-tops were tied tightly and neatly.

"People are bastards, every one of them. They'll always hurt you in the end."

"Shut up, you." Silver said to himself. "You're not ruining this for me."

He reached into the pocket of his jean jacket and pulled out the corsage he had bought: a small black rose. He hoped that Sunset would like it. Gathering his courage, he started toward the modest two-story home, whistling "The Dream" with a spring in his step.

Taking a deep breath to steel his faltering nerves, Silver pushed the doorbell. His heart pounded and the flop sweat flowed when Sunset answered the door, an R and B beat emanating from the room behind her.

It took all of Silver's will power to not run off in fright.

In addition to her ever-present leather jacket, Sunset was wearing a scarlet cocktail dress that accentuated her many curves and as much cleavage as you could get from a B or C-cup. Her red eye shadow and scarlet lipstick helped to draw attention to her luscious lips and gorgeous teal eyes. The red high-heels completed the ensemble effectively. She was a vision of beauty, a study of scarlet sexiness... and Silver was having a hard time not dropping to his knees and declaring himself not worthy of the goddess before him.

"Silver? Earth to Silver?" Sunset said, waving a hand in front of his eyes.

"Errrr...." was all that Silver could muster in reply. A subsequent shaking of his shoulders brought him back to reality.

"Like what you see?" Sunset asked, a sly smile on her face.

"Yes, ma'am." Silver replied, part of him still miles away.

"Ooh, and polite. I like that." Sunset said as she took him by the hand and led him inside, Silver grinning like an idiot as Sunset led him through her living room, into her kitchen and out the back into her backyard.

The party was in full swing as Silver and Sunset stepped into the backyard. A large ghettoblaster was set up on a patio table, blasting music from the iPod connected to it. Next to it, a large table was set up with Combos, cold cuts, crackers, cheese and other snacks.

Silver took a quick look around and could recognize a few of the partygoers: there was Truffle Shuffle, a rather rotund kid he shared math class with, chowing down rather noisily and messily on Combos. He was oblivious to the disgust of his date, a rich girl named Upper Crust. Twist, a sweet girl with an oddly adorable lisp, was offering one of her homemade peppermint candies to her date, the snooty Jet Set. He reluctantly accepted, popped it in his mouth... then his expression changed to one of near orgasmic bliss.

Something was odd here...

"Silver!" Sunset shouted, derailing his train of thought and killing all 200 passengers aboard.

"Yeah?" Silver asked.

"Can I take a selfie with you?"

"Sure."

Sunset got out her phone, pulled Silver close, put her arm around him and looked at the camera.

"Smile!"

Silver did so as the flash went off. He stood there, dazed and momentarily blinded. As the spots in front of his eyes faded, he saw Sunset finish fiddling with her phone and slip it into her jacket pocket. It was then that he remembered...

"Uh... I have something for you, Sunset..." Silver said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out the black rose corsage. Sunset's eyes widened.

"It's... It's beautiful..." Sunset said as she moved the left part of her jacket over enough for a trembling Silver to pin it on the strap of her dress.

Silver was so nervous... so concentrated on the task at hand... he didn't notice the two boys coming up behind him... didn't notice the large container of Gatorade they had... not until they overturned it over Silver's head.

A cascade of something incredibly rancid smelling poured out of the container and splashed all over Silver. A shocked Silver dropped the corsage as the substance oozed down and underneath his shirt. He tried to breathe through his mouth to avoid the stench, but that only allowed some of it to get in his mouth, and he started to gag. As the substance made its way down his pants, he turned around.

Snips and Snails, Sunset's muscle, were holding an empty Gatorade container, evil grins on their faces. Soon, he heard clapping as a smug-faced white-skinned blond boy walked out of the back door of the house, a huge grin on his face.

"How fitting." Blueblood said. "Dog food for the ultimate dog."

Silver spat out a bit of dog food that got into his mouth. "What?"

"You really thought that Sunset would willingly invite a loser like you to a party with other losers?" Blueblood said, a slasher smile spreading on his face. "Please. I told her to invite you. You see, we were having a dogfight."

"A... dogfight...?" Silver asked, hurt.

"Yeah. The ugliest date wins." Sunset replied, looking at him with contempt. "Guess what, Silver? YOU WON!"

Sunset and Blueblood started laughing at Silver... and they weren't the only ones...

Upper Crust was laughing so hard that tears were falling down her face, currently being covered in bits of half-eaten Combos by Truffle Shuffle, who was laughing just as loud and just as hard. Jet Set was guffawing like Ed McMahon in response to a particularly good Johnny Carson zinger. Twist, however, wasn't laughing. She looked... sympathetic? She turned around and snatched away the bag of peppermints from Jet Set before storming off in anger and disgust. Jet Set, at the loss of what were presumably the best sweets he'd ever eaten, hung his head in shame.

Even Snips and Snails were laughing. In their case, they were laughing so hard that they had to hold on to each other to keep from falling over. Unfortunately, it turned out to be in vain. They toppled over the dropped Gatorade container on the ground, still laughing like hyenas.

"You see, Silver..." Sunset started as she got into his face, "...you shouldn't have gotten involved with the fun Bluey here was having with the Seed girl." She ran a finger up his neck and across his jawline. "It's not your place to get involved. It's your place to stand there and take what you deserve."

Silver felt someone grab him by the front of his shirt and turn him around. It was Blueblood, a look of smug triumph on his face.

"Hey Silvy..." Blueblood started. "Do you know your place now, loser?"

"People are bastards, every one of them. They'll always hurt you in the end. Get it now? You can't trust them."

Tears started flowing down Silver's face. This did not go unnoticed.

"He's gonna cry!" Blueblood gloated. "Gonna cry, you little bitch? Don't you dare cry, you needed to learn your place."

Silver bolted for the back door. He needed to get away... get away from everyone... from everything... he was right... the son of a bitch was right after all... you can't trust anyone...

SPLAT!

Silver felt something hit his back. He turned his head... and he felt a glob of dog food hit him in the face.

"Dog food for the dog!" Sunset started chanting. "Dog food for the dog!"

The guests started to grab globs of dog food and chuck them at Silver. Thankfully, he managed to dodge most of them: by the time the full fledged assault had started, he had made it into Sunset's kitchen, and nobody dared make a mess out of her house.

Silver bolted through the living room and out the front door, the school's ruling class and the bacon-haired succubus on his heels. As he jumped on his Vespa, he heard Sunset yell "In case you're thinking of trying something like egging this place, forget it! It's not my house! You think I'd show a loser like you my actual house?"

The resulting cackle was drowned out of Silver's ears by the noise of the motor. He turned and gunned it, sending his faithful motor scooter down the street and toward home... away from the humiliation... away from the pain... away from the she-bitch...

A couple blocks away, Silver pulled the Vespa over. As soon as the engine died, Silver covered his face in his hands and started to sob as his emotions hit the breaking point.

He had been right all along... people were bastards... all they wanted to do was screw you... and Silver had been so blind. He honestly thought that Sunset may have reformed... that she may have...

Yeah, right.

The thought that any girl in her right mind would have even been interested in him was as laughable in retrospect as the thought of Truffle Shuffle sticking to a diet. And even Truffle Shuffle laughed at him...

No. He couldn't let them win... he had to toughen up.

"The boy's gotta toughen up. The world's a cruel place."

He'd show them all... Blueblood, Snips, Snails... the succubus... he'd show them. He'd come in tomorrow and show them that they weren't going to affect him at all. No, he'd act like nothing happened. If he didn't let it bother him, then he'd take the fun out of it for them.

At least, he hoped.

Author's Note

Make It Stop

"Brought to his knees he cried
But on his feet he died
What God would damn a heart?
And what God drove us apart?
What God could?"
-Rise Against, "Make it Stop"

It felt like a day-long walk of shame for Silver.

The walk to his locker that morning was accompanied by snickers and barely-contained laughs.

In Miss Harshwhinny's English class, he found a "dog license," crudely written in pencil on a piece of paper from someone's notebook, on his desk. Upon finding it, Jet Set waved at him, a shit-eating grin upon his face.

In social studies, the moments before the bell rang at the start of the class were punctuated by Snips and Snails barking into his ears like particularly annoying Arsenio Hall audience members.

During lunch, Silver had gotten up to get an apple juice from the vending machine. Upon returning to his seat, he found that his tray had been cleared off, a single can of Alpo dog food resting upon it. Scrawled in Sharpie on the can was "The only lunch you'll ever need."

To Silver's unease, nothing happened in either gym or algebra. During the walk back to his locker to get ready to go home, one part of him hoped they had given up, that they had had their fun. Another part of him felt that this was simply the calm before the storm... before the "doozy," as a hyperactive classmate would put it.

Silver rounded the corner and his locker was in sight. All he wanted to do was get his stuff and get the hell out, and try to recover from today. Maybe tomorrow would be better.

It was then that Silver noticed something odd.

The top part of his locker was slightly ajar... and he always made sure to close it...

Silver dashed over, hoping against hope that this was a simple mistake... that the feeling in his gut was wrong...

It wasn't.

Silver opened the top part of his locker and gasped. The inside was utterly trashed. His books had been ripped to shreds, bits of covers and pages everywhere. Buckaroo Banzai and The Incredible Melting Man were rendered into garishly colorful bits of confetti, while Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide looked as if it had been fed through a woodchipper.

But that wasn't the worst of it.

His beloved Ash figure had been smashed to pieces. His legs were in one corner of the rubble, his arms in the other, the head and torso in the middle. Underneath the torso was a note, scribbled out in black Sharpie, on a page from Maltin's Movie Guide.

It read "DO YOU KNOW YOUR PLACE NOW?"

"People are bastards, every one of them. They'll always hurt you in the end."

The rage and pain burned through Silver's core like a wildfire through a petrified forest. He'd been angry, but he'd never been THIS angry before.

"Hey Silvy... do you know your place now, loser?"

Silver's hands balled into fists, tight enough that his knuckles turned white. His teeth were grit so hard that if he hadn't been so angry, he would have been shocked they didn't crack and break.

"It's not your place to get involved. It's your place to stand there and take what you deserve."

BAM!

Silver's fist flew into the locker door at full force. He shrugged the pain off and did it again.

BAM!

He imagined the locker door was Blueblood's smug face, his fist wiping that shit-eating grin off his face.

BAM!

Blueblood morphed into Snips. He wasn't spared from Silver's wrath.

BAM!

Snips' battered form morphed into Snails.

BAM!

Snails morphed into that witch... that temptress...

"Gonna hit a girl, Silvy?" She asked mockingly.

Oh, how he wished he could... how he wished he had the lack of restraint to do so... but even he knew he couldn't do that... no...

Sunset's face morphed into a strange looking fellow. His messy brown hair... gray skin... glasses... garish shirt...

It was Silver.

BAM!

"How can you be so pathetic..." Silver muttered as his fist hit the locker door.

BAM!

"...weak..."

BAM!

"...useless..."

BAM!

"...spineless..."

BAM!

"...stupid..."

BAM!

"...what use are you to anyone? You could have never existed and nothing would be different."

BAM!

"You're nothing."

The face in the locker looked beat to hell. His eyes were swollen shut from the pummeling. His nose bled profusely, and his mouth was missing a few teeth, the empty spaces bleeding as well. His dark-green glasses were cracked and broken. The face mercifully faded away.

It was then that reality came back, and Silver found himself staring at his locker door again. There was a large dent where his fist had impacted the door, but he was strangely calm. He felt no anger. He felt no stress. He felt nothing. His hand hurt like hell, but he didn't care.

He felt numb.

He turned to see a few students staring in his direction, jaws dropped, but he didn't care. He grabbed his books and backpack, closed his locker and headed out.

He didn't care. Not anymore.

The dining room at the Screen residence was nothing fancy: floral wallpaper, a TV on the counter in the corner, a large table in the center with four chairs. It was there that Silver Screen and his mother, Bright Screen, had pizza for dinner. Pizza was Silver's absolute favorite food... but that evening, he just wasn’t enjoying it. He had sat at the table, just absentmindedly shoving food in his mouth in silence, speaking only when spoken to.

"How was your day, honey?" Mrs. Screen asked.

"Fine." Silver replied, his tone unemotional, his eating robotic.

"How was school?"

"Good."

"Are you okay, honey?" Mrs. Screen asked, putting her pizza down.

"Yeah, mom, I'm fine." Silver said, taking another bite.

"You know, honey, you can talk to me about anything." Mrs. Screen said, putting her hand on Silver's reassuringly.

"I know." Silver replied,

"How was your party last night? Did you make any friends?"

She didn't know of what happened. Silver had laundered his outfit as soon as he got home. His mom had to work late again, so it was easy to cover up what had happened. Thankfully, her late nights hadn't been as frequent since she and Silver's father divorced, and they had been able to spend more time together.

"Nah." Silver replied.

"Honey..." Mrs. Screen began, "...you can't spend the rest of your life alone in your room. You have to start opening up to people."

"Why, mom?" Silver asked.

"Because, honey, no one is an island." Mrs. Screen started, setting down her slice of meat lover's. "People are social animals. They need social interaction. Why do you think a lot of couples and friends come to the Ponyplex?"

"They split the cost?"

"No. They come because they want to enjoy a movie with someone they love. Stuff like that is better when you have someone to enjoy it with."

"I got you, mom." Silver replied, putting down his slice of pepperoni.

"I know, but I'm not going to be around forever. You need to try interacting with people your own age."

If it weren't for the events of the previous night, Silver wouldn't have said what he said next.

"I can't stand people my own age, mom. They're basically sociopaths. Plus, I highly doubt they can appreciate the work of David A. Prior."

"First off, a lot more kids your age than you think enjoy trashy action movies." Mrs. Screen started. "Second, not all kids are like that. There's a lot in this neighborhood that do great things to help the community, like that shy girl at the animal shelter."

"I don't think they do it out of the goodness of their heart, mom." Silver replied, a bit of cynicism creeping into his voice.

"Now you're starting to sound like your uncle." Mrs. Screen said, looking at Silver with concern. "I don't want you to end up like him."

"A fat bastard?"

"Silver Nitrate Screen!" Mrs. Screen said firmly.

"It's true, mom!" Silver said angrily.

"He may have been a jerk, but he's still your uncle."

"Jerk isn't the word I would have used..."

"What's gotten into you tonight, Silver?" What happened?" Mrs. Screen asked, her tone and eyes radiating compassion.

Silver opened his mouth to speak...

"The boy's gotta toughen up. The world's a cruel place."

"Nothing happened, mom."

"Don't you lie to me, Silver..." Mrs. Screen began.

"I know you're going to go to your mother anyway..."

"Nothing happened! I went to the party and just stood in a corner for two hours, like every other attempt to be more social!" Silver said angrily.

"Hey Silvy... do you know your place now, loser?"

It felt bad to lie to his mom, but he couldn't let her see just how weak and useless her son was... it would hurt her to know.

"I'm going to my room."

With that, Silver walked out of the dining room and to his bedroom, leaving his mom stunned behind him.

Author's Note

Scars

"Did I say something stupid?
There goes one more mistake
Do I bore you with my problems?
Is that why you turn away?
Do you know how hard I tried
To become what you want me to be?"
-Allison Iraheta, "Scars"

Silver slammed the door to his room, causing a few of the posters on his wall to flutter a bit from the wind. He wound up dropping to his knees at the side of his bed, sobbing into the mattress as his suppressed emotions came flooding out.

The anxiety was unbearable. His heart was beating like a jackhammer. His tears stained his comforter. He was rocking in place, shuddering.

This was his fate, he thought. He was destined to be entertainment for sadists... a chew toy. They'd get his hopes up, have him feel great... then dash everything to pieces without any mercy or shame. If that wasn't enough, they'd vandalize, they'd harass... they wouldn't stop until they got their fun.

Silver rolled off onto the floor, curling himself into the fetal position, his sobs quieter.

"It's not your place to get involved. It's your place to stand there and take what you deserve."

If it was his place to stand there and take what he deserves... then there was only one thing to do...

Silver would have to remove himself from the equation. Permanently.

Getting to his feet, his legs shaking, Silver headed to his desk. He knew what he was looking for, and in a few seconds, he had procured it from the top drawer...

It was a small, ovalesque object, red in color with the Swiss coat of arms printed on it.

It was his uncle's Swiss Army knife.

"Mom... forgive me..." Silver uttered as he flicked the knife blade open, hovering it over his arm before moving it over to his radial artery.

He'd deny them the satisfaction of his suffering. He'd deny them the use of his body and soul for their own entertainment.

He was done.

He slowly brought the knife down, holding it to where the radial artery started.

One slice up, and it would all be over...

"Go ahead, Silvy... do it..."

The hell? Silver started looking around, trying to find out who else was here. As his eyes passed the bar mirror on his wall, he saw the source.

There, in the mirror, stood Sunset, a smug grin upon her face.

"Who'll miss you, aside from your mama? Nobody. What do you have to live for? Nothing. You got no friends... no girlfriend, like any girl in their right mind could ever love you..."

Silver's blood began to boil. His free hand began to curl into a fist.

"You'd be doing the world a favor by offing yourself. After all, what's one less loser in the world? I got plenty of other losers to torture. You're just small potatoes, Silvy."

Sunset began to laugh. Long peals of horrible cackling filled the room as Sunset slowly morphed into a balding, bearded man with Coke-bottle glasses. His teeth were yellowed from years of smoking. Silver recognized him instantly.

He was his uncle.

"What's the matter, boy?" He smugly asked. "You gonna let that girl bring you down? I thought I told you you have to toughen up. I told you, the world is a cruel place. You had to find out the hard way that I was right..."

He split into two people: himself, and the alpha bitch...

Silver flicked the knife closed.

Sunset began to laugh again.

The hand that held the knife gripped it tightly.

"Come on Silvy... do it..."

She would not win...

"You never toughened up, boy..."

He would not be right...

"Do it, you pansy!"

Silver snarled.

"TOUGHEN UP!"

The knife hand flew back. In the span of a second, Silver's arm flew forward, releasing the closed knife. The knife hit the mirror at full force.

The mirror shattered completely with a loud crash.

As the pieces of mirrored glass fell to the floor, Silver stared intently at the bare frame where the glass had once been, feeling as if his metaphorical eyes had been opened...

They WANTED him to die... they WANTED him to slit his wrists... his death would be the ultimate sign of their triumph over him.

But he wouldn't give them the satisfaction.., not Blueblood... not Sunset... not anyone...

He'd show them... no matter what they threw at him... no matter how they hurt him... no matter what torture they unleashed upon him... he'd LIVE...

In spite of them, he'd LIVE. He would NEVER show weakness. He would never cry... he would never show any sign to anyone that they had hurt him.

He would toughen up. He would win.

"How do you like THAT, you fat bastard?" Silver said under his breath to no one. "Is that toughening up enough for you?"

There was a knock on his door.

"Silver, honey, what broke?" Mrs. Screen asked.

Silver was calm. Silver was cool. Silver was tough. He spoke.

"My mirror fell off the wall, mom."

"Oh. Okay. I'll get you the broom and dustpan so you can sweep up the glass, sweetheart." Mrs. Screen replied.

"Thanks, mom." Silver said.

As the sound of footsteps faded, Silver stood there, only one thing going through his mind.

"No more..."

Author's Note

The Stranger

"Well, we all have a face
That we hide away forever
And we take them out
And show ourselves when everyone has gone
Some are satin, some are steel
Some are silk and some are leather
They're the faces of a stranger
But we'd love to try them on..."
-Billy Joel, "The Stranger."

"Now do you remember?" Silver asked bitterly.

Sunset did now.

She remembered how Blueblood came to her for help in putting Silver in his place... how she she had bought all the dollar store dog food she could in order to fill that Gatorade container... how she baited Silver... how she had texted Blueblood with the selfie to let him know to spring the trap... how they had laughed as they brought his hopes up and then mercilessly dashed them to pieces...

Oh yes, she remembered now...

She didn't know why she didn't remember him. Maybe when you've tormented so many people, you can forget a few people here or there... he was right. For her, his humiliation was simply another Tuesday.

But she knew in her heart that as much as that was true, what was just as true was that she wasn't that person anymore. She wanted now, more than anything, to make things right with those she hurt. Doing so got her a close friend in Dac... maybe more than that. To Sunset, Dac was a brother she had never had.

"I... I'm sorry..." Sunset began.

"Oh? You're sorry?" Silver began, somehow more bitter than before. "Well! That fixes everything! You said you're sorry, everything's all better-WRONG!!! Things aren't fine, you deceitful succubus!"

In retrospect, Sunset didn't know how to start her apology. In the shock of remembering what she had done, she could only say the first thing that came to mind.

"Look, Silver-"

But Silver wasn't finished. Not by a long shot.

"I HATE you, Sunset Shimmer. I have NOTHING but hate for you. If you took this building apart, laid every single solitary piece next to each other, and wrote the word 'hate' all over each piece in the smallest possible size with a Sharpie, the result wouldn't equal ONE-TENTH of the hatred I have for you! I did nothing to you, and you helped that dickweed humiliate me! And yet you think it can be brushed over with a 'I'm sorry?'"

"Now if you'd listen-"

"No, you listen!" Silver said, getting in her face. "You go around acting like you've changed, like you're regretful of what you've done. But you tried that before with me, and look what happened. People like you DON'T change! People like you DON'T know what it's like to be bullied! You don't know what it's like to be toyed with and mocked for someone's amusement! You've never known how it feels to think that you're less than human, that your only point to existing is to be someone's punching bag!"

Sunset tried to think of a biting reply, of something that could shut down Silver's argument completely... but she couldn't. She couldn't at all. He was right. Even in Equestria, she had never really been a victim. Sure, there were some comments thrown her way when she became Celestia's pupil... but they were more along the lines of "teacher's pet" and "apple polisher" than anything truly demeaning...

"If I had my way..." Silver continued, "I wouldn't want to see you again, I wouldn't want to hear you again, I wouldn't want to be in the same room with you, in the same building with you, in the same city, in the same state... but I can't have my way, so I just want you to leave me the hell alone."

The sound of the door being unlocked renewed Silver's vigor. He quickly grabbed his stuff off the desk, and as the door opened to reveal Vice-Principal Luna, all Silver could say was this:

"HALLELUJAH!"

He quickly excused himself as he passed Luna, then rounded the corner and was out of sight.

Sunset fell into the nearest chair, her head in her hands and mind weary with thought.

"Miss Shimmer..." Luna began, "...detention's over. You can leave now."

Sunset looked up, embarrassed. "Oh... I'm sorry, Miss Luna."

"I don't know if I'm ever going to get used to the respectful Sunset Shimmer..." Luna started as she walked over and took a seat next to Sunset. "...but I've been around enough to know when there's a lot on your mind. Do you need to talk?"

Sunset took a breath and sighed. "I think so."

"Then go ahead." Luna said, in a voice going from stern authority figure to big sister. "I'm all ears."

Sunset was stunned. "Even after all the trouble I gave you... after everything I did to all of you... you still want to help me?"

"Miss Shimmer..." Luna said, placing a hand on Sunset's shoulder, "...if I didn't try to help or listen to a student in this school, I would be derelict in my duty as a vice-principal."

Sunset laid her head down in her arms and sighed. "Even a monster like me?"

"Sunset..." Luna said, radiating concern.

The use of her first name took Sunset by surprise. As long as she had known Luna, she had only been formal and professional with her students. She never heard her use any student's first name.

"...are you listening?" Luna asked.

Sunset looked up to see that Luna's normally stern look had softened into an almost motherly look of concern, which Sunset figured ran in her family. She nodded.

"You're not a monster. Not at all."

"Yeah... my past says otherwise..." Sunset replied, a tear beginning to fall down her cheek.

"The past is just that, Sunset... the past." Luna said as she handed Sunset a tissue from her pocket. As Sunset dabbed her eyes, Luna continued.

"You can't change what's passed, no matter how hard you try. What matters is what you do in the here and now. And to be quite honest, I'm proud of you."

"P...p...proud...?" Sunset said, gobsmacked.

"Yes." Luna said, smiling. "I was starting to think you were a lost cause. It would have been a shame, because you had and still have a lot of potential. But then the Fall Formal happened, and now you know what I see? I see the Sunset Shimmer that I knew was in there all along. Sure, you still have to see me in detention from time to time, but you're in here because you were defending other students, not because you were tormenting them."

Sunset looked away. "I just wonder how many more I hurt as much as Dac and Silver... to the point where they couldn't take life anymore. I mean, I was able to save Dac, and I'm grateful for it because... not only did I fix a mistake, but I gained a brother... but after seeing Silver, I wonder if it was just a fluke..."

"I heard, Sunset." Luna said, bringing Sunset's face up to look at her. "I heard Mr. Screen's comments when I came to unlock the door. And he's only half right. Only SOME people like you can't change, and that's only either because they cannot see what damage they're doing, or they just don't care as long as they have their fun."

"I... I put so much hate in his heart..." Sunset said, more tears coming down.

"Sunset..." Luna started as she handed Sunset some more tissues, "...I'm going to tell you a story about myself at your age..."

Sunset dried her eyes and nodded for Luna to continue.

"When I was your age... I... I was a bully, too." Luna began.

Sunset looked at her, a little shocked. "You? The stickler for law and order?"

"Miss Shimmer..." Luna said, slipping back into stern mode.

"Sorry..." Sunset replied.

"Anyway... when I was growing up, I hated Celestia. She was just so... perfect... She got the straight As, the awards, the praise..."

Luna cleared her throat and kept going.

"Meanwhile, I was incredibly average. I could only pull in Bs and Cs, and I wasn't particularly athletic... At the time it felt like even if I could cure cancer or pull off some kind of miracle, my parents valued her more than they did me because they always told her how proud they were of her and it felt like I could never measure up. So I picked on others."

Luna looked down in regret as she continued.

"I wanted everyone to feel like how I felt. I pulled the most hurtful pranks. I slashed teachers' tires. I played with lonely guys' emotions... but I figured they'd bounce back. Back then, we didn't know as much about what bullying could do to a person and what it could lead to. I figured it'd just make them feel bad, but they'd feel better eventually... maybe I knew what it did and I was just trying to convince myself otherwise... I had a permanent spot in detention and a record that had be brought in by someone with a wheelbarrow."

Luna chuckled a bit at the thought of the wheelbarrow, but stopped to collect herself.

"What changed you?" Sunset asked.

"I came home from detention one day and found Celestia crying. She had gotten her report card and was crying because she got a B. Of course, my parents were comforting her and telling her she'd do better next time."

Luna took a breath, then continued.

"I got angry. They were always hard on me for getting Bs and Cs and wondering why I wasn't like Celestia, and here they were telling Little Miss Perfect that a B wasn't the end of the world... so I mocked her. I told her that it looked like she wasn't so perfect after all."

"What happened?" Sunset asked.

"They forced me to go up and apologize. I just wanted to get it over with so badly that I didn't bother to knock to enter her room... and I saw her cutting..."

Sunset's jaw dropped.

"She had her skirt off and she had one of the blades from the razor she used to shave her legs. She was cutting on her thigh so no one would notice any scars... I'll never forget it... she was saying to herself that she wasn't perfect, that she'd never be perfect, that our parents didn't love her anymore... and then she saw me..."

Luna's voice began to crack as she continued.

"I felt lower than I'd ever been in my life. All this time, I thought Celestia's life was easy, but all I had seen was a mask. She had an enormous pressure on her to get those grades... those honors... for the first time, I saw my sister for who she really was: not an overachiever, but a flawed, normal human being. All that hate and that resentment toward her disappeared."

A tear began to fall down Luna's face.

"She yelled at me to get out... that she didn't want me to see her like that... but I didn't. I took the blade out of her hand, threw it away, and gave her the biggest hug she'd ever gotten from me. I just held her... and that's when my parents came in..."

Sunset gave Luna one of her tissues back so she could dry her eyes. Luna kept going.

"Well, we had to go through family therapy, of course. The first night after we started that, I felt lower than I ever did because of how I let my resentment take over and let me hurt others..."

"Are you afraid that I'll be a better princess than you? You know I'm ready! YOU DON'T WANT ME TO BE A PRINCESS!!"

That long-buried memory shot to the front of Sunset's mind. Oh, how she knew what resentment could do...

"...and I was in my room, crying... it was like I felt all the pain that I caused others at once, and I was convinced that I was a monster... that I wasn't worthy of any forgiveness... and then my sister heard me, and I'll never forget what she told me. They're words I'm going to pass on to you, Sunset."

Sunset looked up at Luna, eager to hear her.

"She said 'Luna, if you were really a monster, you wouldn't be feeling all that regret. You wouldn't be wishing to take it all back and try again. True monsters wouldn't care.'"

Luna sighed as the weight of the memory came down on her.

"I told her that nobody would forgive me for what I did, and for the first time, my sister told me what I want to tell you."

Luna looked Sunset dead in the eyes.

"She said four simple words. 'I believe in you.' Four simple words that helped me turn myself around. Four simple words that made our relationship stronger... 'I believe in you.'"

"So..." Sunset started, "...did they forgive you?"

"I did my best to make amends, Sunset." Luna replied. "I paid those teachers back for the tires I slashed. I apologized to those I had bullied. Some didn't forgive me, but the rest, when they saw that I truly had changed, did. Some still didn't, but you know what? I tried, and that's all you can do."

Luna chuckled again.

"You know, the odd thing is... one of those lonely guys I led on?"

Sunset nodded.

"We're dating now. We met up at the 20 year reunion."

Sunset looked at Luna, incredulous.

"It brings me to the other point of this, and another lesson I want to leave you with. There are times that I want to go back and keep myself from doing all those hurtful things. But then I think that if it weren't for how I was, my bond with my sister would not be as strong as it is, I wouldn't have someone who believes in me, and I wouldn't be dating a really good guy. It's both our successes and our failures that make us who we are, Sunset. Never forget that. The lowest points in your life can lead to the highest points."

Sunset took a breath and got out of her seat.

"Where are you going, Miss Shimmer?" Luna asked.

"You're right, Miss Luna. I'm not a monster. I'm not that person anymore. Dac wasn't a fluke. Dac showed that no matter what, I will try. Even if Silver won't forgive me, dammit, I will go down TRYING!"

"That's the spirit, Miss Shimmer." Luna said, proudly.

Sunset headed for the door, but stopped to look back as she opened it.

"Thank you, Miss Luna, for the lesson. I'll never forget it."

Luna nodded.

"I believe in you, Miss Shimmer." Luna said as Sunset walked out the door, determined to fix her mistake.

Author's Note

Fade to Black

"Seasons pass but time stands still
Rivers flow and always will
Nights are long and days endure
The pain inside must have a cure
And the reason for the call
Is the heart is vulnerable
The special night has set the stage
To release that hateful rage..."
-Gordean Simpson, "Fade to Black"

It was only when Silver got to his locker that he realized something.

"Son of a bitch."

In his haste to get away from Sunset, he left his Maltin's movie guide back in the library... the one she had tossed aside to get his attention.

"Can't believe this, it's always when you want to hurry out of here..."

Throwing his stuff in his open locker, he slammed it angrily before spinning around and turbo-walking back to the library, fuming.

"Stupid Sunset. Evil wench thinks she can say 'sorry' and everything's better?" Silver muttered under his breath, his hands balled into fists.

"Thinks she can bat those gorgeous eyes and everything's better? Gah! If she weren't a girl... oh, who am I kidding, I still wouldn't do anything. Such a stupid, spineless, fat waste... but she won't win... I won't let her... I'll never let her win..."

Silver was so caught up in his thoughts and his angry muttering that he didn't see the girl round the corner until the pair collided with each other as Silver rounded it as well.

"OOF!"

Silver and the girl were both caught off balance. Silver fell on his ass, his glasses flying off and skidding down the hallway. The girl, an eighth-grader, hit the ground as well, her backpack skidding across the floor.

"What da hell?" The girl said, a strong New York accent in her voice.

"Goddammit..." Silver growled as he crawled on his hands and knees, looking for his glasses.

The girl, blowing her low-hanging bangs out of her eyes, got to her feet. As Silver felt around for his glasses in a blind panic, she walked over and picked up Silver's glasses, then handed them to him.

"Here ya go, big fella." She said.

Silver snatched his glasses back angrily and put them on. He then whirled around to look at the freckled face of the eighth-grader.

"Why the hell didn't you watch where you were going?" Silver snapped at the girl.

"Me? Why didn't ya watch where you were going, tubbo?" The girl snapped back.

"Maybe if you got yourself a damned decent haircut, maybe you'd be able to actually see your surroundings!"

The girl blew her bangs out of her eyes again. "And maybe if... wait, do I know youse?"

"What's it to you?" Silver snapped.

"I got the strange feelin' I've seen ya before..." The girl said, in thought.

"Well, you're currently in my way, so please move the hell out of it." Silver snapped, motioning for her to do just that.

"What's yer problem?" The girl asked, annoyance and a bit of concern coming in.

"My problem..." Silver started, "...is that I need to get somewhere and YOU are in my way. So please MOVE!" Silver shoved her aside and started walking. He only got a few feet before she moved right back in front of him, glaring daggers.

"I ain't movin' until youse tell me what ya problem is." The girl said, arms folded and feet planted firmly in front of Silver.

"You want to know what my problem is?" Silver started. "My problem is punks like you thinking you can just say sorry and suddenly everything's fine! You can't fool anyone into thinking you're decent! Once a bully, always a bully!"

Babs' face fell, a look of utter hurt crossing it. "Hey, c'mon! I ain't like that no more!" She yelled, trying to conceal the hurt in her voice.

"Bullshit! Don't try being all friendly now! Your kind doesn't deserve friends!"

The hurt was starting to seep into her voice now. Tears were starting to streak down her face. "That . . . that ain't true. You're just bein' mean-"

"Well, that's the way it is. People are mean. You gotta toughen up. The world is a cruel place."

"The boy's gotta toughen up. The world is a cruel place."

Silver stopped. His face turned from one of anger to utter horror.

"Oh, god..." He said to himself.

Babs had an insult readied, but stopped once she saw Silver's horrified face.

"What did I just say?" Silver asked, the horror evident in his voice.

"Ya got a hearin' problem-" Babs angrily started. Silver grabbed her by the shoulders and looked at her, his face and voice frantic.

"WHAT DID I SAY?" Silver shouted.

All of the anger in Babs turned to fear... fear of what the potentially crazy guy could do to her. She decided to give him what he wanted.

"Ya told me to toughen up, 'cause the world's a cruel place." Babs said.

Silver released her and recoiled in horror. He looked away from her.

"Oh, God... oh, Jesus Christ..." Silver said, his voice trembling along with his body.

"What's wrong wit' ya?" Babs asked, all anger now replaced with genuine curiosity.

Silver looked back at her. His cheeks were slick with tears, his eyes free of anger, replaced with sheer regret.

"...forgive me..." was all he could utter before he ran away from her and down the hall.

That moment... that moment his tear-streaked eyes looked into hers was when Babs knew. She knew that look all too well.

It was the look of a man who was going to...

"Aw, shit..." Babs thought.

"WAIT! HOLD UP!" Babs shouted as she ran after him.

Luckily for Silver, the boys' bathroom was empty. Then again, it was after school hours, so it should have been expected. But Silver's mind wasn't on trivial things like that right now.

Silver slid down the nearest wall and sat on the ground, what he said earlier running through his mind, along with the horrifying realization that came with it.

He had become... him...

He hated his uncle. He hated the way he belittled him. He hated the way he treated others. He hated all the hurtful things he had said to him for all those years... and despite his hatred, despite his resolve to never act like him, to never be like him... he still became him.

"Congratulations, boy."

Silver got to his feet, shaking in fear. Looking around, he saw his uncle in the mirror, chuckling softly.

"It's about goddamned time you got it. People are bastards, every single one of them."

"Except you, of course." Silver replied.

"Of course." Uncle replied. "I was just trying to be nice enough to prepare you for that fact."

"By belittling me? By mocking me? By treating your own sister like crap?" Silver said, his fear giving way to anger.

"Of course." Uncle replied. "Sometimes, you can't trust your own family. They'll hurt you in the end, too..."

Silver had enough.

"SHUT UP! SHUT UP!! JUST SHUT THE FUCK UP!!"

Uncle recoiled in surprise.

"You spent sixteen years putting me down, belittling me, mocking me, and you're trying to tell me that you did it to make me like you?"

"Yes, boy." Uncle said. "Now you get it. The world isn't all sunshine and lollipops and people won't always be your friend. They'll turn on you if it's to their benefit. That Sunset gal should have taught you that. I was trying to prepare you for that fact of life, that it's a cruel place."

"I hate you." Silver hissed. "I hate you. I don't believe for a minute you did any of what you did to prepare me for anything."

Silver glared daggers at his uncle.

"You did it for your amusement. For all your high and mighty posturing, you're just a bully. YOU'RE NOTHING! YOU'RE SHIT!"

"Really?" Uncle said, a smug grin crossing his face. "Guess what? With how you treated that girl, you're just like me now. Don't deny that for a few moments you felt great tearing that girl down. You're no different."

Silver looked away in shame. "You're wrong... I'm not like you..."

"You told her the world is a cruel place. I taught you well. You're just like me, boy..."

Silver reached into his pocket and felt his uncle's knife. Pulling it out, he flicked it open.

"I'd rather die than become you."

Silver held the knife over his radial artery, and mentally prepared himself with one sentence, repeated...

"The evil ends with me...

That's when the door flew open to reveal Sunset Shimmer. She took one look at Silver and a look of sheer horror crossed her face.

"SILVER, NO!" Sunset shouted as she started toward him.

Ordinarily, starting towards someone carrying a pocket knife, blade open, would be a bad idea. However, luck was on Sunset's side today: startled from the sudden yelling, Silver's hand fumbled, causing him to let go of the knife. It skittered across the floor, landing at the feet of Babs Seed, who had been behind Sunset.

When Silver started for his knife, Sunset sprang into action. Grabbing him by the waist, she got behind him and twisted his arms over one another, pinning them to his sides, putting Silver in a basket hold.

"Sorry Silver, but this is for your own good." Sunset said.

Silver struggled to break free, but no matter how he thrashed or shook, Sunset's grip stayed firm.

"What the hell? Let me go!" Silver shouted. "Let me die!"

"Babs! The knife..." Sunset started, but the girl was way ahead of her. She picked it up and flicked it closed, then ran for the nearest stall.

That was when Silver got in a lucky shot. He stomped his foot down on Sunset's as hard as he could.

"OW!"

Recoiling in pain, Sunset let go of Silver. Wasting no time, Silver ran toward the stall that Babs had run to.

"Give me the knife!" Silver yelled.

A splash and a flush was the only reply. Silver arrived to see Babs standing in front of the toilet. He grabbed her round the waist and pulled her, kicking and flailing, out of the stall and ran back in to see...

"NO!"

...his uncle's knife finishing its trip down the toilet, disappearing down the drain. Silver fell to his knees and stuck his hand into the bowl in a desperate attempt to retrieve his means of ending it all, but it was all for naught.

As the sound of the flushing toilet died down, all that could be heard was the heavy breathing of Sunset and Babs as the adrenaline wore off... and the soft weeping of the broken shell of a boy in the stall in front of them.

Silver had removed his arm from the toilet, and his front half lay atop the bowl, as if he was going to vomit. However, all that was heard was soft weeping.

With Babs behind her, Sunset moved toward Silver. As she neared the stall door, he softly asked through sobs...

"Why didn't you let me die?"

Silver weakly got to his feet and turned around as his sobs subsided. His eyes were red-tinged and wet. His cheeks were red and stained with tears.

"Why? Why couldn't you let me die?"

He took a few steps, enough to get out of the stall, then fell to his knees as a fresh wave of despair hit. The sobs returned full force.

It was then that Sunset knelt beside him and took his hand. While he didn't grip it back, she gave it a gentle squeeze.

"I didn't let you die, Silver..." Sunset started, "...because I didn't want you to. I never wanted you to die."

She wrapped her other arm around him and held him.

"I want you to live, Silver."

She started to rock him gently as she maneuvered his head to her shoulder.

"I want you to be happy."

Babs came in from the side, and hugged Silver as well.

"Shh... shh... let it out, Silver..."

"Why?" A weary Silver asked.

"Why what?" Sunset asked, looking down to see Silver looking up, a mixture of sadness and genuine curiosity.

"Why... why do you want to help a nothing like me?"

"Because..." Sunset started, "...six girls showed me what I was... and I don't want to be that anymore. I want to try and fix what I've broke. I want to help because someone believes in me to do good."

Silver rested his head back on her shoulder. Sunset began to run her hand through his scruffy hair as she continued.

"It's our successes and our failures that make us who we are, Silver. Never forget that. The lowest points in your life can lead to the highest points. And right now, I helped stop a guy from taking his life. I'm going to help him pick himself up and try again, because I believe in him."

Sunset was surprised to feel Silver's fingers intertwine with hers. She then felt his arm go around her back and hug her weakly.

It was then that Silver Screen realized that the Sunset Shimmer holding him... comforting him... urging him to live... was indeed the same Sunset Shimmer who was a major league bully before the Fall Formal. It was then that he realized that, despite what he thought and said, she truly had changed.

"I... I..."

"Silver, what?"

Silver's voice was but a humbled whisper. "I... I'm sorry... Sunset..."

Silver squeezed the hand of his former bully.

"I'm sorry, too, Silver... shh... you're going to be okay, big guy..."

The arm Silver had around Sunset moved. Babs moved off for just enough time for It to go around her and pull her into the hug as well.

At that moment, there was no animosity over what had passed... no resentment, no anger...

...just pure, unadulterated compassion between three troubled souls.

Author's Note

Shape of Things to Come

"There are changes lying ahead in every road
There are new thoughts ready and waiting to explode
When tomorrow is today, the bells may toll for some
But nothing can change the shape of things to come..."
-Max Frost and the Troopers, "Shape of Things to Come"

"Silver?"

"Yes?"

"Why can't you look at me?"

It had been ten minutes since Luna had Silver and Sunset deposited in the waiting area of Principal Celestia's office, Babs having been sent home beforehand. In that time sitting on the small bench, Silver had not looked at Sunset once. He had stared at the secretary's desk, the window, the red Swingline stapler on said desk... but not her.

"I... I can't..."

"Why?"

Sunset took Silver's hand, but he still didn't look over.

"I've never been more ashamed of myself in my life." Silver said as he looked at the floor. "I never misjudged anyone quite as badly as I did you."

"Silver, you had every right to be angry at me." Sunset started. "I didn't give you any reason either to believe me."

She put an arm around Silver, her other hand still holding his, and pulled him over to lay his head on her shoulder.

"I'm not mad at you. I forgive you too, Silver. I want to try again, if you'll let me."

There was silence. A long silence. Then...

"They're going to lock me up, aren't they?"

Sunset saw tears start forming in Silver's eyes. His breathing grew erratic and stressed.

"What? What do you mean?" Sunset asked, confused.

"I tried to kill myself... I brought a knife to school... I'm so fucking stupid..."

Silver started to rock back and forth, trembling.

"They're going to certify me... they're going to lock me away in some asylum like I'm a psycho... like I'm some animal that shouldn't be in public... I don't want to go..."

Silver's voice grew lower, almost to a whisper. He was barely holding back his sobs as he pulled his hand away from Sunset's and started to hug himself, shifting away from her to the other end of the bench.

"Don't let them lock me away... please... I'm not a psycho..."

"Silver..." Sunset started as she attempted to shift closer.

"Please don't touch me right now..." Silver said, rocking back and forth with increased frequency, his breaths growing more panicked and now sobbing in earnest. His shaking caused his glasses to fly off, but he didn't care.

Sunset was wondering what she could do when the office door opened and Principal Celestia stuck her head outside.

"What's going..." Celestia started to ask before she saw Silver rocking, crying and trembling. She immediately rushed outside and knelt in front of Silver.

"What's wrong with him, Miss Celestia?" Sunset asked, concerned.

"He's having a panic attack, Sunset." Celestia answered, not looking away. "What happened?"

"He's afraid that he's going to go to some asylum because of what happened. I tried to help, but he didn't want me to touch him..."

"It's not you, Sunset." Celestia said. "It's the attack. Unwelcome touches can make it worse. Does he take any medicine?"

"Not that I know of." Sunset replied.

"Silver... honey..." Celestia asked, her voice calm and motherly, "...do you have a panic disorder? Do you take medicine for it?"

"...no..." Silver got out between sobs.

"Okay..." Celestia said. "Breathe. Take a deep breath through your nose..."

Silver managed to stop sobbing long enough to take a deep breath.

"One... two... three... four... let it out through your mouth." Celestia said softly.

Silver did so.

"Again. Through your nose... one... two... three... four... exhale... keep going..."

Silver's sobs started to subside as he concentrated on controlling his breathing.

"Silver, why do you think you're going to be locked up?"

"I... I... tried to... kill myself..."

"Is it okay if I hold your hand?" Celestia asked.

Silver managed to nod in the affirmative as he kept controlling his breathing. Celestia took his hand in hers and held it.

"Don't let them take me away..." Silver begged. "Please..."

"Silver, honey... shh..." Celestia cooed. "...nobody is going to lock you up."

"I... I tried to cut my wrists..."

"You made a mistake. You're not crazy. You're not psychotic. You're not dangerous. You're a scared, sad boy who made a mistake."

Celestia managed to ease Silver into a hug.

"I'm not going to punish you for what happened. I want you to promise me that you'll get help so you won't do this again."

Silver weakly returned the hug, still trembling. "I... I promise."

Celestia continued. "I do have to inform your parents of what happened..."

Silver's eyes widened in fear. "No... please..."

Celestia looked him in the eyes. "Why?" She asked, curious.

"My mom... she'll have me committed... she won't want a crazy person living with her..." Silver said, hugging tighter.

Sunset started to rub Silver's back. Taking his lack of pulling away from her as a good sign, she started to speak.

"Silver... I don't think your mom would do that."

"Why?" Silver asked, still holding Celestia.

"I'll admit, I don't know her, but I think that someone who makes sure that you're fed, clothed, and at school every day wouldn't be the kind of person to lock you away the first chance she got. Since she does all three, I think she'd be the kind to make sure you got better."

She ran a hand through his messy brown hair and continued.

"Besides, I can see that she raised a caring, sensitive, and good-hearted guy. There's no way she'd shape you into such a genuinely good person and then take everything away from you. She cared enough about you to help you become a good, honest person with a heart of gold. And if she cares about you that much, there's no way she'd do that to you."

As she spoke, she walked over to where Silver's glasses lay on the ground and picked them up.

"And I have a feeling she cares that much. Because I'd never do that to you... and I care about you, too."

Sunset knelt down next to Silver, his glasses in her outstretched hand. Slowly, ever so slowly, Silver reached out and grasped them. He slowly turned his head, finally able to look Sunset in her teal eyes.

"Thank you." Silver said, softly.

And for the first time in a long while, something wonderful happened.

Silver Screen smiled a genuine smile.

"Is your mother at home?" Celestia asked as Silver finally let go.

"No..." Silver said. "She's at a theater owners' convention in Manehattan until Monday."

Celestia frowned. "I'll have to talk to her Monday, then. As promising as this looks right now, I still wouldn't feel right sending you off by yourself."

"I understand." Silver said, looking down.

"Sunset..." Celestia started. "...do you have any homework this weekend or any plans?"

"No, and no." Sunset replied.

"Can you take him home and look after him until Monday?"

Sunset frowned. "I would, but my car keys disappeared after first period..."

"They look like these?" Celestia asked as she produced a set of keys, complete with a red-and-yellow rabbit's foot, from her pocket.

"YES!" Sunset said with excitement. "Where'd you find them?"

"That's why Miss Luna had to leave you two alone for a bit during detention." Celestia said, stone-faced. "My nephew was caught trying to key her car with them. I guess he figured he'd frame you for it."

"Lousy son of a..." Sunset started.

"Language, Sunset." Celestia said sternly. "I'm sorry I didn't believe those kids before about how he acted, but I figured my own nephew wouldn't act like that. Don't worry, because he's pulling groundskeeping duty with Mr. Discord all summer, and I'll be keeping a much closer eye on him from now on."

"Good to know." Sunset said, then turned to Silver. "Gotta get anything out of your locker?"

"Yeah." Silver replied. "Just my backpack."

"You'll need this, too." Celestia said, handing Silver his Maltin's Movie Guide. "You left it in detention."

"Thank you, Miss Celestia." Silver said, "I'm sorry about all this..."

"Silver, you have nothing to be sorry about." Celestia said. "You had a bad run, but I can see that you'll come out of this better than you were. And I know Sunset will make sure of it."

Sunset smiled sheepishly at the compliment.

"...there's still one thing bugging me..." Silver began. "I brought a knife on campus to slash my own wrists..."

"What knife?" Celestia asked, feigning ignorance. Silver, however, didn't catch that.

"The one I used to-"

"What knife?" Celestia repeated. This time, Silver saw her wink.

"Ohhh..." Silver said as he realized before hugging her once again.

"Alright, you two, go on home." Celestia said as she broke the hug. "I'll be talking to your mother on Monday, Silver."

"Yes, ma'am." Silver replied.

"And Sunset... I'm very proud of you." Celestia said, smiling brightly.

"Thank you." Sunset said, humbly.

"Oh!"

"What is it, Sunset?"

"I gotta get my bag, too. My locker's over in the next hall. Can I leave you alone for a couple of minutes?"

"Sure."

"Okay. I'll be back."

With that, Sunset quickly walked down the hall and around the corner to the next row of lockers. Silver turned back to his locker and started grabbing what he needed: his backpack, into which he loaded his Maltin guide, and his old Members Only jacket. He shut his locker and turned around...

"Leaving so soon?"

Silver was roughly shoved against his locker, dropping his bag and his jacket. Two arms pinned his to the row of lockers behind him. Silver looked up to see the furious, beanie-clad face of Blueblood.

"I was hoping I'd find that bitch Sunset here so I could take out some frustration... but then I remembered... I owe you some broken teeth for what you did to me."

Silver struggled to break free as Blueblood pulled back for the first punch in the mouth. Silver shut his eyes and mentally braced himself for the incoming pain...

And braced...

And... braced...?

Silver opened his eyes. Blueblood was frozen in place, with a shocked look on his face. His head was turned to see a very pissed-off Sunset behind him, her hand having caught Blueblood's fist in mid-swing.

"You need to relieve some frustration, creep?" Sunset said, seething. "Then either use a punching bag or buy some hand lotion. You touch him again, and I'll kick your ass."

Blueblood turned around to face Sunset, his fist still in her hand. His other released Silver. He smiled an arrogant shit-eating grin.

"Well... if it isn't the former queen bitch."

"Three words, Blueblood: Under. My. Protection."

Blueblood pulled his fist away from her. "You don't scare me, not anymore. Not since you lost your edge."

"Is that what you call it?" Sunset asked. "You call being a bully and a prick 'having an edge?'"

"It means we were better than anyone at this school. We never asked, we took. We had our fun with whoever we wanted whenever we wanted. We were superior... well, I am still, at least."

"Superior? YOU'RE superior?" Sunset shook her head in disbelief. "You'll never get it, Blueblood. It's the strength of your character and the size of your heart that makes one great... six girls taught me that... and as far as I'm concerned, that boy you were about to punch is better than you'll ever be."

Silver blushed slightly.

"That nothing needs to learn his place, and apparently, so do you..." Blueblood started toward Sunset, his eyes radiating pure malice.

"DAAAGHHH!"

It was then that Sunset let her knee be the judge and drove it into Blueblood's tallywhacker. Blueblood staggered back, clutching his testicles in pain.

"You... BITCH!"

His arms shot out and shoved Sunset as hard as he could against the locker. Sunset groaned in pain as she hit her funny bone against the locker along with the back of her head.

Blueblood laughed, but didn't see Silver behind him, fuming. He grit his teeth hard, he balled his hands into white-knuckled fists...

"Through dangers untold... and hardships unnumbered..." Silver began, his voice taking on a sinister tone.

Blueblood whirled around "Shut up, twerp!"

"...I have fought my way here to the castle; beyond the goblin city, to take back the child that you have stolen..."

"I said, shut up!"

Sunset looked at Silver in confusion.

"My will is as strong as yours, and my kingdom as great..."

"Stop it, freak, or you'll be sorry."

"My kingdom as great... my kingdom as great... damn, I can never remember that line." Silver looked Blueblood right in the eyes.

"What the hell is wrong with you?"

Silver finally got into Blueblood's scared face, and said to it the words he always wanted to say.

"You have no power over me!"

In one quick movement, Silver grabbed the beanie on Blueblood's head. Before Blueblood could stop him, Silver yanked the cap off.

Sunset was first stunned by what she saw, then started snickering.

Where once there had been long, flowing blonde hair, Blueblood was as bald as a baby's ass.

"So... heh heh... trying out the Jason Statham look, BB?" Sunset said, failing in her struggle to not laugh.

"Shut up-" Blueblood started.

"Or what, you'll use your phaser on me, Captain Picard?"

"He looks more like Lawrence Tierney." Silver said, tossing the beanie to Sunset.

"Give it here, Sunset." Blueblood said.

"Or what, Bruce Willis? You gonna grow hair?" Sunset said, tossing the beanie back to Silver.

"Come and get it, Kojak!" Silver said. As Blueblood went for it, he frisbeed it to Sunset.

"Over here, Howie Mandel!"

"Give it back!"

Sunset underhand tossed the beanie to Silver.

"Amazing." Silver said. "Patrick Stewart here is really good at dishing out abuse, but when it comes to taking it..."

"You don't give it here, freak, I'm gonna beat the piss out of you." Blueblood said, seething.

"I know you're not, Blueblood." Sunset said. "You're not going to do it because he's not afraid of you anymore. You pick on those who don't fight back, like the coward you are. But you know what? Silver's the first victim to stand up to you, and he damn well won't be the last."

Silver tossed the beanie to Blueblood, who eagerly put it on.

"Is THAT what I was afraid of?" Silver said in defiance as he picked up his backpack and jacket.

"By the way, I heard you're going to be pulling groundskeeping duty this summer." Silver said. "All I can say is... good luck... Mr. Clean!"

Silver started snickering as Sunset threw her arm around him, laughing loudly.

The two of them walked through the doors of Canterlot High... enemies no more.

Author's Note

Someone in the Dark

"When someone in the dark reaches out to you
And touches off a spark that comes shining through
It tells you never be afraid...
When somewhere in your heart you can feel the glow
A light to keep you warm when the night winds blow
Like it was written in the stars, I knew
My friend, my someone in the dark, was you..."
-Michael Jackson, "Someone in the Dark."

Sunset and Silver stepped through the doors of Canterlot High only to see...

"Babs?" Sunset said, confused.

Babs Seed was seated on a bench in front of the school, her bag next to her. She turned to see Sunset and Silver walking down the stairs toward her.

"Hey, guys." She said. "What's up?"

"We thought you went home a while ago." Silver said. "What are you doing here?"

"My old man's workin' late, so's I'm stuck here for another fifteen minutes."

"I can take you home if you want." Sunset said as she reached into her pocket for her keys.

"Nah, thanks." Babs replied. "Pa'll have my head if I ain't here. Mr. Discord's lookin' out for me."

"Indeed I am."

Sunset and Silver looked up to see Mr. Discord, the school janitor, in the bucket of a window cleaning rig, cleaning the windows at the front of the school. He turned and gave a friendly wave, which Sunset and Silver returned.

"Look, Babs..." Silver began as he sat next to her. "...I need to say something to you."

"Yeah?"

Silver looked down. "I'm... I'm sorry about earlier. I said some... truly... horrible things that I'm not proud of..."

He was interrupted by Babs hugging him.

"Fuhgeddaboutit." Babs said. "My ma's said worse."

"The boy's gotta toughen up. The world is a cruel place..."

The words of his uncle ran through Silver's head...

"People are bastards, every one of them. They'll always hurt you in the end..."

"You're pathetic. Get out of the way if you're going to be lazy..."

"How I wish we could have spanked him growing up... maybe then you wouldn't have let him turn out soft!"

"Silv?" Babs asked. "You okay?"

"Uh... yeah..." Silver said as he snapped back to reality.

"You sure?"

Silver returned the hug. "Your mom said worse?"

Babs shifted nervously in the hug. "...she also done worse..." She then broke the hug to point to a scar on her leg. "I got that when she pushed me down the stairs..."

Silver grew horrified and looked in Babs' eyes. "She WHAT?"

"She got blitzed one night and... well... she 'punished' me for leavin' my toys around..."

Silver pulled Babs into another hug. "Jesus Christ..."

"Silv, it's okay. My pa sent her packin' after that. It's been tough, but we're really better off."

Babs' eyes looked downward, her voice becoming wistful. "You know, she never showed for the custody hearin'. I think she really didn't want me..."

"I... I'm so sorry..." Silver said, the heaviness in his heart evident in his voice.

"Hey, it's okay." Babs said. "It's better for the both of us."

"Still... it's just..."

"Yeah?" Babs asked, curious.

Silver was deep in thought. He always knew that he could have had it worse with his parents. He was lucky that his mother always wanted to be there for him, that his father still wanted to be a part of his life, and that the divorce was an amicable one.

But... when it came to what his uncle dished out... he didn't think he'd ever meet someone who would have it worse... who'd be assaulted physically in addition to mentally.

He looked at Babs again. He couldn't imagine his own mother doing something to him as horrible as pushing him down the stairs...

The thought of someone hurting her, much less her own mother, triggered a feeling he had not felt in a while.

He could only describe it as the feeling that would drive Charles Bronson to avenge his family in any of the Death Wish movies, although he knew he wouldn't take it that far.

At that moment, he knew what he had to do...

"Look..." Silver opened up his bag and retrieved a piece of scrap paper and a pen, onto which he wrote something. "...this is my cell phone number. You ever need to talk, give me a call."

"Sure." Babs said, taking the paper from him. "Like a pal?"

Silver paused. "No... like a big brother."

Babs eyes brightened at that. "I always wondered what havin' a bro would be like."

Silver smiled a bit at that. "I always wondered what having a sister would be like."

Babs' eyes grew teary, but Silver could tell from the giant smile she had, that they were happy tears. They hugged each other tighter than ever.

"Thanks, big bro." She whispered.

"No problem, little sis." Silver whispered back.

Silver and Babs heard sniffling. They looked over to see Sunset smiling proudly, tears rolling down her face.

"That... that was beautiful..." She said, wiping her eyes with the sleeve of her jacket.

They heard a sound that could only be described as an off-key trumpet noise. All three looked to the front of the school, where Mr. Discord, still in the window cleaning bucket, had a patchwork handkerchief out and was blowing his nose into it, crying his eyes out.

"Well... well played, both of you... well played..." He said between sobs. "Despite the chaotic nature of the universe, you two managed to find in each other a kindred spirit... and... and... it's so..."

He returned to sobbing, once again blowing his nose, as Silver and Babs looked back at each other. It was then that Silver saw her eyes light up.

"Now I remember when I saw youse!" She shouted in glee. "Ya got my backpack back from that Blueblood asswipe and his yutz friends!"

It took a moment before...

"Yes... yes... I remember now..." Silver said.

"That made my day. I never got to thank youse." Babs gave Silver a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks, big bro."

"You're welcome, little sis..." Silver started as he blushed like mad. "...but it was something small, it really shouldn't have meant much..."

"Bro..." Babs started, "...it was small, but when ya get picked on and beat up like I do... it meant a lot that some dude stopped to help me."

Babs smiled a grateful smile at Silver just as the sound of a car horn honking twice filled the parking lot. The three turned to see a beat-up blue Chevy Nova pulling up to the front of the school.

"That's my pa!" Babs said, grabbing her bag. "I gotta go, guys."

Sunset gave Babs a big hug. "Take care, Babs."

"Thanks, big sis." Babs replied, returning the hug.

Sunset was stunned. "Big sis...?"

"Yeah!" Babs replied. "Ya're like bro and sis, so if Silv's my big bro..."

Sunset blushed a bit as Babs gave Silver one hug for the road.

"See ya, big bro." Babs said.

"I look forward to it, little sis." Silver replied.

Babs got up and started walking toward her dad's car. Sunset and Silver kept an eye on her as she got in and the car pulled away.

Mr. Discord was still watching from his window cleaner's bucket. "Do your little bit of good where you are; it's those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world." He said as he picked up a squeegee from a bucket of tools.

Sunset looked up. "That was great, Mr. Discord." She said.

"That's Desmond Tutu, Sunset." Mr. Discord said. "He was a very wise man. You both would do well to take that bit of wisdom to heart."

"I know she has, sir." Silver said. "...and I know I will."

"Wise choice, Silver." Mr. Discord said as he began to lather the window in front of him with a sponge of window cleaner. "If there's one thing this world needs, it's more good and kindness."

"I agree." Sunset said.

"I'm glad, Sunset..." Mr. Discord said as he began to squeegee the windows. "...because I was once like you used to be when I came to this school, and now I push a mop for a living."

Mr. Discord sighed.

"I spent my high school years causing chaos instead of studying. Let's just say that if it wasn't for Principal Celestia, I'd be homeless and jobless."

"Really?" Silver asked.

"Yes." Mr. Discord said. "She got me the job here because she believed in second chances. In many ways, it's my punishment for my youth. However, it's not all bad."

"Explain." Sunset said."

"Well, the pay and the benefits aren't bad." Mr. Discord began. "Plus, I get to try and keep my children here from going down my path."

"You have kids here, Mr. Discord?" Silver asked.

"Yes." Mr. Discord replied. "All 756 of them." He then turned to look at Sunset and Silver. "And I believe two of them have to get going before it gets later than it is."

"Bye, Mr. Discord." Sunset said.

"Bye, kids." Mr. Discord said with a friendly wave. "I'll see you Monday."

Sunset and Silver waved back as they started walking toward the student parking lot.

"I just thought of something..." Sunset started. "What about your scooter?"

Silver stopped, brought his hand to his mouth, and mimed playing a trumpet as he hummed 'Taps.'

"When did this happen?"

"A week ago. I had it parked on the curb outside while I ran in to get something I forgot. Too bad the garbage men didn't see it..." Silver said, sadly. "The funeral was a tasteful affair... you should have seen it..."

"How'd you get here if your mom's out of town?" Sunset asked.

"She dropped me off before she headed to the airport. I was going to use either the city bus to get home or just walk..."

"There's the Shimmering One, over there." Sunset said pointing to a sight that had Silver's jaw dropping.

Sunset had pointed to a red-and white, four-door 1958 Plymouth Fury, lovingly restored to a showroom condition, with the vanity license plate of "SHMRN1" adding the crowning touch of awesome. Silver had never been a gear head, or even obsessed with cars in general, but from his rampant viewing of old movies, he had come to like the designs of old cars. To him, they had character.

"I wondered which of the students had good taste." Silver said as he picked his jaw up. "This must have set you back somewhat."

"Nah..." Sunset said, a small smile on her face as she opened the back door and plopped her backpack inside. "I inherited it from my aunt."

Of course, Silver wouldn't believe the truth: that she got a care package of diamonds and precious gems from Twilight every month, and coupled with finding someone who would buy them and not ask questions, she was left rather well off.

"Your aunt was awesome." Silver said as he plopped his backpack into the back of the Shimmering One, slamming the door shut.

"Yeah, she was." Sunset said as the pair got inside.

The engine came to life as Sunset turned the key. She shifted the Shimmering One into reverse and pulled out of the spot, then shifted to drive and headed out of the lot and on to the street.

"Where's your house?" Sunset asked.

"It's on Totter's Lane." Silver replied. "Five blocks ahead, first left, three blocks down."

"Got it."

Sunset popped a cassette tape into the tape deck, it and the sound system the only things not factory original. The sounds of Bob Marley's "Three Little Birds" emanated from the speakers.

"Marley?" Silver asked. "Didn't take you for a reggae fan."

"Don't need to like reggae to love Marley." Sunset said, bobbing her head to the music. "The man believed in the power of love conquering the darkness, and his music radiates that belief. It's something that everyone needs nowadays, to be loved..."

Sunset put a comforting hand on Silver's shoulder.

"Don't worry..." Sunset sang. "..about a thing..."

Silver tried and failed to keep a smile from forming before he completed the lyric. "...cause every little thing... is gonna be all right."

"You're gonna be all right, Silver." Sunset said. "That's my message to you."

"Thanks, Bob." Silver replied.

"I actually have a few questions for you, Silver." Sunset said

"Shoot." Silver replied.

"Number one: where did you find that spiel you used on Blueblood?"

"It's from a movie called 'Labyrinth.'" Silver replied as he gave a slight smile. "It's used to defeat the Goblin King. Fitting that it worked on Blueblood when you think about it."

"Think we can see it when we get to your place?" Sunset asked.

"Sure." Silver replied.

"Number two: what did you do to Blueblood?"

Silver went silent, as if refusing to answer.

"Silver..." Sunset started. "If you don't answer me, I'm pulling over and we're not going another inch until you tell me."

When Silver still clammed up, Sunset pulled the Shimmering One over to the side of the road. Putting the vehicle in park, she stared at Silver.

"Well, I'm waiting." Sunset said sternly.

Silver sighed. "Don't hate me..." he said as he took a breath. "I... I put Nair in his shampoo. I found a half-empty bottle of it during the last locker cleanout day and... I just... I just wanted to do something to him for once. So, after gym class one day, while he was showering and he had the bottle of shampoo on the little caddies they have on the walls, I grabbed it when he wasn't looking and dumped the Nair into it."

He looked down.

"Coach Spitfire caught me running away with the empty bottle just as he screamed when his hair came out. That's why I was in detention today."

Silver's voice trembled, awaiting Sunset's scolding... or worse, hatred...

"I didn't want to say anything because I was afraid you wouldn't think I was a good person anymore... don't hate me..."

Sunset stared at him, slack-jawed, before busting out into laughter.

"H-hate you?" Sunset asked between guffaws. "Silver, that was awesome!"

Silver was stunned. "Say what?"

"Silver, Blueblood is an asshole who's bullied a lot of kids in Canterlot High. He helped put you where you are right now. I don't blame you in the least for what you did. If I were you and had the exact opportunity to do that, I'd take it too!"

Silver gave a small smile. "Really?"

"Really." Sunset said as she leaned over and gave Silver a hug. "Even good people have their limits."

Silver returned the hug, having never felt so warm in his life.

"Last question, I promise." Sunset started. "Babs and I found you because you were yelling at someone in the boys room."

Sunset looked him in the eyes.

"There wasn't anyone there, Silver. You want to tell me about that?"

Silver looked away and sighed.

"It was my uncle."

He started to tremble.

"He's dead. He died last year..."

Tears began to stream down his face.

"I... I killed him..."

Sunset stared, wide eyed, at Silver. "What...?"

"I killed him..." Silver said, fighting off sobs. "He was a bastard. He always put me down. He treated me like I was garbage, like I was his whipping boy. He said he was preparing me for how the real world was... a cold and cruel place... but I knew he did it because he was a bully and I wouldn't fight back."

Silver started to grit his teeth.

"I put up with it for sixteen years... my mom had to put up with him for longer... the only reason he lived with us was because he was family..."

Silver's hands balled into fists.

"Then one day, he laid into my mom... said that because of her that I turned out soft... that she should have hit me and 'toughened me up.' Son of a bitch..."

Sunset could tell he was about to break.

"I lost it. I told him off for what he said to her. He could yell at me all he wanted, but he couldn't do that to Mom... I told that fat fuck to do us all a favor and drop dead."

Silver stopped. His anger faded. He started to sob.

"He obliged..."

Sunset put her hand on Silver's shoulder. He made no move to remove it, instead letting out a heaving sob.

"I'm a murderer... I killed him..."

Sunset embraced him protectively as Silver began to cry.

"I... I killed him..."

"Shh..." Sunset said, one arm around him while one ran through his hair. "Silver... shh..."

Silver hugged his friend as if she were going to disappear at any moment. He buried his head in her shoulder and sobbed.

"They... they said it was a heart attack..."

"Shh..." Sunset cooed. "...you didn't kill him, Silver..."

"I wanted him to drop dead..." Silver whimpered.

"It was out of your hands, Silver... you couldn't have known..." Sunset said, rocking him in an attempt to soothe him.

"The worst thing is he still won't leave me alone..." Silver whispered. "He still shows up to torment me... to make me feel worthless... I wanted to die today because... because I went off on Babs earlier and... and..."

"Yes?" Sunset asked, still holding him.

"...I became him..." Silver said. "I hated him all my life and I still became him..."

"You're not him, Silver. You're not him and you never will be." Sunset said. "You're not a bully or a monster. If you were, you wouldn't be feeling anything like you do now. You wouldn't care at all."

Sunset felt something vibrate.

"That's my phone." Silver said. "Excuse me..."

The hug was broken as Silver fished his phone out of his pocket. The screen was lit up with a new text message.

It said "U there, big bro? It's Babs. Just making sure I got the right number."

Silver's eyes widened as he showed Sunset the phone.

"Silver..." Sunset said. "...there's your proof..."

Silver looked at the screen again, his face and eyes devoid of sadness. In its place, Sunset would swear that she saw... warmth.

Silver took a few seconds to tap out a reply before putting his phone back and seeking his new friend's loving embrace.

"I'm right here, little sis."

The two friends hugged each other tight. As Bob Marley's vocals faded, Sunset sang along.

"Don't worry... about a thing... cause every little thing... is gonna be alright..."

Author's Note

As the World Falls Down

"As the pain sweeps through,
Makes no sense for you
Every thrill is gone
Wasn't too much fun at all,
But I'll be there for you
As the world falls down..."
-David Bowie, "As the World Falls Down"

The following italicized text is an excerpt of the diary of Silver Screen, dated November 17:

Dear diary… I know it’s a stupid cliche to start a diary like this, but I’ve never kept one before… not until Dr. Slipp told me to try keeping one, so I guess this’ll have to do to start. He told me to start keeping one to keep my thoughts and feelings and make sense of them and that maybe it’ll help me with what happened. I hope he’s right.

I met him yesterday. It was part of my deal with Principal Celestia to make sure I got the help I needed, an hour with him and my mom after school every day. His very name, Freud E.N. Slipp… it brought thoughts that he was going to be some hippy-dippy lovey dovey sixties relic or one of those people who think everything wrong with you can be traced back somehow to your mom, but no. He’s a cool guy, and best of all, he likes movies as much as I do. I’m making a note here: remember to lend him Deadly Prey. He told me the cheesier the better, so I figure I’ll go all out.

What amazed me the most about him is that he had a professional practice that he gave up to become the counselor. He wanted to keep kids from doing what I nearly did, said he read that teen suicide rates were going up and wanted to “stem the flow,” as he put it. Honestly, it’s making me give him a chance. If he gave up something that paid a lot to do this, I guess I owe him that much.

Mom seems to like him, too. At least, better than she liked Sunset at first. That meeting last week with Principal Celestia, where she learned what happened… hoo, boy. I’ll never forget what she said to her.

“I want to slap the taste out of your mouth for what you did to my son… but I also want to hug you for stopping him…”

She seems to have warmed up to her since then, probably because she’s seen the two of us together and sees that she really isn’t who she used to be. Sunset even introduced me to her friends, and Pinkie’s “Glad You’re Alive” party is scheduled for next Saturday. That shy girl from the animal shelter is one of them, Fluttershy is her name, and she gave me a hug when she learned about what happened. I never felt so warm and cozy in my life. I also don’t know why I stayed away from Pinkie for so long. I guess I thought she was overbearing and annoying from what I saw around school, but she really helped me feel at ease and even got me to laugh a few times. Rainbow Dash wound up congratulating me on the prank I pulled on Blueblood, saying he totally deserved it, and suggested putting Icy Hot in his jock strap next. Applejack, who I found is the one who supplies the school with the apple juice in the vending machines, told her that was going a bit far, even though she was laughing when she heard about Blueblood going bald. And Rarity, even though she seemed a bit stuck up from what I saw of her around school and suggested I burn my Hawaiian shirts, was supportive as well.

Babs and I have texted constantly since I gave her my number. I even called her and introduced her to my mom. Mom liked her immediately, and Babs later texted how she wished her mom was like mine. That left a lump in my throat and her telling me how her mom pushed her down the stairs ran through my mind again. I apologized again for how I acted toward her, and she told me again to forget it, she understood why I did it. I still feel ashamed, though. All that time I spent hating my uncle and I nearly became him…

Oh, I’ve still seen him since that day, and I’ve tried my best to ignore him. The fact that Sunset was around helped me to ignore him, but I fear that one day he’ll finally succeed in sending me over that edge and she or Babs won’t be there to stop me… I try to shove that thought to the back of my mind, but last night, I had a nightmare about what would have happened had she and Babs not been there to stop me… and it took me a while to get back to sleep.

Ah, Sunset… she still surprises me. I still can’t believe that this was the same girl who utterly humiliated me. What she did to help me… how she helped me stand up to Blueblood… the fact she stuck by me that weekend to make sure I was okay, and the fact she was actually interested in what I knew about movies… is this what really having a true friend is like? I’ve always been the weird kid who’s been obsessed with movies, always alone because I bored people by talking their ears off about them… I’ve never really had anyone who’d listen, aside from mom, and at times, I thought she only put up with it because I’m family. But Sunset is proving me wrong… and my uncle, too.

In addition to seeing Dr. Slipp at least once a week, Principal Celestia’s deal included having me take part in a group after school that one of Sunset’s friends just started for survivors of suicide attempts and self-harm. She figures that me being around others who have been through what I have would help me immensely, and I can see her logic, even though the idea of participating in a group like this scares me, like giving a report in public. What if I screw up and wind up getting laughed out? Sunset assured me that won’t happen. I hope she’s right.

I haven’t met this friend of Sunset’s yet, but she tells me he’s very nice. The group’s first meeting is this Friday. I wonder if bringing snacks to pass would be in bad taste?

Silver took in a nervous breath as he stood outside the gym, waiting for Sunset to show up. He was starting to tremble in nervousness and his palms were sweating, causing the handle of the large bag containing several packages of dollar store sandwich cookies to become slick and his backpack and grey Members Only jacket to feel much heavier than usual. His muted blue Hawaiian shirt, covered with white palm trees, would have been pitted out if his antiperspirant wasn’t extra strength. He started doing what Principal Celestia had told him to do when he felt like this: breathe in through your nose, count to five, then breathe out through your mouth. After a few reps, his nerves started to subside.

“Silvy!”

Silver turned to see Sunset strolling up, offering a friendly wave. Her leather jacket covered up most of a comfy looking red sweater with a red and orange sun on the front, accenting her jeans and boots nicely. Silver returned the wave.

“Hey, Sunny.” He said, setting the cookie bag down to accept a warm hug from Sunset. “I was starting to get a little worried.”

Sunset removed her backpack and opened it up. “Sorry, I had to stop by my locker so I could get this…”

Reaching into her bag, Sunset pulled out something in a brown paper bag and handed it to Silver.

Silver was stunned. “For me?” He asked.

“Yeah.” Sunset said. “I found that at a yard sale, and I had to get it for you. Didnt remember to bring it here until today.”

Silver opened up the bag and reached in. He felt… a book? Two books? He pulled them out.

“No… no way!” Silver exclaimed, a smile coming across his face. To his joy, Sunset had replaced two of the books that had been destroyed. He was looking at new copies of The Incredible Melting Man and Buckaroo Banzai. “How… these are hard to find…”

“Just lucky, I guess.” Sunset said, a small blush in her cheeks.

There was one more item inside the bag. Silver pulled out…

“Holy shit…”

It was a brand new, sealed figure of Ash, chainsaw and all.

“Sunny…” Silver started, stunned. “I… I don’t know what to say… just… thank you…”

Silver hugged her tightly.

“That’s all you needed to say, Silvy.” Sunset said, returning the hug. “You’re welcome, big guy.”

After a few moments, Silver let go so he could slip his new stuff into his backpack.

“Ready to go in?” Sunset asked.

Silver hemmed and hawed as he zipped his bag shut and slipped it back on. “I’m not sure…”

Sunset took his hand. “Come on, Silvy. I know it’ll be fine.”

Silver took a look at Sunset’s smiling face, and then took a few deep breaths.

“If you say so.” Silver told Sunset. “I’m ready.”

Still holding hands, the pair entered the gym.

The gym at Canterlot High was spacious, befitting a place where a lot of physical activity occurred. There were four sets of bleachers, two against each wall, as well as one at the end of the room, in front of a large set of windows. Between one set of bleachers was a scoreboard, while the other end of the room, where the emergency exits were, had a large stage for plays and recitals.

In the middle of the gym sat a circle of eight chairs, alongside a table where two boxes of donuts from Sugarcube Corner sat.

“Pinkie…” Sunset said warmly. “…bless her heart.”

Silver walked to the table, set down his dollar store bag, took out the three packs of sandwich cookies, and set them next to the donuts.

“Sunny!” A voice said, happily. “You made it!”

Silver turned to see a skinny boy with black, spiky hair and parchment yellow skin walking over to Sunset. He wore jeans, sneakers, a denim jacket, and a white t-shirt adorned with a quill pen crossed with a flower. He smiled as he hugged Sunset.

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world, Dac.” Sunset said as she returned the hug. “It’s good to see you.”

“Sorry about the wait.” Dac said. “Therapy took a bit longer than I thought it would, but my parents wanted to make sure I was in good shape before I came back for good.”

“You look great!” Sunset said. “You’re definitely better than when we saw you last!” She then turned to Silver.

“Is this the guy you texted me about?” Dac asked. Sunset nodded as she and Dac walked over to the table. Dac held out his hand. “You must be Silver Screen.” He said, as friendly as can be. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

Silver took his hand and shook it. “Might be obvious, but I’m guessing you’re the friend Sunset told me about?”

“Yep.” Dac replied. “Dactylic Pentameter. I’m sorry we couldn’t meet sooner, but I was out of town for a bit.”

“Same boat I’m in, I heard.” Silver said. “We both nearly did something stupid…”

Dac looked Silver in the eye. “I wouldn’t say it was stupid, Silver. We just both experienced more pain than either of us could stand, and we just chose the wrong way to try and deal with it.” Dac said. “A good friend once told me that I just had a really bad go, but I’m back on earth and I got a chance to start over and guess what?”

“What?” Silver asked, nervous,

Dac smiled at Silver, “You got a second chance, too. I’m gonna use mine to try and help others like me and like you. How you use yours is up to you, but I hope you’ll help, too.”

“Dunno…” Silver started. “…I’m not much when it comes to conversation and the like… I’m not very social, either.”

Dac gave a sympathetic smile. “Neither was I. I’m still struggling with it, but it’s not talking that’s really important here. It helps, but it’s not what’s really important. What really helped me when I saw Dr. Lyze was that she listened to me.”

“Just listening helps?” Silver asked.

“A lot of times, it does.” Dac replied. “I mean, what didn’t help me is that it felt like nobody truly listened to me, and when it feels like that, you start thinking that nobody cares. And when you think that nobody cares, that pain builds up to the point that… well…”

“I’m sorry…” Silver said.

“What for?” Sunset asked, stepping next to Dac.

“I mean, I made him bring up what he nearly did…” Silver started.

“Silver.” Dac started, a concerned look on his face. “I’m not proud of what happened on the roof, but still, it happened. I gotta live with it, just like you have to live with what you nearly did. If we don’t bring these things up, we’re not going to be able to overcome what happened and support the others that need it.”

Dac’s smile returned. “So don’t apologize for causing me to bring it up.” Dac finished. “We need to face what we did.”

The doors opened and four other students came in. Among them were a somewhat bubbly, blue-skinned girl with soothing blue eyes, light-blue hair with dark blue highlights tied into a ponytail, wearing a purple hoodie, jeans, and white tennis shoes; a cream-skinned girl with teal hair in alternating light and dark highlights adorned with a multicolored flower, teal eyes, a teal jacket over a purple blouse with a purple, long-sleeved undershirt and small red dickie, a red skirt with a picture of a purple hat on it, and red dress shoes; a massively-muscled blonde-haired guy with snow-white skin, a red and black letterman jacket over a t-shirt with a picture of a barbell, black jeans and white tennis shoes; and finally, a caramel-skinned young girl with messy red hair tied into a ponytail and uneven bangs, green eyes with freckles underneath, her green fatigue jacket covering a white shirt that was stylishly torn at the bottom, a black skirt, black combat boots, and a scar on her leg. The last one beamed at Silver and dashed toward him.

“BIG BRO!” Babs shouted happily.

“What’s up, little sis?” Silver said warmly, holding out his arms as Babs ran into him for a hug. Babs hugged him as tightly as she could. Silver looked up briefly and saw the blue-skinned girl in the hoodie silently mouthing an “Awww…”

“Nothin’ much, just glad to see youse.” Babs said. She then saw Sunset. “Get over here, big sis!”

Sunset came over and pulled both Babs and Silver in a group hug. “Nice to see you too, Babs.”

“Seeing both of ya here makes me feel better about doin’ this.” Babs said, a warm smile on her face. “At least it won’t all be strangers.”

The remaining group members set their stuff down by the table and stared quizzically at the food on the table. Sunset noticed and looked over. “Oh, those are for everyone! Help yourself to a donut and some cookies while we get things situated.” Sunset said as she strode over to Dac, who was looking at his phone.

Silver and Babs strode over to the table and grabbed a cruller and an apple fritter, respectively, from the box. They touched donuts together like they were clinking glasses before they started taking bites.

“Hi!”

Silver looked up to see the blue-skinned girl standing next to Babs, munching on a Bavarian crème-filled donut. She smiled politely.

“Uhh… hi…” Silver greeted, nervous.

“I’m Sonata Dusk!” The girl greeted as she took and shook Silver’s free hand.

“Uhh… Silver Screen…” Silver replied, just a little rattled at Sonata’s forwardness. “Nice to meet you.”

Sonata looked at Babs. “I’m sorry. You’re…”

Babs smiled. “Babs Seed. How ya doin’?”

“Well…” Sonata started, “…better than I’ve been in a while, but I wanted to ask. Are you two really brother and sister?”

“Well…” Silver began, wondering how to put it.

“Eh, we found each other.” Babs said. “We ain’t blood, but we’re family.”

“Aww…” Sonata cooed. “Reminds me of me and my sisters. We aren’t related either, but we found each other and we look out for each other, too.”

Silver took a look around between bites of cruller. He saw Dac and Sunset talking while Dac showed her his phone, and then saw the other two across the way: the other girl was looking uneasily at Sonata, while the muscled boy was glaring daggers at her. Sonata had apparently noticed that, too.

“Yeah…” Sonata said as she looked on, sadly taking a bite of donut. “…I should’ve guessed they’d still be angry about the Battle of the Bands.”

“What happened?” Silver asked.

“…you don’t know?” Sonata asked, confused. “I thought everyone knew.”

“I wasn’t there.” Silver replied. “I kinda swore off social events after a rather hurtful prank. You’ll hear about it later.”

Sonata gave him a look of pure sympathy, then turned to Babs. “You weren’t there either, I guess?”

“Nah.” Babs said. “I don’t like stuff like that. Kinda sucks when ya can’t enjoy it with anyone.”

“Well…” Sonata started. “…what happened was…”

“Okay, guys!” Dac shouted. “We’re going to get started! Everyone take a seat, please!”

Sonata breathed a sigh of relief. Silver gave a quizzical look as he, Babs, and Sonata wolfed down the rest of their donuts and made their way to the group of chairs. Sonata got there first and took a seat, then glanced at Silver with a warm smile and patted the chair on her left. Silver took the hint and sat down next to her. Babs took a seat on Silver’s left, with Sunset taking the seat on Babs’ left. Dac took the seat on Sunset’s left. The cream colored girl was going to sit down next to Dac, but he politely waved her off, causing her to take the next chair. The muscled boy took the last seat between Sonata and the cream colored girl.

Dac cleared his throat. “Okay.” Dac started. “Welcome to the first meeting of the Survivors of Self-Harm and Suicide Support Group. I know the name is a bit of a mouthful, but we can always come back to that later. We’ve got one more member, but she’s going to be a little late due to work taking a bit longer than she expected, and she gave the okay to go ahead anyway.”

Dac stood up, visibly nervous, but powered ahead anyway.

“My name is D-Dactylic Pentameter, Dac to my friends , a-and I hope that’ll soon include you guys… and… I have attempted suicide…”

Dac took a deep breath and continued.

“Two months ago, I nearly jumped from the roof here. I… I…”

Dac started to tremble. Sunset got up and put her arm around him.

“You can do it, Dac.” Sunset said, taking his hand and giving it a squeeze.

Dac looked down, sighed, and gathered his courage. “I… couldn’t take it anymore. For the longest time, I felt like I was worthless and unlovable, and I honestly felt that I would better off to the world dead.“

Silver looked down, in deep thought, as Dac continued.

“I don’t know why I kept going, because I hated life and felt like I was just the universe’s punching bag. I couldn’t take it… my poetry had been mocked and I had faced nothing but rejection when I tried to find love… I wondered what the point of living was…”

A teary-eyed Dac turned to face Sunset. “And then, you showed me that people can really change. You went all out to try and save me from myself… you’ve become the best friend I’ve ever had. I got a second chance that night, and thanks to you and your friends and Dr. Slipp, I’m not going to waste it.”

Dac smiled and wiped his tears away. “He suggested I start a support group as soon as my therapy was finished, and, well, here we are. I figure if I can keep just one person from doing what I nearly did, it’d change the world more than if my poetry ever got published.”

Dac sat back down as the others clapped, Sunset doing so more loudly than the others and throwing in a whistle or two. Silver couldn’t help but smile.

“Now, does anyone else want to introduce themselves?” Dac asked. The group looked around nervously until Sonata stood up and cleared her throat.

“H-hi…” Sonata started. “I-I-I’m Sonata Dusk…”

“Oh, we know who you are…” The muscled boy said, anger in his voice. Sunset gave him a very hard stare.

“I don’t.” Babs said.

“Me either.” Silver said. “Let her speak.”

Sonata gave a thankful look to both Silver and Babs before she continued.

“I’m Sonata Dusk, and I have attempted suicide…” She gave a worried look to Silver and Babs, as she knew they wouldn’t like what she had to say next. “F-for those who didn’t know, my sisters and I… tried to take over the world by using our music to cause and feed off the disharmony of the students here…”

“I remember that.” The cream colored girl said, timid but angry.

“Coco!” Sunset hissed. “Let her finish!”

“Well… Sunset and her friends stopped us, and we haven’t been able to sing since our pendants broke. And since we can’t leave this world…”

Silver and Babs got a little confused. Magic music? Other worlds? Feeding off disharmony? And the others are taking this in like it happens every other day? What were Silver and Babs missing? It sounded like something for Unsolved Mysteries or even Sightings.

“…we have to just co-exist.” Sonata looked down. “I just wanted to try and make up for whatever we did to hurt you but you guys wouldn’t accept it… we tried to help around the school, we tried a bake sale to benefit the school… we even tried apologizing to everyone personally…”

The muscled boy glared at her. “Yeah, more tricks to get our guard down and feed again, huh?”

“What?” Sonata said, genuinely hurt. “No! We can’t do that anymore! Not since our pendants...”

“Right!” The muscled boy said angrily, “You’ll just find some other way to do it.”

“We’re… I’m… I’m not like that anymore.” Sonata said, tears falling from her eyes. “I didn’t want to hurt anyone in the first place… Adagio said it was the only way we could survive…”

“Making us turn against our friends?” Coco started, anger creeping into her voice. “Trying to take over the world? That’s the only way you could survive?!?”

“Yeah!” Bulk said. “Sounds like a pity party to get us to let our guard down so you can-“

“This has gone FAR enough!” Dac shouted. “Bulk, Coco… stop it, NOW!”

“You’re sticking up for this… monster?” Coco asked, surprised.

Sonata sat back down, dejected and sobbing, her face hidden in her hands. Silver looked at her, his heart full of sympathy for her, his mind replaying a fateful conversation…

"My problem is punks like you thinking you can just say sorry and suddenly everything's fine! You can't fool anyone into thinking you're decent! Once a bully, always a bully!"

"Hey, c'mon! I ain't like that no more!"

"Bullshit! Don't try being all friendly now! Your kind doesn't deserve friends!"

"That . . . that ain't true. You're just bein' mean-"

"Well, that's the way it is. People are mean. You gotta toughen up. The world is a cruel place."

“Granted, I don’t know what she did all too well…” Dac started. “…but she’s here, so she needs our help!”

“Figures.” Bulk said. “If you were at the Battle of the Bands, you would be hating her too.”

“As long as I’m in charge of this group, Bulk…” Dac started. “…anyone who’s a member will be treated with respect and dignity and nothing less than that!”

“That monster…” Bulk started.

Silver had had enough as well. To the shock of Babs and the confusion of Sonata, he strode right up to Bulk. Bulk tried to stand up, but Silver angrily shoved him back in his seat.

“What’s the matter with you?!?” Silver yelled. “Your muscles cutting off the bloodflow to your brain?” He pointed to Sonata. “I wasn’t around for what she did, but I am seeing what YOU’RE doing RIGHT NOW! She took the first step to try and change and wants to make the effort to do it, and she wants help doing so!”

“Monsters don’t change.” Bulk said defiantly.

“She’s not a monster, Bulk!” Sunset said as she got up and strode toward Bulk. “She really wants to change, and she really needs our help!”

“How do you know it’s not a trick?” Bulk asked.

“BECAUSE I HAD TO TAKE HER TO NURSE REDHEART TO GET HER TO VOMIT UP THE BOTTLE OF SLEEPING PILLS SHE SWALLOWED TO TRY AND END IT!” Sunset yelled. At hearing this, Bulk and Coco’s faces were awash with shame. Sonata looked down, trying not to cry again. “I HAD JUST AS MUCH A RIGHT AS YOU TO BE ANGRY AT HER FOR WHAT SHE AND HER SISTERS DID, AND I STILL HELPED HER, BECAUSE SHE WANTS TO CHANGE!!!”

Silver glared at both Coco and Bulk. “Now, aren’t we ashamed of ourselves? What do you have to say now?”

“Yeah!” Babs said as she came to her big bro’s side. “I used to be a bully, too. I hurt a lot because I got bullied for my size and my looks and my ma would always get drunk and hit me and I wanted to make everyone hurt as much as I hurt too!”

Silver put an arm around her. With angry tears, Babs continued.

“I was just standin’ on the train tracks outside my apartment after I realized what I was, and I just wanted to die! I just wanted to stop hurtin.’” Tears of anger and pain streamed from Babs’ eyes, but she kept going. “What kept me from lettin’ me get creamed by the train was thinkin’ about how my pa would feel, and thinkin’ about the guy who got my backpack back from that yutz Blueblood, and how there could be more people like him out there..”

Babs looked up at Silver, smiling faintly.

“…more people who were nice and kind and willin’ to help. Because when you’ve been hurt a lot, the fact that someone stops to help ya means a lot.”

Babs wiped her eyes with a sleeve and hugged her big bro. Sonata looked up and smiled.

“So I believe in Sonata, and I believe that she’s legit, cause I see me in her.” Babs finished. “And if you aren’t goin’ to give her that chance, then I’m outta here.”

“I’m with Babs.” Silver said. He turned to see a teary, red-eyed Sonata smiling at him. “If you guys aren’t going to help someone who needs it, then why are we here?”

Bulk and Coco looked thoroughly ashamed of themselves.

“Look…” Bulk started, subdued. “I’m sorry…”

“Don’t apologize to them.” Dac said sternly. “Go up, both of you, and apologize to Sonata directly.” He then turned to the rest. “Okay, you guys. Get back to your seats.” There was a faint buzz, followed by Dac pulling his phone out of his pocket. He looked at it for a few moments, then added “And we’re going to take a few moments to cool off before we continue.” With that, he went up to Sunset, whispered something in her ear, and then left the gym. Silver, Babs, and Sunset then returned to their chairs. As Silver sat down, he turned to look at Sonata.

“You okay?” Silver asked.

Sonata sniffled. “I’ll be fine.”

Coco was the first to come up. She looked nervous and was stuttering a bit. Despite it, she managed to look right in Sonata’s eyes.

“I-I-I’m sorry… about what I said there…” Coco managed to get out. “Dac’s right. I mean…”

“Yeah… I’m sorry, too.” Bulk said as he stopped next to Coco. He was looking anywhere but at Sonata. Silver could tell that it wasn’t out of a lack of respect; from the look on Bulk’s face, it was deep shame. “I went really overboard, and they were right. You’re here, you seem like you want to change, so we need to give you a chance.”

Bulk and Coco held out their hands. “Do you forgive us, Sonata?” Bulk asked.

Sonata smiled and took their hands. “I do.” Her smile slowly became a frown. “Then again, I don’t blame you guys there. I wouldn’t have believed me either after what happened.”

Coco and Bulk, who had managed to look Sonata in the eyes, smiled. Silver then cleared his throat. “Yeah… I gotta apologize, too, Bulk… about the comment and shoving you like that…”

“It’s cool.” Bulk said. “Things got heated. I understand.” He held out his fist, and Silver awkwardly brofisted him. “I’m used to stuff like that, especially when it comes to my dad…”

“Your dad?” Sunset asked.

“Yeah…” Bulk frowned. “…we got into it a lot. He wanted me to be this football great like he was when he went here and to Canterlot U.” He took a deep breath. “My dad got my mom on this special diet while she had me, and then ever since i could walk it’s been training, training, training. Day in, day out…”

Bulk pulled a chair over and sat down in front of Silver, Babs, and Sonata while Coco moved to an empty chair by the three. Bulk looked down, in thought.

“…all it’s been is pushing me to be better, pushing me to be the best… its like he only saw me as some kind of tool for his legacy. I mean, I like playing football, I really do, but…”

Sunset walked over and put a hand on Bulk’s shoulder. Bulk looked up, his eyes moist, and smiled slightly.

“…I just wished he could have seen me as his son, that I could do stuff other than football… every time I missed a pass or got sacked… he’d get into it with me… how I should be doing better with everything he’s done. I… I… I.. just…”

Bulk let out a small sob as tears streaked down his face. Before anyone else could do anything, Sonata got up, pulled Bulk out of his chair, and pulled him into a hug. Bulk, after a moment, gingerly raised his arms and returned it.

“It’s okay, Bulk.” Sonata said. “Let it out.”

Bulk continued in between small sobs. “I couldn’t… couldn’t take it anymore… I couldn’t take it…” Bulk’s voice became little louder than a whisper. “I just… couldn’t… take it…”

Bulk gripped Sonata tighter.

“I saw the weight machine at home… I… just wanted it to stop… I… I took the cord for the handle… looped it around my neck… just wanted it to end…”

Bulk broke down. The sobs started openly now. Sonata rubbed his back.

“It’s okay, Bulk.” Sonata said softly. “It’s okay…”

Sunset joined Sonata in hugging Bulk. Soon, Silver got up to join in. Babs was next, and soon, Coco as well. Bulk was enveloped by the warmth of his potential new friends, and Sunset could only think at this moment about Twilight and how proud she would be. Like she said at the Fall Formal, the magic of friendship wasn’t just in Equestria… it really was everywhere.

After several moments, Bulk was able to calm down and compose himself. The others returned to their seats as Bulk did a deep breathing exercise to keep calm. Several reps later, Bulk was fully composed.

“You okay, Bulk?” Sonata asked, genuinely concerned.

Bulk took one last deep breath and exhaled. “I am now.”

“So…” Silver started, “…what stopped you from… you know…”

“…my dad.” Bulk said. “I’d never seen him move so fast in my life… he was in the doorway one second, and then in the next he was over getting the cord off my neck… and for the first time outside of me winning a game or training… he hugged me… he was crying… it actually felt like he loved me…”

Bulk smiled slightly.

“My mom and dad and I talked to Principal Celestia, and she sent us to see Dr. Slipp. He got us into family therapy, and I gotta see him once a week after school. He told me about the group and put me here, and, well… here I am.”

Sunset gave Bulk an encouraging smile, then looked at Coco. She was looking at the ground, in deep thought.

“You okay, Coco?” Sunset asked. “You’ve been rather silent.”

Coco sighed. “Just been thinking… it sounds like what sent me here. I didn’t try to kill myself, but… uh…”

Coco nervously brought up her left sleeve. The cream-colored skin of her arm was covered with small, white, horizontal scars. It didn’t take a doctor to know what she had done. Silver closed his eyes and sighed in sympathy. Bulk put a comforting hand on Coco’s shoulder. Sunset gave a comforting look, thinking back to Luna’s story about her sister. Sonata looked around uneasily.

“I used to… used to be friends with a girl named Suri Polomare.” Coco started. “She was my only friend. I’d been afraid to talk to a lot of people and she was the only one who didn’t act like I was invisible.”

“Suri Polomare?” Sunset asked. “The one who won the Future Fashion Designer’s Award?”

“Yes.” Coco answered. “She… she started talking to me when she saw me sketching an outfit during free period. She loved it, and we started talking. It was great at first, and I sketched her this lovely casual outfit as a gift. She loved that, and she asked if I had any more ideas. I should have seen this sooner…”

Coco sighed deeply and continued.

“When she wanted to do something, I had to drop everything to do it with her. She never did the same for me. She’d put me down if I didn’t want to do what she wanted, or if I didn’t have any new designs, she’d brush me off when I needed help or to talk to someone… and I thought it was my fault.”

Bulk put an arm around her in comfort.

“I blamed myself.” Coco said. “I hated myself because I thought it was my fault that she didn’t want to hang out with me and that she put me down… I started cutting with an X-acto knife. It… it just helped me feel better… it was something I could control…”

Coco’s frown became a scowl. “…and then I found out that Suri entered the Future Fashion Designer’s contest and she won. She won! And she used the gift I made her to win! She said I wasn’t good enough to enter, that my designs weren’t stylish enough… that… that… BITCH!”

Coco covered her mouth in surprise. “I’m sorry… I don’t say that stuff normally, I mean it, I just got so angry-“

“It’s okay.” Bulk said. “We all understand.”

Coco took a deep breath. “I was cleaning out my locker, just throwing away my other designs. I didn’t want Suri to steal any of my other designs and I just wanted to give up…”

Coco was starting to tear up.

“I was just angry that she tricked me… that was stupid enough to believe that anyone wanted to be friends with me… and Rarity noticed. She had the locker next to me. My sleeve came up when I was getting a sketch book out of the top part of my locker… and she saw my scars…”

Coco took another deep breath.

“She was actually concerned. And… I just cracked and I told her everything. She hugged me and she let me cry… and she didn’t judge me or put me down. She acted like how I wished Suri would have. She took me to Dr. Slipp, and he started therapy. The both of them helped me break things off with Suri. If it wasn’t for her, I might… might have…”

Coco started to shudder as Bulk gave her a comforting hug. “You don’t need to worry, Coco.” He said. “You got friends here now.”

“Yeah!” Babs said. “Ya don’t need that yutz! Ya got us now!” She shot a look at Sonata. “Hey, Sonata, ya okay?”

Sonata was looking down at the floor.

“I… I can relate.” Sonata said. “I mean, about hurting yourself…” She lifted her left sleeve. Silver’s jaw dropped and there were some gasps from the rest of the group. Among the white marks on the blue skin was a bandaged portion starting at her wrist and heading halfway up to her forearm. The bandage had a curved vertical streak of blood.

“Aw, nah…” Babs said, solemnly.

“I had a relapse…” Sonata said, nearly quiet. “Last night. I was afraid of how things would go, and I was so scared I nearly… I nearly cut my radial artery…”

The sight of the bandage caused Silver to think back to the incident in the boys’ bathroom… to what he nearly did…

“Adagio and Aria helped me bandage it. If Dagi hadn’t drank a lot of fruit punch before bed, she wouldn’t have seen me in the bathroom with that razor blade…” She sighed. “I didn’t tell them what was going on since my thing with the pills because I thought they would yell at me for doing something stupid, or say that I was the worst, like what happened when I washed Adagio’s favorite sweater on high heat and it shrank… but they didn’t.” Sonata sighed a relieved sigh. “They were patient and understanding… and they let me know that they loved me, even if I screw up sometimes.” A warm smile came across her face. “It was nice to see they really care about me after all. I know they do deep down, but they don’t really say it very often.”

Babs saw Silver in thought, staring ahead but seeing nothing.

“Big bro…” Babs asked. “Ya good?”

Silver shook himself out of his fugue. “Uh… yeah. Sorry, I was miles away there…”

“Got something you need to get off your chest, bro?” Bulk asked.

“Well… uh…” Silver started, nervous. “…I nearly did what Sonata almost did there. It’s part of why I wound up here.”

Sonata put a hand on Silver’s shoulder and smiled sweetly. “Go on, Silver. It’s okay.”

Coco gave him a supportive look. “You can tell us.”

Silver sat for a moment, then took a breath… as the gym doors opened. Dac stepped through, holding hands with a blonde-haired, gold-eyed, gray-skinned girl, clad in bike messenger gear. The first thing the group noticed about her was her wall-eyed appearance, along with her warm smile.

“Okay, guys…” Dac started. “I’m sorry I had to leave you alone there, but I had to go meet our last member here at the front. Guys, this is Derpy.”

“Hi, everyone!” Derpy said, in a ditzy-but-kind voice.

“Hi, Derpy!” The group said in unison.

The group took a minute to get the chairs back in order and for Derpy to drop off her things and get situated. After some quick introductions, she took the empty chair next to Dac, a bear claw from the box in her hand.

“Well, you guys seem to have calmed down.” Dac said with a smile. “I’m glad. It means this may work after all.” Giving Derpy a peck on the lips, he turned back to the group. “Okay, I started, then Sonata here… Silver, why don’t you go next?”

Silver was nervous. Even though he had seen these people bare their souls to the others, he was still nervous about speaking to a crowd. He closed his eyes and took a breath… then felt a hand on each shoulder. Opening his eyes, he saw Babs and Sonata giving him supportive looks.

“Go on, big bro.” Babs said. “Ya got this.”

“For realzies, Silver.” Sonata added.

Silver took one more breath and stood up. Taking a look around, he saw all eyes on him. They weren’t judging him. They weren’t laughing at him. They weren’t making fun of him. From what he saw, they looked genuinely interested in what he had to say.

“My… my….” Silver started. The words would not come easily, but he would try. The look of silent encouragement on Sunset’s face was what caused the rest of the sentence to escape his lips.

“My name is… Silver Screen… and… I have attempted suicide…”

Author's Note